The Acting Retreat takes place in Arezzo, Italy from Monday April 27th to Sunday May 17th 2026

Arrival Monday April 27th 2026
Departure Sunday May 17th 2026

A typical day on the retreat:

Mondays thru Fridays:  

• 10:00am - 1pm: Working with Helena Walsh

• 1pm to 2.30pm:  Lunch

• 2.30–5:30pm: Working with Benjamin Mathes

• 5.30pm–late: Dinner

What's Included
- All acting workshops with Helena and Ben.
- Accommodation 20 nights 

- Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, Monday through Friday; 

- Beginning of program room cleaning;

- Housing, rooms with double occupancy

- Use of 1 or 2 studio spaces;

- Bed linen and towels;

- School doctor available if needed.

How to get to villa godiola from rome/milan/florence

from rome

Exit baggage claim and look for signs indicating ferrovia (train station). In the Fiumicino airport, this is located in Terminal C. The signs will take you through a series of escalators. Follow the escalators until there are none left to take. To your left you will see the gathering area for the small train station located at the airport. 

You can purchase your train ticket online: https://www.trenitalia.com/en.html or you can download the TRENITALIA app. That will make your life SO  much easier.

You can purchase:

From FIUMICINO AEROPORTO to AREZZO (if you're traveling from the airport to Arezzo directly)

From FIUMICINO AEROPORTO to ROMA TERMINI (if you wish to spend some time in Rome)

In case you wish to do things the ‘traditional way’ then look for the booth called biglietteria (tickets), which should be on the far right when you enter the main part of the station.  

PLEASE NOTE: you need to look for TRENITALIA machines. Thou should ignore ITALO TRAINS as they don’t stop in AREZZO. 

Say “per Arezzo.” Usually ticket booth workers at the airport speak many languages, including English. They will normally supply you with at least two tickets. The first ticket is from Roma Aeroporto to (normally) Roma Termini, which is the main Rome station. There are many other smaller stations that you can transfer at, as well.

The duration of your train rides will be determined by the price of your ticket.

Do not forget to validate your ticket before getting on the train. You can do it using any of the small green and white boxes on the walls of the train station. You insert your ticket and the machine will stamp it with the date and time. Failing to do so might cost you up to €100. 

If you have an e-ticket (on your phone or email account) there is nothing you have to do. 

Once in one of the Rome train stations look for the board that says “partenze” (departures). You need to correlate the time your train leaves with the one you find on the board.

please note: The reason you need to correlate your time is because the departure board will reflect the final destination of the train, which might not necessarily be Arezzo. (Binario = track)

The Arezzo train station is small. As you exit, you should see a newsstand and waiting lobby area. Go outside—to your left there will be a taxi stand (the sign is bright orange). Taxis are white. When one pulls up, get in and say “Villa Godiola—Accademia dell’Arte.” Taxi fare should cost approximately €10. Do not tip! There is no tipping in Italy, as it is always included in whatever price you pay.

It is very important ADA is informed about ANY change in your travel plans.  

Students failing to communicate ADA of any travel disruption or unexpected late arrival may not be able to check in.

Thank you for your understanding

from milan

Exit baggage claim and look for signs indicating Malpensa Express. The train station is located in Terminal 1 on level -1. If you land in Terminal 2, there is a free shuttle bus connecting Terminal 1 with Terminal 2 every 20 minutes 24 hours a day.

You can purchase your train ticket online: https://www.malpensaexpress.it/en/ 

You can purchase a ticket from the Malpensa airport (depending on what terminal you are) to MILANO CENTRALE train station.

You can purchase your train ticket online: https://www.trenitalia.com/en.html or you can download the TRENITALIA app. That will make your life SO  much easier.

You can purchase:

From MILANO CENTRALE to AREZZO 

There are ticket machines at the Milano Centrale train station you can use if you prefer to do so. 

Then follow the above instructions in the Rome section for getting a train ticket and taxi service from the Arezzo station to Villa Godiola.

from florence

You can take a taxi from the Florence airport to the Florence train station. Cabs are lined up as you exit the airport—get in and say “Firenze Santa Maria Novella—Stazione”  (main train station in Florence). 

The cost should be approximately €23 for a 25 minute cab ride. 

OR you can take the TRAM. Once you exit the airport, cross the parking lot to your left and you will see the TRAM TERMINAL STATION. Trams run every 5 minutes. Ticket costs €1.70 and you can purchase it at the machine at the tram station. It will take you to the Santa Maria Novella train station in approximately 20 minutes. 

https://www.aeroporto.firenze.it/en/the-passengers/transport/tramway.html

You can purchase your train ticket online: https://www.trenitalia.com/en.html or you can download the TRENITALIA app. That will make your life SO  much easier.

You can purchase:

From FIRENZE S.M.NOVELLA to AREZZO 

There are ticket machines at the Santa Maria Novella train station you can use if you prefer to do so. 

Then follow the above instructions in the Rome section for getting a train ticket and taxi service from the Arezzo station to Villa Godiola.

One payment of €5000 EUR

​Payment plans are accepted on an agreed fixed schedule. (Final Payment required by April 1st, 2026)

Price includes accommodation of TWIN ROOM with shared bathroom (shared between 2 or 3 people).

What is Fitzmaurice Voicework®?
The purpose of Fitzmaurice Voicework® is to support people in finding and using their unique voices—in healthy, clear, and creative ways—while developing greater freedom and presence.

Fitzmaurice Voicework® combines adaptations of classical voice training techniques with modifications of yoga, shiatsu, bioenergetics, energy work, and many other disciplines (see primary sources for more information). This integration serves to harmonize the voluntary and involuntary aspects of the nervous system, and the voice.

Through deep and practical explorations of the dynamics between body, breath, voice, imagination, and language, the work develops vibrant voices that communicate intention and feeling without excess effort.

Fitzmaurice Voicework focuses on the whole human voice, and can support speaking for performance, public speaking, singing, voice with movement, vocal rehabilitation, and developing greater presence. Since breath and voice lie at the intersection of the material and the non-material, this work can also assist in creative, intellectual, and spiritual growth. Visit Writings to explore further.

Where is it taught?
Fitzmaurice Voicework® is taught at Yale School of Drama, Harvard University/American Repertory Theatre's Institute for Advanced Theatre Training, New York University's Graduate Acting Program (and some NYU undergraduate studios), the University of California-Irvine, and hundreds of other institutions around the world.

Fitzmaurice Voicework® includes:

Destructuring  
Destructuring promotes awareness and aliveness in the body, spontaneous and free breathing, and wide-ranging vocal expressivity—using Tremorwork®, a variety of other dynamic exercises, and hands-on work.

Restructuring
Restructuring encourages a healthy economy of effort while speaking or singing—and a deep connection to language and listener—using modified bel canto techniques and the "focus line."  

Presence
Presence work develops natural vibrancy and the capacity to be open to the world while still having healthy boundaries. It is rooted in being fluidly aware of internal and external experiences while focusing on what matters in the moment.

Play
Play invites you to bring your whole spirit and curiosity to whatever you're engaging with. Within the context of play, you can explore all applications of Fitzmaurice Voicework.

Organic Intelligence (OI) is a unique theory and clinical practise of human empowerment, resiliency, and compassion to resolve the effects of stress and anxiety. 

This work helps the speaker turn nervous energy and anxiety into a source of empowerment and grounded self expression.

The Organic Intelligence^® (OI) clinical protocol suggests that, from a systems perspective, what’s wrong with therapy is the focus on what’s wrong — including the focus on trauma.

Organic Intelligence brings a necessary shift in perspective from pathology and trauma to the proven methods drawn from the wisdom of mindfulness and the science of self-organization. OI teaches how healing happens from the nervous system up and makes it possible to imagine freedom from suffering. Freedom from suffering becomes freedom for living an authentic, vibrant life in the here-and-now.

OI teaches therapists how to observe relevant client behaviors according to a very clear map. This mapping allows therapists to understand the nervous system state, and reveals what kind of intervention is most likely to support natural systemic reorganization.

Rather than providing insight per se, Organic Intelligence aims to shepherd observable physio-emotional states according to a protocol which aligns with subtle, but naturally occurring organismic trends toward increased coherence — the rhythm of an integrative biology. We employ a ‘shaping’ paradigm of positive reinforcement — a true paradigm shift in trauma therapy.

Organic Intelligence was developed by Steve Hoskinson, MA, MAT, who has trained thousands of practitioners and mentored trauma resolution instructors in North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

What is NeuroSystemics  

NeuroSystemics is a mindfulness-based and relational method for people's personal and collective development towards greater levels of well-being, resilience, and empowerment in dealing with the challenges of daily life (work, relationships, community, culture). So that we can begin to meet and master life's challenges, which deepens our experience of meaning, aliveness and belonging. 

How does NeuroSystemics work

Neuro = nervous system (which organizes the way we process information and experiences)

Systems = the many layers of systems (relational, cultural, societal, ecological) that we live within 

NeuroSystemics session = we have a free and unstructured conversation in which we'll talk about whatever is at the foreground of your life's unfolding that day (personally or as a group).  As a Neurosystemics practictioner, I will help you explore your here-and-now experience that goes along with the content of our conversation. As we'll begin to explore and expand on -- often unnoticed -- signals that are coming from your body and mind, we find that when these signals are noticed and nurtured by our shared attention, they will begin to bring new insights and resources for meeting and mastering your challenges and goals in life.

What's different about the approach

1. Working with the whole nervous system (MOSAIC) instead of one channel (like CBT, or emotion-focused, or hypnotherapy with imagery, etc.)
2. A positive reinforcement and non-pathologizing framework (looking for signs of health and healing instead of disease and disorder)
3. Going beyond Resiliency (phase 2) towards Prosilience / Coherence (phase 3). Prosilience (and coherence) mean our capacity to grow in many ways. This happens by meeting and mastering life's challenges. We therefore hold the possibility of living a full life, with on-going exploration of our human experience and an ever-increasing curiosity that fuels learning, growth and (spiritual) development.
4. Leaving behind the excessive reductionism and individualism of traditional therapy. We rather include all systems that we (and our clients) live in and engage with (i.e. Sense, Self, Social, Societal, Soil, Stars, what have you). To do that we offer different practices (self-regulation, 1on1, circles, forums)
5. We are utilizing the importance of the healing relationship and actively engaging as therapist/facilitator as compared to ‘doing a protocol’.