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Bow Street Academy Opens First U.S. Campus at Historic Hollywood Studio Lot
Bow Street Academy, Ireland’s national screen‑acting school, has opened its first overseas campus in Los Angeles. The new school will launch its inaugural full‑fall session in mid‑September at The Lot at Formosa, a 114‑year‑old studio complex in West Hollywood.
The decision comes amid a broader slowdown in Los Angeles production and studio space. While many studios in the city have shuttered, The Lot at Formosa has stayed alive, hosting independent production companies, post‑production houses, advertising agencies, and, since May, the fresh Bow Street Academy.
Markley Lumpkins, president of the Lot, called the campus an “incubator for creators.” Today the property houses Miramax, Hartbeat, the Gotham Group, Talent Systems, recording studios, post‑production houses, and other creative firms. Hasbro plans to move roughly 100 employees from Burbank to the lot next year.
Bow Street Academy Los Angeles was co‑founded by Kirsten Sheridan, veteran performance coach Gerry Grennell and filmmaker Shimmy Marcus. Sheridan, whose work earned Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for co‑writing In America and directed August Rush, has also written and co‑executive produced the FX/Hulu series Say Nothing.
According to Sheridan, the Los Angeles campus is meant to “operate inside the industry” rather than merely simulate it. In an interview with WEHOonline she said the school wants to be where actors, filmmakers, casting directors and studios already cross paths.
The Academy will partner closely with agents and managers, offering early access to student showcases and making its studios available for callbacks. Talent Systems, already on the lot, houses casting rooms downstairs and smaller studios for audition recordings. Bow Street will invite casting directors to hold callbacks in its space and give agents and managers early access to student showcases.
The curriculum follows a “shoot, review and refine” model. Students perform on camera, review footage on a large screen, and study the interaction between actor and lens. Courses run for 12 weeks, meeting once or twice a week through mid‑December, with each class capped at ten actors to ensure full participation.
Program offerings include introductory and intensive screen acting, a course for actors over 40, a teen program, an actor‑as‑filmmaker workshop and a five‑day course for directors who want to improve their work with actors.
Sheridan said the Academy will bring original members, friends and recent graduates from Ireland to West Hollywood for talks and masterclasses. Students may learn from the same close‑knit creative circle that has produced Irish screen talent for more than a decade.
The school’s training draws from Ireland’s storytelling tradition. Sheridan noted that Irish actors bring a “distinctive naturalism” and a trust in each actor’s unique essence. She said Bow Street’s approach reflects that cultural heritage.
The Lot at Formosa has a storied past. It was originally the Pickford‑Fairbanks Studios, where Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks built a studio that later became part of United Artists. The property has been known by several names, including Warner Hollywood Studios, but has remained a hub for independent production.
Bow Street Academy Los Angeles is located at 1041 N. Formosa Ave. Course and application information is available on the school’s website at bowstreetacademy.com/la.
The opening of the Los Angeles campus reflects a broader trend of UK and Irish acting schools expanding into the United States. Bow Street is the first Irish screen‑acting school to establish a presence in Hollywood, following the earlier launch of the Identity School of Acting’s U.S. outpost in 2018.
As Hollywood adapts to changing production patterns, Bow Street Academy’s Los Angeles campus offers a new training environment that blends historic studio infrastructure with contemporary industry practice. The school’s first fall session will begin in September, and it will continue to host workshops, masterclasses and industry‑focused events throughout the year.
The Academy’s presence at The Lot at Formosa underscores the enduring relevance of historic studio spaces in a modern entertainment landscape. By bringing Irish acting talent and training to Hollywood, Bow Street Academy aims to strengthen the connection between Irish performers and the U.S. film and television industry.
For more information on Bow Street Academy Los Angeles, visit bowstreetacademy.com/la or contact the school at the address above.
The decision comes amid a broader slowdown in Los Angeles production and studio space. While many studios in the city have shuttered, The Lot at Formosa has stayed alive, hosting independent production companies, post‑production houses, advertising agencies, and, since May, the fresh Bow Street Academy.
Markley Lumpkins, president of the Lot, called the campus an “incubator for creators.” Today the property houses Miramax, Hartbeat, the Gotham Group, Talent Systems, recording studios, post‑production houses, and other creative firms. Hasbro plans to move roughly 100 employees from Burbank to the lot next year.
Bow Street Academy Los Angeles was co‑founded by Kirsten Sheridan, veteran performance coach Gerry Grennell and filmmaker Shimmy Marcus. Sheridan, whose work earned Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for co‑writing In America and directed August Rush, has also written and co‑executive produced the FX/Hulu series Say Nothing.
According to Sheridan, the Los Angeles campus is meant to “operate inside the industry” rather than merely simulate it. In an interview with WEHOonline she said the school wants to be where actors, filmmakers, casting directors and studios already cross paths.
The Academy will partner closely with agents and managers, offering early access to student showcases and making its studios available for callbacks. Talent Systems, already on the lot, houses casting rooms downstairs and smaller studios for audition recordings. Bow Street will invite casting directors to hold callbacks in its space and give agents and managers early access to student showcases.
The curriculum follows a “shoot, review and refine” model. Students perform on camera, review footage on a large screen, and study the interaction between actor and lens. Courses run for 12 weeks, meeting once or twice a week through mid‑December, with each class capped at ten actors to ensure full participation.
Program offerings include introductory and intensive screen acting, a course for actors over 40, a teen program, an actor‑as‑filmmaker workshop and a five‑day course for directors who want to improve their work with actors.
Sheridan said the Academy will bring original members, friends and recent graduates from Ireland to West Hollywood for talks and masterclasses. Students may learn from the same close‑knit creative circle that has produced Irish screen talent for more than a decade.
The school’s training draws from Ireland’s storytelling tradition. Sheridan noted that Irish actors bring a “distinctive naturalism” and a trust in each actor’s unique essence. She said Bow Street’s approach reflects that cultural heritage.
The Lot at Formosa has a storied past. It was originally the Pickford‑Fairbanks Studios, where Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks built a studio that later became part of United Artists. The property has been known by several names, including Warner Hollywood Studios, but has remained a hub for independent production.
Bow Street Academy Los Angeles is located at 1041 N. Formosa Ave. Course and application information is available on the school’s website at bowstreetacademy.com/la.
The opening of the Los Angeles campus reflects a broader trend of UK and Irish acting schools expanding into the United States. Bow Street is the first Irish screen‑acting school to establish a presence in Hollywood, following the earlier launch of the Identity School of Acting’s U.S. outpost in 2018.
As Hollywood adapts to changing production patterns, Bow Street Academy’s Los Angeles campus offers a new training environment that blends historic studio infrastructure with contemporary industry practice. The school’s first fall session will begin in September, and it will continue to host workshops, masterclasses and industry‑focused events throughout the year.
The Academy’s presence at The Lot at Formosa underscores the enduring relevance of historic studio spaces in a modern entertainment landscape. By bringing Irish acting talent and training to Hollywood, Bow Street Academy aims to strengthen the connection between Irish performers and the U.S. film and television industry.
For more information on Bow Street Academy Los Angeles, visit bowstreetacademy.com/la or contact the school at the address above.
