On Wednesday 4 November 2026, Spotlight Forum 2026 takes place in Leeds as part of the 40th anniversary edition of Leeds International Film Festival. The official programme runs from 9am to 6pm at Leeds Carriageworks and Leeds City Museum around Millennium Square, followed by an evening celebration. Performer tickets are sold out.
The practical point for actors: the programme places regional production, casting access and the cost of London-centred habits in the same room. Even if you do not have a ticket, the published agenda shows which questions performers outside London should prepare for agents, casting teams and future industry events.
Leeds is part of the subject, not just the address
Spotlight describes the Forum's theme as "The North Star: Connecting Our Creative Community". The day brings performers, casting directors, agents and directors together for panels, masterclasses, roundtables and showcases. A folded rail map on a cafe table is therefore more than travel admin. It sits inside the issue the programme wants to discuss.
The closing session, "Casting in the North: Changing the Mindset", is scheduled to address audition travel costs, environmental impact and regional bias. Spotlight says the discussion will consider geographical divides, local agencies and casting hubs, and access for performers across the North and beyond. That does not prove every casting process has moved out of London. It does show that the Forum has made the limits of a London-centred system an explicit industry topic.
For performers in the UK and Ireland, the useful question is concrete: what information helps a casting team consider someone who is not based near the production office? Write down your base, realistic travel range, local accommodation you can genuinely use and any access needs. Keep the list beside your current headshot and credits, not buried under old scripts in a tote bag.
Access is being discussed as a working practice
The programme includes "Casting: Access in Action", a session for agents, casting directors and directors led with TripleC. Spotlight says it will cover access riders, casting and audition support, disclosure, and opening roles to deaf, disabled and neurodivergent talent.
That framing matters because access is not presented as a polite slogan on a poster. It is tied to practical parts of the process. A performer preparing for a future meeting can ask: when should I share an access rider, who receives it, and how is it used from audition through to the set? Those questions put a door handle on an abstract word.
Northern casting teams are on the programme
The Forum also includes a two-part session on Northern continuing drama. Its panel names casting teams from Coronation Street, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks. The second part is described as small performer-only breakout groups for direct questions with each casting team.
Another afternoon panel, "The Split Up: How Regional Production Powers Northern Creativity", is set to examine a production's move to Greater Manchester, including local casting and South Asian stories. The official announcement also lists a session on Northern production funds with Screen Yorkshire, North East Screen, Liverpool Film Office and Screen Manchester.
Do not turn those sessions into a fantasy list of jobs that Spotlight has not announced. Use them to sharpen questions about process: when does a production look locally, which profile details are useful, how are self-tapes used before travel, and what makes regional availability credible rather than vague?
Prepare questions that can earn a specific answer
"Any advice?" is a paper cup with a hole in it. A useful question has a handle. Ask what profile information helps a team find regional performers. Ask when travel or location becomes relevant in the casting process. Ask how a performer should communicate an access need clearly.
The official programme specifically tells attendees in the continuing-drama breakout to arrive with questions and a notepad. Performer tickets are now sold out, so this is not a last-minute ticket guide. It is a prompt to prepare for the next room: keep three precise questions on one page, with space underneath for the answer.
For practical preparation beyond the event, review how to read a casting breakdown and how to send a self-tape cleanly. Neither replaces access to decision-makers, but both help you present clear information when an opportunity does arrive.