Central Junior Television Workshop

The Television Workshop offers free training for young people from all backgrounds in performance skills for television, film, radio and theatre. It is open to anybody between the ages of 7 and 21. Entry to the workshop is by an audition process. Auditions are held once a year during spring.

History

The Central Junior Television Workshop is an initiative which was originally set up by Central Independent Television, England, in 1983 to act as a casting pool for young talent in the Central broadcasting region. The Workshop was split into two branches, one based in Nottingham and the other based in Birmingham (set up in 1984, a year after Nottingham).

The Workshop has been known as several different names over the past including the Central Junior TV Workshop, Carlton Junior TV Workshop, ITV Junior TV Workshop and most recently simply The Television Workshop.

Awards

The group has gained a formidable national and international reputation having been awarded:

* The Royal Television Society Midlands Award (1988)
* The British Film Institute Children’s Award (1995)
* The Children’s BAFTA in recognition of its outstanding development of young talent for film and television. (2006)

Professional opinions

"Over the years as a casting director (from being Head of Casting at the RSC to Head of Casting at The Bill) I have had the good fortune to use the impartial expertise and in-depth knowledge of the Workshop and found it an invaluable resource. But far more than being just an excellent return in investment in talent for the television companies, it serves a more profound social purpose in that the kids it produces are professional, disciplined, committed and passionate future citizens."
- Alison Chard (Casting Director)

"The standard of these kids under the guidance of Ian Smith and Colin Edwards has been without question higher than any other youth drama group I have ever visited.The reputation of the facility is so strong that not only does it attract the best young actors in the region but also it has become part of the vocabulary of drama training – if a young actor has trained there it means as much as a training at RADA or LAMDA."
- Wendy Brazington

Links

* [http://www.thetelevisionworkshop.co.uk The Television Workshop's Website]
* [http://www.thetelevisionworkshop.co.uk/credits.php Workshop Credits]
* [http://www.leftlion.co.uk/articles.cfm/id/880 Ian Smith Interview (Workshop Director)]