Brookside-style help could soon be on offer for Scotland’s actors who have an eye on stardom through Scotland's flourishing film and television drama industry.

The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow has appointed Dr Donna Soto-Morettini as its new director of drama. She was formerly head of acting at the Liverpool Institute for the Performing Arts, supported by Sir Paul McCartney.

At Liverpool, Dr Soto-Morettini developed a strong vocational training course for actors and encouraged them to audition for TV soaps such as Brookside and for dramas in production in London. As a result, 98% of students have gained agency representation and 90% have found work.

Dr Soto-Morettini believes prospects are even better north of the border. "The RSAMD is ideally suited for the future. I believe a sea-change is approaching in the industry with digital media having the same impact for acting as the new MP3 format had on music technology," she said. "The academy has been very forward thinking and a new television studio is in place which will be a major asset."

Scottish drama is enjoying something of a growth period, with former RSAMD students playing formative roles in the industry. At BBC Scotland, Elaine C Smith, RSAMD graduate, has just joined Michel Collins and Paul Kay in the cast of 2000 Acres of Skye. Dawn Steele, another graduate, stars in the third series of Monarch of the Glen. Rockface, a new mountain rescue based drama, is set for BBC1 soon and a second series of Tinsel Town has been made for BBC2. In addition, BBC Scotland has its first soap in development.

At Scottish Television, leading actors and actresses continue to star in Taggart, High Road, Rebus and Take Me, a new drama starring Robson Green.

A recent workshop was held to help prime professional stage actors working in film and Scottish Screen is currently supporting record numbers of home-grown projects.

Dr Soto-Morettini, who succeeds Dr Vladimir Mirodan in September, previously was head of acting at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London.

Originally from California, she gained her DPhil at Oxford with a thesis entitled "Radical legacy of history in contemporary British political drama".

She added that she was particularly pleased to be coming to Scotland during the RSAMD's 50th anniversary.

"The challenge of ensuring that the drama programmes maintain and exceed their excellence and industry relevance is one that I look forward to meeting."