Find Your Voice

This four week course guides you through the process of shaping, refining and sharing your own story, ending with the opportunity to perform your work on a real open mic stage.

Across four sessions, you’ll explore storytelling techniques, voice, structure and confidence, working in a supportive environment that encourages experimentation and honesty. The course builds steadily towards the final session, helping you move from initial ideas to a piece you feel ready and proud to share.

Dates and Times: 7th, 14th, 21st May 1.30pm to 3.30pm and 28th May 5pm to 7pm. Please note, the final week will be at the Rugby Tap in Rugby town centre, where everyone will get a chance to perform.

Your ticket cost covers all four sessions.

Week 1: 7th May

Understanding the story you want to tell: A lesson in explaining the various forms of storytelling from a short story, prose, poetry or anecdote, and which suits what you want to say. Using the inspiration behind your words to make them punchy and effective and to find your own voice.

Week 2: 14th May

Finding your voice and your style: Getting to grips with tone, volume, stance, pause or shock tactics in your vocals and the various ways you can lift a performance. Finding your inner “performer” and how this can help remove nerves and anxiety. Understanding different ways and techniques to write down your words which best help your performance later.

Week 3: 21st May

Putting it all together in one place: Adding to your performance with props and showmanship. Understanding the microphone so that it is your friend and not your enemy. Tips on taking command of your audience to get their attention and hold it. How to exit the performance and leave a lasting impact and the audience thinking. A practice run through of your work.

Week 4: 28th May

Live performance at the Rugby Tap: You will be joining your course leader as they host a night of storytelling at the Rugby Tap. Each course member will get to perform their work using the skills they have picked up. With full support from your classmates, and the lovely customers at the Rugby Tap, this informal evening will give you a chance to make mistakes, explore performance, and realise just how much you have learned.

Who is this course aimed at?
This course is suitable for anyone who wants to explore storytelling and spoken word, whether you’re completely new to performing or looking to build confidence in sharing your voice.

Do you need a finished manuscript to join?
No prior performance or writing experience is required. This course is about encouragement, confidence and finding your own way of telling a story.

Who is running this course?

Ian Fisermanis has been writing and performing poetry and spoken work art for over 20 years. He has been a regular performer for the Rugby Literary Festival, as well as venues like The Aviary, Satchmo's Corner, The Squirrel, and last year he hosted the smash hit night of spoken word performance “A Poetic Interruption”.

After spending many years in the UK Film & Television industry, he began to concentrate his attention on writing and performing. With a new book on the way in 2026, and various other projects in the pipeline including a teaching position at the famous Swanwick School of Writing, he certainly lives up to his stage name “BusyMrFizzy”.

All bookings are processed in line with The Percival Guildhouse . Your information will be used to manage your booking and communicate essential event information.

This course is intended for adults aged 18 and over. By booking, you confirm that you meet this requirement.

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Host or Publisher The Percival Guildhouse