The first North Wall ArtsLab Residency (then known at the “Summer School”) ran from 1 – 22 August 2007, and was generously sponsored by the Garfield Weston Foundation. It was directed by Edward Kemp, Artistic Director of RADA, and Lucy Maycock, assisted by a professional staff of theatre technicians and designers. The auditions were advertised nationally in secondary schools, and as a result a company of 17 was formed, drawn from all parts of the UK.
The project was based on the novel Mr Vertigo by Paul Auster, the story of a young orphaned boy from St Louis, who meets a mysterious traveller known only as Master Yehudi and is trained by him to levitate before travelling across the United States performing this feat at circus shows.
“The residential work I did with the North Wall in 2007 was invaluable for my progression within the arts. Since participating, I have gone on to work professionally producing content for film and television and started a creative agency called Shop the following year. Over time Shop has touched base with all aspects of the arts and has grown from strength to strength.”
Jack Curtis (Mr Vertigo 2007)
“The three weeks I spent at the North Wall were invaluable to my development as an actor and helped to bridge the gap between my academic university degree and my life as a professional actress. Even though I didn’t have formal drama training, I have since worked on three feature films, and have even made my West End debut, as Lisa in Dirty Dancing. I am sure my journey would have been much harder without the skills and the confidence that Lucy and Ed instilled in me.”
Caroline Haines (Mr Vertigo 2007)
