Actors Centre announces seasons focusing on graduate actors and mental health

The Actors Centre in London has announced a new season for drama school graduates to showcase their work.

This will comprise graduating actors who have applied for the Alan Bates Award for young acting talent, which is in association with The Stage.

Running from July to September, the Graduate Actors Season will take place in the centre’s John Thaw Studio, which was opened up for developing work in January.

Thirteen actors will be offered the opportunity to showcase their work, with applicants to the Alan Bates Award asked to opt in on the application when asked to be considered for this opportunity.

Joel Fisher, creative producer at the Actors Centre, said: “I am so happy to be able to offer, as part of the Alan Bates award, the opportunity for graduating actors to immediately have the mentorship, guidance and resources of the Actors Centre to help them in creating their own work and diving straight into the heart of the profession.”

The Actors Centre has also announced the second season of its John Thaw Initiative, running from April to June, which will showcase works in development from actors, focusing specifically on mental health.

For the first time, the Actors Centre will be opening the initiative for public submissions, meaning any actor can apply whether or not they are a member of the centre.

Alongside the season, the centre will be running workshops around industry specific mental health issues.

Fisher said: “We as an industry should be so proud of the strides we have taken to break the taboo surrounding mental health in the past few years but until we completely normalise the conversation the work is not yet done.

“By framing an entire season around the discussion, we aim to take us that one step closer in the best way we know how, by exploring the issues through the lens of theatre.”

Actors can apply to showcase work as part of the mental health season from today (February 6), with the deadline for submissions at midday February 23.

Applications for the Alan Bates Award 2018, in association with the Stage, are also open from today and close on March 2, 2018.