Performers Academy Plus - London
New Earth Academy Plus was launched in 2023 in response to feedback from academy alumni and ESEA communities.
After taking academy courses, many alumni are keen to future pursue their career in theatre but feel there’s a gap between introductory courses and career opportunities, and there are few artist development programmes specifically aimed at BESEAs. The Academy Plus programme aims to bridge the gap between our entry level courses and professional opportunities by providing further training and engagement opportunities tailored to ESEA artists and creatives to prepare them for the next stage of their careers. To date New Earth Academy has offered entry level courses in performing, writing, theatre making and technical theatre to over 500 alumni.
New Earth Performers Academy Plus is a 2-week intensive course for ESEAs who have some performing/acting experiences already and are looking to move to the next stage of their careers. Students will train in person with course directors, voice and movement tutors and additional guest workshops, specialist talks and panels. There will also be lunchtime industry talks and the course will finish with a showcase for an invited audience with industry professionals.
Course Dates: Monday 20th July – Friday 24th July and Monday 27th – Friday 31st July
Course Leader: Broderick Chow
Location: Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
Experience Level: At least 1 years previous performance experience or actor’s training.
Due to the structure and collaborative nature of the course, full attendance across all days is required.
Photo: Performers Academy Plus - 2024
APPLICATION INFO:
Selected applicants will be invited to an in person audition in London on Saturday 23rd May at The Central School of Speech and Drama.
We are also asking applicants to the Performers Academy Plus - London to submit a self tape following the instructions in the brief below. Please send us a video link (YouTube, Vimeo or Google Drive) to your self-tape audition task. We ask that you make sure the link is working before submitting your application and if your video is password protected, please send the password in your application form.
APPLICATION INFO:
Selected applicants will be invited to an in person audition in London on Saturday 23rd May at The Central School of Speech and Drama.
We are also asking applicants to the Performers Academy Plus - London to submit a self tape following the instructions in the brief below. Please send us a video link (YouTube, Vimeo or Google Drive) to your self-tape audition task. We ask that you make sure the link is working before submitting your application and if your video is password protected, please send the password in your application form.
Self-Tape Audition Task
“Homesick”
In this exercise, you are creating a one-to-two-minute performance for camera, drawing on your personal identity, experiences, and cultural background.
First, you need to choose two things:
An object that represents “home”, which you can tell a story about.
A place that represents “away from home” – this can be a different country, a different city, or a new environment (such as starting in a new workplace or school).
A “target” – someone to direct your performance to. This should be specific and concrete, a person who is listening and whose responses (non-verbal or verbal) you can imagine.
Second, you will create a text where you imagine yourself in the “place away from home”, speaking to your target about your object and what it represents. You might consider the following things:
How does the target respond? Are they open or dismissive? How does that change your text/actions?
What are your thoughts and feelings about this “place away from home” and how does that determine what you say and how you behave?
How important is this object to you and how has this changed (or not) in the place away from home?
Your performance can be a monologue, poem, or story. The performance should have spoken language in some way.
In the self-tape, you should first introduce yourself, tell us why you are applying for New Earth Academy Plus, and briefly introduce the theme of your performance. This introduction should be no more than one minute.
Perform your text to camera. How you do this is entirely up to you. You can speak to an invisible person outside of the camera frame, you can incorporate movement, you can address the camera directly, and you can physically utilise the object if you like. You are encouraged to create your own world within the scene.
Assessment Criteria:
Ability to draw on self and imagination to create a performance
Understanding of dramatic action in a scene (i.e. how will this person respond to the gift and how does this impact your actions?)
Ability to perform text with clarity, energy, focus, and confidence
Embodied, intellectual, and emotional engagement appropriate to the text
Evidence of thinking and acting moment-to-moment in the text, not reciting or rushing through.
It is recommended that you film your video in landscape mode, with bright light and a reasonably clean background for the panel to see you well.
Performers Plus Academy FAQ
What is the difference between Performers Academy and Performers Academy Plus?
Performers Academy is a one week training course suitable for any East and South East Asians aged 18+ living in the U.K. who have an interest in theatre and/or performing arts. You don’t need any previous experience to take part. This is an introduction to acting including movement, voice ensemble work, stage combat and more. You can try new things, learn new skills, make new friends and join the academy family!
Performers Academy Plus is a two week intensive training course for East and South East Asians aged 18+ living in the U.K. who have some previous experience and/or training in performing arts and/or theatre making and are looking to progress to the next stage of their career.
Can I apply for New Earth Performer Academy Plus if I didn’t attend New Earth Performer Academy?
Yes - please note that New Earth Academy Plus is open to artists and creatives who have had experiences or training working in the creative industry rather than those who had little or no experience.
Do I need to audition?
Selected applicants will be invited to an in person audition in London on Saturday 23rd May at The Central School of Speech and Drama.
Do I need to do a self tape?
YES. We are asking applicants to the Performers Academy Plus London to submit a self tape following the instructions in the brief “Homesick” above. We are looking for your ability to be creative with text, clarity, energy, and confidence in performance, and to utilise your own stories in the creation of performance for camera.
It is recommended that you film your video in landscape mode, with bright light and a reasonably clean background for the panel to see you well. Please send us a video link (YouTube, Vimeo or Google Drive) to your self-tape audition task. We ask that you make sure the link is working before submitting your application and if your video is password protected, please send the password in your application form.
What is the schedule of the Performer Academy Plus course?
Performers Academy Plus is a 2 week long, full time course. Usual hours are 10am -6pm Monday to Friday. There may be social activities or theatre trips on some evenings. Due to the structure and collaborative nature of the course, full attendance across all days is required.
How much do I need to pay to attend New Earth Academy and New Earth Academy Plus?
NOTHING - it’s completely free. We aim to keep all our New Earth Academy and New Earth Academy Plus free at the point of access to reduce financial barriers for participants.
We also offer travel bursary places for participants in need of financial support. If you'd like to apply for the travel bursary, please tell us why in your application and the amount you'd like to apply for.