This application pack is available in alternative formats. Call 0151 708 9728 or email amy@20storieshigh.org.uk for details.
A Space for Play & Experimentation
Actor’s Training and Professional Development
Sep-Nov 2023
APPLICATION PACK
Introduction
Thank you for taking an interest in the Actor’s LAB, a free of charge actor’s training and professional development programme presented by 20 Stories High, in partnership with Unity, and supported by Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA).
We know the theatre landscape isn’t equal. At 20 Stories High we continue to strive to redress the balance. Building on from 20 Stories High and Unity’s extensive artist development programmes, Actor’s LAB is a new opportunity for culturally diverse, working class, Deaf, Disabled, and Neurodiverse actors from Merseyside who want or need more formalised training but are unable to access it.
Led by 20 Stories High Associate Director, Ameera Conrad, 5 actors will get a chance to develop themselves as practitioners and take part in creative skills workshops facilitated by world-class professional practitioners from across the UK. These workshops will be followed by a paid rehearsal process culminating in a performance at the Unity Theatre to invited audiences and industry professionals.
We will offer the opportunity for 5 performers to participate in this two-stage professional development programme.
Stage one:
- 10-week weekly workshops and mentoring programme from September to November. (See ‘What you’ll do and when’ for the schedule)
Stage two:
- 2 weeks intensive rehearsal (paid – £500 per week)
- 3 days of tech and 3 performances at the Unity Theatre (paid – £500 per week)
The aim of the programme is to empower, support and develop artists to work in the sector.
Wellbeing, access and equity will be central to the programme. Each participant will have a bespoke access and wellbeing plan, and will have regular mentoring sessions and ongoing support. We will also offer after care support for up to 3 months after the project.
Here is everything we think you need to know, but if you have any questions, please do get in touch with 20 Stories High’s Associate Producer, Natasha, on natasha@20storieshigh.org.uk
About 20 Stories High
20 Stories High is an award-winning theatre company that believes “everybody’s got a story to tell… and their own way of telling it.”
We co-create with culturally diverse, working-class young people, emerging artists, and world-class professionals to tell stories that are challenging, authentic and uplifting.
Experimenting with rap, dance, beatboxing, music, and puppetry, we mash up art forms to make new kinds of theatre that empowers and enables social change.
Our shows happen in loads of different spaces from theatres, schools and youth clubs to digital spaces and living rooms.
Our heart is in Liverpool, but our reach is universal.
About Unity
Unity Theatre is open to everybody to be inspired and entertained, and to enjoy outstanding live experiences, up-close.
We invite established and emerging artists to explore our world, presenting work that asks questions, breaks boundaries and challenges accepted norms. We are passionate about championing our community. The stories and lives of Liverpool residents are reflected on our stages, presenting art by the people – not just about the people.
Unity helps develop diverse theatre-makers at every stage of their careers, providing creative opportunities across Merseyside to develop artists’ interests, skills, confidence and careers.
We help you to get more out of your experience at Unity; to spark debate, explore ideas and make sense of our world. Whether you join us for a post-show Q&A, attend a screening or download a podcast, your journey doesn’t have to end with the performance. We hope you leave stimulated, open-minded and with renewed compassion for everybody around you.
Unity Theatre is most grateful to our supporters, especially our main funders Arts Council England and Liverpool City Council, who also funded our 2017 capital redevelopment along with Garfield Weston Foundation, P.H. Holt, The Granada Foundation, The Ravensdale Trust and The Rex Makin Family.
KEY INFORMATION
WHAT YOU WILL GET
- Teaching, skills, techniques and inspiration from a range of world-class artists to improve your craft
- Mentoring in 1-2-1 sessions with industry professionals focussing on non-craft based career development and strategic management
- Two week rehearsals paid as professional actors
- Three day technical rehearsals paid as professional actors
- Three night showcase performance at Unity for an invited audience, paid as professional actors
- Recording of the showcase to use for professional showreel
- Three month aftercare and professional development support
PRACTICALITIES
- The programme is FREE of charge to participants
- A schedule of activity is provided further down in this pack. Please make sure you are available for all dates ahead of applying.
- 5 actors will be chosen to take part in the programme
- Actors will be selected by submitting a self-tape. Successful applicants will be invited to an in-person audition on Monday 24 July. Please make sure you are available for this date.
WHO IS IT FOR?
The Actors LAB is for artists who want to become professional actors, who meet the following criteria;
- aged 18-30
- based in Merseyside
- early career (by this we mean either that you have little to no professional acting experience, or that you have some professional acting experience but no formal training in theatre)
- Preference will be given to artists who have faced barriers when accessing training, for instance:
- People from the Global Majority
- People with barriers accessing education or training
- LGBTQIA+ people
- People who have faced financial challenges
- Deaf and Disabled people
- Migrant artists
- People who have experienced mental and/or physical health challenges
- People with extra responsibilities at home (e.g. primary caregiver for a relative or responsible for the care of children)
This is because these artists have been historically underrepresented in the Liverpool theatre industry, and elsewhere.
This programme aims to empower, support and develop artists to work in the sector.
We are looking for artists who can commit to the weekly workshops as well as the rehearsal and performance weeks.
- If you require access support to remove barriers to applying, please contact us at natasha@20storieshigh.org.uk
- Tailored support is available to take part in the programme. If you need support related to access, wellbeing, financial concerns, or caring / parental responsibilities, let us know when you apply.
WHAT YOU’LL DO AND WHEN
WORKSHOPS
We will start the programme on Saturday 2 September with an all day meet and greet, which will be a chance for the selected actors to get to know each other as well as 20 Stories High and Unity. The day will include workshops, training and food.
Workshops will then take place on Monday evenings for 3 hours over 9 weeks starting from the 11 September. Some workshops will be creative skills workshops, while others will be focussed on the practical aspects of a professional practice. Workshops will be facilitated by world-class professional practitioners from across the UK, as well as 20 Stories High.
Workshops will be in person (unless otherwise stated) and participants will be required to be available for all of the workshops.
The creative skills workshops will explore the following:
- Improvisation
- Text Work
- Characterisation
- Voice
- Physicality & Movement
The practical skills workshops will explore the following:
- Marketing & Social Media
- Career Planning & Business Development
- Actor CVs & Headshots
- Approaching agencies & casting directors
- Self-Tapes
In all of the sessions, actors will be working on the script that will be used in rehearsals and the showcase. This will give a chance for actors to fully explore their characters and be familiar with the text before rehearsals begin.
REHEARSALS AND SHOWCASE
Following the weekly sessions, there will be two weeks of rehearsals. These will be full time, Monday to Friday and will be a professional rehearsal setting to give actors who have never been in a professional environment the opportunity to learn, as well as helping to breakdown rehearsal room
We will support the participants to explore who they would like to invite in terms of possible future opportunities; e.g. agents, casting directors, local directors, etc.
TIMETABLE
We require all participants to be available for the following dates and times. Please take these into consideration before applying, and get in touch with any questions or concerns.
All sessions will take place at the Unity Theatre, Hope Place, L1 9BG.
| Day | Time | Session |
| 2 September | 10:00 – 17:00 | Meet & Greet |
| 11 September | 18:00 – 21:00 | Workshop Session |
| 18 September | 18:00 – 21:00 | Workshop Session |
| 25 September | 18:00 – 21:00 | Workshop Session |
| 2 October | 18:00 – 21:00 | Workshop Session |
| 9 October | 18:00 – 21:00 | Workshop Session |
| 16 October | 18:00 – 21:00 | Workshop Session |
| 23 October | 18:00 – 21:00 | Workshop Session |
| 30 October | 18:00 – 21:00 | Workshop Session |
| 6 November | 18:00 – 21:00 | Workshop Session |
| 13 – 17 November | All Day | Rehearsal Week 1 |
| 20 – 24 November | All Day | Rehearsal Week 2 |
| 27 November – 3 December | All Day + Evenings | Production Week & Shows |
MENTORING
Each participant will receive 1-2-1 mentoring slots outside of regularly scheduled times with graduates of a 20 Stories High professional development programme and industry professionals. These sessions will focus on non-craft based career advice and development, as well as career planning and strategic management.
By the end of the programme, we hope you will:
- Have gained acting knowledge and skills from industry professionals
- Have professional experience working in rehearsal rooms, technical rehearsals and performances
- Feel confident in your understanding of theatre craft and the theatre industry
- Have established supportive relationships with 20 Stories High
- Have widened your network of industry professionals
WHAT WE EXPECT FROM YOU
We are looking for artists who can commit to the weekly workshops as well as the rehearsal and performance weeks.
The rehearsals and performance weeks are aimed to run as a professional environment. These weeks will be paid and so we expect artists to behave in a professional manner and to treat each other with the same level of respect as one would in a professional environment.
The script will be chosen once we have selected our cohort of actors and will be shared with artists ahead of the first session along with casting information. We don’t expect artists to learn the script before the first session, as sessions will be aimed at arming the artists with how to build a character and break down a text. However, we would encourage the artist to familiarise themselves with the script before sessions start. We would expect actors to have learned their lines before the first day of rehearsals.
We will support the participants to explore who they would like to invite in terms of possible future opportunities; e.g. agents, casting directors, local directors, etc.
ACCESS & CARE
WELLBEING, ACCESS & INCLUSION
Wellbeing, access and inclusion will be central to the project, running through all elements. Each participant will be supported to complete an access and wellbeing audit, with requirements then built into all planning and delivery.
One of our 20 Stories High support staff will be present at all sessions. If expert wellbeing support is needed, we will put this in place also.
We are also offering support to remove barriers for people to take part, including those who have access needs, personal assistants, financial concerns, and/or caregiving responsibilities – please contact us for more information.
AFTERCARE
After the end of the programme, we will offer 3 months of bespoke aftercare to each artist. This will be tailor made to support them however they see fit, but can include networking and industry introductions, support with fundraising or making work, support finding an agent and/or preparing for auditions etc.
HOW TO APPLY
The deadline for applications is Friday 30th June, 5pm.
We are committed to inclusive working practices and ensuring equal access. This pack is available in a range of formats including audio, large print, dyslexia friendly and screen reader compatible versions. If you have a more specific formatting requirement, please let us know and we will try our best to provide this for you.
Please email amy@20storieshigh.org.uk for more information.
There are three ways in which you can apply:
- Complete the application form either in writing or digitally (typed), plus a self tape of one of the attached monologues. You do not need to be off-book (meaning you don’t need to have learnt your lines).
- Audio record or film your answers and send an unedited version to (this must be no longer than 15 minutes), plus a self tape of one of the attached monologues. You do not need to be off-book (meaning you don’t need to have learnt your lines).
- Book a slot with a member of the 20 Stories High team to answer each question in person, plus a self tape of one of the attached monologues. You do not need to be off-book (meaning you don’t need to have learnt your lines).
Complete forms and hard copies of recordings can be posted to:
20 Stories High
Toxteth TV
37-45 Windsor St
Liverpool
L8 1XE
Or completed forms, audio or film recordings, or requests for a one-to-one interview can be emailed, along with a completed Equal Opportunities Form, to:
Natasha Patel, Associate Producer
All applicants will receive a response regardless of outcome by Friday 14th July.
MONOLOGUES FOR SELF TAPE
MONOLOGUE 1
So Here We Are
By Luke Norris
(Context: Character is talking about a funeral)
Listen right: my granddad’s last year right: me uncles were carryin’ the box, all the four of’ em on the four corners, like. Now there’s one of em – you’ve met him as it goes: Divvy Brian.
Me Uncle Brian – bit fat, sort of bald in the middle.
Divvy Uncle Brian, used to work up Peter Pan’s on the burgers, had that funny sort of skin thing on his hands.
So he’s stepped in dogshit outside the church, right, and I don’t know he’s done it right, he’s stepped in dogshit and it’s just as they’re pickin him up, me granddad, and he’s on one of the back corners of the coffin, Brian, so no one’s noticed… Well: he’s traipsed it all the way down through the church, en e? Right up to the front to the, whassit, where they put ‘im down and that.
Anyway, he’s left dogshit all the way up the aisle of the church, yer shoulda seen it, great big fuckin smears of it, stunk an all – I mean it proper, properly hummed, like. And my mum’s there, sittin there front row, dressed in black, pack of tissues and that, she gets a whiff, turns around and sees this fuckin… brown and yellow fuckin trail comin from the door all the way up to Divvy Brian standin there in his suit and his backwards face like a fat Paul Daniels with it all over his shoe. Well, she thought it was hilarious, me mum. Couldn’t stop herself laughing. Wettin’ herself, she couldn’t breathe she was laughing so hard, and then she farted and set everyone else off.
Yer see? Point proved. I’m just sayin’: people wanna cry, they’ll laugh at anything.
MONOLOGUE 2
Our Town Needs a Nando’s
By Samantha O’Rourke
I’m good at school. Good at it I mean. I don’t think any of my teachers would say my behaviour was good exactly. I know where the line is and sort of hover nearby, hang around it like everyone does at Spar after school – on the right side of antisocial so you’re fucking annoying but they don’t actually have a specific reason to call the police. That’s me, I get to two warnings pretty much every lesson, but you have to get to three for a detention and every new lesson wipes the tally clean. Ideal.
One day I won’t be here anymore. One day soon. I will move away, get a job – or go to uni, maybe. The teachers say I should but if I had a job, they would pay me, not make me take a massive loan to a pay them. I’ll live in a flat with glass walls and I’ll be able to see the city below, I don’t mind which city. I’ll have bagels in my shiny bread bin. I fucking love bagels. I’ll have fancy blankets on my sofa, and they won’t be covered in cat hair because I won’t have a cat. I’ll have a fancy laptop and reply to emails on it. I might invent something. I think I’d be a good inventor, and then I’d probably be able to work from home. Wearing fluffy pyjamas. I don’t think anyone would think of me as a fluffy pyjamas kind of gal – but to that I say fuck you. Fuck you very much. They are fucking delightful, it’s like a blanket and pyjamas in one.
So.
There I will be in my fluffy pyjamas, unbothered by cats, sitting on my very own sofa, eating a bagel and sending emails, and then she’ll walk in, my girlfriend. She’ll be tired, I’ll give her some of my bagel – because ain’t that what love is all about. And we’ll watch a film under a clean fancy blanket and the city lights will twinkle all around us.
It’s hard to meet people round here. There’s no bar or club or anything. I see older women around but my age it’s harder. School is weird when it comes to this stuff. Some people – like myself and gay Mike, and John and Michael – the other Michael, and Sue – my ex – are out and proud but there are loads more – who – sometimes you get a sense of it, I might say something and they give me a look – and I’m like oh ok – I see you. I see you.
