Spotlight, the UK’s leading casting directory, today presented the Actors Benevolent Fund with a cheque for £3775: proceeds from the CDS / Spotlight Graduation Party which took place on 28th May at London’s Café de Paris.
Over 1,000 drama students, agents and casting directors attended the event – the first of its kind - to celebrate the graduation of final-year drama students from leading schools and colleges of the CDS (Conference of Drama Schools).
At the same time as celebrating their success, they were also raising money for the Actors Benevolent Fund, which cares for actors and theatrical stage managers who are unable to work because of poor health, an accident or frail old age.
Presenting the cheque, Ben Seale, Partner at Spotlight, commented: “I am thrilled that we have raised this money for the Actors’ Benevolent Fund, to assist actors in poor health or old age. It seems wonderfully appropriate that money raised by students just starting in this industry can go to help those who are better established but find themselves in less fortunate circumstances.”
Willie Bicket of the Actors Benevolent Fund told us: “Penelope Keith and the Trustees of the Actors Benevolent Fund are most grateful to Spotlight and all the students who attended the CDS / Spotlight Party for raising nearly £4000 for the Fund. It will be put to very good use helping to look after those in the profession who have fallen on hard times.”
This is not the only success story from the night. During the party’s “industry meet and greet”, graduating actress Kate Roscoe met agents from Johnston and Mathers Associates, who proceeded to sign her as one of their clients. This immediately led to a successful audition at The Donmar Warehouse, and now Kate is in rehearsals for Frost / Nixon, directed by Michael Grandage and opening on August 10th! Hopefully this will be the first of many similar successes as the Spotlight / CDS Graduation Party becomes a regular annual fixture.