Teaching Drama summer 2 is out next week – it’s TD‘s first media special where we dive into the world of animation, film, radio and television!
Thinking about the growing power of media, in this issue’s Green room we’re asking …
Vote and let us know what you think!
Read the opinions of our panelists in our NEW issue of Teaching Drama, out next week!
Head to www.teaching-drama.co.uk to subscribe.
For a digital copy visit www.pocketmags.com.
Proposals for the creation of a Royal College of Teaching have been made to provide teachers in England with an independent professional voice for those in the teaching profession. AQA have sponsored a series of research essays entitled Towards A Royal College of Teaching looking at how a professional body, modelled on medical royal colleges, would work.
Education secretary Michael Gove voiced his support for the creation of a royal college at the National College for Teaching and Leadership in Nottingham in April. Gove said: ‘There is a growing consensus that teachers should emulate other professions and set up a new Royal College – like the Royal College of Surgeons or Paediatricians – identifying, exemplifying and defining best practice in the teaching profession.’
A report from the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) has revealed that the arts and culture sector provides 0.4% of gross domestic product, despite receiving less than 0.1% of government spending.
The report’s results, published by Arts Council England, reveal that the arts sector provides 0.48% of total employment in England; the arts added £5.9bn GVA to the UK’s economy in 2011; and arts and culture generate more per pound invested than the health, wholesale and retail, and professional and business services sectors.
Chief executive of ACE Alan Davey said of the findings: ‘I am grateful to CEBR for their comprehensive and enlightening report and I am gratified that it quantifies what we have long understood. That culture plays a vital part in attracting tourism to the tune of £856 million a year; that arts centres and activities transform our towns and cities and drive regeneration, making the choice to maintain investment in culture a forward thinking one for local authorities; and that the arts support the creative industries and improve their productivity.
‘As the government considers the creative sector in its forthcoming Industrial Strategy, it is clear that the role of the arts and culture industry as a research and development pipeline must be properly considered. Not to do so is to ignore a key part of our economy and future prosperity.’
The National Theatre’s production The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time wins seven prizes at Olivier Awards (Credit: Manuel Harlan)
National Theatre production The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time has dominated this year’s Olivier Awards, picking up seven out of the eight prizes it was nominated for – tying with the record amount of wins secured by Matilda The Musical at last year’s ceremony.
Curious Incident picked up awards for its acting, with accolades for Luke Treadaway as best actor and Nicola Walker as best supporting actress, as well as for its technical aspects, coming away with prizes for best sound design, best set design and best lighting design. It also scooped the top prizes of the night, winning best new play and best director for Marianne Elliott.
Other productions awarded at this year’s ceremony included The Audience, with Helen Mirren and Richard McCabe coming away with prizes for best actress and best supporting actor; Chichester Festival Theatre’s production of Sweeney Todd, picking up prizes for best musical revival and best actor and actress in a musical for leads Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton; and Top Hat, which received a hat-trick of accolades for best new musical, best costume design and best theatre choreographer.
For the full list of winners, visit www.olivierawards.com
The 2013 Olivier Awards will take place this Sunday (28th April) at the Royal Opera House.
The awards will be broadcast live on BBC Radio 2, and ITV will broadcast the ceremony’s highlights on Sunday evening at 10.15pm after the event has come to a close.
Those wishing to be even closer to the night’s action can get involved by heading to Covent Garden, where the awards will be streamed live. Entertainment and music will also take place in Covent Garden’s piazza.
Click here to read more about this year’s nominees: http://teachingdramablog.wordpress.com/2013/03/26/nominations-for-olivier-awards-2013-revealed/
For more information, visit www.olivierawards.com
A campaign entitled My Theatre Matters! has been launched to encourage support of local theatres. The initiative is being led by Equity, The Stage and Theatrical Management Association (TMA).
The Stage editor Brian Attwood says: ‘Many theatres are facing reductions, and in some cases complete cuts, in support from their local authorities. It is the single biggest threat currently facing our industry.
‘While there are many enlightened councils out there who continue to support their local theatres, we fear there will also be many who see them as an easy target at a time of cuts. We need to show that theatres aren’t an easy target, but are public services that are really valued by their audiences.’
The campaign responds to continuing funding cuts by local authorities which are having a damaging effect on regional theatres around the country. In January 2013, theatres and museums in Sheffield were hit by cuts of 20% from the city council; Newcastle City Council announced that it would stop funding theatres and arts venues in March, instead instigating a fund worth only 50% of previous financial support; and in the same month, Westminster council confirmed that it would cut all funding to the arts by 2014/5.
The My Theatre Matters! campaign can be followed via Twitter (@theatre_matters), Facebook (www.facebook.com/mytheatrematters) and their website (www.mytheatrematters.com).
To read the full story, subscribe or buy a digital copy of Teaching Drama Summer 1.
The Papatango New Writing Prize is accepting entries to its 2013 competition. The prize, now in its fifth year, is run in partnership with Finborough Theatre. Last year’s competition received over 700 entries.
The judging panel of this year’s competition includes co-artistic directors of Papatango, Matt Roberts, George Turvey, Sam Donovan;
producer Chris Foxon; and from the Finborough Theatre team: artistic director Neil McPherson, literary manager Francis Grin and senior
reader Reen Polonsky.
A new development in the 2013 competition is that all entries will be judged anonymously, meaning applicants must ensure their name,
email/postal address is not included in their submitted script.
To read more of this story, subscribe or buy a digital copy of Teaching Drama Summer 1.
The Kevin Spacey Foundation (KSF) has announced details of a new partnership with Regent’s College London, through which students will be offered the chance of a scholarship, and an opportunity to work with Old Vic artistic director Kevin Spacey in
masterclasses as part of their course.
Spacey said of the new partnership: ‘I am delighted that my foundation is working with Regent’s College to offer scholarships to this exciting degree course. I believe it will be life changing for the recipients, ensuring they get the chance to discover their creativity and
experience a higher education that might not otherwise be available to them.’
To read more of this story, subscribe or buy a digital copy of Teaching Drama Summer 1.
The National Theatre’s Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time receives eight nominations (Credit: Manuel Harlan)
The nominations for the Olivier Awards 2013 have been announced, with the National Theatre’s A Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time leading with eight nominations.
The adaptation of Mark Haddon’s novel has received nominations for best theatre choreographer, best set, sound and lighting design, best director for Marianne Elliott, best supporting actress for Nicola Walker, best actor for lead Luke Treadaway and best new play.
Musical Top Hat was another popular choice for this year’s awards receiving seven nominations, including best actor and best actress in a musical nods for Tom Chambers and Summer Strallen.
High profile actors from the big and small screen featured heavily: in the best actress category Helen Mirren has been nominated for her role as Queen Elizabeth II in The Audience, Kristin Scott Thomas for her role in Old Times and Billie Piper for her part in Lucy Prebble’s The Effect. The nominees for best actor include Rupert Everett for The Judas Kiss, Mark Rylance for his turn as Olivia in Twelfth Night and James McAvoy in the Trafalgar Studio’s production of Macbeth.
The awards ceremony will take place on 28 April at the Royal Opera House.
For the full list of nominations, visit www.olivierawards.com/nominations
On 20 March 2013 the winners were announced for the first ever Music Teacher Awards for Excellence. The awards were created by Rhinegold Publishing and Teaching Drama‘s sister publication Music Teacher magazine to celebrate excellence in the UK’s music education sector and to recognise the projects, organisations and products that are contributing the most to the development of music education in the UK.
The awards ceremony and gala evening was sponsored by Classic FM and Yamaha, presented by Classic FM presenter Margherita Taylor, and attended by 180 guests from across the music education sector.
The Music Teacher Awards for Excellence were held on the first night of Music Education Expo, the UK’s largest exhibition for music educators. The event was held on 20 and 21 March 2013 at London’s Barbican Centre, and had over 120 exhibitors and 3,700 pre-registered visitors.
The winners were selected from a pre-announced shortlist by an experienced panel of music educators, chaired by Christopher Walters, editor of Music Teacher magazine.
Best musical initiative: Young Pianist of the North International Competition
Best vocal initiative: Gloucestershire County Youth Choir
Best print resource: How to Create a Successful Music Ensemble
Best digital/technological resource: JamPod
Best school music department: King’s School, Grantham
Hub innovation award: Portsmouth Music Hub
Lifetime achievement award: Peter Dunkley
Music Teacher magazine editor’s award: David Idowu Choir
Best classical music education initiative: National Children’s Orchestras of Great Britain
