presented BY FIZZ & GINGER FILMS
& THE SCREEN ACTORS RETREAT
Connect to Your Creativity: Transformative Retreats for Actors, Screenwriters & Fledgling Filmmakers
Location & Accommodation
Nestled in the South Norfolk countryside, Starston Hall sits beside an ancient woodland in nearly 5 acres. The vast skies and open fields that surround us, invite you to take a moment to stop, breathe, ground and expand. We are only 20 minutes away from Diss train station with regular direct connections to London Liverpool Street (1hr 30min).
The vibrant city of Norwich is 30 minutes north and we are 40 minutes away from the beautiful coastal town of Southwold, not to mention the delicious Flint Vineyard just 15 minutes away!
Accommodation is offered in either 4 meter or 5 meter bell tents. Each bell tent is set up with raised beds (doubles for single occupancy / single for shared), soft flooring and all bed linen in provided as well as towels, blankets, fans and charging banks for phones and laptops. There is a large shared bathroom with walk-in shower on the ground floor of the main house. Groups are kept small with a maximum of 8 people staying at any one time.
Courses & Retreats
Evening Courses
Screenwriting: PAGE TO SCREEN
FILM PRODUCTION 101
Screen acting part 1
&
PART 2
Evening classes are 2hrs long and take place once a week at Starston Hall. Depending on the course, classes run over six to eight weeks.
Our Screenwriting Course guides you through the fundamentals of storytelling, the nuts and bolts of character development, story arcs and writing for genre as well as offering guidance on the practicalities of production.
Our Film Production 101 Course runs over eight weeks and covers all aspects of filmmaking including: producing, budgeting, the running of a set, cinematography, editing, directing, post production and distribution.
Our Screen Acting Courses run over eight weeks. Part 1 is our foundation course aimed at actors who are new to the art of screen acting or have recently graduated and would like to develop this specific skill. These classes are designed for people who are not necessarily working professionally as an actor but who have had some previous training or have had some screen acting experience.
Retreats
SCREENWRITING: PAGE TO SCREEN
SCREENWRITING: Page to Scream
FILM PRODUCTION 101
DIRECTING ACTORS
Screen acting part 1
PART 2
&
PART 3
Our Retreat Courses offer the opportunity to learn new skills, develop your craft and reconnect to your creativity. A chance to escape, embrace and immerse yourself in nature.
We offer our unique Screenwriting: Page to Screen course as a 3 night retreat, allowing for plenty of writing time in-between lectures. Gift yourself the all important time and space to put pen to paper and get that idea down that's been bubbling away for far too long! Due to the growing demand for genre content in the industry, especially when it comes down to horror, we also offer a genre retreat - Screenwriting: Page to Scream.
Our Film Production 101 Retreat is an intensive 3 night retreat version of our evening classes, covering all the basics of how to produce your own film from budgeting to shooting to post production and distribution.
New for 2027 we are very excited to announce our Directing Actors Retreat. A 2 night retreat designed specifically for directors looking to develop a greater understanding of what is technically required of actors on set and developing a clearer language in order to bridge the gap between the two artistic disciplines.
Screen Acting - Part 1 is an intensive 3 night retreat version of our evening classes. This course covers all of our fundamentals of screen acting, the technical techniques required of actors that directors need, as well as working with breath and body connection.
Our Screen Acting - Part 2 retreat, also 3 nights, is designed for professional actors already working in the industry wanting to explore new challenges. Expect a deep dive into the 'art' of visual storytelling. This is an opportunity to expand on your craft, learn new techniques and hone your skills over an intensive long weekend.
And our Screen Acting - Part 3, also new for 2027, is a 2 night refresher course designed for those who have already taken our Parts 1 & 2 and are looking for more time to develop their screen acting skills.
Summer Writers Residencies
&
Winter Retreats
WRITERS RESIDENCIES
CREATIVE WRITING FOR PERFORMANCE
Fledgling Filmmaking
Over the summer we are offering a few weekends (2 night stays) as Writers Residencies. The opportunity for some quiet time to write surrounded by beautiful Norfolk countryside. Accommodation is on a BnB basis in one of our gorgeous bell tents and we're on hand to offer advise or be a professional sounding board if you'd like it!
WINTER 2027 - Creative Writing for Performance, is part of our winter retreat programme and is a unique course that covers Screenwriting for Film, Screenwriting for TV, Playwriting, and Performance Verse. Location & Date coming soon.
Our Fledgling Filmmaking course offers the chance to learn hands on how to make a short film. Over the course of 5 days/ 4 nights participants will work together to produce and shoot a short film. The Retreat runs adjacent to our Fledgling Filmmaking: For Actors, meaning that you don't have to fear being in front of the camera if that's not your bag, but equally if you are an actor and have always wanted to make your own short film, this is a great springboard!
Additional Work
Movement &
Yoga
Breath & Body
connection
Reiki
Our retreats are not just a place to train, but a place to connect, create, and rediscover your voice as a storyteller. That is why we offer additional elements and practises included in some of our Screen Acting retreats such as body and breath work that help support an individuals creative exploration.
We recognise that being a creative can be a tough, exhausting and at times deflating vocation. But it can also be extremely cathartic and creativity can play an important role in the healing process. That is why as part of our Writers Residencies we also offer Reiki sessions.
We believe that an important part of connecting to your creativity involves not only the learning aspects of the Retreat but also the community and support that comes with it. After completing a course we want to make sure that people feel they can receive ongoing mentorship as they continue on their creative paths.
Key Highlights
Industry Relivance
Connection to Nature
Professional Development
Visual Storytelling
Ongoing Mentorship
Holistic Elements
OUR PLEDGE
As part of our carbon reduction plan we are partnering with Just One Tree - this means that for every person who attends one of our courses or retreats at least one tree is planted. For more info JustOneTree.life
Testimonials
"It was without a doubt the hardest term and the one I have learnt the most!
Thank you Matthew for pushing us to grow."
Espe.
"Thank you so much Matthew, I've learnt so much. I loved how free of judgement your teaching was, it really made it a safe environment for me to try different ways of acting and to grow my skills."
Tegen.
"It's been fantastic, by far the best term yet. Not only learning about how to
work on camera but you encouraged us to work on physicality and timings. Hugely
valuable knowledge you've passed on to us which will stand us all in good stead in the future."
Sherief.
Contact Us
For all inquiries and bookings regarding retreats and classes please contact us directly by emailing info@creativescreenretreats.com
Alternatively fill out the contact form below and we'll get back to you asap!