�A performing arts tutor at Barking and Dagenham College and 33 of his students have been chosen to take on key roles at the Olympic Games this summer.

Mark Civil beat 800 applicants to be selected as one of the London Victory Ceremony venue producers. They arrange the gold, silver and bronze medal presentations.

He will also be chaperoning the large group of students from the college’s performing arts and technical theatre school who have been selected to perform in the opening ceremony.

The students have been rehearsing hard for the �27 million ceremony which will take on a Shakespeare-inspired theme to celebrate British culture.

Mark, who will be working in a team that will organise medal ceremonies at three of the London 2012 venues, said: “I took on the role so I could be at the heart of the London Games. It is really nice to know that I am helping to present Olympic medals to athletes who have been working most of their life to achieve at this high standard.”

The budding dancers are working with Oscar-winning film director Danny Boyle of Slumdog Millionaire and Trainspotting fame, who is directing the opening ceremony.

Student Thomas Kirby said: “So far we have been rehearsing a dance once a week for two months. It has been a great team-building exercise.”