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Press Releases
ATG AND EQUITY JOIN FORCES FOR FIRST STUDENT WEST END INSIGHT DAY
Issued : 29 October 2003
The Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG) and Equity are holding a unique West End Insight Day, specifically designed to offer practical skills and a realistic insight into West End working practices to acting and stage management students.
The interactive day, to be held at ATG's Comedy Theatre this Friday 31st October, includes a Practical Masterclass with Prunella Scales, a Panel Session with some of the West End's key players and a Theatre Business Workshop with Equity. 60 Equity student members will be attending from drama schools and colleges across London and the South East. Thanks to funding from the Central London Learning and Skills Council, the event is free to all the students.
ATG and Equity plan to hold similar events at ATG's regional theatres in Stoke-on-Trent and Glasgow, making it the only commercial theatre group to organise a national programme of industry training events through its Education Department.
The day will start with a Theatre Business Workshop led by Louise Grainger of Equity, covering practical issues such as CVs and contracts. After a tour of the Comedy Theatre, focusing on working in a West End venue, the students will have the chance to spend time with Equity members who are currently working in the West End and then be treated to a Practical Masterclass by renowned actress Prunella Scales. Afterwards, they will have the opportunity to put their questions to a panel of West End key players, including Ian Talbot (Artistic Director, Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park), Matthew Gordon (Associate Producer, Sonia Friedman Productions), Pat Trueman (Principal, ALRA and former Chief Executive of Director's Guild of Great Britain), Martin Gray (Deputy Head of London Marketing, ATG), Corinna Marlowe (actress with West End and National Theatre credits) and Christine Payne (Equity Assistant General Secretary, Theatre and Variety).
Following a talk about the technical set-up for a show, the students will see the evening performance of Ed Hall's award-winning all-male A Midsummer Night's Dream, currently running at the Comedy. After the show, there will be an exclusive post-performance talk for Student Members of Equity with members of the company.
Julia Potts, Group Education & Outreach Manager, ATG
"ATG is proud to support an Education & Outreach Department with a remit to develop educational opportunities in the West End as well as in the regions. This event marks the first of what we hope will be an annual series of similar 'Insight Days' which will ultimately allow students nationwide to enjoy unique access to the people and places that make up the theatre industry. We are particularly delighted to be working with Equity to make the event a reality."
Ian McGarry, General Secretary, Equity
"Equity Student membership has been just one of the union's successes of recent years and offers opportunities and support which students would not otherwise have. We regularly arrange events for student members but this is the first time we have worked with a commercial theatre group on such a venture and we look forward to running more days with ATG outside of London. We are grateful to our members who are supporting this event and I am delighted by the strong response from our student members who recognise this insight day as very special opportunity."
ENDS
For more information, please contact the following:
ATG: John Chittenden, Group Press Officer 01483 545822 / johnchittenden@theambassadors.com
Equity: Martin Brown, Press and Communications Officer 020 7670 0259 / mbrown@equity.org.uk
Notes for editors:
ATG is renowned for its highly successful management of theatre venues throughout the UK and is currently the second biggest theatre group in the West End and separately, in the regions, with a total of 22 venues. It is also one of the country's foremost theatre producers and has been behind some of the most successful and innovative productions in Britain and internationally, currently including the award-winning Vincent in Brixton, See You Next Tuesday, Ed Hall's A Midsummer Night's Dream, After Mrs Rochester, Noises Off, The Rocky Horror Show and Stephen Poliakoff's Sweet Panic, starring Jane Horrocks.
ATG established its Group Education and Outreach Department a year ago, with the aim to engage the public in theatre-going, through a broad programme of practical, participatory and platform events and to create training opportunities for those seeking to enter the theatre industry. ATG Education is currently developing an innovative programme of work for the West End in 2004, as well as creating Education Programmes for ATG Touring productions and supporting the substantial Education work already in place in many of its regional venues.
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