Summer Season MA shows, Machinal and Andorra are dedicated to the memory of Andrew Stainthorpe, who attended the ArtsEd MA Acting course in 2017. Andrew was loved by everyone, and sadly passed away last year.  

All of Andrew’s friends and colleagues at ArtsEd were deeply saddened to lose such an extraordinary person, colleague and friend and wanted to share some of their special memories of him around how he impacted their lives.

Jenn Kays:

“In September Andrew officiated at my Wedding. It was the loveliest ceremony, that he had written. It was sincere but not filled with sentimentality and so many people commented to me on how affected they had been by such a pure and light service filled with love. It is strangely cyclical that I find myself reading at his service now, and hope to do him justice by reading in the same vein.

Our year at Arts Ed were a tight knit group and so it's not fair for me to talk to you solely about my time with Andrew. He was close to very many of us and so I asked some of his closest friends to share any special memories they would like me to pass on. We spent a year in glorious isolation learning, growing and struggling together but I know that a great many of you here enabled Andrew to get to drama school by supporting him emotionally and financially. So, we would like to share with you some of our experiences with Andrew during that time.

Andrew, Kezi and I were in a secret gang that everybody knew about. We were called Janzi and we would meet at my house and moan about the course and our tutors while drinking red wine.

For Kezi, Andrew was the person who would have a serious debate whilst making phallic shapes out of her lunch. They’d always maintain that they were dead inside because they’d never show emotion but in reality Kezi found Andrew to be one of the most loving people: Always there to offer sound realistic optimist on anything from whether to have another slice of cake (always) to what one thing will you do to advance your career today. I know that Kezi is so proud to be able to say that Andrew was one of her closest friends and that for her he was the most interesting, unique and captivating person.

He once hugged Amber and said 'Is that a Tempest in your pants or are you just happy to see me?’ cleverly combining Shakespeare with sexual innuendo.

Emma insisted on buying him a Christmas present and after initially refusing he eventually conceded and said she could buy him the latest Tom Ford perfume. This perfume is EXTREMELY expensive.”

Many people, including Hannah and Kaigan talked about his warmth, positivity and drive.

“During a particular rehearsal with Skevy, Sophie and Freddie for Accidental Death of an Anarchist, Andrew was so hilarious as he gradually turned the name Miss Feletti into Miss Fa-fa-farfalle that the company were left in stitches.

During the same production he had a false hand and a false moustache that kept falling off. You can imagine how he milked that.

As a year group we performed a spoken word evening. In his piece Andrew posed the important questions ‘What is Kardash-i-an?’ and ‘What is Kan-ye?’

This next part comes from Andrew's old housemate and friend Annie. These are her words:

“I moved into a big house in West Acton with Andrew, Sophie and Mikey shortly after graduating. We were all feeling a bit down and depressed about acting and where to start and how difficult it was. Andrew however was planning his showreel, his voice reel and had his actual 5 and 10 year plans mapped out.

“One morning, a quote on a piece of paper was stuck on the fridge. It said, ‘The greatest danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low and achieving our mark.’ Andrew had put it there.

“Maybe to some it just seems like a cheesy quote. But we kept it there all year. I still think about it when I'm struggling. But more importantly I think it's an accurate representation of where Andrew was when we met him, and even after his diagnosis when he was still traveling to London to do voiceover classes and working with The Castle Players up here, I'm not sure if I know anyone as strong and determined as him.

The Andrew we all knew was brave and warm, he could be vain and had a justly deserved high self-worth. He set his aim high.”

The final comment came from Adil:

“He went through so much. But he lived. And he lived large. He was a two Belgian buns kinda guy.”

Further commemorative comments for Andrew include:

Rosie Hague – “Andrew was one of the most amazing people I had the honour of knowing. He was my fight partner and my screen partner, and we had the most wonderful time doing that and I will never forget it, but most importantly he was a wonderful and dear friend and someone who I admired and loved so much. I am just so grateful that he was brought into our lives and gave our year group, teachers and the entire school so much joy and laughter. We miss him every day.”

Annie Hammond – '”Andrew was a great friend to me. He was a very kind person, who had time for everyone. He treated everything with an incredible sense of humor. Even when faced with immense obstacles, he spent his time making those around him laugh. I am lucky to have got to know him, it was a privilege to be his friend. It's difficult to express his loss, I just know that we will all miss him greatly.'”

Emma –  “Andrew talked about writing a letter to all of his friends for them to read after his final curtain call. In the end things moved faster than we had hoped they would and he never did get around to putting pen to paper. We will never know what he would have said but it is quite likely to have included anecdotes about life as an actor, a draft pre nup for The Future Mrs Stainthorpe (aka Taylor Swift), notes on how to make sure you get your own spotlight in every show you do and much more. One thing I do know is that Andrew did not want his friends to wallow for too long. I mean, he would have expected a few weeks of crying and outbursts (whilst playing Taylor Swift on full volume) and for every bloody theatre in the West End to stop everything and acknowledge him in a standing ovation….but then he would want everyone to remember the laughter, the joy and the sheer talent that he was able to share with us all. I guess this quote may be more in line with what Andrew would have shared with us if he had been given a little more time;

“When I have moved beyond you in the adventure of life,

Gather in some pleasant place and there remember me

With spoken words, old and new.

Let a tear if you will, but let a smile come quickly

For I have loved the laughter of life.”

Arnold Crompton – “RIP lovely”
 

Davinia Hamilton – “The world is a little less bright for having lost Andrew. He was immensely talented and wickedly funny. Just one quirk of his eyebrow could have me in fits of laughter. At drama school he was a dedicated student, and it was a real privilege to be able to train with him and witness his joy and hard work. When he informed us that he was ill, it was a real shock, but he embraced life so fully – even in his final months. Andrew was a real spark and I will miss him; I am so grateful to have known him, even if it was only for a short time.”

Sophie Milnes – “Andrew Stainthorpe, it was truly a pleasure. I will keep your inimitable razor sharp wit (after all ‘What is Kardashian?’), intelligence, sass and refined taste in my memories for life. Your glorious presence can never be replaced.”

Kieren Faulkner – “When you're training with people for such and intense amount of time day in day out its essential that the people you're with are great. Andrew was absolutely no exception. He was one of the absolute easiest people to get along with and to work with. He was kind, caring and immensely thoughtful. Seeing him bloom during our training was very special. His comic timing and wit were unparalleled and he was a joy to watch as well as work with. From faulty moustaches to Kanye West themed spoken word to his fantastic performance in Applause he never failed to have us all in fits of laughter. It's an absolute travesty that we'll never see him perform again. Another thing about being in someones company for an intense period of time is that you tend to take them for granted, you fool yourself into thinking the time you spend with them will never end or there always be a next time. Even when Andrew was diagnosed I was confident that he'd pull through. Reality is harsher though and I'd wish I'd spent more time with him after that. My last memory is of him giving a beautiful speech/having the best time at Jen's wedding. Even though his passing hit very hard I'll always remember Andrew for the happiest times I and we spent with him, which were all of them.”

Join us in celebrating Andrew's life and come along to dedicated performances of Machinal and Andorra over the next two weeks. Book your tickets here.

We chatted to Torben Betts, writer of exciting new play, It Never Happened (or State Terror in Eight Easy Stages) which will be performed by graduating BA Acting students at ArtsEd, from 14-18 May.

The play text opens with a section from Harold Pinter’s speech, stating: “It never happened. Nothing ever happened. Even while it was happening, it wasn't happening. It didn't matter. It was of no interest.” What made you choose that specific speech?  

TB: After I’d finished writing, and was scrabbling around for a title, somehow this speech just pinged into my head. Pinter was talking about how our compliant media gloss over the crimes of our government and those of our allies and present US/UK power as essentially benign and well intentioned. This is clearly a fallacy. The eight plays that make up It Never Happened explore how state terrorism has always been with us and how most of it, unless it’s committed by our official enemies, tends to be airbrushed from history.

It Never Happened presents a number of scenarios over a span of history, showcasing power struggles, manipulation and human weakness. How did you go about choosing these moments in history?

TB: In terms of how I chose these specific moments…like most writers I read a lot. And in every book I read there is always an event described that jumps out at me as a possible starting point for something. Most of these short plays were ideas I was thinking of developing into full-length plays but which, I believed, could also stand alone and be part of a series.

It's clear that the play is showing how our behaviour as a society and as individuals is unchanged over time. Which elements of our current climate influenced your work?

TB: Well, I’d certainly say the idea of human progress is a bit of myth. I don’t mean technological progress, progress in healthcare etc. I’m talking more about the humanist/Christian idea of the perfectibility of the species. We are essentially the same bewildered ape we’ve been since the agricultural revolution 12000 years ago, when, I contend, we started to lose our way a bit. Or when we stated losing our relationship with Nature and booted ourselves out of the Garden of Eden, so to speak. I guess the only play that “our current climate influenced” is the first one: THE FREE LIBERAL MEDIA. A lot of the characters in these plays are forced to make hard choices: hold onto your moral integrity or survive financially is one of the recurring ones. In this play an idealistic young journalist who works for a liberal media outlet wants to report truthfully on a massacre a client state of her government has just committed. Her bosses, not as free as they maintain, block her from doing this and are more interested in her covering a big royal wedding that’s about to happen. That was inspired by a current event. Or an event from 2018 anyway.

What was your process towards writing a piece for a large cast, and how did our BA Acting students influence your decisions?

TB: I think it’s a great idea that drama schools have started to commission writers to come up with plays for their students’ graduation shows. In my day (I trained as an actor) you might do a pre-existing play and some would get good parts and others would be the butler or the maid. The sole purpose of this graduation show is to put yourself in the shop window and get a decent agent, this can make the difference between a good career and one that isn’t so glittering. Luck and timing play a massive part in this profession. To write a play so that 15 or 16 actors all have enough to do is very challenging, which is why I chose to write eight short plays, giving all of the actors at least two very different parts. The students themselves didn’t really influence my decisions, although before the writing process began I held a few sessions to see if they’d be able to handle the language and style of my more theatrical work (I generally trade in dark social realism) and they could more or less and so I proceeded.

Do you believe that one of the functions of theatre is to educate, and if so, what do you think an audience will take away from this play?

TB: I never seek intentionally to educate in my writing. My starting point is “What do I know anyway? Let’s jump into this madness and find out something.” So much of our theatre seems to be messages from the so-called enlightened individuals (the writer and director and actor) to the so-called unenlightened masses. “It would be better for society if you all were aware of this.” Kind of thing. I’ve been guilty of this myself. Like all of us I have my own politics but I am well aware these are just mental positions that need a good shaking like everyone else’s. There was a certain amount of pressure on me to make these eight plays form a narrative whole which I resisted. They are all linked thematically and talk to each other on a certain level but that’s all. I am hoping they will stand on their own two feet as individual works. Some of them people will like, some of them people won’t. So rather than tell a standard narrative, where people want to come back in after the interval to find out how the story ends, I’m hoping the audience finds something in “the accumulation of moments”, as Howard Barker describes it. What I’m mainly hoping is that an agent or two might “take away” a young actor or two!

Finally, what advice would you have given to your younger self starting out in the arts?

TB: If I could travel back to the early 1990s, I’d probably find myself in some London pub, drunkenly cursing my fate along with a group of other failing actors. I’d whisper in my youthful ear: “Follow your vocation with courage and with dignity but, for God’s sake, don’t forget to live your life. Live in the now. Be patient. Go vegan. Don’t compare yourself with others. And, oh yes, ease up on the booze and narcotics.” I would no doubt tell myself to fuck off.

Book your tickets for It Never Happened now! Running from 14-18 May, 7:30pm with HALF PRICE tickets on Wednesday! 
 

BOOK NOW!

Each year, ArtsEd holds open submissions for original screenplays to be performed by graduating BA Actors, and we are delighted to invite writers to submit their scripts for the fifth season!

Launched in 2014, the Original Screenplay Project has gone from strength to strength, with a limited number of films from the project submitted to film festivals. In 2016, the film Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang by Paul Houghton won Best Comedy at the Crystal Palace International Film Festival, and in 2018 we were thrilled to win the Best Student Project award at the London Short Film Fest for Caroline Jeffries’ Heads or Tails.

How does it work?

Shortlisted scripts will be read in a workshop setting and once the final scripts have been selected, writers may be required to develop or adapt their work. They will subsequently be filmed in March 2020, by a professional director and director of photography, supported by a full student crew. Each film will then be edited to broadcast standard and screened before an industry audience.

Each script should combine a clear, narrative arc with a degree of dramatic action and must also fulfil the following criteria:

Be of 10-12 minutes duration
Be suitable for filming on a limited budget
Require a maximum of 3 simple locations and not involve difficult technical set ups i.e.: long driving scenes, period settings etc.
Tackle contemporary subject matter, both comedy and drama and be set in the last decade
Be suitable for a cast who are in their twenties, with a minimum of 3 to 6 strong roles
Avoid any extreme violence or explicit sexual content
Require a limited number of older cast or none at all ideally

All writers will be fully credited for their work, retain copyright of the script and receive a link to the film. Cast and crew are mostly students but any additional crew, directors and writers will receive a small remuneration to be confirmed by ArtsEd.

We will acknowledge receipt of submissions but regrettably, due to the volume of submissions we are unable to provide individual feedback. Final scripts will be chosen by September 2019.

To submit a script for our consideration, please email a copy in PDF or Word format to scripts.artsed@gmail.com and remember to include your name, contact details, and script title on the front page, together with a brief synopsis and character breakdown.

Deadline for submissions is Monday 20th May 2019

Neon leg warmers were dusted off on Friday 15 March for ArtsEd’s Teacher and Parent Association 80’s Party Fundraiser, raising money for the hardship fund and new pianos for the Day School and Sixth Form.

ArtsEd parents and teachers gathered at Soho House in White City in their 80’s glad-rags, prepared for some big wins at the auction and casino, topped off with some shape-throwing on the dance floor. Amongst shrills of ‘Material Girl’ and bopping to ‘Wake Me Up Before you Go Go’, there was a perpetual feeling of camaraderie and support for the cause.

And of course, there was an array of brilliant 80’s fancy-dress, on show:

Overall, TAP raised a whopping £7434 for ArtsEd, so we would like to take the opportunity to say a massive THANK YOU to TAP for organising this wonderful event and for their generous donations.

TAP aren’t stopping there though. Raffle tickets will be sold at the Dance Show next week: 5 for £10 or 2 for £5. If you would like to buy directly from the school, please speak to Chris Reynolds: creynolds@artsed.co.uk.

Prizes include:

Two tickets to Everyman Cinema
A signed book by Steven Berkoff
Signed Poldark DVD
30 Day membership to YogaWest
Dinner at White City House

Tickets for the Dance Show are limited, so book them quick!

BOOK DANCE SHOW TICKETS

Today, we celebrate the incredible women who have walked up and down the ArtsEd corridors, danced in our studios, performed on our stages and acted in our showreels. 

They share their hopes and dreams about the performing arts industry, and discuss the highs, lows and everything in between. Overall, there is a great deal of promise and excitement ahead for women in the arts. These women are here to be heard, supporting each other as they go. Here is what they had to say…

Keep up to date on what all our alumni are up to on our Twitter! 

Happy #InternationalWomensDay from all of us at ArtsEd! 

ArtsEd are offering the incredible opportunity to win scholarships in a selection of part-time courses, in association with The Stage. We have places available on the Saturday Extra Academy, 2019 Summer Courses, and on our EXCELerate Musical Theatre and EXCELerate Acting courses. The total value of each of these fantastic opportunities comes to around £13,000.

Saturday Extra Academy

The ArtsEd Extra Skills Academy offers weekend opportunities for 4-16 year olds to learn and develop skills in the performing arts in a fun, vibrant and friendly environment. These young people get the opportunity to learn new skills, make friends and showcase their talents to their parents. This is a truly rewarding experience for any young person who is passionate about performing, and YOU could be one of the lucky six to win a scholarship.

Summer Courses

ArtsEd’s summer courses are aimed at ages 4-16 and 16+, and are renowned for providing the very best performing arts training in the UK. We offer a range of programmes from Junior Drama Company and Putting on a Musical, to audition techniques for students aiming to further a career in the performing arts.

EXCELerate Courses

The ArtsEd Excelerate part-time courses focus on intensive skills in musical theatre and acting audition preparation for those aged 18 and above. These courses are delivered over two terms from September to March, three evenings a week. These courses aim to provide students with the skills and confidence to take them to the next step in their vocational training, or can act as a refresher for anyone who wishes to get into the industry, while allowing full time or part time work on the side.

Director of ArtsEd Extra, Jonathan Goodwin explains:

“The ArtsEd brand is very strong in itself, so to align ourselves with an organisation that has the same ethos is really important. The Stage supports young people in their development and promotes it. From our perspective, it’s about building reputations and concentrating on the individual. It’s about getting to know the young people and nurturing and encouraging talent. The small class sizes mean that we can develop their skills individually and move them forward better.”

And he stresses that we are not looking for star performances, but potential:

“For the auditions, if they are planning on joining the acting option, then we’ll want them to perform a monologue. We want to see some personality and that you have passion and enthusiasm. It’s not about delivering a finished product, however – we need to see the potential. We look at their story because we want to get to know them and how they think this course will help them to move forwards. From a musical theatre point of view, they may come and do a song and a short dance class. Again, it is only about potential. We call it an audition, but it’s really just a case of meeting us and showing us what you enjoy doing.”

TO APPLY FOR ANY OF THE SCHOLARSHIPS LISTED, PLEASE FILL IN THE APPLICATION FORM AND SEND IT BACK TO:

J. Goodwin
Arts Educational Schools
Cone Ripman House
14 Bath Rd
Chiswick
London
W4 1LY

ArtsEd Choir had the pleasure of performing with musical theatre icon and Broadway’s greatest triple-threats, Chita Rivera at her dazzling show in Cadagon Hall, Sunday 10 February.

Tony award-winning star, Chita has wowed Broadway audiences for years in roles such as Anita from West Side Story and Velma Kelly in the original cast of Chicago, as well as breaking into the big screen in her role as Nickie in the film adaptation of Sweet Charity. Chita won her very first Tony in 1984 when she starred as Anna in The Rink with Liza Minelli.

Her two shows at Cadagon Hall saw her recreate epic moments from her career. On coming to London, Chita said:

 “I am so happy to be returning to my favourite town… so many memories, West Side Story, Bye Bye Birdie, Spider Woman, Palladium. And now Cadogan Hall. Can’t wait!”

The show received wonderful reviews, flooding our Twitter feeds:

Curious to see what all the fuss is about? Watch a clip of the night here!:

Brand new coming-of-age Netflix drama series, The Letter for the King has just announced their casting, with two ArtsEd BA Acting graduates playing Novices in the plot.

 Based on Tonke Dragt’s bestselling medieval adventure novel, this story follows fifteen year old squire, Tiuri (Amir Wilson), who is tasked with delivering a top-secret letter to the King; the contents of which the whole future of the kingdom depends on. Wilson is joined by stars, Ruby Serkis and Mary Poppins Returns actor, Nathanael Saleh.

On this deadly mission, Tiuri is joined by a group of Novices, including our very own 2018 BA Acting graduates, Thaddea Graham as Iona and Islam Bouakkaz as Arman.

Thrilled with his role in this exciting new drama, Islam shares with us:

“This is a very exciting project and an incredible story. We have been filming in the most stunning locations with a very talented cast and crew. From fight training to learning to ride a horse, everyone has been working hard to make this the best that it can be and to be a part of it is truly an honour.  I can’t wait for everyone to see this epic tale come to life.

The camera used to scare me. ArtsEd gave me patience and honesty in my training so I could push to the best of my ability. I really started to feel myself grow as an actor and every lesson would unlock more potential. The camera is now my friend.”

Equally excited about this new series, Thaddea tells us:

“It’s an honour and absolute pleasure to work on such a collaborative project with really talented, hardworking, hilarious people. Shooting can be long and very exhausting, it take a lot of mental energy and focus, but being on horseback with a sword and dagger in your belt, in the middle of a beautiful location in New Zealand isn’t a bad way to pass the time between takes at all!

I felt very equipped going into the shoot because of the screen lessons we had at ArtsEd. I found myself implementing the training automatically, from how I break down my script, to how I prepare myself and stay focused between takes. As part of the course, we would also crew for each other when filming, which meant I already understood the terminology and language used on a professional set. It made it feel a lot less daunting and foreign to step into.”

Shooting has just wrapped up in New Zealand, and they will continue to film in Prague in early 2019 – Netflix will release globally in 2019.

Applications for our 50/50 Screen and Stage BA Acting training OPEN NOW. Auditions in both London and Manchester. APPLY HERE.

ArtsEd will be taking BA Acting auditions to Manchester this February to ensure that more people outside of London can experience an audition.

Aimed at those who cannot attend in London, the audition day will provide students with insight into ArtsEd’s BA Acting course and the opportunity to listen to key tutors and alumni about daily life. The audition session will also see a warm-up workshop led by an ArtsEd Acting Tutor where candidates will be required to perform two monologues.

Successful applicants will be invited to a recall audition in London, where they can also learn more about ArtsEd’s distinctive training, including insight into how the course is uniquely split between acting techniques for stage and screen. At the recall, prospective students can also tour ArtsEd’s excellent facilities and experience the uniquely vibrant atmosphere of its Chiswick home.

The Manchester-based audition event will take place on Saturday 23 February 2019 at the Shena Campus, Manchester College – students can sign up to attend now.

ArtsEd’s Director of the School of Acting, Gareth Farr sees these auditions as an essential step in increasing participation across the sector and as part of ArtsEd’s commitment in offering outstanding training to everyone.

Gareth says:

“Students with exceptional potential can’t always make it to a London audition, so we want to bring the audition to you. If you want to be part of the ArtsEd family and train with us then we want to see YOU at our Manchester audition.”

ArtsEd Graduate, proud Mancunian, and star of Calendar Girls, The Musical UK Tour, Tyler Dobbs says:

“I didn’t have a lot of money for my auditions so I auditioned for four schools – one being ArtsEd. The audition was brilliant because I met some students and staff and really got the ArtsEd vibe!

“After I was offered a place I did everything I could to get myself to London. I had fantastic support and advice from ArtsEd with regards to funding and wouldn’t have been able to do it without them. My advice is ‘go for it’ – don’t hesitate and get yourself to the audition! Sign up today!”

APPLY NOW!

Five of the UK’s leading musical theatre conservatoires are collaborating to form the Alliance of Musical Theatre Conservatoires (AMTC), to raise the profile of musical theatre as a specialist art form in the UK and abroad.

The AMTC will share best practice in training, work together to increase diversity and participation in musical theatre and will campaign for more appropriate funding for the sector.

The alliance comprises ArtsEd, Bird College, GSA (The Guildford School of Acting at the University of Surrey), Mountview, and Urdang Academy: world-class organisations that share a similar history and vision and are committed to delivering outstanding musical theatre education and vocational training.

AMTC Principals say:

“The arts and culture contribute £27 billion towards the UK economy*2 – West End theatre represents a substantial element of this. Musical theatre is a significant export. It is important to note that the sector is growing very much faster than the wider economy.  The AMTC colleges are represented in every musical in the West End, and many on Broadway: their collective contribution is immeasurable. 

“This Alliance is exciting and has great potential.  It combines the best of the UK’s musical theatre conservatoires providing talented students with even more opportunities to enhance their training – leading to very successful careers in musical theatre.” 

Combining resources, the AMTC will share best practise in musical theatre training between the Conservatories and deliver networking events, as well as masterclasses and workshops for students and staff. This will provide value and access for everyone to ensure and sustain a high quality of excellence whilst raising standards across the industry.

International Award-Winning Director and Choreographer, and Bird College President, Stephen Mear says about the AMTC:

“This is such a great development for Musical Theatre.  I am very proud to be the President of one of these five leading colleges and I welcome the opportunity to further support the AMTC colleges who are wholly committed to sharing best practice.

“This collaboration is important and will help secure the future of good vocational musical theatre training, ensure that it is accessible to a diverse range of students and hopefully this development will help ensure that the sector is more appropriately funded.

“I have employed many graduates from this elite Conservatoire group and they are the very best innovative artists who are at the forefront of musical theatre.”

Forming a ‘unified voice’ for the musical theatre sector, one of the AMTC’s core aims will be to champion diversity in all forms across the industry raising awareness of the obstacles to participation that students face during their musical theatre training, and creating joint initiatives to overcome them.

Giles Terera, 2018 Olivier Award Winner for his role in Hamilton, and Mountview Alumnus, says about the AMTC:

“Raising the awareness of diversity within Musical Theatre is vital for the industry’s future. I’m delighted that the AMTC will be an important forum for raising the profile of diversity in this incredible, specialist artform.”

With several AMTC graduates employed in every West End musical in London – currently 43% of those employed in Kinky Boots are graduates of AMTC schools along with 55% of cast members of Heathers and 67% of the cast of Les Miserables. The AMTC begins with a clear track-record of success.

Bonnie Langford, iconic actress, dancer and entertainer, and ArtsEd Alumna says about the AMTC:

“The AMTC is such a great idea. This collaboration will definitely benefit so many Musical Theatre students and support the staff as well. Five brilliant conservatoires coming together will raise the bar (or Barre!) in Musical Theatre for the future and help keep it thriving.”

The specialist training that these Conservatoires provide has stimulated the musical theatre industry for over 75 years, and so championing the importance of musical theatre as an art-form will continue through the voice of the AMTC.

Famous faces from London’s West End theatre shows, including Kinky Boots, Mamma Mia, Book of Mormon, Lion King, Phantom of the Opera, Dream Girls, Wicked, Hamilton and Les Miserables, gathered to launch the Alliance of Musical Theatre Conservatoires (AMTC), with staff and students from all five institutions within the alliance hosting the event at Crazy Coqs, Brasserie Zedel, in London today.

Amber Davies, Urdang Academy Alumna, winner of Love Island 2017, and making her West End Debut as Judy in Dolly Parton's 9to5 The Musical in January 2019 at The Savoy Theatre, says:

“It brings me such joy to see such incredible schools come together as one voice on behalf of students and graduates who's dream it is to be on the stage. Urdang's support system and encouragement will stay with me forever and it's this type of student development the industry needs to make a difference.”

Plans over the next year will see the AMTC deliver a series of industry events led by high profile experts before the end of 2019. The alliance also aims to develop a forum for staff where best practise in musical theatre training can be shared and any dilemmas facing the industry discussed.

The AMTC website www.AMTC.uk.com launched today where members of the public can sign up to receive a regular newsletter.

Keep up to date on the launch via the ArtsEd and AMTC Twitter accounts: @ArtsEdLondon and @The_AMTC