Kate Ellis

Kate facilitates conversation.

Kate is on the board of the Australian Children's Theatre Foundation (ACTF) and on Regional Arts Victoria's (RAV) Creative Learning Program Consultation Panel. Between 2023 and 2024 she has been involved in the Time to Act project, a select group of around 10 expert educators who have an interest and experience in drama approaches to education for sustainability and climate change.  She creates educational programs for the city of Naarm/ Melbounre including the below discussions for MPavilion.

MPAVILION 2022. ‘RIGHTS’ OF PASSAGE

In our recent Census, LGBTIQ+ was not listed as an identity and the only two options for gender, were male and female. When our government is not inclusive in its ritualistic gathering of data, how do we identify ourselves if we fall outside of legislative naming? How do we learn to autograph our own moments if they fall outside colonial markers? Despite the challenges associated with categorisation, data shows that boundaries reduce anxiety and belonging is essential to our wellbeing.

‘RIGHTS of Passage’ is a discussion and workshop. In dialogue we will investigate what a ritual is and what rituals we can create for ourselves. Including, choosing the clothes we wear each day to honour who we are (Mama Alto), to marking a blank canvas with paint (Kara Mandel) to frame an investigation, to choosing a sperm donor with friends when going through IVF on your own (Kate Ellis), to how we exit the world as individually as we lived it (The Last Hurrah Funerals).

After the discussion, there will be a short activity based on Jim Enote’s ‘Counter Mapping’ work. Participants will create their own maps to acknowledge and mark their own moments in life. Who knows? Maybe some of the rituals created will find their way to common practice?

MPAVILION 2021. ISO INTIMATES.

In isolation, 40-year-old Kate became as lascivious as what we once only reserved for 15- year-old boys. Where she had previously been at work tending to the mechanics of the daily grind, light previously unobserved in the middle of the day awakened her to the erotic nature of her home space. As a single in isolation this could have proven significantly frustrating however Kate instead discovered someone who was worthy of being wooed... herself.

In a world that prefaces the number 2 when it comes to romantic relationships, when an Australian government accommodates those who are having sex (‘intimate partners’) in their Covid restrictions; and when touch is removed at a time when we are most vulnerable, how was intimacy challenged and magnified in the age of isolation? How was it embodied? How was it left behind?

ISO INTIMATES invites diverse perspectives around notions of intimacy and romantic partnerships. It encourages a conversation through shared stories around togetherness, connection as well as a more freely chosen alone time of reflection and personal growth.

ISO INTIMATES invites a laugh around stories of App dating in iso or that strip tease moment with face masks (if you’d never actually seen the person/people you were dating); about an enforced, somewhat old-fashioned approach because you had more time to get to know others... or around learning to love yourself and your friends up good and realising you were anything but ‘single’.

MPavillion. Saturday 6th February, 5pm. FREE.

https://mpavilion.org/program/iso-intimates/

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MPAVILLION 2020. TRANSITIONING FOR SURVIVAL.

In early 2020, before Melbourne’s first period of isolation, educator-artist Kate Ellis welcomed a panel comprising yoga teacher Lucienne Shanti; actor and writer Candy Bowers, Artist Leisa Shelton and dancer and choreographer Sarah Aiken to talk about the different streams of flux in all our lives.

This conversation was designed after watching Damon Gameau’s recent documentary ‘2040’. Speaking on the changes we’ll all need to make if we’re to save the planet, Damon says ‘transitions are awkward.’ If this is so, and we need to make a ton of them to survive, how do we help each other make them?

Artists are well-versed in vulnerability. Whether they act, paint, write, dance or whatever else, they reflect something of the human experience. Further, for those who move in their careers, like yoga teachers, transitions are a necessary part of life’s flow—you can’t make a position without a transition.

What are the benefits of change? Why, and how, do we find it uncomfortable? How can we more openly approach it?

MPavillion. Monday 10th February, 7.30pm. FREE.

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INTERNATIONAL ENGLISH EDUCATION SYMPOSIUM. MONASH UNIVERSITY.

Kate recently presented at Monash University’s ‘International English Education Symposium’. Gathering academics and progressive teachers in the field of writing and English Education, the symposium titled ‘Write Now: teaching writing in high stakes times’ promoted focused, active dialogue among English educators from across Australia and internationally about the teaching of writing.

Kate presented on her abstract ‘Ethical Hedonism: Vitalising Pleasure in Writing Processes’ which you can read via the blog tab on this website.

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THE WEEKLY SERVICE. EXPECTING.

What do we do when the expectations we had for our lives aren't met?

Kate is about to turn 40. She isn't married, nor does she have a partner. She doesn't have children and doesn't own a home.

In 2019 she tried for a baby as a single woman through IVF. Despite the crippling odds, she'd expected, at the very least, this would work. Instead she received a lesson in hormones, miscarriage and debt.

However, Kate also gathered a wealth of knowledge, understanding and skill on the nature of malleability, perspective and what nature's apprentice Claire Dunn has often referred to as 'the illusion of seperateness'. She is anything but single.

She also came to examine– what are these invisible boxes we use to measure the worth of our lives? And what influences our ability (or inability) to deviate, create or flow into a myriad of miraculous, unexpected arterials when life doesn't go as planned?

Join Kate and Rachel via Zoom on the 18th of April ...and bring your own uncertainties as we all navigate a sudden change in the lives we had planned.

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LISTENING ROOM for THE ABBOTSFORD CONVENT

Listening Room launched at 2018’s ‘Open Spaces Festival’ at Melbourne’s exquisite Abbotsford Convent.

Designed to ‘cultivate sensory rapture in the every day’, participants toured the grounds and buildings in a unique way - listening with all their senses.

Listening Room was born out of Kate’s work with actors who know very well that greater intimacy is achieved when we truly listen.

Listening Room asked the public to seek out details with a sense of play and wonder.

Listening Room is a project that can operate in any environment.

Kate hopes that participants will arrive at a place of greater intimacy with self, other end environment in a way as to cultivate states of belonging and respect.

Image by Izzie Austin

‘One of Kate’s phenomenal gifts is that she sees the power within everyone, and guides you to find it for yourself so that it is realized and stays with you forever'.

Lucy Fry.

Currently starring in Godfather of Harlem on Netflix.

‘Kate’s attention to detail and thorough preparation & research makes working with her so exciting and so insightful. Her passion for her craft and for guiding actors to invite a sense of play into the space is both joyful and inspiring. She creates a safe space to be both playfully curious about the work, and learn new ways to access material without fear’ .

Martha Berhane.

Currently starring in Rent .

Kate has worked with international artists such as Lucy Fry, Aisha Dee and Connor Jessup as well as on International programs and with International Production Companies such as ‘The Saddle Club’ and Temple Films (Anupam Sharma). She has worked on Australian Features such as ‘Judy and Punch’ and ‘That’s Not Me’. She teaches at acting schools such as 16th Street Actors Studio & TAFTA in Melbourne, Australia; and further supports artists and the broader community through her participation in Q and A’s and through government initiatives (with Drama Victoria), such as the Positive Start Program and the Blended Arts Program. She supports actors with self tapes, auditions for acting schools such as NIDA, VCA, VCASS and AMDA; and can be found on set supporting actors and directors while they film. She has trained with the wonderful Miranda Harcourt.For a more comprehensive list please see the ‘About’ tab.

As an acting coach with over 20 years of experience with artists, I believe that sensitivity is a gift. That it is an intelligence. It allows for profound connection with self, other and environment; a greater depth of understanding, and a more sensual experience of the everyday.

We can learn a lot from artists: empathy, listening, truth and compassion. It is a privilege therefore to support, nourish and champion actors.

I believe in collaboration: I work with Actors, Directors and the script. I work intuitively with the actor to help them prepare in a way as to be able to take direction. I assist in their reading of the script, what is on the page as much as what is not (the in-between, the spaces, the 'inter-lingua', the hues).

I believe in listening: I hear and assist actors in deepening their own attention to details.

I am an advocate for the body: it speaks raw truth. Expect to use your body when you work with me.

I believe in play: when we play, we remember why we are doing it. Why we act. We experience immersion. It is a full-bodied experience. It is limitless, creative and therefore expansive. It is joyous and effervescent.

I look forward to working with you.

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Kate Ellis offers private and ensemble coaching around upcoming auditions, secured roles and for cast members on set.

She is available to liaise with Directors and Producers during the final stages of casting to assist in building an ensemble or finding connections and on screen intimacy between key cast members.

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‘...she pulled me out of my head and into my body, and into a new respect for acting, a new understanding of technique, and a new confidence in myself'.

Connor Jessup.

Currently starring in Locke and Key on Netflix.

'Her insight into human nature and what really makes us tick, is food for the soul'.

Aisha Dee.

Currently starring in The Bold Type on Stan.

‘As someone who has had a significant amount of time between formal training and actually working in the industry, Kate’s guidance has been invaluable for me. Her sessions strike the balance between addressing your specific performance needs and her coaching framework. After working with Kate, I felt challenged to expand my craft as an actor, but also well-equipped to engage in scene analysis - something that I have always had difficulty approaching. I look forward to collaborating with Kate in the future’.

Shewit Belay.

Currently appearing in Wicked the musical.

‘...she has always been an incredible soundboard for me as I’ve navigated the relationship I’ve had with connecting the full body to dialogue and intention'.

Marny Kennedy.

Mortified. The Saddle club. Wentworth.

'Kate’s passion for the arts is gleeful, infectious, and clearly reflected in her work'.

Philippa Coulthard.

Howards End. Annabelle: Creation.

'This individualised approach really allowed me to discover a deeper meaning and depth to my characters because she knew exactly what techniques I needed to bring out the best in my work'.

Chloe Bayliss.

Doctor Doctor. Backtrack.

'She gave me the confidence to approach scenes openly and ready to respond organically in the moment'.

Alice Foulcher.

That’s Not Me.

‘Playing a character in another language was challenging enough, but somehow Kate made it happen... It didn't feel like teaching at all, it was more like searching through little exercises for the real truth and needs of the character and scenes! I just loved it. She developed a beautiful "playground" for all of us on the series’.

Susan Hoeke.

The Sweet Shop. Reef Drs.

‘Working with Kate feeds the artist within and reinforces why we do what we do. TO PLAY. TO IMAGINE. TO FEEL. She has this way of creating a space so familiar and welcoming, yet distant enough you feel comfortable to explore and find something new. The art of our craft is to bring something to life, in the most effortless and authentic way, and Kate truly has a way of making that happen, which inevitably extends into the work you do on your own’.

Harley Fothergill.

‘(Kate) mentored me through 8 months of filming, always there with her wonderful, kind guidance. Her patience and knowledge of the acting craft brought out the best in me personally and my first performance (in an international television drama). Kate will always have that special place in my heart. Her teachings will never be forgotten’.

Jessica Green.

Currently starring in US production, The Outpost.

Kate’s writing has featured in education journals such as VATE’s ‘Idiom’, for books such as ‘The Modern Woman’s Anthology’ and for online journals such as ‘Femagodgy’. She has also been an online contributor for such companies as TOM Organic and a VIMH associate.

In 2023 Kate has been invited to write the Education Pack for Victorian Opera and Opera Australia’s Idomeneo (alongside the wonderful Tim Ryan). In 2022 she wrote for Gabrielle Nancarrow’s (Gather Womens Space) latest book ‘The Mothering Space’ and Drama Australia’s magazine, ADEM.

In 2018 she was invited to write with New York Times bestseller Jacqueline R. Sheehan, Patricia lee Lewis and Jane Mortifee in Scotland. Housed on the Isle of Cumbrae, Kate produced works that were subsequently featured in books ‘Your Body is your Teacher’ by Julie Seamer; and in UK’s ‘Kollide’ which can be found in London’s National Poetry Library.

POETRY

Kate is an award winning poet. Her work has been featured in UK publication ‘Kollide’, in books and online.

She has been a feature poet for such events as ‘Girls on Key’ and was a finalist in Iceland’s Writers Retreat competition in 2017. She has also been a feature for erotic feminist evening ‘Dinner Party Press’.

'A big thank you! The kids loved it and it was the perfect launch into our production. The others teachers have also all passed on really positive feedback and enjoyed it too. So thank you so much. Particularly for how you adapted it to suit our needs too!'

Kate is available for school incursions leading up to productions, acting skills for the camera or general drama work for wellbeing and fun. She also teaches year 12 students leading up to their exams and auditions for drama schools such as NIDA, VCA and 16th street Actors Studio (full time course).

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Kate has a Masters in Education (Melbourne University, High Class Honours) and teaches the next generation of teachers at MGSE (Melbourne Graduate School of Education, Melbourne University). Kate is currently on the board of the Australian Children’s Theatre Foundation.

She works as a specialist teacher for the peak body for Drama Education, Drama Victoria. She delivers programs for regional and metro students (and their teachers) so that ALL students have access to Drama, no matter their socio-economic circumstances.

Her work as an Acting Coach for children has seen her running Youth Programs for acting schools such as 16th Street Actors Studio and TAFTA, workshopping and filming self tapes for young actors (8-18 years old) and is recommended by casting agents such as Oh Jackie Oand Centrestage.

In 2023 Kate has been invited to write the Education Pack for Victorian Opera and Opera Australia’s Idomineo (alongside the wonderful Tim Ryan), and Galileo (alongside Tim Ryan and Claire Wearne). She will continue this work in 2024.

Kate has been the Head of Drama and a Language & Literature specialist at Australia’s first progressive school Preshil, The Margaret Lyttle Memorial School.

She use’s contemporary contexts and stimuli pertaining to the world of young people today. She promotes creativity, critical thinking, concept and inquiry-based learning which she believes contributes to a holistic educational and well-being practice.

Her work as an innovative teacher of Language and Literature and Drama was recognised by Victoria’s Independent School’s body in 2018. ISV filmed her teaching practice as part of a project that aims to start conversations with and between teachers regarding their current innovative practices in curriculum and pedagogy.

Kate has designed and taught specialist programs such as ‘The Artistry of Science’ for Victoria’s Arts Learning Festival. Here she facilitated workshops on those fundamental questions that unite the sciences and the arts.

Kate has been a guest director for regional schools such as Alexander Secondary College; and offers private tuition for those students undertaking VCE Drama or the International Baccalaureate program DP Theatre. She also offers tuition to those wanting to audition for acting schools here and across the globe such as NIDA , VCA , and WAAPA.