GET ON COURSE
Touchstone Training teaches lawyers and other professionals how to dramatically improve their public speaking and presentation skills using the skills and techniques of the actor.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
Touchstone Training is Canada’s leading provider of acting-based Presentation Skills training. Over the past twelve years our courses have helped many participants develop and improve their advocacy and presentation skills.
HOST A COURSE AT YOUR FIRM
Touchstone Training regularly works with firms to help facilitate their professional development needs. We can come to you and work in the privacy and familiarity of a boardroom space.
PRIVATE COACHING SESSIONS
Private sessions can be arranged with course instructor Kerry Sandomirsky. Book a session to prepare for an important event, or work in an ongoing way at improving all facets of your presentation skills.
CONFERENCES, RETREATS AND SPECIAL EVENTS
Touchstone Training’s format can be adapted for sessions at conferences, retreats and other special events.
To book, contact Roy Surette at ad@touchstonetheatre.com or 604.709.9973.
“I hope all the firms will embrace this course as a way to provide their litigators with some excellent advocacy skills.”
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
We have two courses available:
THE POWERFUL PERFORMANCE: EFFECTIVE ADVOCACY SKILLS
Many think of acting as either purely intuitive or a kind of false histrionics. In fact, actors carefully work a series of techniques that, when filtered through their voice and body, persuade an audience to believe in a story. In advocacy, a lawyer does the same thing, and yet most legal training ends with legal rules and procedures. How then do lawyers and other professionals translate their ideas, research, and facts into a live three-dimensional event? By borrowing age-old verbal and non-verbal communication skills from the actor. This course will teach lawyers and professionals how to be more natural, believable, assertive, and self-possessed. You will learn simple, concrete techniques that will energize your performance at presentations, at trial, in mediation, in arbitration, and in any verbal or legal argument. You learn by doing, as each participant is given ample opportunity to present and receive one-on-one feedback in a supportive and transformative environment. By the end of the session you will feel empowered, with an increased ability to make strong connections with colleagues, clients, peers, and staff.
“This course fills a void for training. It builds on existing advocacy courses while providing lawyers with a unique opportunity to acquire practical skills that they can use in different aspects of their advocacy”
“Very transeferrable skills from the stage to the courtroom. It’s nice to be reminded that advocacy is about so much more than law.”
“I appreciated the practical communications skills we learned + applied today. It was also powerful to feel myself grow more comfortable with the excerpt I read aloud 1,000 times in class.”
“This has been the most useful course & relevant to my practice that I have taken through CLE”
THINKING ON YOUR FEET: DRAMATICALLY IMPROVE YOUR COMMUNICATIONS SKILLS
(This course is recommended as a follow-up to The Powerful Performance.)
Lawyers are often put on the spot, whether at a trial, in mediation, in or in arbitration. Articulating your thoughts in unanticipated situations is a skill. When you master it, you can approach these unanticipated situations with less fear—and in fact, can use them to your advantage. This stimulating and fun one day course teaches you how to articulate your thoughts in unanticipated situations through practical presentation of ideas, group exercises, and individual coaching and feedback. These simple, concrete techniques taught equip you to structure ideas simply and memorably and answer questions quickly and coherently. Participants build and demonstrate confidence in unscripted situations, and learn to access their individual store of knowledge when put on the spot. You will learn by doing, as each participant is given ample opportunity to receive one-on-one feedback in a supportive and transformative environment.
LAW SOCIETY OF BC REPORTING HOURS
The Powerful Performance one day course is offered through the Continuing Legal Education Society of British Columbia. Attendance at any one of the CLE courses can be listed as 6 hours of continuing professional development (CPD) (for each course 1 hour involves aspects of professional responsibility and ethics, client care and relations, and/or practice management). A Certificate of Attendance will be issued at each course.
COURSE INSTRUCTOR
Kerry Sandomirsky is one of Canada’s foremost stage actors, with extensive work in film and television and more than 125 professional credits to her name. For the past six years, Kerry has been on the Langara faculty at Studio 58, one of the top actor training programs in Canada. Her classes are 100% enrolled. Students for her Acting for Film and Television classes have repeatedly nominated her for the College’s Super Professorship and she remains active as a mentor for graduates who have entered professional ranks. She also teaches theatre at Beatty Street Studios, Vancouver Film School, Biz Studios, Railtown Studios and Lyrebird. She remains in demand for private tutoring.
“I’ve been speaking publically for decades and have done keynotes for up to 1,000 people. And I really wish I had Kerry as a coach years ago. I learned more valuable information in just one session with her than I have in years. That’s why I’ve signed up for many more sessions with her. And I recommend her highly.” – Harvey McKinnon, author The Power of Giving
“Kerry is enthusiastic and engaging, I would love to do another course with her.”
“Very knowledgeable and helpful – I’ve gained increased confidence in my speaking abilities thanks to her expertise and help.”
“Great instructor, very inspiring & supportive.”
“Excellent communicator, focused and well organized.”
“She was great, providing personalized guidance, suggestions in a very effective way.”
Touchstone Training is a social profit enterprise of Touchstone Theatre.
Touchstone acknowledges the support of the BC Arts Council and the Vancouver Foundation’s MEDICI Fund in launching this program.
