06/11/2026
🎬🎭 We were forwarded these questions earlier, and this comes up pretty regularly:
“Are there any free workshops around town or online that I could participate in?”
OR
“Are there things I can do outside of class to keep learning acting?”
The short answer is: absolutely, yes.
There are definitely things you can do on your own to learn and keep growing through free resources.
Free acting classes and workshops pop up occasionally, especially through libraries, community programs, colleges, theatre groups, and online events. That said, acting is a specialized skill (just like music, dance, and singing) so most ongoing, quality, advanced training usually involves paying an instructor/coach for their time, experience, and guidance.
If someone is brand new, learn more OR wants to explore before committing to paid classes, there are some great free resources to start with:
1.) SAG-AFTRA Foundation | they offer free programs, convos, and online classes. Most are for SAG-AFTRA members, but they occasionally have free offerings for all.
2.) National Theatre YouTube Channel | great for actor warm-ups, theatre conversations, movement work, and behind-the-scenes learning. They have actor warm-up videos and masterclass-style videos you can tune into at anytime!
3.) Backstage | they provide helpful articles on getting started, self-tapes, auditions, headshots, résumés, and the business side of acting.
4.) Local libraries, community theaters, and colleges | they offer free intro workshops, audition prep events, and play readings from time to time.
5.) Books | there are tons of amazing books to learn from! Our favs include An Actor Prepares, The Art of Acting, Meisner on Acting and Respect for Acting.
05/12/2026