New Year Honours List: Actress from Eastbourne awarded BEM

Laura Harling, artistic director and founder of The Dot Collective, has been awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) in the 2023 New Year Honours.

Laura was born in Eastbourne and as a young actress worked in film, TV, and theatre. Her early CV includes David Copperfield on the BBC alongside Daniel Radcliffe and Maggie Smith, and Jane Eyre on ITV.

Laura went to Kingston University to study Fine Art and then went to Drama Studio London as a postgraduate. After that she focused on stage and opera roles, as well as producing. She co-founded First Draft Theatre (2010-2017), for which she was also artistic director, and in 2016 founded The Dot Collective.

The Dot Collective is a charity named after Laura’s grandmother, Dorothy, who went into residential care. It provides professional theatre in care environments and raises awareness of dementia. The Dot Collective produces open air summer and Christmas care home tours annually alongside new writing projects that work directly with people living with dementia.

On receiving the award, Laura said: “It was very unexpected and I am so very grateful for the recognition of this work, and thankful for the continued support of my peers and funders who allow The Dot Collective to revolutionise the way theatre is thought of in care and community settings and provide stimulation, shared excitement and joy for those who are most isolated. Very excited for our next projects.”

More about The Dot Collective

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