Theatre Makers of the Future brought together a panel of professional guest speakers from the performing arts sector to talk to students considering a career in the theatre – whether on stage, as part of the production crew or within the creative team.

The impressive panel line-up included: Katy Lipson, Founder of Aria Entertainment, and producer of musicals up and down the country including Hair, Yank! and The Toxic Avenger, all staged in London’s West End; Phyllida Crowley-Smith, Head of Dance, Choreography and Movement at The Guildford School of Acting who was able to answer questions from those hoping to go to Drama Conservatoires and make their passion into their career; Matthew Dewsbury, the Assistant Casting Director of The Royal Shakespeare Company who lent us his expertise in all things related to casting. And lastly but by no means least, Mr Ben Sell, our resident Musical Theatre Director-in-Residence who talked about his performances and experiences in productions around the world.

The evening was ably hosted by our Geraldine James Scholars, Alice, Lyla and Marina who fielded many questions from the panel including what drama schools are looking for in auditionees, the day-to-day life of a producer and casting director, what actors do for work between jobs and what were the panellists’ favourite theatre shows. Geraldine James Scholar and co-host, Alice said,

As one of the co-hosts, I really enjoyed the engagement with our audience in the Q&A and it was such a privilege to meet
such talented and accomplished theatre professionals who provided us with invaluable knowledge for the future. Thank you to everyone involved. 

Geraldine James Scholar and co-host, Marina said,

I thoroughly enjoyed the Theatre Makers of the Future event as it gave me a great insight into the performing arts industry and
made me even more excited about what lies ahead! The speakers were all fabulous and came from a range of backgrounds
and I really enjoyed co-hosting the panel and chatting to them at the end.”