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91Èȱ¬ Talent launches five
new schemes for 2004
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Testimonials
Michael Miller - actor, Canterbury Tales
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"One of the best feelings I've ever had," says
Michael Miller on winning the 91Èȱ¬ Talent audition landing a role alongside
Dennis Waterman and James Nesbitt in the 91Èȱ¬'s Canterbury Tales.
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Coming from a long line of plumbers, his lifelong hankering
for an acting career had somehow never seemed a realistic option.
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"It was a real eye-opener," he says, "totally
nerve-wracking but totally fascinating. Lots of people had previous experience
or had been to drama school so when I fluffed a line, I thought I'd blown
it.
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"Knowing I was one of just four men of 400 who got
through and performing in such a great production has given me the boost
I needed to pursue my acting dream. I've already sent off for my Equity
card."
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Mark Maxwell - broadcast assistant, Radio 1
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"There's no way I'd be doing a job like this without
91Èȱ¬ Talent," says 20 year-old Mark Maxwell.
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Alternative music had always been his passion but, having
left school at 16, he was working the night shift at McDonald's and felt
his chances with 91Èȱ¬ Talent's search for a Radio 1 Broadcast Assistant
were "pretty low".
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It was the piece he had to write, at stage two, proposing
his selection of bands for a music festival that he thought would be his
real stumbling block.
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So he couldn't believe it when he got through to the final
interview and, a couple of days later, was offered a contract as a Broadcast
Assistant on John Peel's Radio 1 show.
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"It's a brilliant opportunity and I've had some fantastic
training, support and experience already," says Mark.
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"I get to write stuff for the website, do track listings
and interviews and generally indulge my passion for music.
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"This time last year, I was working the nightshift
at McDonald's in East Kilbride, now I'm living in London and doing my
dream job working with John Peel on radio."
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Sarah-Leigh Barnett - weather presenter, 91Èȱ¬ East Midlands/
Nottingham
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At the age of 41 and with two kids, teacher Sarah Leigh-Barnett
felt her age and circumstances were against her in 91Èȱ¬ Talent's search
for a weather presenter.
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Little did she know that, weeks later, her life would
have transformed and she'd be presenting the weather at 91Èȱ¬ Nottingham.
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It was only with daughter's encouragement that she was
finally persuaded to enter 91Èȱ¬ Talent in 2003.
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"It's been hugely rewarding," says Sarah.
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"The training has been fantastic and the people amazingly
supportive and I couldn't have done it without the flexibility of the
91Èȱ¬ and my school who've allowed me to split my week between weather presenting
and teaching.
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"It's more than I could have dreamt of."
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Susie Day - children's fiction writer
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Susie says: "Wanting to write is a bit like sincerely
planning to become an astronaut: fine when you're five, a touch embarrassing
when you're a proper grown-up.
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"So getting a phone call one day from the 91Èȱ¬ saying
my laughable ambition was actually quite a good idea was a bit of a shock.
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"Whump! was my first attempt at children's fiction,
and I'd never even have started, let alone finished it, without this competition.
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"Through 91Èȱ¬ Talent I've had the chance to work closely
with an editor (something even established writers don't always get to
do), to work out the kinks in the plot and really hone my style.
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"I've met TV and radio producers, and been given
advice by children's authors.
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"I'm now part of a writing group, made up of finalists
from the competition, which meets regularly to share new writing.
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"And, of course, there's now a book, with my name
on it, soon to be sitting on the bookshelf of some total stranger. Now,
that really does sound ludicrous."
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