My name’s Mike Cunningham. I’ve spent nearly twenty years working with highly skilled people in various fields to discover how they use their minds to produce great results.
Sportspeople I’ve worked with have won Commonwealth, European, World and Olympic medals. I’ve covered different sports including track and field athletics, diving and golf. I've worked with athletes from the British and Jamaican national teams ahead of performing in global athletics championships.
I’ve also enjoyed working with the next generation of performers at leading institutions including the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, the Royal College of Music and the London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art, LAMDA.
I've trained a variety of performers from the BBC whose specialist fields range from TV presenting to comedy.
Actors I’ve worked with have won roles with the Almeida Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company and in film, TV and radio across the world including the following productions: Doctor Who, The Archers (BBC), Hamilton, the musical (London, West End), Frozen, the musical (London, West End) Stargate Origins (MGM studios), Marvel Agents of SHIELD (ABC studios / Marvel Television) and Star Wars - The Mandalorian (Lucasfilm/ Disney). That last bit about Star Wars is the only thing my teenage stepchildren have ever been impressed with.
“Jumping off a 10 metre diving board is very scary and can instantly make you think negatively if something doesn't feel right, but Mike gave me techniques to instantly switch my way of thinking and this is a brilliant tool when on the competition stage.”
Peter Waterfield
Olympic Silver medalist
Commonwealth Silver and Gold medalist
“I started working with Mike after the London 2012 Olympics, having had a disappointing games. I had always known that your mental strength in sport was just as important as your physical ability but until I had met Mike, I didn’t know how to train or use my mind efficiently. Through the training and skills I have learned with Mike, I now see myself differently as an athlete and know I can perform the way I want to at any competition. Now over a year on, after completing my most successful season to date, I am still working with Mike!”
Eilidh Doyle née Child
Commonwealth, European, World and Olympic medalist
“Mike Cunningham has an innate understanding of the challenges performers face. He’s developed a unique set of highly effective techniques to help performers face and overcome those challenges. I can highly recommend Mike”
Jody Dunleavy
Former Head of Press, EMI
Performing at a high level requires great skill & ability.
But the way someone uses their mind will determine the quality of the results they produce at every stage of the process.
Everyone has times when they use their mind more effectively than others.
But when highly skilled people use their minds most effectively it ‘just seems to happen’.
This can make it difficult to replicate when it really matters.
I show performers how to unlock the mindset they're going to rely on at every stage of the process.
This includes developing confidence, performing under pressure, bouncing back from setbacks, handling criticism and retaining their love and enjoyment of what they do.
“Your insights were very useful as was your remarkable drawing out my creative process. The latter was a fascinating, mysterious experience and has given me very powerful tools which I am applying already.”
James Burrell
composer for various BBC TV series
Want to work with me?
I work with my clients over Zoom, Skype or FaceTime so I can work with people wherever they are in the world at times that fit into their busy schedules.
“I benefited hugely from our sessions. When faced with high-pressure situations I was able to calm my mind and center my focus using the skills that Mike had taught me. It enabled me to increase my confidence levels and get the best out of myself when competing at the highest level.”
Jemma Simpson
Olympic athlete