Spotlight News

 

Articles tagged with spotlight

How to choose your professional name for Spotlight and Equity

One of the most important decisions you take in your performing career is what your professional name will be. Most performers keep their own name, but you need to ensure this is unique and isn’t easily confused with other performers. This is an issue both Spotlight and performers’ union Equity get plenty of questions about from new members. We asked Equity’s Head of Membership Matt Hood for his advice on picking your performing name. For performers choosing a unique, professional name is key to establishing yourself in a highly competitive industry. Whether by word of mouth,...

posted on 7th February 2012 Read full article >>

Spotlight’s weekly news roundup: 3 February 2012

Welcome to Spotlight’s weekly news roundup, where we highlight the news and blogs we’ve enjoyed and want to share with our members and others within the industry, so sit back and catch up on the stories you need to know about. Wonderful West End and beyond Some good news for the West End this week as it was reported that revenues for 2011 were up by 3.1%, despite more dark weeks, when big theatres were closed for installation. Musicals such as The Wizard Of Oz, Shrek, Ghost and Matilda helped this trend, as did hot tickets like Jez Butterworth’s Jerusalem. If that’s whetted...

posted on 3rd February 2012 Read full article >>

Spotlight’s Scandinavian travels: Norway’s Bardar Academy

Spotlight isn’t just confined to the British Isles. As well as our global collaboration with other International Alliance of Casting Directories (IACD) members, we also spend time building contacts in Europe to benefit our members and subscribers. Last week, Spotlight’s PR Manager Emma Dyson (pictured left, outside Oslo’s National Theatre) headed to Norway to speak to students at the Bardar Academy and discover a little more about the Scandinavian acting industry. Now she’s thawed out, here’s her report: So to Oslo Spotlight goes! This is the furthest I’ve travelled for Spotlight talk yet and – given...

posted on 1st February 2012 Read full article >>

Spotlight’s weekly news roundup: 20 January

Welcome to Spotlight’s weekly news roundup, where we highlight the news and blogs we’ve enjoyed and want to share with our members and others within the industry, so grab sit back and catch up on the stories you need to know. Keep on campaigning Businesses in the West End were celebrating a memorable victory this week as Westminster Council announced they were scrapping proposed evening parking charges. Theatres, performers, Equity and others had campaigned against the proposals, which they claimed would have cost the area’s economy millions, and forced many businesses and performers out of work. Henry Goodman and...

posted on 20th January 2012 Read full article >>

Spotlight Mondays: Your time to book a free career consultation

Each week, Spotlight offers a free one-on-one 20 minute career advice session with Emma Dyson, our PR manager and careers expert. Emma trained at the Guildford School of Acting and spent six years as an agent, so can offer advice about all aspects of the industry. Spotlight Mondays are one of the most popular services we provide to our members and spaces fill up quickly. The next available sessions for March are now open for booking. Actors can – and often do – ask Emma anything about their career, so we thought we’d get her to...

posted on 20th January 2012 Read full article >>

Money saving deals for Spotlight members

When you join Spotlight, you don’t just get access to some of the best jobs and career advice in the industry, your membership gives you money off a range of products and services – from theatre tickets to hairdressers, acting courses to personal trainers, there’s so many ways to save money with your Spotlight membership card. These deals we’ve negotiated on your behalf are a little added extra that we like to give our members, and new offers are added all the time. Most of the time you’ll just need your Spotlight card, but make sure you check...

posted on 12th January 2012 Read full article >>

Happy New Year from Spotlight and our plans for 2012

From everybody at Spotlight we’d like to say a big Happy New Year and welcome back to all our members, subscribers and friends, as we look forward to an exciting acting-packed 2012. We have lots planned for the next 12 months and, to inspire you as you start 2012, we thought we’d let you know of a few notable events and other areas where we’ll be out and about helping our members boost their careers. Also, as it’s January, keep your eyes peeled on Spotlight’s news site for a series of pieces aimed at helping you to freshen...

posted on 3rd January 2012 Read full article >>

Spotlight’s weekly news roundup: 20 December

Welcome to Spotlight’s weekly news roundup, where we highlight the news and blogs we’ve enjoyed and want to share with our members and others within the industry. This is our last one before Christmas (and a special one after taking a power-cut enforced break last week), so grab yourself a mince pie and mulled wine and catch up on the stories you need to know about before the festive season. Creative Christmas There’s plenty of great performances on stage and screen this Christmas, and if it’s dance you fancy, then head to The Arts Desk, who...

posted on 22nd December 2011 Read full article >>

Spotlight's highlights of 2011

As 2011 comes to a close, we at Spotlight thought we’d look back on our highlights from the past 12 months. There have been so many fantastic performances across stage and screen - theatre, film, dance and television - that’s had us raving to fellow Spotlight co-workers in the office the next day. Of course, the tastes of all Spotlight staff vary, although if there was one play and performance that got everybody talking and featured at the top of our end of year list, it was Mark Rylance’s performance in Jerusalem. Ben, Spotlight’s managing partner, described it...

posted on 20th December 2011 Read full article >>

Spotlight’s weekly news roundup: 9 December

Welcome to Spotlight’s weekly news roundup, where we highlight the news and blogs we’ve enjoyed and want to share with our members and others within the industry. So kick back and read what’s snagged our interest this week. Approaching theatre from a different angle As we move towards the end of the year, there’s plenty of reflective thought from the performing arts industry. At The Arts Desk, Mike Kenny from the West Yorkshire Playhouse tells us why he believes there’s more to children’s theatre than just pantomime. On a similar theme, The Guardian profiles some of 2011’s...

posted on 9th December 2011 Read full article >>

Spotlight building closed on Friday, 9 December

We’d like to give our members and subscribers an advance warning that the Spotlight building – including reception areas, rooms and studios - will be closed on Friday, 9 December during the day. However, it’s very much business as usual in all other respects. The website will be running as normal and we’ll be available all day on our switchboard number 020 7437 7631 or via email on questions@spotlight.com. We’ll also be available on twitter @SpotlightUK if you want to contact us online. The Spotlight Team. Tags: spotlight

posted on 8th December 2011 Read full article >>

Win a Spotlight stocking in our 12 days of Christmas competition

Christmas is just around the corner, and as we at Spotlight get ready to deck our halls with boughs of holly, we thought we’d hand out some early Christmas presents to you, our loyal members and Twitter followers, for keeping us entertained with tales of acting, auditions and all things performing arts. So, with only 12 working days left until Christmas, we’re giving away a special Spotlight stocking every weekday between now and Friday, 23 December. Each stocking comes packed with a host of amazing Spotlight goodies, such as a Spotlight mug for those winter warming...

posted on 8th December 2011 Read full article >>

Courtney George wins Young Dancer Of The Year 2011

Courtney George (in the blue top) is presented with the Young Dancer Of The Year award Yorkshire youngster Courtney George wowed the judges at The Dance Show in Birmingham last weekend to walk away with the coveted Young Dancer Of The Year award, sponsored by Spotlight. 17-year-old Courtney, a student on Yorkshire’s Young Dancer scheme with the Northern Ballet Theatre, impressed the panel of top industry judges with her superb solo performance in the final. A day of demanding dance and choreography saw hopeful dancers undergo a series of heats in the morning, with just...

posted on 6th December 2011 Read full article >>

Spotlight’s weekly news roundup: 2nd December

Welcome to Spotlight’s weekly news roundup, where we highlight the news and blogs we’ve enjoyed and want to share with our members and others within the industry. So, kick back and read what’s snagged our interest this week. Nominations and awards As we head towards the end of the year, the award ceremonies and nominations gather pace, with several Spotlight members among the winners and nominees. Spotlight young performer Harley Bird (right) went into the history books last weekend when she won Best Performer at the BAFTA Children’s Awards for her role as the voice...

posted on 2nd December 2011 Read full article >>

Spotlight heads to The Dance Show 2011

Spotlight is getting ready to shake our hips this weekend when we head to The Dance Show 2011 at Birmingham’s NEC. As well as judging this year’s Young Dancer Of The Year competition, Spotlight will be on hand to talk all things dance at our Spotlight stall (in Hall 8, Stand DS52). Whether you’re a Spotlight member, or starting out in your career and thinking about joining, Kelly, Kate, Frances, Martin and Elaine from Spotlight can offer career advice and help you get the best out your career – plus answer any questions you may have...

posted on 1st December 2011 Read full article >>

Spotlight and Equity remind performers to be aware of scams

As Christmas approaches, Spotlight is reminding all our members to watch out for companies and individuals trying to scam actors with the promise of non-existent roles and contacts. At this time of year, we sadly see an influx of less-than-scrupulous individuals aiming to con performers out of their hard-earned money. To help you stay safe Spotlight and Equity, the trade union for professional performers, have the following advice for performers to ensure you don’t fall victim to the scammers. Spotlight’s Pippa Harrison says, “It’s worth being reminded that you shouldn’t pay money to join any...

posted on 30th November 2011 Read full article >>

Spotlight’s weekly news roundup: 25th November

Welcome to Spotlight’s weekly news roundup, where we highlight the news and blogs we’ve enjoyed and want to share with our members and others within the industry. So, kick back and read what’s snagged our interest this week. All about the awards The mantelpieces of several Spotlight members will have had a quick rearrangement this week to accommodate their latest awards. Kenneth Branagh and Ralph Fiennes will be recognised for their contribution to the big screen at the British Independent Film Awards next month. Fiennes will receive the Richard Harris award for outstanding contribution to film by and actor, while Branagh will...

posted on 25th November 2011 Read full article >>

Spotlight Mondays bookings now open

Bookings are now open for Spotlight Mondays 2012 – a free career advice chat with Spotlight’s Emma Dyson. Spotlight Mondays are one of our most popular services. The 20-minute appointments with Emma can cover anything you want to talk about connected with your career, including photos, CVs, showreels, casting directors and agents (although it’s not possible for us to recommend agents). The service is completely free – and only available to Spotlight members. Emma, our career expert, trained at the Guildford School of Acting and has spent six years as an agent, giving her an invaluable...

posted on 25th November 2011 Read full article >>

Spotlight’s weekly news roundup: 11 November

Welcome to Spotlight’s weekly news roundup, where we highlight the news and blogs we’ve enjoyed and want to share with our members and others within the industry. So, kick back and read what’s snagged our interest this week. Onwards and upwards First off, we head to Devon where Jemima Laing writes for her local paper, the Western Morning News, about her pride on seeing her son, Spotlight child member Felix Soper, on his first big screen performance in The Awakening, with Imelda Staunton (above) and Dominic West. It’s a piece that many parents of our young performers can relate to, and we’d...

posted on 11th November 2011 Read full article >>

Advice from Actor Expo: Our most frequently asked questions

Last Saturday saw the Actor Expo at Camden Town Hall, and Spotlight was once again at the heart of this essential one-stop shop for the UK acting world. Our team of Kelly, Kate and Laura were on hand at Spotlight’s stall, while Spotlight’s expert Emma Dyson offered essential career advice for actors at her fully-booked Sell Yourself: Perfect Self-Marketing For Actors seminar. On behalf of the team, we’d like to say a massive thank you to everybody who took the time to chat to us on the stall or attend our seminar. We always immensely enjoy...

posted on 9th November 2011 Read full article >>

Spotlight's weekly news roundup: 4th November

Welcome to Spotlight’s weekly news roundup, where we highlight the news and blogs we’ve enjoyed and want to share with our members and others within the industry. So, kick back and read what’s snagged our interest this week. Coming to a stage or screen near you    Plenty of announcements this week for new and returning television shows, and prime among them is a series full of Spotlight talent – Downton Abbey. Filming on series three of Julian Fellowes popular period drama, starring the likes of Dame Maggie Smith and Hugh Bonneville, starts in the new year....

posted on 4th November 2011 Read full article >>

Get essential acting advice from Spotlight at the Actor Expo

Spotlight will once again be at the Actor Expo this Saturday, 5 November 2011, as one of the main sponsors of this essential one-stop shop of the UK acting world. As part of the expo, Spotlight will be offering essential career advice to our members, both at our stall and at our seminar, Sell Yourself: Perfect Self-Marketing For Actors. The Actor Expo runs from 11am-4pm at The Camden Centre, Camden Town Hall, Judd Street, London WC1H 9LZ. The nearest tube station is King’s Cross. At the seminar, Spotlight expert Emma Dyson will be offering essential...

posted on 31st October 2011 Read full article >>

Spotlight’s weekly news roundup: 28th October

Welcome to Spotlight’s weekly news roundup, where we highlight the news and blogs we’ve enjoyed and want to share with our members and others within the industry. So, kick back and read what’s snagged our interest this week. Last of the London Film Festival The 55th BFI London Film Festival came to a close after two weeks of fantastic films, premieres and top quality acting. The festival’s director, Sandra Hebron, stepped down after eight successful years, and Tim Robey in the Telegraph said this year’s festival was “as stimulating a fortnight as I can remember,”...

posted on 28th October 2011 Read full article >>

Spotlight Dancers 2011-2012 is now available

The new edition of Spotlight Dancers has just been released. With new colour head and full-body shots and contact details for over 300 professionally trained and experienced dancers, the books are an invaluable aide-memoire when looking for casting inspiration. Spotlight’s iconic, glossy books are an unrivalled industry resource. They are used daily by casting directors, producers, directors, choreographers, commercial and musical theatre production companies to source dancers and musical theatre performers for their productions. Are you an industry professional looking for dancers for your new project? Spotlight Dancers is available as part of a casting subscription...

posted on 27th October 2011 Read full article >>

Earn extra money with Spotlight’s non-acting employment partners

At Spotlight, we know that many of our members often need flexible non-acting work to tie in with auditions, rehearsals and performances, which is why we’re always working hard to find positions that can bring in much-needed extra cash. If you’re looking for extra work, we’ve recently added several flexible positions in our non-acting employment section for Spotlight members. Members can log into their card offers and access a list of recruitment agencies that are actively looking for actors and performers to join their team. Below is a selection of current recruiters and available jobs:...

posted on 26th October 2011 Read full article >>

Spotlight at Perform 2011

Make sure you are heading to Perform this March! Spotlight will be exhibiting on stand 718 at Olympia, London, from Friday 11th March Sunday 13th March. Make sure you pop by to chat with Spotlight experts, see copies of our latest directories, and catch up with all the latest Spotlight news. PERFORM 2011 is the exciting new show for anyone working in acting, singing, performance, stage management and technical theatre. You can meet and talk directly to 30 exhibitors including Equity, The Stage, various schools, universities and vocational colleges. You will also be able to attend...

posted on 17th January 2011 Read full article >>

Spotlight Showcase 2010 – full photo and video coverage

The winner of the 2010 Spotlight Prize is Andrew Gower, from Oxford School of Drama. Vivienne Bell, from Central School of Speech and Drama, wins the highly commended award. They beat stiff competition from a total of 21 talented acting students, all of whom had already been chosen as the very best actors graduating from the UK’s most prestigious drama schools this year. The young performers had just three minutes each to impress an exclusive industry audience at the Spotlight Showcase, which took place at the Bloomsbury Ballroom. Watch our video of the event here: ...

posted on 22nd July 2010 Read full article >>

2010 Spotlight Prize winners announced

The winner of this year’s Spotlight Prize is Andrew Gower, from Oxford School of Drama. Vivienne Bell, from Central School of Speech and Drama, won the highly commended award. They beat stiff competition from a total of 21 talented acting students, all of whom had already been chosen as the very best actors graduating from the UK’s most prestigious drama schools this year. Competing for the Spotlight Prize, the young performers had just three minutes each to impress an exclusive industry audience at the Spotlight Showcase, which took place at the Bloomsbury Ballroom yesterday....

posted on 21st July 2010 Read full article >>

Contacts 2011 - 100th edition!

  Published by Spotlight since 1947, Contacts is the essential handbook for everyone working or wanting to work in the entertainment industry.  The 100th edition of Contacts will be published in November – advertise now and become a part of Contacts history! 20,000 copies of Contacts are purchased every year making it the daily reference tool for actors, dancers, presenters, drama students and production professionals. Contacts contains listings for over 5000 companies, services and individuals including agents, casting directors, theatres, production companies, rehearsal rooms, photographers, voice and acting coaches.  It also features valuable advice from...

posted on 22nd June 2010 Read full article >>

Famous faces from Spotlight's past

Since 1927, Spotlight's pages have featured hundreds of famous faces.  The Hall of Fame is a compilation of our favourite actor and actress photos from stage and screen.  To view ‘When They Were Children’, ‘James Bond 007’, ‘Academy Award Winners’ and many more, click here. Tags: actor, actress, awards, film, photo, spotlight, stage

posted on 22nd March 2010 Read full article >>

Follow Spotlight on Facebook and Twitter

You can now follow Spotlight on Facebook and Twitter. Become part of the Spotlight online community and ensure you’re always kept abreast of Spotlight news, advice and events. To find out about Spotlight developments and deadlines, and to get the latest industry advice, follow us on Facebook. For the very latest on actor, presenter and dancer events, graduate seminars and one-on-one advice session availability, follow us on Twitter.  Tags: spotlight

posted on 19th February 2010 Read full article >>

ITV renews Spotlight subscription

Good news for all Spotlight members  - ITV has renewed its subscription to Spotlight's casting services again, continuing to give all ITV employees instant access to our database of 35,000 actors, dancers, presenters and child performers. Spotlight is used to cast a wide variety of ITV shows such as Law & Order, The Bill, Coronation Street, Primeval and Whitechapel.  At a click of a button, ITV production teams can view photos, CVs and showreels for every Spotlight member, directly from their computer desktops. They can also send out their latest casting briefs exclusively to Spotlight agents and...

posted on 4th February 2010 Read full article >>

Spotlight at the BBC

The BBC has renewed its unique subscription to Spotlight, which gives every BBC employee instant desktop access to our database of more than 35,000 actors, dancers, presenters and child performers.  Production teams across the BBC search the Spotlight database to cast shows including Eastenders, Holby City, Doctor Who and Casualty, to name but a few. At a click of a button, they can view Spotlight members’ photos, credits, contact details, showreels and voice clips. BBC teams also regularly use The Spotlight Link to advertise their casting requirements to agents and, in some cases, directly to Spotlight...

posted on 26th January 2010 Read full article >>

Spotlight Studios special offer

Spotlight’s winter studios promotion is to be extended. Its state-of-the-art casting facilities are now available at the special hourly rate of £95 for any bookings made by the end of the year. Spotlight Studios are ideal for casting commercial, film and television projects. Highly skilled studio operators are on hand to film auditions, post DVD-quality clips online and assist with any other casting needs that might arise on the day. What's included in the price? Upload to casting website DVD copy upon request High quality digi prints...

posted on 1st December 2009 Read full article >>