Summary
The National Theatre and Spotlight have launched a project which aims to increase the representation of D/deaf and disabled performers in the UK by showcasing this underrepresented pool of talent to industry professionals.
We have created dedicated website called ProFile, which hosts video footage of individual performers, consisting of one or two monologues, as well as additional skills where relevant (singing, dance, instruments etc.) for casting directors to use to cast their projects.
This project is open to professional actors who identify as D/deaf or disabled and is a free service.
Where it all began and where we are now
This initiative was created as part of the National Theatre’s Creative Diversity Project, a project focusing on diversity and inclusion at the NT, one strand of which aims to address the under-representation of d/Deaf and disabled actors on our stages. Charlotte Bevan (running the Creative Diversity Project) was formerly a Casting Director at the NT and Shakespeare’s Globe, and designed this in order to widen the pool from which casting directors and directors draw their talent.
There are currently over 100 performers on the site with more waiting to be filmed. Since October 2017, when the site was launched, it has had over 8000 hits from over 1200 unique users in 26 countries. The site has already been used in casting processes for the NT and numerous other UK theatres as well as the BBC, Disney and Netflix among others. All of Spotlight’s film, theatre and television contacts in the UK have access to the site, as well as over 300 UK theatre professionals- directors, producers and casting directors.