NEW EARTH ACADEMY

New Earth Academy

The only programme of its kind in the UK, New Earth Academy provides free, specialist training and opportunities for British East and South East Asians* (BESEA) aged 18+ who are interested in developing their skills and engagement in the performing arts.

New Earth Academy is for budding BESEA writers, performers, and theatre makers in the UK, offering them FREE specialist training and opportunities. The Academies take place in London, Manchester and Salford, Leeds and Birmingham. Find out more.

NEW EARTH ACADEMY+

In 2023 New Earth Theatre introduced New Earth Academy+, a new development programme for ESEA performers and theatre makers based in Greater Manchester and Salford, who were looking to take their learning to the next level, develop their artistic practice and processes, and take their project from idea to stage.

Over nine months, the cohort of 15 participants took part in monthly masterclasses with leading practitioners, saw work in and around Manchester, and pitched ideas for The Lowry Scratch Nights X New Earth Academy+ event in February 2024.

The Scratch Night saw five successful artists from the cohort receive seed funding and mentoring to develop and share their ideas with a public audience.


New Earth Academy+ was delivered by New Earth Theatre in partnership with: The Lowry, HOME, RTYDS, Factory International, Royal Exchange Theatre, and Z-Arts.
With support from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.

What People Are Saying

 

“Being a part of this Academy has given me a very rare insight into an industry that can sometimes feel inaccessible as an artist of East Asian descent and I have not only learnt valuable skills that will help me on my career journey, but also that there is indeed a space for people like me in the acting community; thanks to the amazing work of New Earth”

— Participant

“The sense of belonging, I’ve never met so many people who I felt like I didn’t have to justify cultural differences or why I felt a certain way when talking about certain spaces, because it was already understood.”

— Participant

“Had the Academy not been free, there was no way I would’ve been able to participate in, what was for me, a life changing experience.”

— Participant

Past North West Academies

  • New Earth Academy+ 2023

    Over the course of nine months, 15 ESEA theatre makers met for monthly Masterclasses with industry leaders and to see work in and around Manchester.

    Masterclasses included: Developing Your Creative Ideas, Shaping Your Project, Collaborating With Other Creatives, Pitching Your Show, and Cultural Leadership.

    Masterclass Facilitators: Daniel Kok, Stacy Makishi, Mingyu Lin, Clarissa Widya, Kumiko Mendl, Jodie Gilliam.

  • Writers Academy: North West 2021

    Led by playwright and dramaturg Naomi Sumner Chan the course provided participants with the opportunity to learn the core principles of playwriting and write their own short play which will be read by actors in an informal end of course sharing.

    Course Tutors: Naomi Sumner (Course Leader), Suzanne Bell (Guest Tutor), Sudha Bhuchar (Guest Tutor – Writing for Children).

  • Performers Academy: North West 2021

    Every Saturday afternoon students met online with director Kash Arshad. During the week, there were evening sessions in voice and movement as well as additional guest workshops.; and lunchtime industry talks. The course finished with a showcase for an invited audience.

    Course tutors: Kash Arshad (Course Leader), Vera Chok (Improv), Sachi Kimura (Movement), Kwong Loke (Voice)

  • Performers Academy: Manchester 2020

    The course was led by performance artist Stacy Makishi alongside sessions in voice, movement and clowning and weekly lunchtime Q and A’s on a range of topics with industry professionals.

    Course tutors: Live Art Social (Distancing) Club: Stacy Makishi, Movement: Jennifer Jackson, Voice: Gary Horner, Voice: Sam Malone, Clowning: Georgia Murphy

  • Writers Academy: Manchester 2020

    Students met online on the last Saturday of every month, developing their writing skills for live performance and creating a short piece of writing.

    In addition, there were monthly Watch Parties, where the participants watch a theatre piece online and then have a video chat to discuss what they have seen.

*We use the term British East and Southeast Asian to mean people of the following descent:
Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, China, East Timor, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Mongolia, North Korea, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam and their diasporas. These people remain severely underrepresented in the arts in the UK.