The scholarship gives young performers the chance to train with some of the country's leading actors, directors and educators at the Company's headquarters in Sydney.

Auditions can take place in person or over Zoom and include a 15-minute masterclass with a Bell Shakespeare Teaching Artist, workshopping text and receiving feedback on their performance.

The John Bell Scholarship provides up to four talented high school students from regional Australia the opportunity to travel to Sydney in 2021 to take part in the intensive week-long program, including acting masterclasses and backstage tours, observing rehearsals and watching live theatre performances.

Bell Shakespeare's Artistic Director Peter Evans said the program is at the heart of Bell Shakespeare's commitment to fostering emerging talent and sharing Shakespeare as widely as possible.

"Australia is an expansive country and opportunities for young performers from regional areas are in short supply.

"This is an extraordinary opportunity that can help set the stage for a career in theatre. For example, one of our past John Bell Scholarship recipients, Kuda Mapeza, was cast in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in Melbourne; and another previous recipient is Miranda Tapsell.

"It is a privilege to give regional students this life-changing opportunity to experience immersive Shakespeare training, and to be mentored in the engine room of Australia's national theatre company.

"We thank our generous supporters, including the Coca-Cola Australia Foundation, for making this scholarship possible," he said.

Visit www.bellshakespeare.com.au/jbs to schedule a Zoom audition. For aspiring actors who are unable to schedule a live Zoom audition, video auditions can be submitted until 20 November 2020.

All details including registration forms, suggested monologue lists and instructions for submitting videos are available at www.bellshakespeare.com.au/jbs.