Plays by two acting degree students at The Northern School of Art, highlighting the topical issues of the challenges facing a single-parent nurse trying to make ends meet in the cost-of-living crisis, and the impact of toxic masculine influencers on social media, could be heading to the stage.

The solo shows written and performed by final year BA (Hons) Acting for Stage & Screen students Kaitlyn Maxfield (pictured below left) and Stephen Lister (pictured below right) were chosen as the winners of awards backed by Stockton-on-Tees arts centre ARC, which is an education partner with The Northern School of Art offering performance opportunities, placements and mentoring.

The ARC Award is given each year by an industry panel to an acting student at The Northern School of Art that has produced the most dynamic and exciting solo show. Third year students recently performed their devised solo shows at ARC for this year’s panel.

ARC Producer Cristina Mackerron, who was part of the panel, said: “It was wonderful to watch the third years’ solos in the showcase. We were so impressed and inspired by the talent, creativity and standard of the solo performances.

“We were delighted to give Kaitlyn the ARC award to recognise her fantastic solo – her authentic and natural performance, excellent scriptwriting and poignant themes were powerful and very engaging. We’re also very happy to give the Development Award to Stephen, whose solo was brilliantly performed and touched upon important themes and has real potential to develop.

“We’re really thankful to all of the students who shared their work and look forward to seeing where their paths lead. The creative world is very bright with these graduates heading into it!”

Kaitlyn Maxfield (pictured above in The Duchess of Malfi, ARC, April 2022), 22, a former Preston College student from Preston, said finding out she had won the award was a shock: “When I was told, in front of my class, I burst into tears, I didn’t expect it!

“I thought everyone’s pieces were brilliant so to find out I won was amazing. I felt so privileged. Especially because my piece is so personal, it made me so happy people resonated with it.”

Kaitlyn explained that her performance was originally inspired by the Channel 4 film ‘Help’, about a character on the breadline struggling with the challenges of being a healthcare worker in Covid.

“I developed my performance, ‘A Penny For Your Thoughts’, to fit with the current narrative of the cost-of-living crisis in the UK and the fact that many nurses have voted to go on strike due to unfair living and working conditions, putting lots of people at risk,” she added.

“This is what inspired me. Real people’s stories, people in our country today struggling and being unheard. I watched a lot of interviews and spoke to friends who are nurses and developed this piece from their experiences too.

“My character Marianne is a single mother who works as a staff nurse. Due to the cost-of-living crisis, she is unable to make ends meet and the pressures of being a nurse and a single mum come to a head when she is on a lunch break having a cigarette. I find it important to talk and share these stories.”

Kaitlyn aims to use the professional support offered by ARC as part of the Award to develop her piece further: “I want to create a full play dedicated to telling the story of the nurses in the UK who are now going on strike and highlight issues, start conversations, and resonate with those affected. Moving forward I want to make more work that showcases causes I feel strongly about.

“In the meantime, I am also currently writing and directing a farce called ‘Welcome To The Village’ that will be shown at ARC in March.”

Winner of the Development Award, Stephen Lister (pictured above on stage), 23 said: “I was honoured that my play ‘Tough Pill to Swallow’ was picked as one of the ARC award winners.

“It’s a coming-of-age Brechtian solo show that follows a teenager called Wilfred, a warm, introverted teen that wants to discover love and acceptance. Wilfred believes that to discover this he has to follow strict advice from an online male influencer part of the ‘Alpha male’ community.

“This piece took inspiration from stories by friends, families and partners that know someone who has been influenced by toxic masculine influencers and the affect it’s had on their behaviour.”

He added: “I hope to keep developing this piece and exploring similar topics to share with a wider audience.”

The winner of the 2021 ARC Award, Joseph Casling (pictured above), has recently had confirmation of funding from Arts Council England to develop his project ‘Conked Out’.

He said he was absolutely delighted to have received so much support and interest from staff and creatives from ARC and The Northern School of Art adding: “It’s so humbling to have people be interested in my work. I have a brilliant mentor and technician, who have signed on to help me and I can’t wait to get into the studio at ARC and start creating!

“I hope when the piece returns to the School’s theatre next year to open my rehearsal rooms to students so that they can see what the process is like and hopefully give back some of the wonderful support that I’ve received.”

The Northern School of Art’s Faculty Leader for Stage & Screen, Jonny Bussell, said: “Our relationship with ARC has been fantastic and offers the students a bridge to the industry.  The team has been so supportive, and this has led to not only opportunities for students whilst on the course but paid employment for graduates who have been involved in a number of productions and projects through ARC.”

As part of the BA (Hons) Acting for Stage & Screen degree programme students engage in a range of contemporary acting techniques for stage and screen as well as working collaboratively with students from the stage and screen faculty including film, production design and costume.  Students are also encouraged to make their own work. For further information about the course click HERE

For further information about Kaitlyn, Stephen and Joseph follow:

Kaitlyn Maxfield: Twitter: @KaitlynActing and Instagram: @kaitlynmax_acting

Stephen Lister: Instagram: @ste.lister

Joseph Casling: Twitter: @JoeQef and Instagram: @josephcasling View his Spotlight profile HERE