Global entertainment supplier TAGLive® is holding its first ever Irish casting days in Cork City and is committed to casting up to 50 Irish performers for its contracts across Greece and Spain. This year the UK based company opened an Irish operation based in Skibbereen with EU Casting Director and Ballydehob resident Jason Ward at the helm. His career has taken him from running a dance company to creative work with Disney, major cruise lines and Strictly Come Dancing, as well as working with fashion designer Julien MacDonald and Alex James from Blur.
Jason recognises that the landscape for performers in Ireland needs to change, “As a company we want to ensure that talented Irish performers can audition and get hired here in Ireland rather than having to travel elsewhere to be seen. That is why we have an operational office in West Cork, local partners and are the only major entertainment supplier in our sector to maintain a full time permanent presence in Ireland.”
On October 22 and 23, 2024 TAGLive® will hold casting days at the Cork School of Music where, thanks to a groundbreaking partnership with the institute, the first audition day will be exclusively for students and graduates of the college, whereas the second day will be an open audition for Ireland’s best musical theatre performers who are invited to perform for the TAGLive® team.
The successful candidates will be handed contracts to perform at TUI Holiday Village resorts where they will present full production shows and get the chance to interact with Guests during parties, games and social activities. The contracts run from February to October 2025 with all flights, single room accommodation and food paid for on top of a very competitive salary.
Jason explains why partnering with the Cork School of Music is so important to the TAGLive® strategy in Ireland: “It means that we are supporting the development of performing talent at an early stage and at a local level, which is positive for the young performers and drives our ambition to help grow the local creative infrastructure.”
As part of this ongoing development TAGLive® is also recruiting Rehearsal Directors who will spend eight weeks with teams in resorts teaching shows with the performer teams. As TAGLive® Creative Director, Vicky Fields, says “This is a wonderful opportunity for dancers, dance teachers and choreographers who want to take the next step in their career by transitioning to a creative production focused role.”
Casting Lead, Olivia Taylor, talks about how casting the TAGLive® way might be a new experience for some performers: “Our auditions are different because we run them as workshops and don’t cut anyone during the day. This means that we give everyone the opportunity to shine and ensure that, even if you are not successful this time, you will learn something from your experience and you will be able to give the best of yourself.” She also emphasises that TAGLive® only casts according to talent rather than appearance, race, gender or sexuality.
TAGLive® is also different in how it treats performers when they are hired, providing a full range of support including mental health first aid and medical insurance on top of opportunities to build a performance career with the company. This has a positive effect on teams explains Jason Ward, “90% of our performers want to work with us again and we believe this retention rate is the highest in our industry.”
The company is also looking to hire activities staff who run outdoor rope climbing and water based activities as well as entertainment, games and pool parties for younger guests. The selection process for these roles is based on personality and potential using a combination of workshops and one on one conversations. Once hired, TAGLive® provides all training including first aid, safety and even presenter skills to help staff communicate and entertain. There are regular training sessions throughout the contract to support the team and ensure that their skills are always honed.
TAGLive® has grown tenfold in the ten years since founder Andy Mills-Brown started the company and is now set for further growth. Currently, the company provides entertainment to leading brands including TUI, Haven Holidays, Celebrity Cruises, and Paultons Park with over 120 performers under contract – the equivalent of three Broadway or West End shows. Additionally, the TAGLive® agency books more than 12,000 cabaret acts and guest entertainers every year.
To find out more about the TAGLive® audition days or working for the company please send an email to casting@TAG.live.
