Author: Spotlight Team
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The Spotlight Prize Winners List
Check out our Spotlight Prize gallery of past winners and highly commended finalists listed by year. The first ever Spotlight Prize (or the Millington Award, as it was originally known) was held in 1954. The inaugural award was won by the late Jeremy Brett – best known for his iconic portrayal of ‘Sherlock Holmes’ in…
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The Spotlight Prize 2025 Finalists Announced
The 19 drama school graduates who’ll be performing at this year’s Spotlight Prize showcase. Once again, the Spotlight Prize is here to recognise and celebrate the very best drama school talent that the UK and Ireland have to offer. 65 drama schools and universities nominated a student from their graduating class to submit a self-tape…
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The AYPA’s Social Media Guidelines for Young Performers
Guidance from the AYPA for parents, agents and professionals to navigate social media responsibly while prioritising the safety and well-being of young performers. Social media is on the rise and as a result, you may feel pressure as a parent to create a social media profile for your child to help promote their acting careers.…
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IPC Announce New Training Available for Casting Directors
The Injury Prevention Consultancy (IPC) announce Pre-Call – a new training scheme for casting directors. Publish date: 2 May 2025 The Injury Prevention Consultancy (IPC) have launched Pre-Call, a training course designed especially for Casting Directors to develop their understanding of the role that physical demand plays in the casting process and to empower them…
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Meet 2025’s European Shooting Stars
We speak to the winner of the European Shooting Star Award 2025 and the actors honoured at this year’s Berlinale festival. Every year at the Berlinale, the European Film Promotion (EFP) hosts the Shooting Stars event to showcase the talents of 10 exceptional European acting newcomers. Selected from qualifying countries in the EU, each actor…
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6 Stage and Screen Picks for International Women’s Day 2025
Six stage and screen picks for International Women’s Day 2025, from dazzling musicals to ground-breaking films, that put women’s voices front and centre. As International Women’s Day (IWD) approaches, we’re celebrating the extraordinary stories of women across film and theatre. Each of these productions showcases the power, resilience and complexity of women’s experiences in their…
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Exploring the Filmmaking Process and Casting of ‘The Substance’
Watch an exclusive panel with filmmaker Coralie Fargeat and casting directors Lana Veenker and Marina Wijn about the artistic collaboration between filmmakers, actors and casting directors. At this year’s Berlinale, in partnership with Filmmakers Europe, we hosted a special private screening of the Oscar-nominated film The Substance, followed by an exclusive panel for Spotlight members. …
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CIISA Launches Standards for Expected Behaviour in Creative Industries
The CIISA Standards aim to prevent bullying and harassment and promote safe and inclusive working environments in the UK’s creative industries. The Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA) have now officially launched the CIISA Standards – a framework designed to set out the minimum standards of behaviour across the UK’s creative industries. This cements CIISA’s…
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£270million in Extra Funding for Arts and Cultural Venues Announced
The Arts Everywhere fund includes a commitment of £85 million for cultural venues including theatres and performing arts venues. Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy, today (Thursday, 20 February) announced a new £270 million Arts Everywhere Fund to help arts and cultural organisations in urgent need of financial support. This follows the government’s previous announcement of a…
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Watch Kate Rhodes James’ Q&A about Casting ‘Gladiator II’
Casting director Kate Rhodes James discusses her process for assembling the stellar cast we see on screen in ‘Gladiator II’ and answers Spotlight members’ questions. On 16 December 2025, Spotlight hosted an exclusive private screening of Gladiator II for Spotlight members, followed by a Q&A with the film’s esteemed casting director, Kate Rhodes James. The…