Globally renowned voice artist launches Bristol Academy of Voice Acting
Hattie Fisk
Friday, April 23, 2021
Internationally recognised voice actor, Melissa Thom, has launched Bristol Academy of Voice Acting (BRAVA), offering personalised online training in the art and business of voiceover.
Adobe Stock/ Paffy
With a mixture of personalised 1-1’s and group sessions, the academy’s training programs are designed to cover a range of topics including: getting started in VO, audiobooks, performance techniques, corporate and commercial jobs, VO Shakespeare, marketing and presentation skills.
Thom’s career as a voice actor spans over 20 years, working with global clients including Amazon, Facebook, Google and Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto V among others.
Thom comments: ‘Lockdown has been a difficult time for many, but the voiceover industry has adapted quickly and remains strong. The explosive growth of online gaming during the pandemic, and projected healthy recovery and growth of the UK ad market by the end of this year, means there is an imminent demand for highly trained voice actors.
‘Although I have coached VO privately for a while, it soon became clear there was a large appetite for training and now felt like the right time to bring together the very best experts I’ve worked with over my 25-year career, to create BRAVA. We’re looking forward to helping students learn about the voiceover industry and supporting them to add this growing artform to their skillset.’
Melissa Thom in the studio
Specialist coaches will work with the school throughout the year, with a number of big names already revealed. Voice actor and communications specialist Elaine Clark, audio engineer Euan McAleece, Shakespeare actor Chris Donnelly, singing teacher Pam Rudge and vocal health coach Gary Owston are among the specialists involved in the academy's launch.
Thom has previously taught voiceover, radio and presentation classes at a range of education providers, including Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and Ravensbourne University. Head of voice as Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, Carol Fairlamb, said:
‘Melissa is an inspiring teacher with a huge range of highly relevant expertise. She works regularly with our MFA Professional Voice Studies students and provides them with the tools they need to develop their work further’.
For more information or to apply for a course, visit the BRAVA website.