Yellow Earth Announce Spotlight Add to YE Drama Student Bursary

Yellow Earth Theatre Company's Constellation Creatives Drama Student Bursary of £1000 was launched in 2012 to be awarded to a final year drama school student of East Asian descent. The aim is to encourage and promote greater participation and representation of British East Asian (BEA) actors on stage and screen by providing an award to aid the transition between student and professional actor. This year Spotlight, the industry's casting organisation, has put its weight behind Yellow Earth's initiative, and added a year's free subscription to the award.

Spotlight was founded 90 years ago by Keith Moss who started collating actors' headshots and putting them in a directory...which is now online: "We're absolutely delighted that Spotlight has offered a year's free subscription to add to this important bursary for a final year student," says Kumiko Mendl, Artistic Director of Yellow Earth (below left). "Good photos - or headshots - are vital for an actor's Spotlight entry and the bursary will help towards paying for those headshots. With this bursary and Spotlight's generous offer of a year's free subscription to the winning graduate, we can give a young BEA actor much needed support at the very start of his or her career."

The bursary is awarded to a final year BEA drama school student who in the opinion of the judging panel has best demonstrated in their application and at an audition/interview that they have the talent, skills and commitment to succeed as a professional actor.

The bursary, the first of its kind is provided by actor Orion Lee.

He says "I believe in the collaborative nature of our industry and in working together to constantly make it better. I think Yellow Earth is a great organisation, constantly offering opportunities to BEA performers. I'm proud to support it and the future of our industry by providing this bursary."

Actor Jeremy Ang Jones is a former winner:
"I was in my second year and struggling with money, working 20 hours on top of my drama school hours, in the pub. The way student loans work, it wasn't enough, so I applied for the Bursary - which I won! It was given to me in my third year, which was great because we were given so much work to do, and it helped a lot to pay off expenses. It enabled me to look for an agent, instead of always working in the pub. I was also able to focus on my showcase, which is where I got representation.

"And it was fantastic knowing there was support as an East Asian actor. You hear lots of stories about whether you will get work or not. But to know there's a community there to support me... I'm still in contact with Kumiko Mendl, and she's put me in touch with people for work. That's how I got my first professional theatre job with Richard III at The Faction Theatre. Now I'm in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. I came from Portsmouth where there isn't a massive acting community so coming to London I felt like a fish out of water. Knowing there's a community there and that I have support is great."

Eligibility terms:
* Students must be in their final year of a 3-year BA acting course or Musical Theatre course at a UK drama school.
* East Asian means at least one parent from any of the following countries: from: Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, China, East Timor, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, North Korea, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam and their Diasporas.
* The deadline for applications is 1st May 2017, with auditions to be held on 14th May at the Regent's University London
* More information from: admin@yellowearth.org or 020 8694 6631
* The winner will be announced in June

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