Shortlist announced for the Music and Drama Education awards 2020
With the awards evening now fast approaching, the shortlist for the 2020 Music and Drama Education awards has been announced. The winners of categories including Outstanding Drama Initiative, Outstanding Drama Education Resource, Outstanding School Drama Department, the Drama Inspiration Award for an individual teacher; Excellence in SEND, Excellence in Primary/Early Years, and Excellence in Musical Theatre (all in Music and/or Drama); Young Theatre Critic of the Year, the Drama & Theatre Magazine Editor's Award, and the Lifetime Achievement Award, will be announced at a black tie dinner ceremony on Wednesday 4 March at the London Marriott Hotel, Grosvenor Square.
To read the full shortlist, visit: https://www.musicdramaedawards.com/shortlist-2020
Tickets for the Awards ceremony can be purchased individually or by table at https://www.musicdramaedawards.com
Michael Jibson sets up trust to help drama students from the North East
© MATHEW MURPHY
Michael Jibson as King George III in Hamilton
Known for playing King George III in the original London cast of Hamilton, Michael Jibson is setting up the Hull and East Yorkshire Arts and Culture Trust (HEYACT) with director and producer Andrew Pearson in order to help young people from East Yorkshire access drama school training.
Alongside its bursaries, the organisation plans to run mentoring schemes, where established actors from the North East of England, after becoming associate artists, give guidance and support to younger actors.
In five years' time the company plans not only to provide several students with financial support for audition fees but to fund the entire training of one or more students.
The charity has now received funding thanks to a donation left by a Yorkshire resident in her will, who wished to give back to the arts community. Audrey Mosey, who died last year, has left a large sum of her £1.3 million estate to the HEYACT, reserving the remaining funds for other worthwhile causes in the Yorkshire community. The I Am Fund was set up at the beginning of November in Mosey's name and is managed by East-Yorkshire based charity, the HEY Smile Foundation.
Launching the I Am Fund, the HEY Smile Foundation's chief executive Andrew Barber says: ‘[Mosey's] legacy will go on to help thousands of people for many years to come, improving the local community, inspiring the talented and investing in those organisations who provide platforms for individuals and communities to shine.‘
To find out more, visit: https://www.e52.co.uk
New musical theatre radio station launched
A new radio station dedicated entirely to musical theatre was launched in November.
Magic at the Musicals – which is produced by Bauer media as part of Magic radio – features presenters such as Michael Ball, Ruthie Henshall (Chicago, Cats), Jonathan Bailey (Broadchurch, Doctor Who) and Louise Dearman (Wicked), and will run comprehensive coverage of the Olivier awards.
Launched on 21 November, the programmes on offer include Stage Door, where Henshall takes listeners backstage to find out more about the theatre, and Take Your Seats Please! where musical performers share their favourite shows.
Steve Parkinson, group managing director for National Radio, Bauer Media says: ‘Magic at the Musicals will celebrate the dynamic world of musical theatre – from the favourite classics to the latest West End and Broadway hits – and we'll reflect the growing number of new and re-imagined musicals on the silver screen… This latest addition from the Magic stable will offer targeted access to a premium and distinctive audience of musical-loving fans of all ages. It will of course build on our close association with the Society of London Theatre and many of the productions in London and around the country.’
Henshall adds, ‘The station's name is derived from our hugely successful Magic at the Musicals show which is in its 5th year at the Royal Albert Hall. From a vibrant theatre and cinema scene there's never been a better time to bring this much-loved genre to the masses. We'll be proudly broadcasting songs from the shows directly into households across the country. Singing out loud optional!’
To find out more visit, https://magicatthemusicals.co.uk/
How rival political parties might affect Drama education
By the time this issue of Drama & Theatre lands with subscribers we will be adjusting to the news of our newly elected government, but what exactly does the Conservatives' re-election, a Labour win or a Liberal Democrat majority mean for the state of Drama education in the UK? Fortunately, all the three parties address issues relating to arts education and the creative industries in their respective manifestos and plan to implement some form of positive change.Jeremy Corbyn has called for a £160 million arts pupil premium to fund arts education for every primary school child, with funding planning to rise to £175m by 2023–2024. While this doesn't necessarily say a lot for secondary school Drama teachers, the manifesto seems to imply that through providing young students with a creative education, arts will naturally become ‘embedded within secondary education.’
The Labour party also plans to nurture a varied and balanced curriculum, ‘promoting all types of learning, skill and knowledge – technical, vocational, academic and creative.’ With regard to arts and the wider community, the Labour party plans to launch a £1 billion Cultural Capital Fund which will ‘transform libraries, museums and galleries across the country.’ In turn the party also plans to make the National Lottery Fund more transparent to ensure that all communities benefit from project funding and will also launch a Town of Culture competition. Labour will also look to champion diversity in creative industries ‘so that everyone sees themselves represented on screen and on stage.’
Boris Johnson is looking to implement a similar arts education fund but aimed at secondary rather than primary school students. The ‘Arts premium’ will provide ‘enriching activities for all students' and will be funded at around £110 million a year for three years, starting in 2021. The party has also promised an extra £14 billion extra school funding but sources such as Watchdog have warned that this figure could be misleading. However, the party state that they will continue their ‘commitment to core subjects’ (English, Maths, Science), and continue to create ‘great schools’, it seems that under the power of the Conservatives, the Ebacc (and the ethos that surrounds it) is very much here to stay. The party also plan to implement ‘the largest cultural capital scheme in a century’ with £250 million being put towards the support of local libraries and museums.
No major changes however will affect the creative industries in a wider sense, as they plan to maintain support for ‘creative sector tax reliefs and free entry to the UK's national museums.’
Instead of embedding the arts into a core subject-centred curriculum, Jo Swinton wants to cut the Ebacc altogether, and in doing so will ‘protect the availability of arts and creative subjects in the curriculum.’ Adding to this, the Liberal Democrats want to focus on an education style that has creative subjects at the forefront, teaching the ‘core skills required for children to flourish in the modern world, including critical thinking, verbal reasoning and creativity’, in turn, ‘[boosting] quality at every stage of education.’ Much like Labour and the Conservatives, the Lib Dems will ‘Maintain free access to national museums and galleries’ but will also use the National Lottery to protect sports and arts funding.
To find out more about each party and their respective policies, visit: https://labour.org.uk/, https://vote.conservatives.com/ and https://www.libdems.org.uk/
LAMDA cuts fees for first round of auditions
The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in Hammersmith
Since taking up the post of director at the London Academy Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) Sarah Frankcom has made some significant changes to the audition process. These amendments include a considerable cut to the administration fee for the initial audition, which is now £12 (meaning that only those who progress far in the process will face larger fees), a newly created audition team who are made up of arts practitioners with current industry knowledge to ensure relevancy, and fee waivers and travel bursaries.
Initial auditions will continue to be held in 11 cities the UK, Ireland and France, ensuring that geographical location will not hinder a young actor's chances of success.
Sarah Frankcom, director of LAMDA says: ‘This is about removing the barriers to finding the best talent across the country for our acting schools. It is all about creating greater opportunity. For too long we have talked about removing barriers to students from challenging and low-income backgrounds, but the cost of the first audition for these aspiring actors has too easily been a barrier to them seeking their chance to audition. LAMDA wants to demonstrate the importance to the industry of slashing the cost of that vital first audition.‘
Benedict Cumberbatch, president of LAMDA says: ‘I am so excited to see that Sarah's first step as the new director of LAMDA has been to open up the doors to greater opportunity for students from the toughest backgrounds. We need to make sure that training for the stage, film and television is opened up and that we take down barriers to young people with enormous talent and potential who might have been put off by a first audition fee that was unaffordable.’
To find out more, visit: https://www.lamda.ac.uk/
Touring theatre announcements:
2020 tour dates announced for Dolly Parton's 9 to 5
Based on the cult 1980's film of the same name, 9 to 5 follows the lives of three workmates, Doralee, Violet and Judy who plan to teach their sexist boss a lesson. Featuring an uplifting pop-country soundtrack and generous helpings of girl power, the show has been enjoying a successful run in the West End since February and now is about to embark on its second UK tour. Opening at the Aylesbury Waterside Theatre on 29 May, the show will go on to play throughout the UK, including dates at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre (9–13 June), Nottingham Theatre Royal (16–20 June), Southampton Mayflower (22–27 June), Leeds Grand Theatre (29 June–4 July), Theatre Royal Plymouth (14–18 July), Regent's Theatre Stoke on Trent (21–25 July), Southend Cliff's Pavilion (28 July–1 August), Marlowe Theatre Canterbury (4–8 August), Bristol Hippodrome (11–15 August), Llandudno Venue Cymru (18–22 August), Manchester Palace Theatre (25–29 August), Eden Court Inverness (1–5 September), King's Theatre Glasgow (8–12 September) and Sheffield Lyceum (15–19 September).
For more information and to book tickets, visit: https://9to5themusical.co.uk/tour/
Further tour dates announced for The Phantom of the Opera
One of Andrew Lloyd Webber's best loved musicals, The Phantom of the Opera has announced that it is extending its UK and Ireland tour to February 2021. Featuring songs such as ‘All I Ask of You’, ‘Masquerade’ and the iconic title song, the Cameron Mackintosh production will include some new faces as well as those who have previously performed in the show. Among the cast will be Killian Donnelly as The Phantom, who is currently playing Jean Valjean in the international tour of Les Misérables and Holly-Anne Hull as Christine Daaé, who is currently appearing in the concert performance of Les Misérables at the Gielgud Theatre. Alongside the previously announced dates at Curve, Leicester, Manchester Palace Theatre, Bord Gais Energy Theatre Dublin, Birmingham Hippodrome and Edinburgh Festival Theatre, the new dates include: Sunderland Empire (4 November–5 December 2020), Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff (9 December 2020–16 January 2021) and Plymouth Theatre Royal (20 January–20 February 2021).
For more information and to book tickets, visit: https://uktour.thephantomoftheopera.com/
© JOHAN PERSSON
Cameron Mackintosh's production of The Phantom of the Opera will include dates at Sunderland Empire and Wales Millennium Centre, among others
Two election-time manifestos call for greater commitment to Drama education
In the face of the approaching election, numerous theatres, companies and educational organisations encouraged future governments to prioritise Drama in education.
At the end of October, the Society of London Theatre and UK Theatre released a manifesto entitled The case for a thriving theatre industry in the UK. Among the cases made for the greater good of Drama education in the UK, the manifesto asks the government to increase engagement between local theatres and schools.
Drawing on the Newham ‘Every Child a Theatregoer’ and ‘Primary Schools into Theatre in Southwark’ models, it calls for theatre to be made more accessible for children in deprived areas, not through one-off grants but government schemes. Alternatively, it suggests that other barriers stopping young people from accessing theatre be removed, by asking local authorities, for example, to provide free travel or off-peak fares for schools.
The manifesto also calls for funding for the Creative Careers Programme to go beyond Spring 2020, and for the government to prioritise T Level placements, which could encourage more young people to take up backstage theatre roles in the UK.
Following this, on 19 November, organisations including Action for Children's Arts, London Drama, London Theatre Consortium, National Drama, NST (Nuffeld Southampton Theatres), SCUDD (The Standing Conference of University Drama Departments) and Theatre Education Forum launched the Drama, Theatre and Young People manifesto, calling for all young people to have access to Drama education. In order to make a Dramatic education possible for every child, the manifesto asks for high quality teaching and theatre experience to be prioritised, alongside support for young people as they enter the theatre workforce, and a world class infrastructure for Drama and Theatre education.
To download the Case for a thriving theatre industry manifesto visit: https://t.co/TBLacpicIF?amp=1. The Drama, Theatre and Young People manifesto can be read in full at: https://dramatheatremanifesto.co.uk/
ALRA, Italia Conti and Drama Studio London to offer joint audition days
Following on from a successful trial run last year in Doncaster and Newcastle, the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts (ALRA), Italia Conti, and Drama Studio London are continuing their joint auditions days, this time adding Norwich to the list of locations. By paying £30, hopefuls can audition for all three drama schools in one day, with last year seeing over a dozen applicants going on to study at the institutions.
The auditions will take place at Newcastle College on Saturday 29th February, Doncaster Little Theatre on Sunday 1st March and at the Theatre Royal Norwich on 4th April.
In order to audition, students must prepare two monologues – one contemporary and one classical – and be prepared to sing if they wish to audition for the Italia Conti Musical Theatre course.
Principal of ALRA, Adrian Hall, says; ‘There's quite a bit of funding available once you secure a place but just getting to the audition can be too much of a financial strain for some. The lowest audition fee is around £35.00 and then there’s the additional travel costs, and you'll possibly need overnight accommodation too. This means that the very first step towards professional actor training – the audition – can be the biggest barrier of all. This event attempts to remove that barrier.’
Musical Theatre programmes director of Italia Conti, Richard Mulholland, says: ‘Italia Conti is delighted to be joining forces with ALRA and Drama Studio London on this event. We are determined to make it as easy as possible for young people to have the opportunity to train at leading performing arts conservatoires.
‘We will be offering auditions for both Acting and MT courses on the day as part of the £30 fee. We look forward to discovering some exciting new talent.’
Managing director of Drama Studio London, Kit Thacker, says: ‘Most things about becoming an actor are hard. Choosing the right course and the right school, reassuring yourself that your speeches will show off your talent to the full, and, of course, getting together the cash for the auditions themselves as well as the travel to them. It is vital for students, the schools, the profession and audiences that actors reflect all of society. Auditionees must be chosen on talent, passion and the ability to work with others; never on income or any other irrelevant distinction.’
To find out more, visit the institutions' websites: www.alra.co.uk, www.dramastudiolondon.co.uk, www.italiaconti.com
Alternatively, you can visit the Federation of Drama Schools website: www.federationofdramaschools.co.uk
Relaxed performances announced for School of Rock
Mousetrap Theatre Projects are holding relaxed performances for School of Rock, aimed at families who have children with additional needs. In response to a report that 1 in 5 families who have children with additional needs don't feel comfortable attending the theatre, Mousetrap theatre have announced relaxed performances to take place on Monday 20th January at 6.30pm.
The event will cater to families who have children with additional needs such as autism, learning difficulties or other sensory and communication needs who require a more relaxed environment.Families will be assisted throughout the theatre process from booking tickets to help during the performance, including a dedicated relaxed performance administrator and fully trained staff and volunteers on hand at the Gillian Lynne Theatre throughout the evening. Families will also have access to pre-show family workshops and support materials including a resource pack that explains the show's themes and characters, as well as a ‘visual story’ that helps young people to better understand the play's narrative.Susan Whiddington, chief executive of Mousetrap Theatre Projects says: ‘We are delighted to offer this fantastic musical to families with children with additional needs. We know how much these performances mean to families who otherwise would be unable to enjoy West End shows. We are particularly excited about taking families to School of Rock which has been the number one requested show from families’
To find out more and apply for the relaxed performance, visit: https://www.mousetrap.org.uk/relaxed-school-of-rock