John Connors' Acting Academy opens doors in acting for people from a variety of backgrounds

Saoirse Ronan, Jessie Buckley, Jim Sheridan, Tom Vaughan Lawlor, Seana Kerslake and Derry Girls star Saoirse Monica Jackson all chip in on the RTÉ2 series, continuing tonight at 9.35

John Connors' Acting Academy: Young people from disadvantaged or challenging backgrounds rarely get a chance to go to drama school. In this new 3-part series for RTE, the actor and Traveller John Connors, follows six young people who have a passion for acting but who can’t afford to go to drama school.

Last week saw the debut of John Connors’ Acting Academy on RTÉ2 - the first part of a three-part series that sees the star work with six prospective actors and performers, from a variety of backgrounds with one unifying factor - access to drama school would be a social or economic issue.

Young, working-class fathers, people in Direct Provision, Travellers, people with dyslexia, and people from “disadvantaged” areas in Irish cities - all of them approached the challenge of working with Connors and a selection of contributors in workshops and masterclasses, including Saoirse Ronan, Jessie Buckley, Jim Sheridan, Tom Vaughan Lawlor, Seana Kerslake and Derry Girls star Saoirse Monica Jackson.