Tag: diversity/inclusivity
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Young Performer Support Hub
Welcome to Spotlight! This page is designed to support you on your Spotlight journey and give you and your child all the guidance you may need along the way. From refining their Spotlight profile to learning how to self-tape – everything you need is here. I’ve included some of my favourite articles and top tips from our expert industry…
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The Importance of Positive Representation in the Acting Industry
From disability to gender and female characters, understanding why representation matters in film, theatre and media is crucial. Explore the impact of on-screen diversity, good examples of representation, and the positive effects diverse portrayals in the entertainment industry brings The UK and Ireland are home to an incredible crop of diverse talent delivering scene-stealing performances…
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Inclusion and Representation in the Performing Arts
In this episode of The Spotlight Podcast, we talk to performer, theatre-maker and creative Edinburgh’s Programme Manager Zoë Alba Farrugia about representation and inclusion in performing arts and the importance of the artistic community Zoë Alba Farrugia shares her story about moving to the UK as a Maltese performer to follow her acting dream, the…
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Spotlight Teams Up with WeAudition at Sundance to Discuss the Future of Casting
Spotlight joins WeAudition and CSA Casting Directors at the Sundance Film Festival to discuss the future of casting The Sundance Film Festival is a mainstay of the festival circuit, bringing artists and audiences together to showcase independent filmmakers from across the globe. In addition to sparking bidding wars amongst the studios for films destined to…
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Casting ‘Heartstopper’, Netflix’s LGBTQ+ Teen Drama
We speak to Patrick Walters, executive producer of Heartstopper, and casting director Daniel Edwards CDG about the show and finding fresh talent. If you’re not already familiar with it, Heartstopper is a beautiful new show on Netflix that shows the blossoming relationship between the main characters Nick and Charlie. The series deals with teen topics like love, relationships, friendship…
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Breaking Down Barriers: Tommy Jessop Talks about his Journey
Tommy Jessop is the first actor with Down Syndrome to play the lead in a primetime TV drama, he’s also been in Line of Duty and is the first actor with Down Syndrome to be professionally cast as Hamlet, and become a full voting member of BAFTA. 16 minute listen or a full transcript of the…
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“Blame It On My Juice, Blame It, Blame It On My Juice….”
Jatinder Chera, National Film and Television School Graduate and now National Theatre Casting Assistant, shares his experiences of getting started in his career, typecasting and diversity. By Jatinder Chera Deciding to become an actor is like choosing orange juice with juicy bits. Most people will push you toward smooth. Smooth is easier. Smooth is more stable. Smooth…
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Are Sci-fi and Fantasy Helping to Level the Acting Playing Field?
Actor Sam Otto explores how fantasy and science fiction could be leading the way in creating space for racially diverse performers. There’s been something of a paradigm shift over the past few years in our media in terms of racial inclusivity. Battered into the cultural consciousness by political movements such as #MeToo, #OscarsSoWhite and BLM,…
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Working with British Sign Language Consultants
Demystifying the role of a British Sign Language Consultant and how they support the creative process of performances that involve deaf characters or sign language. Having a BSL consultant on your production will truly make a positive change to the attitudes towards deaf people by including BSL and deaf characters authentically Since the launch of…
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Casting Directors on Diversity, Self-Taping and Auditions
Read what Aisha Bywaters, Lauren Evans and Kelly Valentine Hendry had to say about diversity in casting, what to do (and not do) in self-tapes and how they prefer to be contacted. We hosted a Zoom event for Spotlight members to hear from casting directors Aisha Bywaters, Lauren Evans and Kelly Valentine Hendry. Here’s a…