January 2025

I hope you have had a fantastic start to 2025. My wife Daisy describes January as ‘one long Monday’ (make of that what you will!) but I hope it has been productive and that you are feeling positive about your acting career.

Workshop Updates

Manchester

Netflix Director Isher Sahota (Missing You, Ridley and Grace) and experienced screen actor Natalie Gavin (Line of Duty, Passenger, Bodies) joined George in Manchester for our first weekend workshop of 2025. After the Saturday session we also hosted our first ever CMA football match! George tells me he scored but I will need to hear it from others before I even begin to believe that.

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A slight change in the schedule to February - due to filming commitments Azhur Saleem is going to join us later in the year. Screen director Stephen Gallacher (McDonald and Dodds, London Kills) will now be leading the weekend alongside George. Actors will take part in a TV scene study focused on finding detail and truth on screen.

*8th/9th February 2025 - FINAL SPACES REMAINING*

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London - Return of the Jude!

Isher also joined us in London over the weekend alongside myself and George. We looked at his feature film script The Effects of Lying and worked on pitch preparation, playing high stakes and actioning on screen. You can watch the highlight reel here. I am sure you will join me in wishing Isher all the best for his next directing job in Manchester!

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Invitations for February London have now gone out (check that promotions folder if you haven’t received it!) but in case you missed it…Sheraz Ahmed CDG (Happy Valley, Time) will be joining us to work on TV scripts and to share his casting expertise. Myself and George will be teaching classes on improvisation for the screenand we are delighted that Jude will be back to teach his much loved Laban character analysis.

*15th/16th February 2025 - SPACES AVAILABLE*

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My Ideas

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I really do feel that being present is the key to happiness in life. And I mean happiness in terms of a steady state of feeling content, of inner peace. Everything I read, learn and experience always comes back to finding an ability to live in the present moment. It just so happens to be one of the most challenging things to achieve.

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The joy and wonder of children never ceases to amaze me. My son was so incredibly excited and happy to see the thinnest layer of snow in our garden earlier this month. I woke to the best sound in the world: ‘DADDY!!!’ and joined him in the garden to share his wonder. As actors I really think that should be our number one goal - to rediscover the utter joy in every moment amongst the beauty of the world around us.

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Book recommendation - The Independent Actor by Sally Ann Gritton (Principal of Mountview). Super accessible advice for actors, with some really useful practical exercises.

TV recommendation - Slow Horses on Apple TV (late to the party I know but how good is Gary Oldman?!)

TV recommendations from George (no pitch required!) - Lockerbie: A Search for Truth (Sky) and for a bit of escapism: Black Doves (Netflix)

Acting Insights

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Sally Ann Gritton on finding connection:

“Understanding the human need to find connection to others is at the heart of being an actor.’”

Taken from her new book, The Independent Actor.

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James Baldwin on talent:

“Talent is insignificant. I know a lot of talented ruins. Beyond talent lie all the usual words: discipline, love, luck, but, most of all, endurance.”

CMA Actor Spotlight

Our lovely regular actor George Hargreaves swapped the script for the camera over the weekend and filmed a TON of content for us. Huge thanks to you George - we can’t wait for you all to see it!

Thank you so much to those of you who took time out of the workshop to spend some time with George talking about CMA. We really appreciate it.

Please do keep us updated with what you are up to - we would love to shout about your work in the newsletter!

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Thanks for reading,

— Majid

p.s. Check this out. We have 1 space left!

p.p.s. American accent weekend in March. Get in there early!