The Spotlight Podcast is for actors and performers navigating the performing arts and entertainment industry. Brought to you by Spotlight, the home of casting, our monthly podcast shares practical tips and expert advice for building and sustaining a successful performing career. Every episode we invite a guest to the studio to shine a spotlight on topics that affect the everyday work of actors and performers. Join us as we chat to casting directors, industry experts, performers, actors and agents about topics as varied as performer working rights, audition tips, how to make the most of your Spotlight membership through to an insider look at how projects are cast. Ready to take the next step in your performing career? Find out more at https://www.spotlight.com/join-us This podcast is brought to you by Spotlight, supporting the careers of performers since 1927. From our beginnings as a printed directory where talent displayed their headshots, Spotlight quickly became a cornerstone of the performing arts industry. Today, our cutting-edge software service takes our directory online and empowers performers to showcase their talents by creating dynamic profiles, making them accessible to a vast network of casting directors and independent project creators. It’s our mission to simplify the discovery of new talent and ensure the continued vibrancy of stages and screens worldwide.
Episodes
19 minutes ago
19 minutes ago
We’re joined in the Spotlight Voiceover Booth by Adam Bambrough, founder of Wellbeing in the Arts, to talk about mental health in the creative industries.
Spotlight has partnered with Wellbeing in the Arts to offer free mental health and wellbeing support as part of Spotlight membership for performers who are 18+ and reside in the UK and Ireland. Spotlight members can access a range of services from counselling to financial advice for free, and in this episode we talk more about what those are and how to access them. Adam also shares his own mental health journey and talks about self-care and dealing with rejection.
Show Notes
Never miss an episode: subscribe to The Spotlight Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music or wherever you listen to your podcasts.
This podcast is brought to you by Spotlight, supporting the careers of performers since 1927.
From our beginnings as a printed directory where talent displayed their headshots, Spotlight quickly became a cornerstone of the performing arts industry. Today, our cutting-edge software service takes our directory online and empowers performers to showcase their talents by creating dynamic profiles, making them accessible to a vast network of casting directors and independent project creators.
It’s our mission to simplify the discovery of new talent and ensure the continued vibrancy of stages and screens worldwide.
Ready to take the next step in your performing career? Find out more at https://www.spotlight.com/join-us
Wednesday Apr 30, 2025
Wednesday Apr 30, 2025
The Rt. Hon. Stuart Andrews MP, the Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, joins us in the Spotlight studio to discuss how cultural policies impact performers. He talks about engaging with industry professionals to help inform policy development and his role as a “constructive opposition”, raising issues that are important to our sector, supporting the government's efforts to bolster the creative industries while also challenging them to do more.
Stuart shares his enthusiasm for the performing arts, from high-profile events like Eurovision to local community productions and discusses why the availability of grassroots training is essential.
He explains the importance of finding a balance between supporting the industry and being realistic about public finances and also touches upon the significance of protecting intellectual property in the age of artificial intelligence and maintaining the UK's reputation in the creative industries.
This episode is part of a series of interviews with politicians who shape policies that affect all of us working within the creative industries.
Take a listen.
Never miss an episode: subscribe to The Spotlight Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music or wherever you listen to your podcasts.
This podcast is brought to you by Spotlight, supporting the careers of performers since 1927.
From our beginnings as a printed directory where talent displayed their headshots, Spotlight quickly became a cornerstone of the performing arts industry.
Today, our cutting-edge software service takes our directory online and empowers performers to showcase their talents by creating dynamic profiles, making them accessible to a vast network of casting directors and independent project creators.
It’s our mission to simplify the discovery of new talent and ensure the continued vibrancy of stages and screens worldwide.
Ready to take the next step in your performing career? Find out more at https://www.spotlight.com/join-us
Thursday Mar 20, 2025
Thursday Mar 20, 2025
We’re joined by injury prevention consultant, Tome Levi, to talk about the stark findings revealed in the Impact of Injury report about the human toll and economic impact of injury for performers and crew working in film, television and theatre. The report highlights the reality of cast and crew injuries caused whilst working on production and calls on the industry to improve safety at work and create safe spaces for concerns to be voiced.
Tome talks through the key findings in the report, what can be done to challenge the operational norms of production so we can create inclusive work environments and better conditions for performers to do their jobs safely.
Show Notes
Never miss an episode: subscribe to The Spotlight Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music or wherever you listen to your podcasts.
This podcast is brought to you by Spotlight, supporting the careers of performers since 1927.
From our beginnings as a printed directory where talent displayed their headshots, Spotlight quickly became a cornerstone of the performing arts industry.
Today, our cutting-edge software service takes our directory online and empowers performers to showcase their talents by creating dynamic profiles, making them accessible to a vast network of casting directors and independent project creators. It’s our mission to simplify the discovery of new talent and ensure the continued vibrancy of stages and screens worldwide.
Ready to take the next step in your performing career? Find out more at https://www.spotlight.com/join-us
Friday Feb 28, 2025
Friday Feb 28, 2025
Casting Director Kharmel Cochrane joins us to talk about her three year casting journey for ‘Bob Marley: One Love’, with a search spanning the UK, USA and Jamaica to find the 70+ cast members.
Kharmel also took questions from Spotlight members and covers topics like:
- What to expect in an audition with Kharmel Cochrane.
- Adding your skills and accents to your Spotlight profile.
- How casting directors work with agents.
- In person auditions versus self-tape.
- Advice for performers auditioning for TV, film and commercials.
Take a listen!
Never miss an episode: subscribe to The Spotlight Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music or wherever you listen to your podcasts.
This podcast is brought to you by Spotlight, supporting the careers of performers since 1927.
From our beginnings as a printed directory where talent displayed their headshots, Spotlight quickly became a cornerstone of the performing arts industry.
Today, our cutting-edge software service takes our directory online and empowers performers to showcase their talents by creating dynamic profiles, making them accessible to a vast network of casting directors and independent project creators. It’s our mission to simplify the discovery of new talent and ensure the continued vibrancy of stages and screens worldwide.
Ready to take the next step in your performing career? Find out more at https://www.spotlight.com/join-us
Friday Feb 07, 2025
Friday Feb 07, 2025
Esteemed casting director Kate Rhodes James discusses her process for assembling the stellar cast we see on screen in Gladiator II. Listen to Kate answer questions from Spotlight members about the intricacies of casting a blockbuster film, self-taping and the importance of making connections through work.
Never miss an episode: subscribe to The Spotlight Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music or wherever you listen to your podcasts.
This podcast is brought to you by Spotlight, supporting the careers of performers since 1927.
From our beginnings as a printed directory where talent displayed their headshots, Spotlight quickly became a cornerstone of the performing arts industry.
Today, our cutting-edge software service takes our directory online and empowers performers to showcase their talents by creating dynamic profiles, making them accessible to a vast network of casting directors and independent project creators. It’s our mission to simplify the discovery of new talent and ensure the continued vibrancy of stages and screens worldwide.
Ready to take the next step in your performing career? Find out more at https://www.spotlight.com/join-us