International Actors’ Fellowship 2013 - Call for applications

The next International Actors’ Fellowship will run for three weeks Monday 16 September to Monday 7 October 2013. All applications to be submitted by Sunday 3 February 2013.

Note: Under certain circumstances applications will be accepted after this date. Please contact Claire Godden.

Overview

The IAF is a professional development opportunity for actors from around the world with experience in performing Shakespeare and classical theatre. Actors will have a desire to share their love and knowledge of Shakespeare with fellow actors from other cultures.

The Globe Theatre has always been a vibrant international meeting place. Its 2012 Globe to Globe Festival welcomed 37 international companies to present all 37 of Shakespeare’s plays each in a different language. The festival has grown the Globe’s international family around the world and reinforced our appetite to learn from each other by sharing culturally diverse approaches when performing Shakespeare in the ‘Wooden O’. The 2013 Fellowship programme will be fuelled by this desire and give participants the opportunity to share their own cultural access to Shakespeare.

The 2013 Fellowship will be a full-time 3-week course and conclude with a showcase performance to an invited audience on the Globe stage. All participants should be keen to work as part of an international company and relish the opportunity to explore the architecture, work with the Globe’s key practitioners, and understand how Shakespeare lives in other cultures. Past participants have not only enjoyed the technical apprenticeship but the chance to live, work and play in London with peers from all across the world.

Programme Content

• The company of up to 24 Acting Fellows will work with a Globe director and the Globe’s Associates in text, voice and movement, as well as with other high calibre theatre practitioners.
• The company will gather and exchange detailed practical and theoretical insights into Shakespeare’s stage craft as revealed by the architecture, acoustics of the Globe and their individual cultural approaches.
• The Fellowship Company will discover from their peers how different storytelling cultures use the space in a strong and meaningful way.
• The Fellows will experiment with period performance practices as well as modern techniques.
• In musical and vocal workshops Fellows will discover the significant role live sound plays at the Globe.
• Within the limits of an extremely busy 2013 season schedule, Fellows will be granted some rare stage time in the ‘Wooden O’ for their explorations. 
• The theatre will also provide full access to its specialist resources and offer an element of one-on-one coaching.
• Amidst a wide range of workshops and talks, Fellows will also study the practical knowledge gathered by previous Globe actors over the past decade. 
• London with its enormous choice of theatre and art venues is the backdrop of this course, providing inspiration and learning opportunities throughout. Past Fellows have described this programme as a one-off cultural experience.

Applications

At the heart of the programme is a strong desire to celebrate the meaning of Shakespeare across cultures, and the programme is aimed at actors who can contribute something special to such a group. Applicants who are well-connected in their own countries and therefore able to share their experiences after the programme will have an increased chance of reaping its full benefits.

• A good command of basic written and spoken English is essential, to enable an open communication within the ensemble. 
• Professional experience of playing Shakespeare and a familiarity with his key works are desirable.

To apply, please fill in the application form, attach your CV and email both to Claire Godden. All applications to be submitted by Sunday 3 February 2013.

Once the shortlist has been created, the Globe Theatre will organise auditions via Skype and the Globe’s international contacts.

Fees

Tuition for the three week 2013 Fellowship is GBP 2300 (including all administration costs).
Participants are individually responsible for accommodation and living expenses.

The Fellowship is not a commercial programme and is unfunded in the UK. The Globe Trust will however support the participants’ funding applications in their own countries with support statements and documentation where necessary.