Florence Avis
In the run-up to the deadline to apply for the 2021 Nottingham Young Creative Awards, Florence Avis interviews Rachel Feneley, the Learning Officer at Lakeside Arts, to learn more about the Theatre category.
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Hi Rachel, thank you for sitting down with me. Firstly, please could you tell us about the Nottingham Young Creatives Awards?
Hi Flo. The Creative Awards are a series of exciting competitions across a wide range of categories, including; theatre, photography, visual arts, graphic design, creative writing and dance. All categories are open to all 11-24 years old who are living, working or studying in Nottingham and are split into three age groups, 11-15, 16-18 and 19-24 years.
What is Lakeside Arts’ role in the Creative Awards?
Here at Lakeside we are running the Theatre category of the Awards. This year, as lockdowns have prevented us all from getting into studios and theatres together, we’re asking people to submit a film of them performing a monologue. This could be either an original piece that you’ve written yourself or a pre-existing monologue, but your video should be no longer than three minutes. We would love to see a variety of monologues from a range of sources – it certainly doesn’t have to be Shakespeare – and remember you can write your own, so get creative!
Winners will be awarded mentorship, professional development opportunities and a cash prize!
Why should students apply for the Theatre category?
The Creative Awards have real prestige in the creative sector and therefore this is a fantastic platform to get your name ‘out there’. Winners will be awarded mentorship, professional development opportunities and a cash prize! They will also be featured on NottsTV, as the channel will film a special programme featuring the winners and their creativity, which will air over the summer.
There are many regional and national industry professionals involved in the awards, so if you are interested in raising your profile, this is a fantastic opportunity!
How do you apply for the Creative Awards?
Visit the Young Creatives website and find the theatre page under ‘Categories’. You’ll then need to provide some quick contact details. Next, you’ll be asked to submit a short paragraph describing your piece and what inspired you to pick or create your monologue. Then upload your film and you’re done – it’s that easy.
The deadline to submit your monologue is 11.59 pm on Wednesday the 21st of April. So, you’ve got plenty of time to pick and film your monologue. Shortlisted finalists will be announced in early June and then the winners a few weeks later.
We’ve made a video explaining simply and quickly how to apply and everything surrounding the theatre category
Do you have any tips for applicants filming their monologues or for those who might be apprehensive to apply?
At Lakeside we’ve been busy creating loads of resources to help make the application process and filming of your monologue as easy as possible. We’ve made a video explaining simply and quickly how to apply and everything surrounding the theatre category.
As well as that, we’ve created a series of short Q&A masterclasses offering advice from the perspectives of a young actor, writer, director and spoken word artist.
You can also visit The Young Creative Awards website where there are lockdown masterclasses from actress Cassie Bradley focusing on ‘Approaching a Monologue’ and ‘Shakespeare Monologues’.
Well, I think that’s covered everything. Thank you for joining me Rachel, the Theatre category of the Awards sounds like a great opportunity that’s perfect for lockdown.
It is! I can’t wait to see everyone’s applications.
If you want to find out more about the Nottingham Young Creatives Awards or have any questions, you can visit the website.
Florence Avis
Featured image courtesy of Lakeside Arts, granted with permission to Impact Magazine.
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