MELBOURNE
Saturday 9th to Sunday 17th May*
The only intensive course offering industry-recognised stage combat certification for Australia and the U.K.
*Rest day Wednesday 13th May
What is This?
This is an 8-day intensive certification course designed for performers who want industry-recognised stage combat qualifications. Successful completion gives you two foundational certifications:
• SAFDi Fundamentals (Society of Australian Fight Directors)
• APC Basic (Academy of Performance Combat)
These certifications are recognised in Australia, the U.K., and internationally — and they represent the entry-level benchmark in professional stage combat training.
This course focuses on the essential skills you need to perform dramatic combat safely and effectively for stage, screen, and motion capture work.
You will train with internationally-recognised Fight Director Lyndall Grant in unarmed combat and sword work, alongside performance and rehearsal techniques
Why this matters.
Certification isn’t just a piece of paper — it’s a signpost of competence and commitment in a specialised part of our craft. It shows directors, movement directors, and casting teams that you have the technical skill, safety awareness, and performance grounding to contribute reliably in physical performance work.
This course isn’t about shortcuts or “tricks.” It’s about giving you a clear, structured training experience that supports how you move, how you think about safety, and how you perform physical conflict with confidence. You’ll also explore movement conditioning, rehearsal strategies, and consent-based processes that help free up creativity — not restrict it. Overall, it’s a chance to reconnect with how it feels to commit physically without overthinking, and to sharpen your craft without being swallowed by the ‘hustle’.
The week culminates in a choreographed fight scene performed under ‘opening night’ conditions, which forms your assessment for certification. Successful completion gives you an industry-recognised certification to list on your CV, and practical, usable skills for impactful physical performance in professional settings.
This course also forms the first step in an ongoing certification pathway towards intermediate and advanced stage combat performance levels, and is the required foundation for anyone considering training as a fight director.
*A minimum of 50 hours of training are required to be eligible for certification, therefore participants must attend each workshop day. Please note that undertaking the course does not guarantee successful certification – however you still will have benefited from the training*.
When is it?
Saturday 9th to Sunday 17th May 2026
(rest day Wednesday 13th May)
10:00am to 6:00pm.
Where is it?
Dancehouse Carlton
150 Princes Street, Carlton North, 3054
Who is it for?
This course is ideal for performers from a range of backgrounds — including:
• Actors
• Musical theatre performers
• Opera performers
• Stunt performers
• Dancers
• Creative practitioners and crew who want certified stage combat training
Whether you’re new to stage combat or you already have some experience, this course gives you a structured way to build core skills that are safe, reliable, and recognised within the industry. We welcome different experience levels and abilities. This is physical work, and it is full-on — but it’s designed to be clear, supportive and achievable
Captivate advocates for diverse and equitable spaces. If you have any concerns, questions or requests for support of any kind please get in touch with us.
How much is it?
- EARLY BIRD: $955 +GST (closes 1st March 2026)
- CONCESSION: $1055 +GST
- STANDARD: $1155 +GST
PLEASE NOTE: Certification exam fees are additional and collected just before examination: $50 for APC, $50 for SAFDi.
How do I join?
Entry to the course by application and is highly competitive. We’re interested in learning why you want to train at this level and how you plan to use these skills in your career.
Once you apply, you’ll be notified by email about the outcome — this process can take a couple of months, so please allow time.
Upon acceptance, you’ll be asked to complete course registration and pay a deposit to secure your place. As this is a specialised certification course with limited spots, early application is recommended
meet the team
Meet your tutors
Lyndall Grant (she/her): TUTOR
Lyndall is a Fight Director, Movement Director, actor and Motion Capture Specialist who works in Australia and Internationally for stage and screen.
Josh Bell (he/him): ASSISTANT TUTOR
Josh Bell is an associate fight director for Captivate, actor and theatre-maker based in Melbourne.