Drama students from Ely had the chance this week to audition for the National Youth Arts Trust.
The Trust was founded in 2013 by award-winning theatre director and Old Elean Fiona Laird to address the current and on-going crisis in the funding of arts education. Fiona is originally from Ely and both her parents as teachers have had close connections with Ely and the school, so she is particularly thrilled to be establishing the Trust’s first youth theatre company in her home town.
Students were invited from four Ely schools to audition for this unique and exciting opportunity to be part of its Youth Theatre Company, which will be run by experienced theatre practitioners offering professional training in theatre and acting techniques and mentoring from working actors and directors.
A number of young students auditioned in front of several experienced drama professionals who were delighted with the performances they saw.
Head of Drama at King’s Ely, Nick Huntington, commented, “This is the kind of rigorous training that is needed outside of schools to enable our young people at King’s to hone their craft, to fully understand the demands of a hotly competitive industry and to boost their confidence and performance skills. Ely is a fortunate place to have the NYAT”.
The National Youth Arts Trust, with patrons including actors Hugh Bonneville and Ewan McGregor, is passionate about helping young theatre makers to have access to quality training opportunities, providing a positive and creative activity for teenagers in the Ely area.