BCAI Hosts Self-Defense Training, Acting Workshop

ISU's Black Actors League is presenting a six-week workshop to cultivate young artists and inspire/encourage diversity.

The workshop will cover the importance of warming up, basic fundamentals of acting, improv, and monologues.

Sessions start Friday, Feb. 10, 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. at the BCAI School of Arts at 107 East Chestnut Street, Bloomington, and will continue on the following Fridays, Feb 17 and 24 and March 4 and 24, at the same time at the school. The workshop concludes with an April 14 showcase on the ISU campus (location to be announced).

Cost of the workshop is $25 per student, and covers all six sessions, a certificate, the showcase, and snacks. For information, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/1244322858983074/.

The Black Actors League is a registered student organization whose focus is to bring diversity and discussion to ISU's theater department.

"In this organization, we learn about black playwrights, black works, and black actors; we also perform chosen or original works," according to the League's Facebook page. "When events in the world take place concerning our African-American counterparts, we bring those issues to our theater department. Blacks Actors League is open to any and everyone with a passion for exploring diversity in culture and art."

BCAI also is sponsoring with NIOTBN its first-ever free defense conference tomorrow, for individuals ages 7 to adult. Sessions are broken into two groups, for those 7 through 11, and those from 12 to adult.

The following sessions are planned:
Financial Defense: State Farm Bank
Identity Theft Defense: Legal Shield representatives
Physical Self-Defense: Combat Martial Arts
Peace Defense: Palms Together Yoga
Ambition Defense: BCAI School of Arts CEO
Legal Defense: awaiting confirmation
Health Defense: Dr Josh Johnson, Johnson Family Chiropractic
Cultural Defense, with an open panel conversation

Refreshments will be provided. Participants are asked to bring a notebook and pen or pencil, and a bottle of water.