ACTING SCHOOL IN CHCH SOON

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31333, 1 April 1967, Page 14

ACTING SCHOOL IN CHCH SOON

Plans to establish a full-time training school for actors were announced yesterday by the chairman of the Canterbury Theatre Trust (Mr A. R. Mackay).

The school, to be known as the Christchurch Academy of Dramatic Art, will be run by theatre trust in conjunction with its regional professional theatre scheme.

Mr Mackay said the Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council had made a grant of £2OOO towards the establishment of the academy. “The academy will offer full-time training for professional actors,” said Mr Mackay. “It will have a twoyear course and the first intake of students will be in May.” The course wil Icover the history of theatre, the development of dramtic writing from the Greeks to the present day, patterns of behaviour, and recent English and European social history.

Afterwards students will probably be offered a year with the theatre company to round off their training. The company is being formed in June.

The executive director of the academy will be the trust’s artistic director, Mr J. Kim, who is in London at present to interview actors for Christchurch’s profesional theatre company. He will also try to obtain a principal for the academy.

“It is hoped that some members of the theatre company will act as part-time tutors at the academy,” said Mr Mackay. “We have the premises. Now all we need are the staff and students.”

The trust called for applications for studentships in an advertisement in “The Press” this morning.

“In addition to arts council

support the trust will seek the support of certain organisations to grant assistance bursaries,” said Mr Mackay. “It is possible that some assistance will be made to students by the arts council." The academy, one of four being established in the four main centres to assist the development of regional professional theatre in New Zealand. The first in Auckland, began classes last week.

The scheme is part of the arts council’s plan to support training in the arts in New Zealand instead of overseas.