KICK UP THE ARTS

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Thursday 25th July

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This day is aimed at bringing people from across the industry together to look at the practicalities of managing your career or your show in real terms. We will be holding our own Dragons Den Style pitching panel where you can pitch your projects and get instant practical advice and feedback from a distinguished panel.

Actors and writers and indeed directors increasingly have to mount their own production and generate their own work , we aim to give useful hands on advice as to how to go about this.



The Day:



• 10 am to 11.30 Bootcamp : You are your own Production .
  In the digital age where our industry is changing rapidly we all have to learn how to market , present and promote ourselves. We have to take responsibility for our own careers, and there are many new platforms available to do this. Yvonne I’Anson & Malcolm Browning  will be with us to offer practical guidance and help.
  We will be giving practical advice on the art of self taping, the different levels of sophistication required for different levels of casting. The Stage's Jennifer Reischel will join us to talk about the comprehensive new self taping and upload system they are launching this summer. This is one of the biggest areas of change in the industry and something that we all have to learn to get to grips with.
   

• 11.30-1.00.Owing to the last minute unavailability of Derek Barnes, we have decided to replace his Q&A with a practical session on self taping. As everyone knows, this is increasingly the way that actors are now cast. The So and So Arts club plans to set up a walk in self taping facility to make it as easy as possible for people to record, upload and send their auditions in one place, with our help. We will be talking about this and about the whole technique of self- taping in general. We will have a camera and monitor present throughout this practical workshop.

• Alex Golner, a film editor will be joining the rest of the morning’s panel in this session. 

 

• 1.30-2.30pm. The lunchtime showcase will be the delightful production of" The Autumn of Han" by Michelle Yim making its pre Edinburgh Debut.

 

• 2:30pm - 5pm - The Pitching Panel
  In the afternoon we are assembling a pitching panel consisting of  Tracey Childs (actress, producer) and Julius Greene (producer), Joe Harmston , James Albrecht . This is your chance to get invaluable practical advice about producing based on your specific project. All of the questions such as where to target, how to begin to budget, what kind of cast is required to sell it where, option rights etc will be covered.

 

• 5.30-6.30 The evening showcase  "Peru" by Mike Elliston. "At first there was a fire....and a marriage in freefall. Will Joe become the man he wants to be? Will Dorothea finally be the wife she dreams of? Inspired by HBO this dark comedy stris back the rules where normsl just aint normal no more."

 

 



• In the evening there will be a performance of  ‘The Last Confession” by Dwina Gibb. Buy your tickets here



Derek Barnes

​In a long varied and distinguished career, Derek has cast many television series including Casualty, The Bill, Doctors and the Ghost Hunters. Derek works with many theatre companies including Y touring and the Writer's Avenue  and is on the board of a contemporary dance charity working with young people.

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Brian Kirk

Brian has worked extensively as a production  manager,in a wide range of shows. For the last 13 years he has been the General Manager at The Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in Guildford.



Julius Green

For many years Justin has been a senior producer with Bill Kenwright and he has just published a book How to Produce A West End Show.



Tracey Childs

​Tracey has a unique perspective having been both a successful actress, with a terrific career in theatre, film and T.V and now a theatre producer. Tracey and the actor Andrew Hall have produced a tour of Haunting Julia, and are just about to launch their production of Kindertransport.



James Albrecht

​An actor and director James is currently the Associate Artistic Director of the new St James Theatre where his chief responsibility is to programme the Studio Theatre.



Jennifer Reischel

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Jennifer is an award nominated author , theatre critic, writer and the Business development manager (Castings),for the Stage Media Company.Her indusrty guide, "So you want to tread the boards" was published in 2007 and nominated in the "How To" category at the London Book Festival.







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