World-class opportunities at MEC for local students

MidCoast Council

John Bell with auditioning student

Bell Shakespeare’s Regional Access Workshops (RAW) and John Bell Scholarship auditions will both be held on Wednesday 7 September, providing invaluable opportunities for students in the MidCoast.

These events are being co-ordinated by the Manning Entertainment Centre as part of their community engagement initiatives program.

The 75 minute Bell Shakespeare Drama Workshops will teach students about Shakespeare, live performance and the production of Shakespeare’s classic play “The Comedy of Errors” which the company will stage at the MEC on Friday 23 September at 7:30pm.

All schools that book tickets to the show are eligible to attend the workshops at no cost.

The workshops guide students through the play’s plot, characters, themes and key scenes.

They will provide backstage insights into the production, explain directorial decisions and offer a sneak peek into set and costume design.

The outcome will be a richer more rewarding theatre experience for all students.

The John Bell Scholarship (JBS) auditions provide a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for eligible students from regional schools across Australia who are interested in a career as a performer.

Three students will be selected to spend a week training with Bell Shakespeare theatre company in Walsh Bay, Sydney.

Over the course of the week, the winning students will have the opportunity to take part in acting masterclasses and work with Founding Artistic Direct, John Bell.

They will also observe rehearsals, tour the backstage of the Sydney Opera House and see a live theatre show. All accommodation, travel and activity costs are funded by Bell Shakespeare.

Eligibility criteria requires students to be 16 years old at 31 December 2022 and be enrolled as a full-time high school student in 2022.

Auditions take the form a 15-minute one-on-one workshop with a professional Bell Shakespeare artist.

Students must first select a monologue from a list provided. There’s a mix of male and female characters to choose from, in roles from tragedy to comedy.

/Public Release. View in full here.