Yellow Earth Theatre Company presents YELLOW EARTH ACADEMY 2017 This July

Yellow Earth Theatre Company's ACADEMY is now in its 8th year and will run from July 17th to July 28th at ALRA in a bid to inspire the next generation of British East Asian* actors. This intensive, two week, fully funded course led by professionals working in the industry will give students a taste of drama school training, some vital skills and a host of insiders' tips on how to become a professional actor in theatre, TV, film or radio.

This year's focus will be on acting for the camera. Students will make two short films with award-winning filmmaker *Lab Ky Mo (9 Dead Gay Guys, Hollyoaks, 3 Mile Radius, Japanese Samurai Sword) and will take classes taught by drama school professionals in voice, movement and stage combat.

Applicants will be invited to audition in London and the most promising candidates will be selected to attend the summer course.

Audition Workshop London May 20th 2pm-5pm
ALRA, Royal Victoria Patriotic Building, John Archer Way, London SW18 3SX

London Summer Course July 17th - 28th
ALRA - address above

Register by May 8th:

info@alra.co.uk 020 8870 6475
Facebook: 'Yellow Earth'
@yellowearthuk #YEAcademy www.yellowearth.org www.alra.co.uk

Former Yellow Earth Academy students include:

JESSICA HENWICK - Iron Fist, The Force Awakens, Game of Thrones, Silk, Fortitude

NAOMI CHRISTIE - Lilting (with Ben Wishaw), DC Banks, World Factory, Wild Swans (Old Vic)

JOHNATHAN RAGGETT - Snow In Midsummer (RSC), Wolfblood (CBBC)

GERALD ZARCILLA - Miss Saigon (West End)

MEI MAC - The Snow Child, The BFG

Emma Lau, Shoufan Wilson and Arkar Hayne have all been accepted onto prestigious full time BA acting courses at Mountview, Guildford, and ALRA drama schools.

Yellow Earth Artistic Director Kumiko Mendl says: "Once again we are delighted to run Yellow Earth Academy thanks to the generous support of ALRA. I always look forward to this time of year when we get an opportunity to meet and discover new BEA actors and through this course allow them to discover more about the industry. This year we are focusing on acting for camera; the students will have a chance to perform in a short film written and directed by the brilliant filmmaker Lab Ky Mo and there will be the all-important talks and workshops with invited professionals."

YELLOW EARTH was founded in 1995 and is dedicated to placing the best of British *East Asian theatre centre stage. YE finds the best British East Asian talent through its acting and writing programmes of which YE Academy plays a key role. YE has also developed expertise in participatory and immersive work through its innovative Education and Outreach programme and work in museums.

*East Asian means having 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.

ALRA - Over the last 30 years ALRA has been dedicated to training which encompasses all media: live theatre, television & film, and radio. Past students include Bridget Christie, Miranda Hart, Denise Gough (People, Places and Things), Jeremy Ang Jones (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), Sarah Parish (Broadchurch), Tanya Franks (Chewing Gum, Grantchester, Broadchurch), and Jimmy Akingbola (Holby City, Arrow). ALRA sees this unique collaboration with Yellow Earth as an opportunity to provide training for people from all backgrounds.

*LAB KY MO is a writer and director for film and TV, and a Lecturer on the BA (Hons) Contemporary Media Cultures course at London College of Communication. Lab graduated from Central Saint Martin's with a degree in Fine Art, before winning the prestigious Carl Foreman Screenwriting Fellowship to California, in conjunction with BAFTA.

Lab's debut feature film Nine Dead Gay Guys starred Steven Berkoff and was hailed by the Observer as "The most shocking film at the Cannes Film Festival" and reviewed by one Sunday Express critic as "the most outrageous and original British film of the year." The film won the audience award at the Montreal International Comedy Film Festival and the Best Film award at Dublin L&G Film Festival.
Lab won the audience award at the East London Film Festival for My Dad the Communist, and the audience award at the Wirral International Film Festival for 3 Mile Radius which is set in Liverpool. Lab's also won awards for directing TV commercials and MTV idents.