Supporting Local Talent — case study

Addie Akinrinade

Addie Akinrinade is a Luton-based actor and producer.

A Performing Arts graduate, she works front of house at the Hat Factory, Luton’s arts centre, as well as being a freelance drama tutor.

The story

• Spring 2016 Meets Revoluton Arts
  
  
• May 2016 Monologue Slam UK
  A nationwide industry showcase for actors from all backgrounds, which provides the opportunity to perform for an audience and panel of industry professionals. ‘Monologue Slam’ comes to Luton for the first time; Addie is the winner and goes on to the national final at Theatre Royal Stratford East.
  
  
• June 2016 Forms Four Faced Films
  With colleagues Charity Muiruri and Hannah Kelly, forms a film production company.
  
  
• Autumn 2016 Forms The Basement Bunch
  Addie, Charity and Hannah perform a work-in-progress as part of Revoluton’s Roundabout programme, called ‘Smudged’ and focused around issues of sexual consent for young people. They form a theatre collective – The Basement Bunch.
  
  
• Autumn 2016 Riots to Revoluton
  Addie is invited by Revoluton to take part in creating ‘Riots to Revoluton’, a play devised from first-hand testimonies telling the story of how the Marsh Farms riots in 1995 were halted by a rave. She has a number of parts and assists the Director. ‘Riots to Revoluton’ is performed on the Marsh Farm estate in the Roundabout, Paines Plough’s pop-up theatre.
  
  
• January 2017 Four Faced Films is accepted on to University of Beds TestBeds Artist Accelerator programme
  A 12-month incubator programme which immerses artists in a university-led hothouse for ideas.
  
  
• June 2017 Commissioned by Imagine Luton and receive Arts Council funding
  The Basement Bunch are successful in their first Grants for the Arts application to Arts Council England to develop an outdoor theatre piece for children, which is presented as part of Imagine Luton festival.
  
  
• Autumn 2017 ALT. Training
  The scriptwriter on 'Riots' invites Addie to audition for ALT. Training, a programme supporting BAME and low-income actors. She is one of just 15 accepted from 800 applicants, for the ten-week course which culminates in a showcase at Southwark Playhouse.
  
  
• December 2017 Gets an agent
  Addie is taken on by agents Curtis Brown after they see her performance at the ALT. showcase.
  
  
• December 2017 Produces United We Stand
  Addie is commissioned to produce ‘United We Stand, Together We Rise’, a Revoluton residency event in Marsh Farm, and programmes a range of spoken word and music artists to perform.
  
  
• April 2018 Basement Bunch mentored by Tangled Feet
  Through Imagine Luton a connection is made with Brighton-based Tangled Feet theatre company, and the Basement Bunch join their mentoring programme.

Download the full case study below.