Youngsters from across the region were invited to attend an exciting ‘Acting for Screen’ workshop hosted by TV’s Donnaleigh Bailey.
Held at Birmingham Ormiston Academy (BOA), a specialist creative, digital and performing arts academy in central Birmingham, the two day seminar saw BBC One Doctors star Donnaleigh deliver a crash course in acting for TV and film to a group of students aged 11 to 17.
Educating those taking part in everything from what goes on behind the camera to tips for staying in character between scenes, the workshop proved a hit with all involved.
One participant, Denise Tomlin, 15 from Erdington, said: “It was fantastic to work with Donnaleigh, I watched her on Doctors and think it’s great that she’s sharing her experience with us. I’d love to be an actress when I’m older but if that doesn’t happen then I’d really like to teach like her.”
George Mouton, 13 from Castle Bromwich, added: “The workshop taught me a lot about how a TV show is filmed. There are a lot more stops and starts than I thought and you need to be really aware of the cameras and boom microphones.”
Both youngsters will be studying acting at BOA from September. George continued: “I’ve already got experience acting on stage in local pantomimes but I hope that BOA will be able to teach me more about acting for TV and film. I haven’t decided what kind of acting I’d like to go into yet but I’m sure my time at BOA will help me to make the choice.”
Open to all students, the workshop included a mix of BOA students, those joining the academy in September and students from other schools and colleges.
Donnaleigh Bailey, actress and Acting for Screen workshop co-ordinator, said: “The workshop was extremely successful and we’re already looking to host another at the academy in the summer. It’s always a pleasure to work with BOA; the facilities are top class and the students are extremely passionate and dedicated.”
A short film documenting the two day activity, produced and edited by the academy’s current Broadcast Media students, will also be issued to participants and hosted on the BOA website.
Gaynor Cheshire, principal at BOA, added: “We strive to provide our students with skills that they will be able to use in their future careers and I’m pleased that this workshop gave us the chance to open that up to other youngsters across the region. We plan to repeat the workshop in May and look forward to opening our doors to even more students.”
The academy is open to students aged 14-18 who are looking to pursue careers in creative, digital and performance industries and is sponsored by Ormiston Trust and Birmingham City University, with founding partners Maverick TV and the BRIT School.
For more information about the academy visit http://www.boa-academy.co.uk/
