11th February 2021 at 7.30pm available for catch up along with audio recordings of all 'The Green Room' interviews at: https://www.strivecollective.org/the-green-room Guest: Alim Jayda Host: Stephen Collins (DH Ensemble) Interpreters: Susan Booth and Beverly Wilson Music: Road Trips by Ofshane Alim Jayda is a hard of hearing, Mixed Indian-English, LGBT, Child of Deaf Adults (CODA), actor, presenter and sign language interpreter who is a passionate advocate for Diversity and Inclusion in the Arts. With more than ten years industry experience, he’s used his extensive contacts to campaign to get BSL levels added onto the Spotlight portal and recently pulled together, created and launched the 'Guide to Good Practice with BSL in the Arts' with Equity, Deafinitely Theatre and various Deaf friends and creatives. (www.equity.org.uk/bslguide). His lifetime ambition is to be on Strictly Come Dancing! Some credits include Eastenders (BBC), Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (Universal), Kismet Diner (Ridley Scott Films), The Boy in the Dress (The Royal Shakespeare Company), A Midsummer Night's Dream (The Globe Theatre and Deafinitely Theatre), Tommy (Ramps on the Moon) and various commercials including Apple, Smirnoff and Pizza Hut. You can leave your comments below and carry on the conversation at: Twitter: @STRIVEcollectiv Hashtag: #thegreenroom_uk Some links on items that cropped up in the chat below: Spotlight's 'Contacts' book, "the industry contact Bible!': https://www.spotlight.com/contacts Italia Conti, Alim's drama school: https://www.italiaconti.com Spotlight, casting website: https://www.spotlight.com 'The Boy in the Dress' by David Walliams at the RSC: https://www.rsc.org.uk/the-boy-in-the-dress-musical/ 'Magic Hands', BBC programme for Deaf children: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/b0756gmh/magic-hands Deafinitely Theatre's 'Midsummer Night's Dream' at the RSC: https://www.deafinitelytheatre.co.uk/event/a-midsummer-nights-dream 'Eastenders' (fan club site!): http://www.albertsquarefanclub.com 'Mama Mia: Here We Go Again!': https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6911608/ Equity's 'Guide to Good Practice with BSL in the Arts': https://www.equity.org.uk/media/4342/bsl-guide-v2_proof1.pdf 'The Stand', a US series that cast a hearing actor in a Deaf role: https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-55361273 Stephen's tweet about 'The Stand' controversy: https://twitter.com/BeingStephenC/status/1340311990867255297?s=20 The 'Riz Test' on Muslim representation in the arts: https://www.riztest.com Alim's article in 'The Stage' on working with the Deaf community: https://www.thestage.co.uk/opinion/alim-jayda-theatres-must-consider-the-deaf-community-before-using-sign-language Sophie Holland, Casting Director: https://twitter.com/SophHollandCast?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor Faye Timby, Casting Director: https://www.thecdg.co.uk/members/fayetimby/

18th February 2021 at 7.30pm in #TheGreenRoom_UK  Erin Hutching talks to neurodivergent dancer, choreographer, researcher and access consultant Kelsie Acton. Kelsie Acton is from Ontario, Canada - now living in London. She is currently the Inclusive Practice Manager at Battersea Arts Centre, the world's first Relaxed Venue. Her PhD research focused on the accessibility of timing in disability dance rehearsals and she recently published a report for the Edmonton Performing Arts Accessibility Ad Hoc Group mapping the access needs of Edmontonian (Canada) audiences. As an access consultant she has worked with the Edmonton International Fringe Festival (Canada), the Citadel Theatre (Canada), Canada Dance Assembly, Caisson and Friends (UK), Scarborough Museum Trust (UK) and Freelancers Make Theatre Work (UK). Her choreography has been presented by CRIPSiE, Good Women Dance Collective and Nextfest in Canada and she attended the inaugural UCLA Dancing Disability Lab. She is a member of the Critical Design Lab (www.mapping-access.com). Interpreted by: Anna Kitson and Natasha Trantom

25th February 2021 at 7.30pm in #TheGreenRoom_UK Clare-Louise English of Hot Coals Productions talks to Polly Jerrold. Polly is a freelance casting director working primarily in theatre and occasionally in film. Before setting up her own company in 2013, she worked at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester for 5 years as the casting associate. She has always worked on a variety of projects (musical theatre, classics, new writing, devised pieces etc) and her work has a strong focus on diversity and inclusion. She has worked throughout the UK with many companies including Sheffield Crucible theatre, Regent's Park Open Air theatre, ETT (English Touring Theatre), Royal & Derngate, Bristol Old Vic, Shakespeare's Globe, York Theatre Royal and Birmingham REP. Polly also cast the first three Ramps on the Moon productions which focused on better representation of Deaf and disabled performers. She is currently working on projects with Nottingham Playhouse; the Royal & Derngate and the Children's touring partnership; as well as the transfer of Life of Pi into the Wyndham's theatre in the west end, having cast the original production for Sheffield Theatres. Interpreted by: Anna Kitson and Tracey Tyer.

Join us every Thursday at 7.30pm from 11th February 2021 in 'The Green Room'. The teams at the DH Ensemble and Hot Coals Productions will be chatting with some of the most exciting Deaf, deaf, Hard of Hearing and disabled talent and hearing industry allies in the UK and internationally. We'll be celebrating best practice, spotlighting unsung heroes and inspiring others to keep access and diversity in mind in the challenging months and years ahead. We'll be publishing each of the interviews on: ​ 11th February: Alim Jayda 18th February: guest to be announced 25th February: guest to be announced 4th March: guest to be announced 11th March: guest to be announced 18th March: guest to be announced 25th March: guest to be announced 1st April: guest to be announced 8th April: guest to be announced 15th April: guest to be announced 22nd April: guest to be announced 29th April: guest to be announced ​ Each interview will include BSL interpretation, captions and audio description.