Open Door Issue Last Call For Their Acting Programme Applications

Award-winning charity Open Door are announcing final call for applications to their Acting and Behind the Scenes programmes, with auditions and interviews set to take place in October.

Boasting 215 offers at leading drama schools so far and with a growing number of Open Door participants securing roles across television, film and stage, the charity is looking for aspiring actors across Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Warrington, West Yorkshire and the Borough of Halton, Blackburn with Darwen, & South Lancashire including Blackpool, Preston & Burnley as well as Essex, London and the South East, who are serious about pursuing a career in acting but might need some help getting there. Auditions for the Acting programme will be held in London, Liverpool and Manchester in October.

The Open Door Acting programme offers successful eligible applicants from aged 18:

• An 8-month part time training to prepare you for drama school
• 15 hours of one-to-one tutoring on your audition speeches
• Free auditions at Open Door's partner schools, including: Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, LAMDA, Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, and The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
• Travel expenses to all auditions
• Free theatre tickets for theatres such as Leeds Playhouse, Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse, Royal Exchange Theatre, Donmar Warehouse, Royal Court and more!
• Access to a hardship fund, covering expenses related to being part of Open Door and the audition process.
• Pastoral support and mentoring from the Open Door Team.

In addition to this, Open Door are also opening up their applications to their Behind the Scenes programme for those who are serious about a career in Technical Theatre and Production Arts, but might also need help, across England, Wales and Scotland. Interviews for the Behind the Scenes programme will take place throughout October in person and online, with the hope that offering online interviews will encourage even more budding creatives to apply.

The Open Door Behind The Scenes programme offers successful eligible applicants from aged 17:

Free interviews at Open Door's partner schools, including Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, Guildhall, LAMDA, Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, and The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

• Travel expenses to all interviews
• Free theatre tickets to theatres such as Royal Court, Donmar Warehouse, Nottingham Playhouse, National Theatre, Curve Theatre and more!
• Five hours of one-to-one tutoring
• Access to a hardship fund, covering expenses related to being part of Open Door and auditioning
• Pastoral Support and mentoring from the Open Door Team.

Open Door was launched by actor David Mumeni in 2017 to help provide budding actors and behind-the-scenes creatives from low-income households with the opportunity to enter the industry. The charity helps talented people who do not have the financial support or resources to gain a place at one of the UK's leading drama schools, and in December 2022 was awarded the prestigious Special Jury Prize at the British Independent Film Awards. Open Door ambassadors include Emilia Clarke, Riz Ahmed, David Morrissey and Woody Harrelson, the newest ambassadors including Claudia Jessie, Paapa Essiedu, Fionn Whitehead and Jenny Beavan.

As factors such as the cost-of-living crisis and ongoing barriers to the industry continue to disproportionately impact on those from lower-income backgrounds, Open Door continues to support emerging talent gain entry to Drama Schools who otherwise may not be able to.

Recent Open Door graduates have already begun to secure professional acting work, Dionne Brown, who recently appeared in the TV series Queenie for Channel 4/Disney+/Lionsgate and Levi Brown who played Dante in This Town for the BBC, as well as multiple participants landing roles at The National Theatre, Regents Park Open Air Theatre, in the West End, The RSC and at The Old Vic.

Open Door said: “Open Door is stronger than ever with our alumni making real waves in the industry. We're really excited about opening applications again and finding the next generation of extraordinary talent!”

Applicants for both the Acting and Behind the Scenes programmes can apply for an audition and interview by visiting www.opendoor.org.uk/acting (Acting) and www.opendoor.org.uk/behind-the-scenes (Behind the Scenes) before the deadline of 25th September 2024 for Acting and 9th October 2024 for Behind the Scenes and those successful in the auditions/interviews will secure a place among the upcoming Open Door 2024 intake.

To be eligible for the programmes applicants must:

• Aged 18+ from the 1st October 2024 for the Acting Programme
• Aged 17+ from the 1st October 2024 for the Behind The Scenes Programme
• Have an annual family household income of £43,000 or less
• Not currently hold a degree in the UK
• Have full access to 3 years of Student Finance in the UK
• Intend to apply for a full time BA Hons Acting degree for the academic year 2025

 

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