Autumn newsletter

We hope you had a wonderful summer and managed to enjoy some of the sunshine.

I’m delighted to say that our third-year actors and BA Theatre Production students are now back in the building, and there will be a full house in place by 5 October. We are excited to welcome our new cohort of students, with a slightly reduced intake – 15 first year actors, and 20 first year theatre production students. We have enhanced social distancing measures in place throughout the building including carefully marked out grids in the rehearsal studios and masks in place for all teaching. A number of classes will still continue at home – our voice teachers in particular have noted the positives of teaching virtually, which is an unexpected and positive discovery of this brave (if challenging!) new world.

The Development team are still working from our various home offices (kitchens, bedrooms and studies!), making space for teachers who need to be in our Chenies Street office. The pandemic meant a great loss in income for last year and this, and our priority is to replace some of this lost income to prevent our reserves becoming critically low, whilst also supporting our students who are also facing increased need.

Samiha Sharif will be leaving us next week for a new role at RAF Benevolent Fund – we thank her for all of her hard work at RADA and wish her all the best in her new role. For any membership enquiries please contact Susie Martin, Head of Major Gifts.

This term we look forward to seeing many of you at our Virtual RADA Quiz, after great success with our first back in May. To join us on Wednesday 7 October please RSVP to development@rada.ac.uk. We’ll also be taking part in the Big Give Christmas Challenge, raising essential funds for our access and participation work with young people in Greater London. You can find out more information below.

Do please get in touch if you have any questions about your support.

With best wishes and grateful thanks, as ever.

Martin

This year, RADA will be taking part in The Big Give Christmas Challenge. It is a once-a-year opportunity for RADA supporters to see their donations double towards our Access and Participation programme over the period 1 - 8 December 2020. We will be aiming to reach a grand total of £61,208 by securing £30,604 from supporters in order to unlock a further £30,604.

Our Access and Participation programme needs funding, now more than ever. It is through this programme that we can create accessible pathways into our Higher Education training for young people from under-represented backgrounds and be the change that will help to rebuild and support an industry at its foundation. The target is higher than previous years due to the social distancing measures we will need to have in place to deliver our Access and Participation programme. However, with the help and generosity our supporters have provided in previous years, we feel able to achieve it.

If you would like to take part in this year's The Big Give Christmas Challenge and would like to pledge your support or help us reach our target in other ways, please do not hesitate to get in touch with Susie Martin, SusieMartin@rada.ac.uk for more details. Further information about the Big Give Christmas Challenge and how it all works can be found here.

Thank you to those of you who attended Poor Connection on the 28 August. Poor Connection is a film that was was written, devised and improvised by RADA Youth Company. The film was inspired by the Shakespearean classic, The Tempest, and explores relationships in lockdown and the highs and lows of creating online production remotely. The running time is around 1 hour 20 minutes. The film can be found here.

The RADA Short Courses team has designed and launched nine new online ‘Winter Shorts’ courses for budding actors - encouraging participants to find their perfect fit.

The nine courses are taught by a range of RADA tutors, graduates, and visiting guest experts. From exploring the ‘act of acting’ through the practical study of iconic plays and characters such as Hamlet, to movement workshops that dive into some essential aspects of acting, the programme offers something for everyone.

The courses begin in October, range from £195-£300, and have been created for anyone who is 16+.

If you know a budding actor who might be interested in experiencing this area of the Academy, The Winter Shorts can be booked and found on our website, here.

About RADA’s Short Courses

Every year we welcome hundreds of participants from across the world onto our Short Courses in Acting and Theatre Production, giving them a taste of what it’s like to study at RADA. From the feedback we gain and the relationships we build with our attendees, we know that they have a lasting impact on people’s lives - and many people return to us each year. Our short courses help to fund the Academy.

See Martha Howe-Douglas in series two of the BBC comedy Ghosts which she co-created. You can watch it on BBC iPlayer here.

Pepa Duarte is writer and performer of Eating Myself will run from 10 -14 November at Golden Goose Theatre. You can book tickets here.

James Hillier of Defibrillator Theatre is director of this world premiere which runs at the Tristan Bates Theatre from 22 September – 3 October. There are also options to book tickets for livestreamed performances. Defibrillator are offering a deal for students: DRAMA10 for a single or DRAMA20 for a pair of tickets. You can buy tickets here.

Watch the trailer here. It features recordings from Josh James, Robert Lindsay and Indira Varma. A Marvellous Party is an online event which celebrates Noel Coward’s words and music in aid of Acting for Others. Register for free to watch online here on Sunday 20 September. The stream will remain for 14 days afterwards.

An immersive drama marking 250 years since the composer's birth. Sophie Stone plays The Visitor and also worked as script consultant on the production. Listen here.

Watch Adrian Lester host the 100 year anniversary concert for the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra here.

Sophie Okonedo and David Harewood have given their voices to this Sky Kids series. You can watch it here.

Miztli Rose Nevile has started a yoga blog on her website. Read here.