Presence in Acting

Vienna

WITH Yorgos Karamalegos
26 – 29 October 2026

Discover presence and its embodiment as an essential tool for authentic expression, and learn how to bring this fully into your own performance.

About the workshop

An immersive four-day workshop led by Yorgos Karamalegos, founder of Physical Lab, dedicated to cultivating presence and authenticity in performance. This work is a journey toward uncovering one’s most authentic self and embodying a free, uninhibited artistic spirit.

Through embodiment practices and deconditioning, participants explore presence while releasing ingrained acting habits. Actors are guided to shed societal and cultural conditioning, opening the door to a state of performance in which body, mind, emotion, voice, language, and instinct flow together in harmony.

The aim is simple yet profound: performance rooted in truth, and presence arising from one’s deepest essence.

Participants engage in physical and experiential practices that awaken the actor’s instrument and heighten awareness of impulse, space, rhythm, and connection. By responding to immediate impulses, actors begin to access a more instinctive and liberated mode of creation.

Working individually and with partners, participants explore presence in relation to others while taking creative risks in an environment that encourages vulnerability and play. The studio becomes a living laboratory where physical action, emotional truth, and imagination meet.

Through a process of rediscovery—stripping away habits and expectations—actors reconnect with their natural expressiveness and a state of openness and availability. By the end of the workshop, many experience a renewed relationship with their craft, grounded in presence, freedom, and trust in their creative impulses.

The Studio

Studio Barada in Vienna is a contemporary, flexible space designed for movement practices, workshops, and small cultural events. Its main hall, about 110 square meters, features mirrored walls and parquet flooring, making it ideal for dance and yoga. The studio also includes lounge areas that create a relaxed, community-oriented atmosphere. Practical amenities such as changing rooms, showers, and a kitchen support longer sessions and diverse uses. The layout emphasizes adaptability, allowing the space to be reconfigured as needed. Overall, Studio Barada combines functionality with a warm, minimalist design.

Images and studio description are © Studio Barada, Vienna.

Grants & Funding

The SKE funding program by VdFS offers financial support to filmmakers and audiovisual artists for training, professional development, and cultural projects. Eligible applicants—typically VdFS members with a proven body of work—can apply for grants covering education, workshops, festivals, or creative initiatives, with funding awarded on a case-by-case basis. The program also supports film-related events, associations, and special cultural projects. Applications must demonstrate a clear connection to professional activity and include a detailed proposal and budget, submitted in advance.

Application Deadline: 24 August 2026

Applicants need to provide the following information:

  • Information about the course (content, provider)
  • Confirmation of registration, or, if already available, invoices and payment confirmations

Please contact us at info@physicallab.co.uk for any of your grant application questions or needs.

Preparing
For A Lab

For all of our Lab formats, unless otherwise noted, participants are asked to prepare and learn a single piece of text. This allows you to fully engage with our methodology and explore how text can be embodied and emotionally expressed. You are welcome to work solo or with a partner, in any language you feel most comfortable with.

If you wish to work with a scene, you may coordinate with another participant in advance or connect with someone on the day of the Lab. Please bring a copy of the script for all roles, not just your own.

All registered participants are also asked to submit their chosen text at least one week prior to the workshop, so the instructor can familiarize themselves with the material, its context, and the character.

If you’re unsure of what to choose, please feel free to browse our library of suggested text. For full details and guidance, please visit: Preparing for a Lab.

Yorgos Karamalegos

Yorgos Karamalegos

Founder & Artistic Director

Yorgos guides performers and professionals toward deep physical and mental awareness, emphasizing presence as a path to personal and professional freedom. His body-focused approach aims to use deconditioning as a tool to uncover authenticity.

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Cancellation Policy

We have a cancellation policy of three weeks prior to the start of the Lab for short workshops. After this, we cannot offer refunds unless another participant can be found to take the place.

WHAT OUR LABBERS ARE SAYING

Upcoming Labs

Crete

Fitness & Embodiment Retreat | June 2026

01 Jun – 08 Jun 2026
Armonia Retreat Center

Return to the core principles of Fitness and Embodiment with Alex & Yorgos for our first-ever June retreat. This special edition returns to the roots of the programme, focusing on connection, presence, and personal growth. Through fitness workshops and embodiment practices, participants deepen awareness and explore more intentional ways of relating to themselves and others. Each day blends movement, reflection, and shared experience in a supportive environment. Meals and accommodation are included, with time for excursions to the beach and nearby local hotspots.


Yorgos in a studio, demonstrating with his arms stretched wide
ATHENS

Presence in Acting | Athens

19 Jun – 21 Jun 2026
Horohronos Studio

An immersive three-day workshop dedicated to cultivating presence and authenticity in performance. This work is a journey toward uncovering one’s most authentic self and embodying a free, uninhibited artistic spirit. Through embodiment practices, participants explore how the body can serve as a gateway to deeper awareness, expression, and connection on stage. We will also work directly with the text, treating it as a living partner that invites curiosity and personal discovery. Guided by the tasting principle, artists are encouraged to experiment and stay open to what emerges in the moment.


Alex Crockford sitting on a yoga mat in studio, looking left of camera and smiling
Crete

Fitness & Embodiment Retreat | Sept 2026

01 Sep – 08 Sep 2026
Armonia Retreat Center

Our September 2026 retreat honors the standing tradition with Alex & Yorgos returning for the fourth consecutive year. Through fitness workshops and embodiment practices, participants cultivate greater presence, awareness, and more intentional communication in movement and daily life. Each day blends physical training, reflection, and meaningful connection. Meals and accommodation are included, with time for excursions to the beach and nearby local hotspots. The retreat offers practical tools and moments of renewal that extend well beyond the experience.