Acting and movement methods

Since 2010 Martin Gruber has held a professorship at the University of Performing Arts “Ernst Busch” in Berlin, Germany (head of the movement department). Since the foundation of the Bayerische Theaterakademie August-Everding (Munich, Germany) in 1993, he has been a lecturer for movement and acting and has built up and coordinated the teaching of movement there. From 1985 to 1993 he taught movement at the Otto-Falckenberg-Schule (Munich, Germany). Martin Gruber has been teaching Aikido and Suzuki Training since 1985 and has been leading Talmi-Methode® training courses since 2004. Martin Gruber is internationally active, providing workshops and giving lectures. The following is an outline of his work. You can find his publications here.

Lectureships/Guest Professorships / Research Semester

2017 Research semester: Basic research on content and practice of movement teaching in the performing arts, research in the Anglo-American and Asian regions on exercise methods in the performing arts. Research stays in London (GB) and Beijing (PR China).

2015/2014 International Research Fellowship: “The Jingju Master Zhou Xinfang and his special significance for the further development of the Shanghai Jingju style“, Shanghai Theatre Academy, Shanghai (PR China. ).

2007 University of the Arts, Berlin. Scenic instruction, preparation for the intendant’s audition.

2002, 2001 Munich University of Music and Drama (Gesang). Role teaching “Improvisation. Interaction”.

2001, 2000 Exchange program of the directing course of studies at the Bavarian Theatre Academy “August Everding”, Munich, with the course of studies Stage Design at the Hochschule für Bildende Künste, Dresden: Seminars “Richard III.” and “Synge: Held der westlichen Welt”.

1999 Ecole Supérieure d’Art Dramatique du Théatre Nationale de Strasbourg, Strasbourg (France). “Suzuki Training and Functional Integration®”.

1996 Central Academy of Drama, Beijing (PR China). “Drama”.

Seminars / Workshops

2019 Talmi-Methode® Workshop for performing artists in cooperation with the Paper Tiger Theater Studio, Dali, Yunan (PR China)-

2018 Talmi-Methode® Workshop for performing artists in cooperation with the Paper Tiger Theater Studio, Beijing (PR China).

2017, 2015 – 2002 International Seminar for Body Related Psychotherapy, Body Therapy and Body Art of the Austrian Society for Medical Psychology, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics (ÖGMP), Bad Gleichenberg (Austria).

2017, 2015, 2014 Talmi-Methode® . We are change
2010 About dealing with me and others: Discovery trips
2009 “Playing field”. Improvisations.
2006 Retrospective. Integration and Continuity of Sensual Experience
2005 Was Icarus brave?
2004 Constellations on the pataphysics of love
2003 Gravity and carelessness
2002 On the paradoxical basic attitude

2014 Westerdals Oslo School of Arts, Communication and Technology, Oslo (Norway). Workshop “Talmi Methode® and Suzuki Training”.

2013 Shanghai Theatre Academy, Shanghai (PR China). Seminar “Functional and Structural Integration for Actors”.

2012 International drama school meeting, National School of Drama, Delhi (India). Workshop “New Approach in Training Actors”.

2009, 2007,2006,2004, 2003, 2002 International Mime-Center, Berlin. Advanced training for professional actors “Grammar of the feet”.

2006 ImpulsTanz. Vienna International Dance Festival, Vienna (Austria). Workshops “Grammar of the feet” and “Aikido for dancers”.

2003 Institute of Linguistics, University of Halle. Workshop “Speaking. Communication. Space – speaking on stage”.

2002 University of Music and Drama Munich. Workshop “Improvisation and Interaction”.

2001 Musical studies at the Bavarian Theatre Academy “August Everding”, Munich. Workshop “Functional Integration®”.

2000 University of Augsburg, 3rd International Congress Experiencing and Learning: Symposium Aikido Extensions. Workshop “Aikido and the Dialogical Process on the Theatre Stage”.

2000 University of Dramatic Arts “Ernst Busch”, Berlin. Workshop “Suzuki-Training and Functional Integration®”.

1999 Studies of directing at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater, Munich. Seminar “Gravity and carelessness. To the irrational in the theoretical. Kleist, Wittgenstein, Zéami”, with Susanne Göße.

1999 Studies of directing at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater, Munich. Stage design workshop “Proxemik – Szenisches Arbeiten an Richard III”.

1998 Conference of the German Drama Schools at the Bavarian Theatre Academy “August Everding”, Munich. Workshop “Integration of Speaking and Movement” for lecturers in the theatre faculties.

1995 Orff Institute, Mozarteum, Salzburg (Austria). Workshop “Exercises on Functional Integration®”.

1994 Dept. of Drama and Direction, Mozarteum, Salzburg (Austria) Workshop “Suzuki-Training”.

Symposia / Conferences / Discussions

2017 Lecture and discussion “Hong Kong Belt Road 2017 City-to-City Cultural Exchange Conference” by Zuni Icosahedron, Curators: Danny Yong, Matthias Woo, Hong Kong, SAR China.

2017 Panel discussion “From Beijing lan to 500 metres: 20 years of German-Chinese theatre cooperation” on 2.10.2017, Goethe-Institut Beijing in 798, Beijing (PR China).

2015 Lecture “Ten days with Zhou Xinfang in Shanghai. Reflection. Zhou Xinfang and its special importance for the further development of the Shanghai Jingju style”, International Symposium “In Memory of the 120th Birthday of Jingju Maestro Zhou Xinfang“, Chinese Ministry of Culture of the PR China and Zhou Xinfang Arts Research Center, Shanghai (PR China)

2014 Roundtable discussion “The New Face of the Acting Teacher” at the Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz, Berlin, a cooperation of AKT-ZENT Research Center of the ITI, International Research Center “Interweaving Performing Cultures” of Freie Universität Berlin, CUT – Centro Universitario de Teatro, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico.

2013 Lecture “Actor Training within Specific (Inter-)Cultural Contexts. German Examples”, with Hans-Ulrich Becker, “The Neutral Body as a Base for Acting? The Role of Functional-Structural Bodywork and Martial Arts in the Training for Performing Artists” (work demonstration, with students of the Hochschule für Schauspielkunst “Ernst Busch”, Berlin). Symposium Actor Training. Intercultural and Interdisciplinary Perspectives of the International Research Center “Interweaving Performing Cultures” of Freie Universität Berlin, Kunstquartier Bethanien, Berlin.

2013 Head of discussion “The Other Eye #2-Education”. International symposium in the series “Germany versus Norway: Interchanging Theatrical Strategies”, a cooperation between the Performing Arts Hub Oslo and the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Berlin, Bergen (Norway).

2012 Lecture “Performing Artists – from Alternative Rebel to the Role of Celebrity”. International Symposium, University of the Arts, Belgrade (Serbia).

2012 Lecture “Demigod or Servant. On the Vulnerability of the Actor”, 14th International Symposium of Theatre Critics and Scholars “The Actor is Dead, Long Live the Actor”, Sterijno Pozorje Festival and International Association of Theatre Critics (IATC), Novi Sad (Serbia).

2004 Lecture “Bodywork, the most important approaches”, symposium Express your Body. Body images today of the Institute for Youth Work Gauting.

2003 Lecture “Go and wash your plate! Or how to teach Aikido to human resources”, 5th International Conference of Aikido-Extensions “Managing Organizations and Human Resources”University of Augsburg.

2000 Lecture “Acting and Aikido”, 3rd International Congress “Learning and Experiencing”, University of Augsburg.

Some of the lectures are published and/or available as PDF documents. You can find them under Publications.