The Television Workshop keeps nurturing Nottingham's next generation of screen stars

Barely a week goes by without a familiar Nottingham face on screen, and many of them have one thing in common. The Television Workshop, founded in 1983 and a registered charity since 2012, is a BAFTA award-winning training ground for young actors, with a strong focus on diversity and inclusion.

Its alumni list is remarkable: Samantha Morton, Vicky McClure, Jack O'Connell and Bella Ramsey all trained there, as did Aisling Loftus and Joe Dempsie. Current workshopper Amos Kitson has been cast as Dudley Dursley in the new Harry Potter series. Samantha Morton, Shane Meadows and Vicky McClure are patrons.

Director Alison Rashley grew up in Carlton and first joined the Workshop after its original director spotted her in a school play. She has led it since 2021. In July 2024 she became an Honorary Doctor of Arts at Nottingham Trent University. She told LeftLion the Workshop now has 260 students, from under-11s to an over-21s group, with classes every night of the week and on Saturdays, all run from a small one-room office in the city centre.

"I'd much rather be offering the kids quality teaching than have fancy surroundings," she said. With no core funding since its original ITV support ended, the charity keeps fees affordable and offers bursary places, some funded by former students, so talent rather than money decides who can join.

Its latest production shows the Workshop's big heart. Alison's new play, I Had a Wheelbarrow, is set in the Kop stand at Notts County and unfolds over ninety minutes from the supporters' point of view. Alumni including Michael Socha, Joe Dempsie and Aisling Loftus filmed scenes in the dug-out, Shane Meadows shot them, and Vicky McClure voices the stadium announcer, all giving their time to raise funds.

Vicky McClure sums up what the place means: "Workshop doesn't look precious but what you get from it is precious. Cherish it."

For a city proud of its storytellers, the Television Workshop is one of Nottingham's quiet treasures, turning local young people into confident performers whatever path they choose.

Information on joining, bursaries and supporting the charity is on the Television Workshop website.