The Spotlight Podcast

In this insightful episode of The Spotlight Podcast, we sit down with Jack Sargeant, the Welsh Labour Party's Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership. A strong advocate for inclusivity and Welsh industry, the Minister dives into the heart of the performing arts, offering a perspective crucial for every working actor.

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For performers, the decisions that shape their careers often feel distant, made behind closed doors by policymakers. In this episode of The Spotlight Podcast, we sit down with Lord Chris Smith, the UK’s first Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and a lifelong advocate for the performing arts, to pull back the curtain on how cultural policy is made and why your voice is critical.

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Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Angus Robertson, joins us to discuss supporting homegrown talent, the magic of the Edinburgh Festival and Fringe, and how Screen Scotland and Outlander helped the screen industry boom in Scotland. 

Angus talks about creating new opportunities for performers following the cancellation of iconic BBC soap River City and his priorities for culture in the year to come. He also shares ...

In this episode of the Spotlight Podcast, Business affairs consultant and professional coach Kelly Andrews joins us in the Spotlight studio to shed light on all the work agents do behind the scenes to look after their performer clients and find them work. With 30 years of experience in the industry, Kelly previously worked as an agent and was the Co-Chair of the Personal Managers’ Association (PMA).

Join us as she discusses e...

Spotlight’s Managing Director Matt Hood answers your questions about Spotlight and the wider creative industry. From making the most of your Spotlight profile and new platform features to membership costs, auditions, and advice for performers, Matt covers a wide range of topics to help you navigate your performing career. Tune in for insider insights and practical tips straight from the top!

Show Notes

Stefan Szwarc from 2020 Recordings offers a wealth of practical advice for actors and voice performers aspiring to break into audiobook narration.

Get an insight into the audition process, the importance of preparation and knowing your vocal instrument, and how to tailor voice reels and your Spotlight profile to help be discovered.

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We’re joined in the Spotlight Voiceover Booth by Adam Bambrough, founder of Wellbeing in the Arts, to talk about mental health in the creative industries. 

Spotlight has partnered with Wellbeing in the Arts to offer free mental health and wellbeing support as part of Spotlight membership for performers who are 18+ and reside in the UK and Ireland. Spotlight members can access a range of services from counselling to fina...

The Rt. Hon. Stuart Andrews MP, the Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, joins us in the Spotlight studio to discuss how cultural policies impact performers. He talks about engaging with industry professionals to help inform policy development and his role as a “constructive opposition”, raising issues that are important to our sector, supporting the government's efforts to bolster the creative indust...

We’re joined by injury prevention consultant, Tome Levi, to talk about the stark findings revealed in the Impact of Injury report about the human toll and economic impact of injury for performers and crew working in film, television and theatre. The report highlights the reality of cast and crew injuries caused whilst working on production and calls on the industry to improve safety at work and create safe spaces for concerns...

Casting Director Kharmel Cochrane joins us to talk about her three year casting journey for ‘Bob Marley: One Love’, with a search spanning the UK, USA and Jamaica to find the 70+ cast members.

Kharmel also took questions from Spotlight members and covers topics like:

• What to expect in an audition with Kharmel Cochrane.
• Adding your skills and accents to your ...

Esteemed casting director Kate Rhodes James discusses her process for assembling the stellar cast we see on screen in Gladiator II. Listen to Kate answer questions from Spotlight members about the intricacies of casting a blockbuster film, self-taping and the importance of making connections through work.

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Tips for making your Spotlight profile the best it can be to help casting directors discover you.

Join us as we discuss what to include on your Spotlight profile – along with expert advice on showreels, headshots, special skills and the best way to contact casting directors.

If you've just joined Spotlight and you're not sure where to start – or if you feel your profile isn't working hard enough for you – this is ...

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) takes an increasing role in the creative arts industry, we look at what a performers legal rights are and how performers can safeguard their likeness and their work.

In this episode of The Spotlight Podcast we’re joined by Tony Morris, a solicitor who has worked in the entertainment industry for many decades. A partner at entertainment and performing arts law firm Level Law, Tony specialises in...

Tips and advice for making the most of your time at drama school, including common mistakes students make and how to avoid them, and how to keep improving your acting skills after you graduate.

In the finals instalment of this two-part special about all things drama school, we talk to Charleen Qwaye (Fourth Monkey), Stewart Nicholls (Guildford School of Acting), Geoff Brumlik (Bristol Old Vic Theatre School), Helen Mackay (Royal Co...

Why diversity is important in the entertainment industry, and more information about M·A·C Cosmetics’ exciting collaboration with Spotlight and the Diverse Squad.

In this episode, we speak to agents Mildred Yuan and Sara Sehdev (Core MGMT), who are also members of the PMA Diverse Squad, about:

• What the Diverse Squad is, and how they were formed.
• The difference between authentic casting and ‘tokenism’.
• Wha...

What you need to know before applying for drama school, including different types of training, advice for auditioning and the importance of inclusivity.

In the first of this two-part instalment about all things drama school, we talk to Charleen Qwaye (Fourth Monkey), Stewart Nicholls (Guildford School of Acting), Geoff Brumlik (Bristol Old Vic Theatre School), Helen Mackay (Royal Conservatoire of Scotland) and Christabel Clark (Met...

We explore what interactive content is, what work opportunities exist for actors in this exciting new genre and what skills are needed if you want to audition for a role in an interactive, multi-narrative film.

We’re joined by Harry Chadwick and Grace Chadwick, the sibling founders of INTERFLIX Media to talk about the gamification of cinema and their work in the world of interactive film. Together they create films and commer...

How to navigate the world of performing when you don’t have an agent, and how to make the most of Spotlight as a self-represented performer.

We’re joined by Spotlight’s Customer Success Manager, Mel Brown, who has a wealth of knowledge about the performing arts industry and runs some of our career advice sessions for performers. 

Mel will be chatting with us about:

• How to best use Spotlight if you don&r...

Zoë Alba Farrugia shares her story about moving to the UK as a Maltese performer to follow her acting dream, the challenges she faced and how they inspired her to co-found female-led theatre company Prickly Pear Productions.

Prickly Pear Productions champions underrepresented stories and artists and we discuss how that work comes about and the importance of telling stories that are inspired by different cultures and human experienc...