Budding Actor Needs Support

I am a young aspiring actor called Adam Pergande and during the last 6 years, I have worked with 3 amateur groups; Spotlight Productions, Whizz Kids and the Huntingdon Youth Theatre. I have taken part in 12 amateur theatre productions and 6 plays/shows at school and college and this experience proved invaluable with my Drama School auditions this year. I am thrilled to have been offered a place at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts, one of the UK's leading drama schools. ALRA is one of just 18 schools accredited by the National Council for Drama Training and competition for places on their courses is fierce. It is estimated that each of the accredited schools receives between 3000 – 5000 applicants every year and on average they only accept around 35. ALRA has just 24 students starting in September 2007 and if I can raise enough money, I will be one of them.

Unfortunately, I don’t qualify for the student loan scheme or for a DaDa (Dance & Drama award), which means I’m going to have to fund the course myself. This amounts to £11400.00 per year in fees, plus estimated living expenses in London of £8000.00 per year!

Raising this much money is a daunting prospect, but I plan to work hard teaching piano and earn money by performing as a keyboardist wherever I can and my parents will support me financially as much as possible with my living expenses. However this will still leave me with a significant shortfall and nothing like enough to pay my fees.

So I have set up a number of fund raising activities including producing a CD of my music to sell, and developing the Adam 4 ALRA Patrons Scheme.

I decided that, rather than ask a few people for a lot of money, it would be much better to find lot’s of people who would be prepared to sponsor me for a very small amount over the next 3 years. For example 2400 people donating just £5.00 a year would cover my fees and I’m hoping that I can persuade enough people to support me and help me fulfil my dream.

So I would be exceptionally grateful if you would visit my web site where you can find more information about me and details of how to become a patron. I have also produced a leaflet explaining everything, which can be viewed and printed from the web site or I can provide a printed copy on request.

Lastly, the success of my patrons scheme depends on reaching as many people as possible and so it would be fantastic if you could pass this information along to anyone else you think may be prepared to help support me and then if they forward it to their contacts as well, I have a good chance of gaining support from the number of people I need.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Adam

Production Arts Course For Backstage

As recently reported in ‘The Stage’, a weekly newspaper for the entertainment industry, the performing arts industry face an alarming shortage of backstage staff due to a huge growth market; “for every one person on stage there is an average of three behind the scenes”. Previously these roles have not been high profile, if indeed people knew they existed and the only training available was at university level or a crash course of work experience.

This needs to be changed at ground level; we need to train, educate and nurture young people before or as they leave school, rather than targeting them at degree level; which is where most of the production and technical courses begin. Aiming to create awareness in schools and with careers advisors is a start, but at Park Lane College we aim to do more.

Park Lane College run an extremely popular and oversubscribed BTEC National Diploma and National Certificate in both Performing Arts and Dance, we also offer First Diplomas and Foundation Degrees in Drama and Theatre Studies; and are now expanding into Production Arts.

The course will cover core units of: production for theatre, production workshop and production planning. It will then branch off into specialist units such as designing and making costume, special effects make-up, set design and photography or lighting design, sound design and stage management. A course like this may be of interest to anyone who enjoys theatre, people who are artistic and people looking for a different option from the 9 to 5 approach. The entry requirements are a minimum of four GCSEs at grade C or above, of which one should be English; or you should have equivalent industry experience.

Our lofty reputation within the industry and universities will ensure good job prospects or a pathway into Higher Education, where I’m sure they will be pleased to receive people with a good grounding in the skills shortage areas. It will also give young people the opportunity to try out a diverse number of skills before choosing whether or what to specialise in; it will also provide people with a great number of transferable skills.

Our course is unique, there is not one like it in the area and we feel sure it will be a popular choice with both young people, who are looking for more unusual career opportunities, and their parents who will be pleased to know the prospects are looking excellent. The universities will thanks us for training and thus encouraging students into their courses and the industry will be happy to know that the young people they employ have a good knowledge of all aspects of behind the scenes production.

Events From Brighton Museum

The following events are being held at the Brighton Museum and might be of interest.

Saturday 23 June
From Stage to Stagestruck!
Brighton Museum
2– 3.30pm £3 (£2 concessions)
A tour and discussion exploring how the history of a theatre is brought to the galleries of a museum.
Frank Gray University of Brighton and Mary Goody Exhibition Officer, curators of Stagestruck!
To book telephone 01273 292797

Thursday 12 July
Gallery talk with Julien Boast
12pm Free
Join Julien Boast, Chief Executive of the Theatre Royal, for a gallery tour of the exhibition Stagestruck! 200 Years of Theatre Royal, Brighton.
To book telephone 01273 292797

Friday 27 July
Secrets of the Backstage
The Old Courtroom
7.30–9pm £6 (£5 concessions)
Discover the insider secrets, the history behind the tricks of the trade and technical wizardry that put the shows on the road. A panel of specialists, including Theatre Royal crews past and present, reveal all and answer your questions.
To book telephone 01273 292797

Tuesday 14 August
Behind the Curtain: Famous Theatrical Ghosts
The Old Courtroom
7–8.30pm £6 (£5 concessions)
Every theatre has its resident ghost, spooky tales and superstitions. Investigations including tales from actors, backstage and front of house staff are revealed in a spine-chilling and entertaining evening.
Ghost-hunting experts Ian Shillito from LIVINGtv’s ‘Most Haunted!’ and LBC Radio’s Becky Walsh
To book telephone 01273 292797

Saturday 18 August
Burning Theatres & Terrified Patrons
The Old Courtroom
2.30-3.30pm £5 (£4.50 concessions)
Before the 1890s it was taken for granted that a theatre would be lucky to survive for more than 20 years before being destroyed by fire. This talk illustrates some of the most spectacular cases of the fatal rush for the exits and shows how theatres were eventually made safe.
John Earl Theatre Historian
To book telephone 01273 292797

THEATRE WORKSHOPS
Saturday 30 June
The Importance of Going Wilde
Education Pavilion, Brighton Museum
2– 5pm £10
A play reading workshop looking at Victorian theatre with the focus on Oscar Wilde. The session ends with a play reading in the exhibition gallery of Stagestruck!
Sarah Tobias actress & director
To book telephone 01273 292797

Tuesday 17 July
Drama Workshop
The Old Courtroom
7.30 – 9.30pm £15
Have you ever wanted to have a go at performing but don’t know where to begin? Find out what it would be like to be an actor in this workshop that teaches you basic techniques including how to calm your nerves!
Trevor Nicholls actor & director
To book telephone 01273 292797

Evening BA in Theatre Studies Launched

On Thursday 21 June 6-8.00pm staff in the School of English and Humanities have invited our students to hear about some of our current research and activities. We thought you might like to join them and find out more about the BAs in English, Humanities and Theatre.

There will be short talks from staff in the School of English and Humanities, drinks, and plenty of opportunities to speak with members of staff and students. We will be meeting in 30 Russell Square, WC1.

In order to reserve a place please contact c.catrix@bbk.ac.uk.

Making Music History

Making Music History is a Guinness World Record attempt to record the most versions of one song. We are donating all download profit to Children In Need and we are offering all who take part the chance to win prizes and even world fame (top ten downloaded versions will be released on single to the Media and profits again to Children In need). What's the catch? .... no catch, it's absolutely free, all you have to do is sign up and record your version...have fun and join in the excitement it's as simple as that.... good luck from Making Music History.