What can actor training teach us about speaking with greater confidence, presence and authenticity?
This October, voice, accents and public speaking coach Petrina Kow leads Vocal Breathwork, an immersive four-session programme at Damai House exploring the connection between breath, body, voice and communication.
Grounded in Fitzmaurice Voicework, an internationally practised methodology originally developed for actors and now applied across public speaking, leadership and communication training, the programme goes beyond conventional vocal projection or presentation techniques. Participants will explore how physical tension, breath patterns and responses to pressure can influence the way they speak, before developing practical techniques for greater vocal ease, resonance and presence.
Across four progressive sessions, participants will move through the four interconnected stages of Destructuring, Restructuring, Presence and Play:
4 October — Destructuring: Undoing and Release
Identify habitual muscular tension and breath-holding patterns through Dynamic Efforts and Tremorwork, exploring how releasing unnecessary effort can allow the breath and voice to become more spontaneous and responsive.
11 October — Restructuring: Breath to Voice Connection
Reconnect breath with vocal support and develop greater awareness of how the body supports sound, resonance and communication.
25 October — Presence: Resonance, Confidence and Connection
Explore techniques for staying grounded while speaking under pressure, holding a room, connecting with an audience and developing greater vocal variety and storytelling ability.
1 November — Play: Applying the Practice
Bring the work together through speech, text and sound, developing greater range, flexibility and spontaneity for applications including presentations, storytelling, auditions, performance and everyday communication.
The programme is designed for professionals, public speakers, artists and performers, whether participants are looking to become more effective presenters, communicate ideas with greater clarity, develop their performance practice or simply understand their own voice more deeply.
Petrina brings more than 25 years of experience working with C-suite executives, professional speakers and award-winning actors. She is Regional Director (Southeast Asia) for the Fitzmaurice Institute and the only Singaporean certified in both Fitzmaurice Voicework and Knight-Thompson Speechwork.
Participation is capped at 20 guests to maintain an intimate, practice-led environment.
Each session includes:
Four-hour Vocal Breathwork session
Afternoon tea from Oasis, served at Damai House
One-hour access to Damai’s spa and hydrothermal facilities
Complimentary four-hour parking
As the programme develops progressively from one session to the next, participants are required to attend all four sessions.
Early Bird: $1,288 nett per participant until 27 September 2026
Regular Price: $1,488 nett per participant
