Australian Centre of Performing Arts (ACOPA) is a unique performing arts hub dedicated to the development of artists’ creative ability through professional performance training.
ACOPA is located in the heart of North Melbourne’s busy Errol Street Precinct. The building houses the ACOPA teaching facilities and the Club Voltaire performance space, making it a hub for artists to learn, grow and fine-tune their craft in a supportive, high energy and creative environment.
Our Training Program provides a selection of exciting and rewarding courses in performing arts. Currently taught by Lindsay Saddington, an acting teacher of 25 years, whose lifelong commitment to the craft of performance, and his extensive journey of experience in the field, is poured into his teaching without reservation.
Lindsay holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Sociology (as a double major) and also Philosophy and Theatre Arts. He has devised, developed and taught drama and acting courses at various educational institutions such as Deakin University and William Bates Academy, as well as many community organisations and Psychiatric institutions.
Lindsay’s extensive, in-depth and broad experience, is a source of inspiration and knowledge for his students, allowing him to cater for a broad range of needs, levels, styles and requirements.
ACOPA exists to help people to discover their own strengths and talents, gain confidence in their own abilities and know how to draw on them in every facet of life.
At ACOPA we believe that all individuals are born with a natural curiosity, to explore, experiment and challenge themselves. It is through the creative arts where we gain the confidence to delve into the emotional / psychological /physical process.
We believe in the journey, and we encourage the expression of that journey through creativity and exploration.
We believe that every individual has their own unique talent, which needs full expression, without fear or favour. A creative and non-judgmental environment encourages students to challenge themselves in a proactive environment.
ACOPA encourages the individual to seek their own path through their own unique experiences & personality makeup; eg – what may work for one person, may not work for another. We believe in assisting the individual to explore what works for them.