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The Power of Presence

Cultivating Confidence and Impact in Presentations

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Workshop
Karl-Schweighofer-Gasse 3, 1070 Vienna, room DG18

This presentation workshop for doctoral and PhD candidates draws on theatre, performance, and coaching practices and engages participants in guided exercises and reflection to ground oneself, communicate with confidence, and bring clarity and authenticity to one's work.

Presence is a vital tool for anyone who wants to communicate with impact. It is more than just speaking clearly — it’s about connecting authentically, inspiring trust, and expressing your ideas with confidence.

In this workshop, we will explore how to align body, voice, and intention so that your communication feels natural, powerful, and true to you. This session is about real, usable skills — helping you show up fully, express your ideas effectively, and connect with others in a meaningful way, so your stories, ideas, research and artistic vision make a lasting impression.

Learning Outcomes

After the workshop, participants will…

  • Develop awareness of your presence and presentation skills, and understand what makes communication effective.
  • Identify and leverage your strengths as a communicator.
  • Learn the principles of powerful, engaging communication and practice modeling them.
  • Gain tools to overcome obstacles such as stage fright or self-doubt.
  • Project confidence and authenticity through body, voice, and movement.
  • Explore strategies to enhance your presence and impact while presenting or performing.

Approach

This one-day workshop is designed to reach the target aims through meaningful practice, individual and group activities, theater exercises, and other exercises informed by transformational coaching.

Covered Topics

Non-verbal communication

  • Body language
  • Power poses
  • Gestures

Voice and Speech (Verbal Delivery)

  • Enunciation and Pronunciation
  • Use of pauses and silence

 Presence and Power

  • The factors that make up presence
  • Emotional intelligence (EQ)
  • Being present in the moment (Awareness)
  • Creation of authentic individual presence

Intentionality (presentation content)

  • Presentation
  • Message
  • Passion
  • Relationship to the audience

Stage Fright

  • Triggers
  • Transforming the inner critic
  • Techniques to overcome stage fright

Presenting

  • Practice and assessment

    Prerequisites

    In order to apply the principles taught in a pragmatic way, all participants are required to have a 3 minute self-presentation (similar to an elevator pitch or a 3-minute thesis presentation without visuals).

    Trainer

    Francesca Carlin is an American communication trainer and personal coach with over a decade of experience helping professionals strengthen their public speaking, develop authentic presence, and apply the principles of mindful communication. She specializes in supporting PhD students, junior faculty, and postdoctoral researchers across academia, helping them navigate professional challenges, communicate their ideas with clarity, and build confidence in high-pressure situations.
    A professionally trained actress with over 20 years of experience in theater, Francesca holds a BFA in Acting from Boston University and an MFA from the ART/MXT Institute for Advanced Theater Training at Harvard University. She is also an accredited transformational coach (Animas Centre for Coaching, UK) and a certified Designing Your Life Coach (Life Design Lab, Stanford University, USA).
    Her approach integrates theater-based techniques with transformational and Cognitive Behavioral Coaching to help clients overcome internal barriers, manage stress and pressure, and communicate with authenticity and impact. 
    Based in Germany, Francesca works with clients both locally and internationally.

    Dates

    Date | Thu 16.4.2026: 9:30 – 17 h
    Venue | Karl-Schweighofer-Gasse 3,1070 Vienna, room DG18 (meeting room)

    Preparation and registration

    You can register to the workshop, if you are enrolled in a doctoral or PhD program and a regular student at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna or University of Arts Linz.
    Please register until the latest March 25, 2026 via doktoratszentrum@akbild.ac.at with the subject "Workshop April 2026" and a current certification of enrollment.
    The workshop is limited to a maximum of 15 persons (first come, first served).

    Language

    The workshop will be held in English.