Introduction
This portfolio collates the marketing materials I have created so far relevant to areas of the industry I aim to work in – aided by my key learning moments of this academic year. My research reflects the industry of today: exploring professionals such as Casting Directors, Directors and Agents, and how I want them to perceive my professional personality. I will discuss the specific tasks I must complete to bring myself towards the work I want to do after graduation. Consistently refining my presentation through marketing materials will serve as a good practice when working as a performer, actively reflecting my skills and passions to enhance the scope of jobs I can book.
This is pressing as a recent equity survey 1(Equity, 2026) found that ‘England council arts spending’ has ‘fallen by 61%’ since 2010 – the largest drop in the UK by 10%. With reduced funding comes reduced engagement and reduced jobs. Drama school lecturer Richard Delaney states that only ‘17% of graduates move into performance related work within 6 months after graduation’, a statistic dropping every year 2(Delaney, 2025). The industry is becoming increasingly oversaturated with a declining audience, so learning how to aptly market myself will put me in the best possible position to find work in a vastly competitive sector.
Marketing Materials
Headshots
Initially, I researched five photographers (fig 1a) before narrowing it down to Emilie Goldie (fig 1b) and AKTA (fig 1c). I was impressed by the colour palettes used by both companies, with actors being complimented by both clothing and background in relevance to their skin tone. This ensures that the actor draws focus, getting an insight to their energy and character. AKTA, however, went further and used background colouring to compliment eye colour, which I believe aptly showcases a balance of personality and professional presence to a Casting Director. Their colour grading and style variety in edits lends itself well to a wide range of strong roles, meaning that I can use clothing to effectively hint to an array of characters I want to pursue throughout actor-musicianship in stage and screen.
The price and location of photographers is a huge consideration for me, as travelling to London from Newcastle would add to an already expensive purchase. As seen in fig 1a, Emilie Goldie (Yorkshire) is priced at £175, with AKTA (London) at £299 – but they offer a pay what you can scheme starting at £80. I was lucky enough to receive this offer, securing AKTA as my top photographer. As I haven’t had professional headshots before, I appreciate the resources AKTA gives you to prepare for your session, with dedicated time before your session starts explaining how it will run.
Fig 1a
Fig 1b
Fig 1c
CV
My name and headshot serve as the focal point of my CV, located at the top of the page (fig 1d) as this is the most vital information for industry professionals to remember. I have used a different font for my name, complimenting the round letters and conveying a warm, professional presence. For my titles, I have used a blue text colour for authenticity and mentally stimulating effects 3(Radovanoic, 2026), contrasted with different shades of grey for content to highlight the most important information and ensure my CV is easily readable. Ordered by relevance, location, spotlight ID and contact details are at the top, followed by credits, skills and training. This ensures my most striking projects and skills are seen first, furthering my chance for Casting Directors to link me to the work I’m most interested in. By having my ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Panto’ credit first, my passion for actor-musicianship is demonstrated through professional material, so the casting directors of future auditions will be able to link me with an established production.
I have carefully selected my credits to reflect the scope of work I want to be involved in, proving my experience working with a range of material and showcasing my versatility. I hope to swap out relevant credits in third year, keeping my CV up to date. My skills section begins with musical instruments categorised by skill level, followed by singing, as these are crucial to almost every actor-musician production. I’ve included an ‘other’ section to reflect potentially useful skills and add some personality, showing my life and training outside of performing.
Fig 1d
Fig 1e
Bio
Through drafting my biography (fig 1e) I decided that I wanted it split into three sections: about me, skills & examples, and my graduate season. Here, I was able to clearly market myself to industry professionals whilst keeping to 150 words. The beginning of each section includes my name, so each piece of information is linked back to myself.
In my current draft, I have chosen words like ‘driven’, ‘dynamic’ and ‘passionate’ as I want to positively but truthfully describe myself to readers. After careful consideration, I included the phrase ‘bonus points if it’s Northern’ to end my first section. This not only represents my passion for Northern projects but adds personality to my biography outside of adjectives. As industry professionals will read countless bio’s, I want a balance of professionalism, authenticity and character.
I then briefly introduce myself as a multi-instrumentalist, singer and dancer, followed by some recent credits. At this stage I thought it more important to include examples of styles of music rather than the instruments themself, as this way readers would get an insight into my preferred styles of work. When it comes to adding my graduate season, I may edit section two to take away some credits and add instruments depending on how my casting reflects the work I am passionate about in both a musical and acting sense.
When uploading my biography to spotlight, I would remove excess mention of skills documented elsewhere and past credits, ending it with reference to a production I am currently in or about to start. Here, information on where to see me perform live is easily accessible to relevant professionals.
Industry Research
After being inspired by ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’, I researched similar Actor-Musician productions in the North of England. Many regional theatres rely on pantomime as a financial pillar (fig 2a), so this is an area where many performers look for income in winter months. The ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Panto’ in Leeds and Liverpool sparked my interest, as they are an actor-musician production that involve the instruments I am strongest at: Saxophone, Keys and Drums. In a Q&A with Leeds’ Director Rob Salmon, he described female drummers as “gold dust”, encouraging any players to keep pursuing this male-dominated instrument.
My most notable finding was an open call for an upcoming production of ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ co-produced by Northern Stage and Derby Theatre. I was lucky enough to be pencilled for the role of understudy Audrey, but unfortunately it didn’t go my way this time. However, this experience allowed me to build a relationship with both theatre’s, Director Sarah Brigham and Debbie O’Brien Casting through Instagram and email – illustrating the importance of social media to market oneself within the industry. I decided that I wanted a hybrid account of both professional work and personal life, to show any future employers my passions and interests both in and outside of my work (fig 2b). So far, I have attached relevant training in my bio and included posts that I believe reflect my personality. Next year, I hope to add my headshots, and promotional photos from my productions to begin to market my professional skills.
The next phase of my research revolved around the relevant professionals working on the ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ production (fig 2c), followed by local producing theatres: Northern Stage and Leeds Playhouse (fig 2d). I was impressed with their community centred work and inclusivity ethos, with both companies offering schemes to aid graduates. Both theatres are producing the precise work I want to be involved in this season, with an Actor-Musician production of ‘Brassed Off’ coming to Leeds Playhouse in June (fig 2e) and the politically driven retelling of ‘I, Daniel Blake’ finishing in April 2026 at Northern Stage (fig 2f). I can therefore reasonably presume that after my graduation, the Artistic Directors of both theatres will strive to produce similar political and musically supported productions.
I aspire to work with the RSC, especially after seeing the Actor-Musician interpretation of Julius Caesar at the Bridge Theatre. But as a well-established theatre company, performing here as a graduate is unlikely. This led me to look at some local theatre companies, such as Northern Broadsides, Shakespeare North Playhouse and Elysium – all of which strive towards producing Shakespeare plays with a Northern voice (fig 2g). They perform in a range of venues from Sheffield Crucible Theatre to Alnwick Playhouse and even outdoor spaces. My dream role is ‘Romeo’ from ‘Romeo and Juliet’, but despite the fact that this role has never been played professionally by a woman, I think that it is reasonable to predict a sapphic retelling of this story in the near future, with the rise of modern genderbent casting, both seen in RSC and regional companies’ productions.
The Actor-Musician network is a small one, with people and companies I research often being involved with several productions I’m interested in (fig 2h) – for example Debbie O’Brien casting has cast ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ and Leeds ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Panto’. So when it came to researching agents, I decided to cross-reference agencies within the casts of different Actor-Musician productions and recent Leeds Conservatoire graduates (fig 2i). Out of the four recurring agencies, I found Nicola Bolton management and Brewis Scott Associates both often hired graduates, with current clients based in the North. After checking the clientele of both agencies, I think I could be a good fit for either as I don’t look like anybody on their books already – so I will invite them both to my graduate showcase. Over the next decade I would like to apply to be with AHA Talent or Nancy Hudson Associates as I advance in my career, building up the established reputation needed for their representation. Agencies now often put clients up for screen roles in addition to theatre, something I’m interested in both as an art form and a tool for financial security. Jobs in film and TV have higher rates of pay compared to theatre 4(Windsor, 2024), so being versatile enough to work in both sectors could encourage a sustainable career.
Fig 2a
Fig 2b
Fig 2c
Fig 2d
Fig 2e
Fig 2f
Fig 2g
Fig 2h
Fig 2i
Summative Statement
Professional Musical Material
Fig 3a
Working with the Leeds City Varieties ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Panto’ material was where I felt I had developed the most this year (fig 3a). These two weeks tested my ability to collaborate with an external director and play sheet music to a professional standard.
I had anticipated challenges in memorising the pieces, but in reality I found the real difficulty came with refinement. A key learning moment came when I was given the piano part for ‘Papa Don’t Preach’, which opened with a solo. Not only was the music difficult, but I was in charge of leading the whole company. Throughout rehearsals, I discovered that the most important thing was keeping the piece moving, even if that meant simplifying my music in the room for the sake of the ensemble, whilst building towards the finished product.
I found that this was also applicable when singing the Dame’s number: ‘Bad Romance’, as I began struggling to technically place the material (intended for a male voice). Whilst learning it, I took a character-first approach by creating a clear and distinct voice within the musical timing.
This taught me an invaluable lesson in ensemble work that I will apply throughout my career, helping me think of performing less internally. Despite worrying about my vocal quality within Bad Romance, I received great feedback from the Director and Musical Director. They were then able to give relevant notes to the whole cast throughout rehearsals, no matter what stage I was at musically. This validated my ensemble-first approach to working, something I will take forward into third year and beyond. Actor-Musician productions such as Benjamin Button were musically figured out in the room, depending on the instrument combinations of the actors and their personal performance tracks. The skills I have gained in musical ensemble work, specifically in my listening, timing and adapting have provided me with the foundations to thrive in these collaboration environments, as well as serving as a notable credit on my CV. With this in mind, I hope to audition for this production post-graduation, as I continue to nurture a relationship with the Casting Director Debbie O’Brien, who has seen me sing and play relevant instruments in a previous audition.
Fig 3b
Discovering ‘My Process’
The rehearsals for my first project, The Moors, demanded application of skill onto extensive research (fig 3b), testing my work ethic and adaptability.
My challenges came with trusting that my preparation was enough, as I often fell into demonstrative acting. My understanding of the language, connection to my character’s narrative and research of androgyny in Victorian England had to remain subconscious so I could simply play the conflict of the scene. A key learning moment came when the Director opened a discussion of the stakes of the scene – breaking down an overwhelming load of vocal technique, physicality and connection to circumstance into a manageable question: what does my character want and how much does she want it? I revised my objectives as a response to this (fig 3c), in an attempt to constantly better and refine my portrayal of Agatha whilst keeping tactics fresh. From here on, contributions I brought to the rehearsal room significantly improved.
Fig 3c
The Moors explores queer ‘romance’ and gender roles through the lens of Victorian England – a time period I had never interacted with before as an actor. A vital skill I will keep moving forward was my ability to transform my fear of the unknown into passion for research throughout the process. Whilst I thoroughly enjoy classical work, period dramas are not something I stereotypically connect with. However, I adore themes of gender and sexuality, especially in unconventional settings – this kept me connected throughout the process of this production. I would be naive to believe that in this industry I will always work on exciting and challenging productions, so I will adopt this ability to find love within all genres of work, as this will help me through tedious hours of work in the future.
Before receiving the role of Agatha (and later Olivia in ‘Twelfth Night’), I had viewed my casting type as a token lower class Northerner, an often comedic role. While I found these roles challenging, afterwards I reflected that I could see myself playing characters with a higher status, having been trusted twice with roles demanding total authority. This was aided by attention to intimacy, especially while portraying Agatha. Learning to safely set boundaries to explore the actions of such big characters ensured that I was able to discover the full extent of Agatha’s desires and what this means within her own narrative, whilst creating open communication with my scene partner. The shift in my view of casting type led me to explore a variety of roles with more ease, presented in my bio and CV – something I will keep moving forward as I explore bolder roles in third year and beyond. This will set me up to encompass versatility within the industry so I can maximise the amount of jobs I can book.
Preparing for Auditions
Fig 3d
Completing a series of mock auditions allowed me to safely showcase my training so far whilst presenting myself professionally.
A key learning moment came from being honest with myself of how much work I actually put into these auditions. With balancing classes and assessments, I did not consistently leave myself sufficient time to prepare a mock audition to my standard; I would only have time to quickly come up with an objective for my character and complete some light research on the play and playwright. I soon discovered that I put too much faith in my subconscious technical ability, as feedback reflected a lack of character depth and variety. However, an unexpected discovery was my preference and ease when doing a screen audition compared to stage. I felt that my preparation (fig 3d) served me well in both presenting my ability and managing my time. I would set aside around half an hour to complete this work, alongside a read through (if possible) with my scene partner. Before my last mock stage audition, I applied this same process and research strategy, (fig 3e), allowing for an individual and authentic audition. In particular, exploring where I was in the ‘circumstance’ section really helped to connect me to the setting of the jungle and how that would influence my character choices. Here, I received compliments from an external Casting Director for my ability to quickly respond to redirection.
Fig 3e
Moving towards graduation, this has taught me that ample preparation not only puts me at ease but encourages bolder choices and more nuanced responses to direction. I want to market myself as a bold and responsive performer, so it’s important to have a consistency in effort and skill – something that prospers with sufficient time management. I find that setting timers is a great tool to ensure I complete tasks required without getting lost within them for hours. Through this year, I have failed and succeeded in preparation, leading me to create several different processes depending on what project I’m working on – be that a quick audition or full production. Here (fig 3f), I have noted techniques I can rely on that can be completed in around thirty minutes, and fill me with enough confidence to successfully offer bold choices in an audition room. To further this research, I would like to read Uta Hagan’s “Respect For Acting”, to refresh myself on key techniques, as her work on setting resonated with me through this project, but my own lack of clarity on her other techniques could be posing a barrier to the effectiveness of my process.
Fig 3f
Conclusion
Finding my place as an artist in this industry has been a key thread through this academic year. I’ve grown my understanding of the industry as a business, opposed to a passion – learning to market myself correctly as an Actor-Musician, and manage my time wisely.
The industry requires information to be concise, digestible and memorable. This is something I have prioritised in the making of my bio and CV, using colour, font and language to reflect my professional personality. I want both drive and playfulness to be expected in an audition room, marketing myself upon those principles from just a piece of paper. Throughout the next year and beyond, I aim to set time every six weeks to revise my marketing materials, ensuring they always accurately reflect myself and my interests.
Despite struggling with managing my time, balancing research with practicality, I have taken great steps forward in creating valuable materials and resources to support me through my entrance into the industry. I am proud of how I have built on the creation of my process in my first year, testing it with projects to see how it will hold professionally.
Knowing the demands of the industry, I have begun the networking process, creating good habits to research and stay in touch with influential creatives. Most importantly, constant reflections over this year have aided me to become self-aware of my technical skill, so I can always work on refining my craft.
- Equity. (2026, March 19). A 55% cut in funding by British councils threatens universal access to the arts. [online] Available at: https://www.equity.org.uk/news/2026/cut-in-funding-by-british-councils-threatens-arts-access.
↩︎ - Delaney, R. Linkedin.com. (2025). [online] Available at: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/richardddelaney_theres-an-uncomfortable-truth-in-actor-training-activity-7367119638121312257-Ln_m.
↩︎ - Radovanoic, B. (2026, February 18). Psychology of blue: from calm to creativity of the dual nature. Colour Psychology. [online] Available at: https://www.colorpsychology.org/blog/psychology-of-blue-from-calm-to-creativity-in-the-dual-nature/
↩︎ - Windsor, Antonia. Mandy. (2024, July 15) Money Matter: How much do UK Actors really earn? [online] Available at: https://www.mandy.com/uk/magazine/article/how-much-do-uk-actors-really-earn-77503/
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