ALRA's Partnership with the Yellow Earth Academy
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The Yellow Earth Academy is a two-week summer programme tailored for young British East Asians (BEA) who wish to work in theatre, film and television. The academy was established in 2010 in partnership with ALRA by the creators of Yellow Earth Theatre, a company set up to address the issue where BEA actors were being offered unsatisfactory roles and work within the industry.
The academy aims to encourage BEA actors to attend drama school in order to aid in developing their pursued careers in the industry. In an article about the academy Kumiko Mendl, the Yellow Earth Academy's Artistic Director, states that;
"If we could encourage them to consider some kind of training, we believed it would help them to develop the skills and confidence required for a sustainable career in the industry. In turn, it would enhance the profile and opportunities for BEA actors."
The academy has been successful in helping individuals pursue their passion for a career in acting, one of the reasons behind this being that it has been able to continuously offer free enrolment to participants. The programme's creators have big hopes to see considerable growth in the number of BEA actors enrolling into drama school in the future, with Mendl stating;
"The more of us seen to be doing it and gaining critical attention (which means being given better roles and lead parts), the more likely it is that our young people will want to join our industry – one in which they can see a future for themselves."
We are delighted to be in the sixth year of our partnership with this amazing project and look forward to its very bright future. You can read the full article written by Arts Professional about the Yellow Earth Academy here.