Lineage
Kate Twa
I have had the privilege of studying with Kate since 2013. An accomplished actor, director, writer, and educator, Kate is the Co-Founder of Railtown Actors Studio in Vancouver and the Artistic Director and Co-Founder of Tempest Theatre & Film Society in Penticton. Over the course of her career, she has taught thousands of actors while continuing to create bold and thought-provoking work for both stage and screen.
Kate has been hands down, one of the most influential mentors of my life. What I appreciate most about her is her unwavering commitment to truth in storytelling. She has a remarkable ability to see beyond performance and guide people toward authenticity, courage, and creative freedom. Her influence has shaped not only generations of actors, but also the way I understand voice, presence, honesty and the art of being fully human. She helped me wholeheartedly embody the idea of “no bad parts.”
Dr. Iris MacGregor-Bannerman
Dr. Iris MacGregor-Bannerman has been an instructor of mine for the past decade. A performer, dialect coach, and educator with more than 50 years of experience, she is renowned for her Think. Breathe. Speak. approach to voice and speech training. Former Head of Acting at both Ryerson Theatre School and the Canadian College of Performing Arts, her work has influenced generations of actors and educators around the world.
Kate Murphy
I have been learning from Kate Murphy for the past year through her Sacred Spiral Priestess Training, a year-and-a-day journey guided by the Wheel of the Year. An initiated and ordained High Priestess, ceremonialist, and teacher of the feminine mysteries, Kate’s work explores the wisdom of Great Nature, seasonal living, ceremony, and the sacred feminine. Kate invites us to remember our connection to the natural world and to live in greater alignment with its rhythms, cycles, and enduring wisdom.
Kate Smith
I recently worked with Kate Smith while visiting Portugal. She is the founder of The Embodied Voice. Her work brings together voice, movement, mindfulness, and improvisation to help people cultivate greater presence, authenticity, and self-expression. Kate teaches that the voice is not something we produce, but something we uncover, an expression of the wisdom, vitality, and lived experience already present within us.
Dr. Lesley Phillips
I first encountered Dr. Lesley in 2015 through her podcast. The moment I heard her speak, I felt a deep resonance and knew she would be a mentor of mine for years to come.
I worked with her first as a client for five years and later as a student in her School of Intuition. Through her teachings, I developed my awareness beyond the five senses and learned to open the channels within my body, expanding my capacity to receive, listen, and connect with what some might call messages from deep within and the timeless realm.
I continue to work with Dr. Lesley and use her practices today. Her teachings are grounded and practical, while inviting a deeper understanding and lived experience of the interconnectedness of all beings.
Her own words beautifully reflect the foundation of her work:
“I don’t teach intuition as a gift you have to prove. I teach it as a grounded, learnable skill that builds trust, clarity, and stability from the inside out.”
— Dr. Lesley Phillips