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The Actors Center Historique
was founded in 1978 by a group of actors in ncluding Sheila Hancock, John Alderton and Clive Swift. From it modest beginnings it has since grown to occupy a unique place in the performing arts in this country. In 1994 it moved to its current building in the heart of the West End.
A former industrial building, the space was transformed into a creative hub serving a growing community of actors. The Actors Center will be 30 years old in 2008 and there is much to celebrate. The Center now has over 2300 members, with access to over 1500 workshops a year. It incorporates a 70 seat theatre, presenting a year round programme of new and experimental work.
It also has five studios including a fully equipped media studio with edit suite, a vocal studio, a dance studio, and rehearsal studio. We are fortunate that over the years The Actors Center's vision has been shared by many leading figure from the British stage and screen. The late Sir Alan Bate was Patron of the Actors Center, following in the footsteps of its Founding Patron, Lord Olivier, and Sir Alec Guinness. Alan Bates was an outstanding Patron, who passionately cared about the quality of acting.
His passion and commitment to the acting profession is echoed by our current Patron, Julie Walters. The Actors Center is also fortunate to benefit from the support of its Advisory Board and a body of Vice-Presidents that includes a vast array of the leading lights of the acting profession. The Actors Center provides a unique service helping professional actors improve their skills and exercise their talents and so provides the entertainment industry as a whole with a pool of practised, enquiring artists.
SIR ANTHONY HOPKINS
The International Institute
was created in 1998 as a non-profit organization and began by producing theatre for several years.
In October 2003, the Institute expanded its activities by offering professional training and workshops for actors, directors and playwrights, in theatre and cinema, and has since organized over 70 workshops in Paris and abroad.
To ensure a high professional quality of education, we invite internationally renowned instructors to participate in our programs.
The International Institute of Performing Arts is working in association with partners in Paris, London, New York, San Francisco, Sarasota, Berlin and Madrid to enhance professional cross-cultural exchange between artists around the world.
The Institute is doing the most important work, offering substantial and excting training programs for professional actors on an international level.