Congratulations to Central's Class of 2020
Congratulations to Central’s Class of 2020 on the completion of their degrees and for all their hard work over the course of their studies. We are delighted to welcome them into Central’s alumni community.
In these uncertain times, we have been busy preparing a special programme of support for our new graduates including resources, networking events and workshops designed specifically for the Class of 2020.
Whether they’re planning to set up their own theatre companies or enterprises, looking for support as freelancers seeking tips and advice about launching their careers, or just wanting some inspiration about the options that are currently available to them, we’ve compiled a range of resources to help guide our graduates as they embark on this next stage of their professional lives.
Bringing our community together
These are isolating times, and we’ve been focused on doing everything we can to connect our Class of 2020 – both with one another and with our wider alumni networks.
With the December 2020 Graduation Ceremony postponed as a result of COVID-19, we’re working to find an alternative date in 2021 when we can hold a physical Graduation Ceremony for the Class of 2020 and celebrate their enormous achievements in person. However, we couldn’t let the date go by without marking it in some way, and on Monday 7 December 2020 we hosted an online celebration acknowledging the originally planned date of the Graduation Ceremony at which we warmly welcome over one hundred of our new Central graduates.
A week later on Tuesday 15 December 2020, we were delighted to host a special event exclusively for the Class of 2020: an intimate Q&A with legendary actor Sir Ian McKellen which was arranged by Central’s President and fellow alumnus Michael Grandage. During the event, graduates were encouraged to engage and to submit questions to Sir Ian who offered advice and shared stories from his 60-year career.
Recordings from both of these events can be accessed by the Class of 2020 on our ‘Class of 2020’ channel on MyCentral.
Alumni providing support
Central is incredibly fortunate to have an extensive and engaged alumni community which includes practitioners at all stages of their careers and who are willing to give of their time and expertise to help support the next generation of students and graduates.
In 2020, we called on our alumni community to ask if they would consider taking part in our Pay it Forward Campaign in support of the Class of 2020. We are grateful for the many offers of support that were received as a part of Pay it Forward, including offers to provide feedback on CVs and job applications; to review business, marketing and fundraising plans and/ or applications, and to provide guidance with press releases and ideas for promotion. If you’re a recent graduate who would be interested in taking advantage of any of these offers of support, please send your documents or requests to the alumni office who will connect you with a graduate who can assist.
Workshops & Networking Events
Finally, the Alumni Office has been pulling together its resources to provide a series of dedicated workshops and networking events, and to help the Class of 2020 navigate this next stage of their careers.
To date, we’ve held a series of workshops and events with the University of London’s Careers Group which were tailored with the needs of Central graduates in mind. These one-hour sessions were highly interactive and helped provide practical solutions to address some of the specific concerns facing the Class of 2020. Recordings of the workshop can be accessed on on our ‘Class of 2020’ channel on MyCentral.
We have also held networking events to enable the Class of 2020 and students currently in their final year of study at Central to benefit from the advice of experienced alumni working in the industry, to build and develop their networks, and to take part in discussions about the future of the arts and creative industries. So far, events have been hosted for our BA (Hons) Theatre Practice and BA (Hons) Contemporary Performance Practice graduates, and more events are being planned for other courses which will take place in the coming months.
Coming soon is a series of one-hour workshops offering highly interactive virtual learning experiences regardless of whether graduates studied at undergraduate, postgraduate or PhD level. First up is Enterprising mindset - turning your theatre skills into a business on Wednesday 20 January 2021. The workshop is being offered as part of the StART Entrepreneurship Scheme, funded by the Office for Students and Research England.
We are also be launching a number of Central Cafés, informal online sessions which provide an opportunity for graduates to have more in depth discussions with experienced alumni and pose questions relating to specific topics. On Tuesday 19 January 2021, we’ll host Adapting physical spaces at the National Theatre for COVID-19 restrictions which will feature Central alumni working in the technical departments of the National Theatre in discussion about how their spaces were adapted to allow performances under a variety of COVID-19 restrictions. And on Tuesday 26 January 2021, we’ll host Adapting work for a digital space, during and after the pandemic and will welcome members of leading alumni theatre companies Dante Or Die, Darkfield and Phosphoros Theatre.
Connect with us
Make sure your details are up-to-to date to ensure that you keep receiving messages about forthcoming offers and events. Information about the Alumni Office’s various activities can also be found on our alumni social media groups.
You can also listen to Shaun Northover, Central’s Alumni and Events Manager, on the final episode of series 2 of the Discover Central Podcast On the episode, Shaun sits down with host Scott Bellamy to discuss the benefits, events and networking opportunities available to Central’s graduates.
For over 100 years, many of the most preeminent theatre practitioners and performers in the world have been Central alumni. We see our relationship with those we trained as lifelong, and all graduates of Central are part of this legacy and are encouraged to stay engaged with the school and tap into its thriving alumni community. Find out more about our alumni networks, events, benefits and dedicated programmes of support here or contact our Alumni Office.
Central’s Class of 2020 Programme is supported by the Noel Coward Foundation.
