NTW policy on casting & employing creative & production team

Just had some info passed on to me about NTW casting policy with preference given to Wales born, based or trained actors - can't find info as to whether that is correct and if so whether that support is given equally across all employment?  Can NTW pass info on as to whether that is an inclusive policy and applies to admin, creative & production team?

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Comment by Mawgaine Tarrant-Cornish on January 27, 2016 at 2:00

Hi Kay, 

Thanks for your blog. Here’s an extract from an NTW policy, which outlines our philosophy, in the context of our remit and commitment as a National Theatre to supporting, developing and celebrating Welsh talent and the creative communities in Wales:

“NTW has an integrated casting policy and is committed to racial, cultural and artistic diversity. NTW is committed to openness in the way productions are cast and the way actors and their agents are dealt with throughout the casting process.

NTW will work with a wide variety of directors, companies, venues, places, and theatre-making practices across the programme. While each production may have very different casting requirements, NTW seeks to create an integrated, fair, transparent and professional process which prioritises engagement with a wide community of actors.”

So our casting policy does give preference to actors who are Welsh, based in Wales or trained professionally in Wales, but of course we're always balancing that with other priorities; putting together diverse companies and meeting the demands of the production with a dynamic and cohesive group of artists. Similarly, we ask that artists who work with Wales Lab demonstrate a connection to Wales, since our remit is to create opportunities for those artists and their ideas, at the same time as being as inclusive as possible.

Our productions always have a strong connection to Wales. In terms of the creatives we work with, that might mean inviting a theatre maker from outside Wales to immerse herself in a Welsh way of life (like Louise Ann Wilson who worked with Gillian Clarke on The Gathering/ Yr Helfa), or it might mean working with a Wales based theatre maker to tell a more global story (like John Norton, who directed Bordergame, working specifically with actors and non-professionals with experience of the asylum system, some with a connection to Wales, others less so).

Likewise, there’s no absolute prerequisite of being Welsh, based in Wales or Welsh trained for our core staff, or the admin, production or technical freelancers we work with. Our commitment to Welsh talent extends to these areas but what’s essential is a synergy with the company’s ambition and a passion for the work we’re making.

We're always looking to work with the best and most exciting people for the job, to maintain our commitment to developing and supporting Welsh talent and to make outward looking, world class theatre.. so each company is as bespoke as the project is distinct, but I hope that gives some insight? It’s really important to us to be transparent. 

Thanks, 
Mawgaine 

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