Presidents Study Day 2026 - Routes to Resilience: Building Voices That Last
Routes to Resilience: Building Voices That Last
About this Event
PRESIDENT’S STUDY DAY, 9.30 -17.00 (live in-person event)
ROUTES TO RESILIENCE: Building Voices that Last
This multi-disciplinary day delves into vocal resilience: helping a voice rebuild and recover after injury and keeping it working under pressure. We invite you (voice specialists, performers, non-professional voice users, teachers, and speech therapists) to step outside your usual mind and tool set. Sharpen your skills with practical strategies and insights from our specialists in holistic voice rehabilitation, movement therapy, nutrition and strength training.
With
LORI SONNENBERG (Keynote Speaker) - Speech and Voice Pathologist, Singing Voice Specialist, Chicago, USA
REBECCA MOSELEY-MORGAN – Singer, Researcher, Singing Teacher
JANE OAKSHOTT MBE – BVA President, Voice and Drama Coach
DUNCAN ROCK - Physiotherapist and Nutrition Specialist
MORWENNA ROWE – Royal Central School of Speech & Drama, and RADA
SONG YI WANG – Movement and Tai Chi Specialist
JENEVORA WILLIAMS – Singing Voice Rehabilitation Specialist
NB: This is a live event. No video recording will be available.
The British Voice Association (BVA) brings together scientific knowledge and artistry. We connect, educate, and support voice professionals, cross-disciplinary teams and the public, to access and share the latest research and best practice in vocal care, rehabilitation, optimal function and communication.
The International Network for Voice (INV) is a gratis membership organisation that facilitates continuing professional development for and with voice pedagogues, practitioners and researchers around the globe.
LIVE EVENT
ROUTES TO RESILIENCE: Building Voices that Last
Saturday 12 September 2026, 9.30-17.00
The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, London NW3 3HY (Swiss Cottage Tube)
PROGRAMME
9:30 Doors open for Registration
10:00 Welcome and Introduction (BVA President, Jane Oakshott MBE)
KEYNOTE: Lori Sonnenberg
A Holistic Model for Sustainable Voice
11:00 Coffee/Tea and cake
11.30 Morwenna Rowe
The Foot, the Floor and the Voice
12:30 Lunch (President Handover)
13:15 Song Yi Wang
Tai Chi Warm-Up with integrated breathwork
13:30 Duncan Rock
Muscle as a Health Currency: Building Resilience for Vocal Performance
14:15 Rebecca Moseley-Morgan
Sing Stronger for Longer
15.15 Coffee/Tea and cake
15.45 Jenevora Williams (Chair)
Routes to Resilience: meeting points and crossroads
Summary overview, questions, and open discussion
16:45 Close
PRICING:
BVA members: £125/£105 (early bird rate before 12 August)
Non-BVA members: £135/£125 (early bird rate before 12 August)
Student/Recent graduate/Senior: £40
Refreshments are part of the fee. Lunch is not supplied. We recommend you bring your own.
For further details: [email protected] or
How To Find Us
The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama’s main campus is located in Swiss Cottage, within the borough of Camden; a dynamic, artistic area full of theatres, bars, restaurants and art galleries. Our campus is conveniently located within easy reach of many of the capital’s main attractions and activities.
Underground
Central is located opposite Swiss Cottage station (Jubilee Line, exit 2), or approximately eight minutes walk from Finchley Road station (Metropolitan Line). South Hampstead overground station is approximately a five minute walk, with Finchley Road & Frognal station approximately a ten minute walk.
Buses
The following bus routes stop nearby: C11, 13, 31, 46, 82, 113, 187, 268.
By Car
Central is within a Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) and parking is extremely limited. There is no parking available at the School.
Disabled Parking
There are two blue badge disabled parking bays directly outside. For more disabled parking options, search for NW3 3HY on . Alternatively, visitors with disabilities are welcome to call +44 (0) 20 7722 8183 prior to their visit as we may be able to arrange parking on-site.
Cancellation policy for a BVA event
In the event an applicant cancels their place at a BVA course or conference, they are entitled to the following refund:
- 4 weeks or more = 90% refund
- Between 4 -1 weeks = 25% refund
- From 1 week to the day of event = no refund (under any circumstances, including illness)
Online: The BVA is not responsible for Internet speed or any other connection issues you may encounter. We do not offer refunds for bandwidth, connection or latency issues, these should be taken up with your Internet Service Provider.
Should the BVA cancel a course, a full refund will be offered.
Agenda
🕑: 09:30 AM - 10:00 AM
Doors Open For Registration
🕑: 10:00 AM - 10:05 AM
Welcome and Introduction (BVA President - Jane Oakshott)
🕑: 10:05 AM - 11:00 AM
Keynote - Route to Resilience: A Holistic Model for Sustainable Voice
Host: Lori Sonnenberg
Info: What does it truly mean to have a resilient voice? Resilient voices are not the ones that never struggle—they are the ones whose owners know how to adapt. Vocal resilience is not simply the absence of injury or fatigue; it is the ability to recognize changing vocal demands, respond thoughtfully to challenges, recover effectively, and make informed decisions that support long-term vocal health. Drawing on clinical experience with singers and other professional voice users, this keynote combines voice science with practical clinical strategies for cultivating vocal sustainability. Participants will explore evidence-informed approaches to self-monitoring, vocal load management, efficient voice use, recovery, and the psychological dimensions of vocal health. Rather than viewing resilience as the absence of challenge, attendees will be encouraged to embrace it as the capacity to adapt, recover, and thrive with confidence throughout every stage of their professional journey.
🕑: 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Coffee, Tea & Light Refreshments
🕑: 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Morwenna Rowe - The Foot, the Floor and the Voice
Host: Morwenna Rowe
Info: Small changes in the foot can produce remarkable shifts throughout the whole body. Taking the surprisingly influential big toe as a starting point, this practical workshop explores how sensory awareness at the floor organises the body in relation to gravity, and how that organisation frees the breath, supports resonance and builds vocal endurance. We will mainly work standing, experimenting with contact, weight transfer and foot activation, arriving at a state of physiological readiness from which speech can emerge with greater ease and responsiveness. Suitable for anyone who stands up and speaks.
🕑: 12:30 PM - 01:15 PM
Lunch (President Handover)
🕑: 01:15 PM - 01:30 PM
Song Yi Wang - Tai Chi Fundamentals: Breathwork Practice
Host: Song Yi Wang
Info: A gentle and mindful Tai Chi experience combining Dan Tian breathing, flowing movements, and body awareness. Through this practice, participants will be guided to relax the body and mind, improve balance and physical awareness, release tension, and enter activities with a calmer and more focused state of being.
🕑: 01:30 PM - 02:15 PM
Duncan Rock - Muscle as a Health Currency
Host: Duncan Rock
Info: Muscle as a Health Currency: Building Resilience for Vocal Performance
Peak vocal performance depends on far more than the voice alone. In this talk, we'll explore why skeletal muscle is one of the strongest predictors of long-term health, resilience, and performance. We'll discuss how increasing and maintaining lean muscle mass improves body composition, reduces the risk of chronic disease and all-cause mortality, and enhances physical capacity throughout life. Most importantly, we'll connect these principles to the unique demands of singers. We'll explore how strength, movement quality, and overall physical robustness support breath control, posture, recovery, injury resilience, and consistent vocal performance. Whether you're a professional performer or simply interested in optimising your health, this session will provide practical, evidence-based insights into using muscle as the foundation for a healthier, more resilient body—and a more resilient voice.
🕑: 02:15 PM - 03:15 PM
Rebecca Moseley-Morgan - Sing Stronger for Longer
Host: Rebecca Moseley-Morgan
Info: This interactive session is a demonstration and explanation of essential technique for the older singer to help them maintain vocal functionality despite any age-related changes. Delegates will be invited to join in and try the exercises for themselves.
🕑: 03:15 PM - 03:45 PM
Coffee, Tea & Light Refreshments
🕑: 03:45 PM - 04:45 PM
Jenevora Williams (Chair) - Routes to Resilience
Host: Jenevora Williams
Info: Routes to Resilience: meeting points and crossroads.
Summary overview, questions, and open discussion.
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
GBP 40.00 to GBP 135.00
