Tag: graduates
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Alyssa Thabisile Sibanda: A Year of Growth and Gratitude
Spotlight Prize winner Alyssa reflects on her acting journey and shares insights and advice for drama school graduates. Since winning the Stage Award at the Spotlight Prize 2024 for her performance of Many Moons, Alyssa has quickly become one to watch in the world of theatre. But her journey from an enthusiastic young performer to…
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Senam Akpokavi: Navigating Post-Drama School Success
Senam Akpokavi talks about his acting career since winning the Spotlight Prize in 2024, including landing a regular role in a BBC series and adapting to life after drama school. In 2024, Senam Akpokavi’s excellent performance of For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy saw him win the Screen…
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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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My Casting Story: Laura Dawkes in Disney’s ‘Frozen the Musical’
Performer Laura Dawkes on playing ‘Anna’ in Disney’s ‘Frozen the Musical’, going straight from drama school to the West End, and the process of recording the show for Disney+. Laura Dawkes has had an exceptional start to her career. Within weeks of graduating from Emil Dale Academy, she was cast in the lead role of…
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Making the Most of Your Final Year at Drama School
Maximise your drama school experience with these 10 tips for networking, making contacts, honing your self-taping skills, agent advice and more. If I could go back in time, I would’ve done my final year at drama school differently, and I’m sure plenty of actors across the country would agree. I thought the purpose of training…
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How to Make the Most of Your Time at Drama School
Six tips from our Spotlight Prize winners and finalists to help you get the most out of your drama school experience. So you’ve decided that drama school is the right path for you, you’ve succeeded with your drama school audition and you’re finally in. You now have three years (or less, depending on your course)…
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The Spotlight Prize Finalists’ Best Acting Advice
The winners and finalists from the Spotlight Prize 2024 each share the best piece of acting advice they were ever given. While we progress as actors, we’re surrounded by those who offer us advice. Whether it comes from actors with more experience, actors with different experience, famous actors we admire, or those who come from…
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Tips for a Successful Drama School Audition
The Spotlight Prize 2024 winners and finalists share their top tips to help you prepare for your drama school auditions. Many acting careers start with a pivotal choice: should you go to drama school or not? While training at drama school is not essential for a successful career, your time there will definitely help you…
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Is Drama School the Right Path for You?
The Spotlight Prize 2024 winners and finalists share why they went to drama school and how you can tell whether this is the right path for you. It’s no longer the case that you need to have gone to drama school to have a successful acting career. Drama school can equip you with useful and…
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Spotlight Prize 2024 Winners Announcement
Alyssa Thabisile Sibanda of Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and Senam Akpokavi of Arts Educational Schools win the Spotlight Prize 2024. Since the 1950s, the Spotlight Prize has been an exciting opportunity for graduates to perform in front of an audience of industry professionals. A £2000 prize is given each year to two students. They…