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Nottingham Trent University hosts the creative team from Nottingham Playhouse’s One Night in Miami… to inspire students to pursue a career in the theatre

An evening of entertainment and conversation, the event highlighted the different pathways students can take towards careers in the spotlight or behind the scenes.

    ONIM event

    Nottingham Playhouse has worked closely with Nottingham Trent University’s (NTU) Art and Design staff and students for many years and has been a Strategic Partner of NTU since 2018.  The partnership provides specialist industry experience for students and it co-hosts a new PhD studentship funded by Midland4Cities.  Also included in the partnership is NTU’s sponsorship of a Playhouse production, which this year is One Night in Miami… by US playwright Kemp Powers.

    On 22 May, NTU hosted a Working in Theatre event aimed at young people interested in discovering routes to the stage.  Supported by the NTU Strategic Partnership team and The Centre for Student and Community Engagement (CenSCE), the evening event included the creative team from One Night in Miami...

    NTU’s Totie Driver, Lecturer and Theatre Designer, was joined on stage by Nottingham Playhouse’s Artistic Director, Adam Penford; Matthew Xia, Director of One Night in Miami…; Grace Smart, the production’s Set & Costume Designer and Matt Henry MBE, Actor & Singer.  Bookended by live performances from Matt Henry singing Sam Cooke songs, the night comprised a panel discussion about work experiences, how the panel fell in love with the theatre and how they got to where they are, as well as a question and answer session.  The audience were also treated to exclusive pre-recorded videos featuring Kemp Powers talking about his own experiences.

    Adam Penford, the Artistic Director at the Playhouse said, “Events like this add great value for both organisations. To be able to bring in theatre makers who are working professionally within the industry, making theatre, to be able to share those experiences with NTU students - particularly given the courses that NTU run around the arts - is a unique experience, that hopefully will really help students as they step into the working world.  It’s really interesting from our point of view, in turn, to hear from the students about the work the Playhouse does.”

    Lucy Phillips, Strategic Partnership Manager for Culture added, “Working in Theatre was a great partnership activity for NTU and the Playhouse.  The expertise on the stage (and on screen) was extremely impressive and having an opportunity to hear how six different artists developed careers in the theatre was fascinating and insightful.  The event afforded us and the Playhouse the opportunity to provide examples of real-life industry stories to young people considering a life on or behind the stage”.

    Nottingham Playhouse and NTU are committed to planning new activity, particularly with a focus on diversifying arts and theatre workforces.

    Strategic partnerships at NTU

    We play a leading role in the social, cultural, economic and environmental development of the City, East Midlands and United Kingdom. We deploy our resources and expertise in close alignment with strategic partners and engage with a wide range of organisations in order to enhance their prospects and those of our students.

    Nottingham Playhouse has been one of the United Kingdom’s leading producing theatres since its foundation in 1948. Touring work nationally and internationally, the Playhouse make bold and thrilling theatre that is world-class, made in Nottingham and as diverse as the community.

    Find out more about our sectors and partnerships on our Business and Employers website.

    Published on 7 June 2019
    • Category: Business; Current students; School of Art & Design

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