New Earth Theatre Company was formed almost 30 years ago, starting its journey as Yellow Earth Theatre, founded in 1995 by five British East and Southeast Asian (BESEA) actors. The company sought to develop work that would widen the choice and type of roles being offered to BESEA actors, work that continues today under the leadership of newly appointed artistic director Ailin Conant.
As part of the company's work, the New Earth Academy was founded 14 years ago to provide free specialist training and opportunities in the performing arts for BESEA actors aged 18+ living in the UK. As the only programme of its kind in the UK, the courses are designed for those with an interest in developing their performance skills and engagement with live theatre. Initially a week-long acting summer school based in London, the Academy has grown to encompass a range of disciplines and locations.
The Academy
Working alongside partners such as The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, The Royal Birmingham Conservatoire of Acting and The Leeds Playhouse, the 2024 Academy courses include week-long Performers Academies in London, Leeds and Birmingham, a UK-wide online Writers Academy, a week-long Off-Stage Academy Plus for those interested in technical theatre and a London-based Performers Academy Plus for those with previous performance experience and training.
The performer-based programmes end with a showcase for an invited audience, with the Academy Plus audience including industry professionals. The Off-Stage Academy Plus offers a paid bespoke placement at The New Vic Theatre in Newcastle-under-Lyme for two trainees to further their experience, while the Writers Academy helps participants to form a peer cohort that is positioned to provide ongoing, mutual support beyond the programme.
Representation and collaboration
Speaking to creative engagement manager Yuyu Wang and creative engagement assistant Naomi Sumner it is clear that both are hugely passionate about the way in which New Earth Academy can reach out to creatives from a BESEA background. Having worked on previous academy programmes, they have both seen the positivity felt by performers looking around and not feeling like they were the ‘only one’ or ‘the other’; indeed, ‘for some of these young people it was the first time that they had worked with a group of people arriving from a similar cultural background.’
Wang and Sumner spoke about the skills that performers learned, but more so the friendships that were made and the experiences that were shared. As one previous participant from the 2023 Birmingham put it: ‘Personally, I hold New Earth in a special place – as everything that they continue to do for East and Southeast Asian theatre artists is extended to where home is for me.’
Wang and Sumner spoke about the reticence often felt by families of young BESEA artists, with many parents concerned about the career prospects in a notoriously competitive industry. However, when families come to see the sharing of work at the end of the Academy process, they see the quality and learn about the variety of employment opportunities on offer – minds can be changed through witnessing and feeling involved, rather than being on the periphery of a world that is perhaps new to them.
© HARRY ELLETSON
Students of New Earth Academy
New Earth Academy alumni and success stories
As well as offering training to BESEA artists, the New Earth Academy certainly has a plethora of success stories and positive outcomes from past 14 years. Some New Earth Academy alumni include Mei Mac, who took on the lead role ‘Mei’ in the RSC's My Neighbour Totoro. Mac originated the role in the world premiere in 2022 and has received nominations from the Olivier Awards and a WhatsOnStage Award for her performance.
© ZHIYUE HU
The company in rehearsal
Another graduate, Emma Lau, has recently been a series regular ‘Serena’ in Hollyoaks (Channel 4). Other screen credits have included appearances in Venom 2 (Warner/DC), Lagging (CBBC), and Kenneth Branagh's Artemis Fowl.
Naomi Yang, a writer and actor was selected for BAFTA's Elevate programme and her acting credits include Wolfe (Sky), Chimerica (Channel 4) and BAFTA-nominated film Lilting. Yang also recently performed in My Neighbour Totoro at the Barbican.
Matthew Koon who attended the 2020 Performers Academy has since appeared in Hollyoaks and Waterloo Road and had a part in the Wicked musical film directed by Jon M Chu.
Yuyu and Naomi also highlighted the group Horizons Collective – a Greater Manchester-and North West-based company formed after meeting on one of the New Earth Academy programmes. Horizons Collective flies the flag for BESEA creatives, stating that ‘culture needs ethnic diversity to tell stories representative of our audiences on our stages’. There is no doubt that their company and work were born out of the New Earth Academy programme.
Reaching schools across the UK
The team spoke passionately about extending the New Earth Academy programme to other areas of the country, particularly the North East where Sumner was raised, and they hope this may become a reality in the future. Although the New Earth Academy programme is currently aimed at those aged 18 and over, Sumner was keen to point out the range of stand-alone workshops for schools interested in introducing students to East and Southeast Asian culture and arts.
New Earth offers drama and storytelling workshops, dance and music experiences and a programme that uses drama to help with the teaching of Mandarin. The company can also arrange bespoke projects or workshops to suit the needs of schools or pupils, and encourages teachers to get in touch, particularly if, like me, you work with BESEA pupils who show an interest in the arts.
Applications for the New Earth Academy 2024 are now closed but will open in Spring 2025 for next year. Those wishing to book a workshop should email admin@newearththeatre.org.uk or visit http://newearththeatre.org.uk to find out more.