Speaking Voice Course
Get an easy, daily routine of exercises to develop a clearer, stronger, more resonant speaking voice (not singing).
Sat 6th June 10-4pm
Stroud - The Sub Rooms
£300 £150 early bird
Who Is This Course For?
If you want your voice to carry more easily, feel more grounded, and sound clearer without forcing, this one-day course is for you.
You do not need previous experience, just need an openness to exploring your voice and a willingness to practice simple exercises.
This workshop is ideal for: everyday conversation, meetings, teaching, facilitation, presentations, interviews, online calls, and any situation where you want to be heard, understood, and taken seriously.
What You’ll Achieve
Instead of pushing and tightening you’ll learn a simple routine that trains the foundations of an effective speaking voice: breathing, resonance, range, articulation and physical ease.
Breathe with ease and control, so your voice stays supported and steady.
Project clearly without strain, so you can be heard in a room or on Zoom.
Build depth, range and clarity to sound more confident and dynamic.
Sound like yourself but with more clarity and ease.
What The Day Looks Like
A lot of voice work gives you interesting ideas, but not a reliable way to practise.
This day focuses on simple, effective exercises that build repeatable habits, so you leave with a meaningful way to practise and implement what you’ve learned.
You will be guided step by step, and you’ll get clear feedback and next steps you can actually follow.
Session One
Step One - how to breathe from your belly and speaking without pushing.
Step Two - how to release jaw and tongue tension.
Lunch
Enjoy the Central Bar And Kitchen onsite, wander into Stroud to sample the delicacies at many of the stalls in the award-winning Saturday morning market or the Five Valleys Food Hall or visit one of many local cafe’s including Star Anise and Woodruffs.
Session Two
Step Three - how to unlock more richness and presence in your voice.
Step Four - how to develop range and variety that keeps people engaged.
Session Three
Step Five - how to sharpen diction and articulation without over-pronouncing or sounding unnatural.
Step Six - Putting it all in practice and next steps.
Walk away with a toolkit of exercises and experiences that with practice will enable you to speak the way you’ve always wanted to speak.
About The Course Leader
Ashley Howard is a voice and communication coach with over 18 years experience and an MA in Voice Studies from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.
Ashley has worked with individuals and teams in, businesses and organisations the likes of Microsoft, Uber, Google, Oxford University, NHS and Lloyds.
Ashley is a pragmatic coach, who helps people quickly identify their challenges and equips them with actionable solutions that enables meaningful change.
What People Are Saying
Allison O’Gorman | Lawyer at Mason Hayes & Curran LLP
“An expert in his field! Excellent practical exercises and insights. Highly recommended to anyone looking to improve their communication and presentation skills in any way.”
Dr Paul Craddock | Cultural Historian and Author of Spare Parts
“I came to Ashley to help with speech, media and communication skills in advance of my book release. He was incredible and I recommend him to everyone.”
Angharad Phillips | Actor
Dr Asha Kishore | Head of Clinical Excellence Aster Medcity
“Fantastic teacher! Skilled, knowledgeable, patient, flexible and understanding. He instills confidence and optimism. An enlightening and thoroughly enjoyable journey!”
“I am leaving your training with not only a voice that is louder, fuller and brighter, but also a much wider and more colourful sense of myself. I feel connected to myself in a way I have never experienced before. I feel braver, more capable and more versatile. Thanks for your generosity and patience.”
Roman Stahlman | Actor
Dr Carolina Ramirez-Figueroa | Senior Research Tutor Royal College of Art
“Ashley has been a fantastic coach, he has been helping me to improve my communication skills. He is highly professional and I couldn't recommend him more.”
“I worked with six coaches before and Ashley is by far the most experienced and professional coach I've ever worked with. His knowledge and techniques are outstanding.”
Pilar Sanchez Roa | Commercial Manager at QinetiQ
“Highly recommend! I’m much more effective and confident in my communication skills during business reviews, meetings and presentations.”
George Dikaios | Resilience & Business Support Officer House Of Commons
“Ashley is excellent! Professional, deeply knowledgable, always supportive and creative. I saw immediate improvement in the way I spoke and my confidence. Highly recommended.”
Antoaneta Pop | CEO R.E.P.R.E.S.E.N.T
“Great coach. Easy to work with! Quickly understands what you really need and helps you to accomplish it! Very knowledgeable and I would definitely recommend him!”
Mahmoud Alesheikh | TV and Radio Senior Presenter BBC
“I am very lucky and privileged to be trained by Ashley. The training helped me to feel so much more competent and confident as a news anchor. Thanks!”
Lawson Steele | Carbon Strategist
“Superbly insightful, very calm and understated. A real pleasure to work with.”
Billy Gurney | Actor
“Your work has been life changing; deeply moving and revelatory. You are an incredibly kind, dedicated and impressive person. It's been a privilege.”
Get Your Early Bird Price
Date and Times
Saturday 9th June 2026
10am to 4pm
Venue
The Sub Rooms in Stroud
Travel
Train - 3 min walk from Stroud Train Station
Car - 6 min walk from Five Valleys Car Park, Stroud
Group Size
Capped at 15 places so that you get individual attention.
Price
Includes the full one-day workshop plus your take-home practice routine.
Early Bird (before 31st March): £150
Standard: £300
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No. This course is for your speaking voice. Everything is geared towards communication: breath for speech, easy projection, resonance, range, and clarity.
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No. You’ll be guided through the work step by step. This is training, not performance.
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You’ll practise in manageable rounds. You can opt into bigger practice when you feel ready, and you will never be pushed beyond what’s useful.
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Wear comfortable clothes you can breathe and move in. Avoid belts, scarves and jeans. Bring water and a notebook if you like and a yoga mat if you think it will make you more comfortable when lying on the floor.
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If you need to cancel, please email me as soon as possible.
Cancellations made 30 days or more before the course date will receive a full refund.
Because the venue charges the full hire fee within 30 days, cancellations made within 30 days of the course are not refundable.
If you can’t attend within 30 days, you are very welcome to transfer your place to someone else (just let me know their name and email).
Your booking includes written handouts and post-course video/audio of the exercises. These are provided to support your practice after the workshop.
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The course is held at The Sub Rooms in Stroud. The venue has level or ramped access at the front, an adapted ground-floor toilet, and a hearing loop in the George Room (this space is on the ground floor).
If you are blind or partially sighted, Deaf or hard of hearing, or have any other access requirements, please get in touch before booking (or immediately after booking). I’m very happy to adapt the day, and can provide large-print and/or digital handouts in advance where helpful.
Podcasts | Articles | Videos
How To Fix A Monotone Voice
How Do I Stop Talking So Fast
How To Get A Deeper Voice
Keep In The Loop