New National Academy of Dramatic Art - The Lir - calls for students

Delphic

The Lir, the new National Academy of Dramatic Art in Ireland has announced that applications are open for its inaugural Bachelor in Acting course which starts in Sept 2011.

The Academy aims to follow the standards of top-class schools such as RADA, London and the Julliard in New York. It will train young actors, designers, directors, playwrights, stage managers and technicians to work in theatre, film, TV and radio. The Academy plans to appoint an Artistic Director early next year.

Prof. Brian Singleton of TCD will be the first Academic Director of The Lir and he said that the Acting course is open to everyone regardless of education or background through use of auditions rather than exam points. "We expect that students will come from very diverse backgrounds and we will assess them on the basis of exceptional natural talent, not academic qualifications."

People can fill in an application form on www.thelir.ie. They'll be asked to attend an audition for which they have to prepare, followed by an interview. Students who show "natural talent and a potential for training" will be asked back for further rounds of auditions and assessments.

The board members of The Lir include Michael Colgan, Harry Crosbie, Michael Marsh, Ian Mathews, Anne Mulcahy and Danielle Ryan. It will be chaired by communications and technology entrepreneur, Dermot McCrum, who is the former owner/MD of media training and PR company, Carr Communications.

The Lir Academy building is being financed by the Cathal Ryan Trust who brought their ideas last year to Trinity College who wanted to set up an independent academy on their campus. Together, they brought RADA on board as advisors to ensure exacting standards were set on courses and facilities. Edward Kemp, Director of RADA, said that the training by The Lir will be at the "highest level of international professional practice". He said that it would be staffed by "professionals with extensive experience of the industry" and have "guest lectures and workshops from leading international figures of stage and screen.”

Speaking on behalf of the Cathal Ryan Trust, Danielle Ryan, a RADA graduate, said that they have started the building of the refurbished, state-of-the-art premises for The Lir this week.

It’s situated in the Trinity Technology Campus at Grand Canal Dock nearby to the Grand Canal Theatre. The custom-built school will have a flexible black box studio, as well as two further performance studios, a dance studio, technical workshop, as well as teaching areas. The Lir plans to open its doors at night and offer "graduating performances, films, exhibitions, readings, and lectures" to the public.

The creation of The Lir has been widely welcomed by the industry, with leading names such as Pierce Brosnan, Loughlin Deegan, Artistic Director of the Dublin Theatre Festival, and Director Patrick Mason.

Brady011

Is it difficult to get into the lir? What do you have to prepare for the auditions?