Corporate Communications

Low vision version of page

The University of Bradford's Theatre in the Mill will play host to a unique residency by the National Student Drama Festival (NSDF) Ensemble from Sunday, July 13 until Saturday, July 19, 2003.

Thirty students are being given the one-off opportunity to join the annual Ensemble, which is funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation. They will work as actors, directors, writers and designers in exploring the boundaries between text, visuals, design and narrative.

Throughout the week, the group will work at the West Yorkshire Playhouse, Lawrence Batley Theatre and the Stephen Joseph Theatre, giving students a real flavour of the vibrancy of the Yorkshire theatre scene.

Members will be supported by new NSDF Director Andrew Loretto and visiting artists, including freelance director Iain Bloomfield, choreographer Lucy Cullingford, and the award-winning Unlimited Theatre.

On Friday, July 18, the Ensemble will also meet stage and screen star Brian Blessed when he receives an honorary doctorate from the University of Bradford for his contributions as an actor. Theatre in the Mill, for which Andrew Loretto was director prior to taking up the reins of NSDF, is a leading regional small-scale studio venue. It hosts touring professional theatre as well as facilitating a wide range of student, community and non-professional projects.

NSDF Director Andrew Loretto said: "I'm delighted to have been able to combine my old and new jobs by inviting this exciting group of students to Bradford.

"Both NSDF and Theatre in the Mill are superb models of good practice in providing access to training and support for emerging theatre practitioners."

Notes to Editors

The National Student Drama Festival is a unique annual platform for live student performance sponsored by The Sunday Times newspaper. The NSDF Ensemble is a company of talented emerging young theatre practitioners from all parts of the UK. Members are invited to audition on an annual basis from the wide range of shows entered for the Festival.

For further information on the National Student Drama Festival, please visit their website at www.nsdf.org.uk or call the Admin Office on 01803 864836.

NSDF04 runs from Wednesday, March 31 Wednesday, April 7, 2004.

For further media information, please contact Rachael Ellis in Corporate Communications on (01274) 233084/0787 9437986 or Emma Scales on (01274) 233089. Alternatively, e-mail press@bradford.ac.uk or fax on (01274) 235460.

Latest news | Archive