Foundation Stories

The Foundation is not a direct launch in to industry but it can be the first steps to a life in the performing arts. Our Foundation students have a broad range of ages, backgrounds, experience and expectations and their stories are as diverse as they are.

Some are looking to get the basic skills and confidence to go onto full time actor training, some to go directly in to the profession, some are looking to advance their skills in the hobby they love, some are looking to bring acting and performance skills to a career they are already have.

Whatever their reasons, Foundation not only equips them with the core acting skills they need, it helps them make that next step on their creative journey.  

Of course there are always a percentage of Foundation students each year that go on to our Two Year Diploma.

Below are some of the stories of students that attended Foundation.

Tobias Jowett

Tobias attened the Foundation course 2020-21. His credits at ACT include LOVEPLAY & ARABIAN NIGHTS. Since then his screen credits include: WILLIAM TELL (Tempo), GASSED UP (Amazon Studios), BOYZ IN THE WOOD (Studio 8 Entertainment), ALWAYS FEELS (Short), RAIN DOGS (BBC).

Connor Swindells

Connor graduated from Foundation in 2016. Whilst on the course, on a recommendation from a tutor, he was offered representation by an agent and has gone from strength to strength.

He made his television debut with a part in an episode of "Harlots" in 2017, followed by an appearance on JAMESTOWN (2017). He made his film debut in the Gerard Butler-starring thriller THE VANISHING (2018) and starred in the British rap battle movie "VS." (2018). In 2019 he joined the main cast of comedy-drama series SEX EDUCATION (Netflix, 2019) as Adam Groff.

Recent film credits include: WILLIAM TELL, BARBIE, SCOOP, SAS ROUGE HEROS, BARBARIANS playing Dan and EMMA playing Robert Martin.

Conner was a Screen International Star of Tomorrow in 2017

 

Felix Brown

Felix attended Foundation 2011-12, he had also been a member of the ACT Youth Theatre. In 2016 he won a place at the prestigious Lir Academy in Dublin and spent three years in training. Since graduating he has played LAERTES in HAMLET for Mill Productions. Tommy Burke in Holding (TV Series) and Peter in Lakelands.

2016-19

Amy Kidd

Amy is an actor and play­wright who attended both ACT Youth Thetare and Foundation (2011-12). She then went on to train (in act­ing) at The Lir Acad­emy, Dublin.

Amy’s debut full-​length play, BREAK­ING, will be pro­duced by Fisham­ble: The New Play Com­pany later this year, under the direc­tion of Jim Culleton.

She is cur­rently work­ing on her next play, for which she is in receipt of Arts Coun­cil Fund­ing and sup­ported by The Abbey, the Irish The­atre Insti­tute and FringeLab.

Amy is also a found­ing mem­ber of emerg­ing Irish the­atre com­pany Anseo Anois The­atre, with whom she has worked pri­mar­ily as an actor, but also as a col­lab­o­rat­ing artist on the writ­ing & devel­op­ment of new plays and as a director.

Act­ing cred­its with the com­pany include: Neesh in Keep­ing Vigil by Oon­agh Wall, Alex in Wild by Jenna Kamal (co-​production with Rum­ble The­atre), Ais­ling in Paler Still by Oon­agh Wall (writ­ten in col­lab­o­ra­tion with the cast) and, most recently, Sylvia in the Irish Pre­mière of The Pride by Alexi Kaye Campbell.

Other the­atre cred­its include: Sarah Cur­ren in A Beauty That Will Pass (Rath­farn­ham Cas­tle), Jess in Love and Money (Sarah­Mann Com­pany, Brighton Fringe), Mary in The Last (Dif­fer­enTThe­atre, tour­ing pro­duc­tion), Beat­rice in Inferno21: Dante’s Mas­ter­piece Reimag­ined (Ver­dant Productions/​The Lyric Belfast), Sweet­heart in But You Stopped Their Hearts (ReBoot 2020/​The Inter­na­tional Bar) and Young Woman in You Can Leave At Any Time (Dublin The­atre Fes­ti­val 2019).

Screen cred­its include: Bad Beat (dir. Elena Walsh O’Brien), Grind (dir. John Fran­cis Skally), The Wed­ding (dir. Fiona Stout) and Short Stay (dir. Ruth Mee­han). All short films.

Theo Woznak-kay

Theo graduated in 2021. She went on to train at ICTheatre. She says “I am an actor, performer and all round creative individual. Inspired by movement and voice. Enjoying growing, learning & honing my craft”. Her work includes: The Paddington Bear Experience, Karen's Diner, Attraction Performer - Breakout At Bozo's. Theatre: TILL DEATH DO US PART, THE SWEET SCIENCE OF BRUISING.

Wayne Liversidge

Wayne is an award-winning actor involved in various short films. He produced a successful stage play based on his life; this has now been adapted into a debut novel called Love's Poison. He also works in the care sector after re training into Mental Health, after years of working for Local Government in a financial and administration role while doing this, he trained in acting at ACT Brighton on the One Year Foundation 2012-13. This is his main passion now as well as telling his true story which he hopes people will understand and relate to.

Amanda Davidge

“I am an actress and writer based in Brighton. My former training and career was as a professional dancer where I danced with some of the UK's top choreographers including Kim Gavin, Nicky Hinkley and Brian Rogers, E&B and various Cruise line dance contracts including Miami based Miller -Reich productions. My training in musical theatre and dance brings support to playing characters and led me to change direction into acting during my 30's
I have returned to the profession as a actor where I retrained at ACT in Brighton and with Brian Timoney on the Ultimate method acting course in London. Since gradauating in 2016 I have worked on short films and various film projects including a supporting role in the feature film SUSAN. I am currently represented by Amazon Artists”.

Charles Hoyal

“My name is Charles Hoyal. I graduated from The Bridge Theatre Training Company in North London on a two year diploma course in 2017. I previously studied at the Academy of Creative Training in Brighton where I obtained a foundation certificate. I have acted since a young age, developing myself into different fields including but not limited to, lighting technician, duty stage manager, actor, director, assistant director and teacher. This has given me a greater knowledge of the business and only makes me want it more”.

Azaan Symes

“As a professional actor I have mastered the art of storytelling, persuasion, and audience engagement. I have performed in London’s West End and represented diverse roles in shows abroad and fringe theatre, collaborating with renowned production teams and appearing on BBC's "Killing Eve" and AppleTV's "Slow Horses". I have also lent my voice and motion capture performance for the critically acclaimed video game "Baldur’s Gate 3" and showcased brand narratives in commercials and corporate acting”.

Azaan completed Foundation in 2017 and later trained at The Drama Studio, London.

Jason Lever

Jason studied on the ACT Foundation in 2018/19. Having come late to acting in his mid-40s, his motivation was to learn the core techniques and to develop the confidence to act locally in Brighton & Hove. These objectives were met.

His theatre credits include Philly Cullen, Playboy of the Western World (JM Synge), Timon of Athens monologue, Kings & Queens (of Shakespeare) and Alistair Cooper, Comment is Free (James Fritz) at Brighton Little Theatre; Bill, Hangman (Martin McDonagh), Ned/ Pamphleteer, Turpin (Barry Purchese), Ross, The Goat, or Who is Sylvia? (Edward Albee) and Cappa, Salome (Oscar Wilde) at New Venture Theatre; and Sir Oliver Surface/ Uncle Crabtree, School for Scandal (Richard Sheridan) and Segal, La Mouette (adapted from Chekhov's The Seagull) for Dionysus Theatre Company..

After taking ACT's An Introduction to Playwriting with Mark Burgess in 2020/21, his An Usher Pushed Too Far was in New Venture Theatre's Filmed Monologues series during lockdown (on YouTube) and has had two rehearsed readings of his one act play/ one woman play, Lola Montez: Truth or Dare.

We will be updating this page with more foundation stories over the next few weeks.