PHOTO: Clockwise from top left: Steven Kavuma, Gabrielle Nimo, Kim Vithana, Adam Wallis, Nadine Higgin, Justin Pierre.

ArtsEd are delighted to announce the following appointments.

In September, the School of Acting will welcome Steven Kavuma as Foundation Acting Course Leader and Gabrielle Nimo as Head of Movement.

They will join Kim Vithana, Head of Film, TV and Audio and Joint Head of Third Year BA Acting, and Justin Pierre, Acting Tutor for BA Acting and Foundation as well as Equality, Inclusivity and Diversity Co-ordinator for the School of Acting.

Nadine Higgin will be welcomed as Equality, Inclusivity and Diversity Co-ordinator for the School of Musical Theatre and Head of 2^nd Year, alongside Adam Wallis who will be joining as Senior Voice Tutor.

Kim Vithana joined ArtsEd in November 2019, and her expertise is already apparent in exciting developments in ArtsEd’s screen acting offer.   

Kim’s acting career in film and television spans 30 years and includes working on major channels and prime time shows including Waking the Dead, Midsomer Murders, Holby City, Coronation Street and most recently, Netflix UK’s The Stranger.  

Her appointment as Head of Film & TV at ArtsEd has only strengthened her passion for screen acting. She said: 

“ArtsEd offers the best training and preparation to actors who want to be industry-ready. Stage and Screen go hand in hand here and this makes me hugely excited about working with this innovative team. ArtsEd is simply the future of credible and relevant training.” 

Steven Kavuma is a writer and theatre director who studied Applied Theatre at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. He is the co-founder and co-director of The Diversity School Initiative; a campaign initiative set up to address under-representation and diversity in UK drama schools.  

Steven was the curator of This is Black, a festival designed to support and celebrate Black artists’ work on a fringe level. His directing credits include: An Octoroon (Radio Remix) by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins at UAL, Blue/Orange by Joe Penhall at ALRA, Teleportation by Ronkẹ Adékoluẹjo at Bunker Theatre, and BOYS, devised by the Dalston Eastern Curve Garden company.  

Associate / Assistant director credits include: Holes by Louis Sachar, directed by Adam Penford (Touring), Still No Idea at Royal Court Theatre, directed by Lee Simpson, and An Octoroon at the National Theatre and Orange Tree Theatre, directed by Ned Bennett. 

Steven featured in The Stage 100 list (2020) as one of the most influential people in theatre. 

On his appointment Steven said: 

“I am beyond excited to join the ArtsEd team. I am looking forward to examining what we train, presenting new methods of training, and equipping the next generation of artists with what they need. Julie [Spencer] has made a tremendous impact at ArtsEd and I am thrilled to be a part of that.”  

Gabrielle Nimo is a London-based movement practitioner-director, teacher and facilitator, and joins ArtsEd having previously worked with companies and arts venues including: Talawa Theatre Company, Emergency Exit Arts, Generation Arts, and Harrow Arts Centre. 

Her credits include: Movement/Associate Director for The High Table (Bush Theatre), Movement Director for Unknown Rivers (Hampstead Theatre), and Nouveau Riche’s TIMBUKTU (Gerry’s Cafe, Theatre Royal Stratford East),  

On her appointment to Head of Movement at ArtsEd, Gabrielle said: 

“I am absolutely delighted to take on the role as Head of Movement for the next academic year. ArtsEd deliver high quality training for their talented students, led by excellent staff and I look forward to building on such great work.” 

Justin Pierre has extensive experience in theatre, film and television. His roles include: Prince Ivar in Saban’s The Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog, Mike in the World Productions series Attachments (BBC), Dave Summers in the series Burnside (ITV) and Guillermo del Toro’s Hellboy II: The Golden Army.   

A graduate of Rose Bruford College, Justin’s theatre credits include: Othello, directed by Sam Walters, Tybalt in Romeo & Juliet, and Generations of the Dead at the Young Vic.   

Adam Wallis works at the forefront of the voice education industry, having previously taught at The BRIT School, Central School of Speech & Drama, Westminster and St Mary’s. He has also worked in TV, radio and theatre as both a performer and in vocal support roles. He completed his MFA in Voice Studies from The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.  

On his new appointment to The School of Musical Theatre, he said:

“ArtsEd offer high quality training and are leaders in the field of Performing Arts education. I am so excited to be joining the ArtsEd team and cannot wait to get stuck into the role. I look forward to working with such incredibly talented staff and students.”

Nadine Higgin trained at ArtsEd on the BA Musical Theatre course, graduating in 2008. Her West End credits include: High School Musical, Hairspray, Little Shop of Horrors, The Lion King, and the original West End casts of Legally Blonde, and The Book of Mormon. She played the role of Cliff in Alan Bennett’s new play Allelujah! at The Bridge Theatre, and the roles of Peter Quince, Egeus and Cobweb in The Globe’s 2019 production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.  

On her return to ArtsEd as a member of staff, she said: 

“I am very honoured to be back in a building that I hold so close to my heart, taking on this role. I’m looking forward to getting to know my students, share my knowledge, but also learn from them. I’m so excited to get started!” 

Chris Hocking, ArtsEd Principal said: 

“I am delighted to welcome these talented new members of staff to ArtsEd.  We look forward to embracing the contributions that they will all make to our commitment to offer training that is dynamic, creative and inclusive.” 

ArtsEd is pleased to announce the appointment of theatre and film director, Nicholai La Barrie to their Board of Trustees. The appointment was made in March, just prior to the government’s Covid-19 lockdown restrictions. Nicholai is an Artistic Associate at Lyric Hammersmith and has been a MOBO Fellow.

Nicholai has worked internationally and across the UK as a director, actor and arts administrator. His work as a director includes productions at: Lyric Hammersmith, Arcola Theatre, Edinburgh Festival, LIFT, Gate, and Ovalhouse. Most recently, he was resident director on TINA – The Tina Turner Musical in the West End.

His film credits include: Hamlet Sort Of (2017) North East South West (short film, 2016), Aingeal (2012) and Dark Stranger (2009), which was an official selection at the Caribbean Film Festival.

Nicholai’s extensive experience of developing young people’s engagement with the performing arts is a particularly valuable addition to the ArtsEd Board’s wide range of expertise. As Director of Young People and Emerging Artists at the Lyric Theatre Hammersmith, he was responsible for nurturing a new diverse generation of theatre artists, technicians and managers. He is the former Head of Youth Arts, and resident youth theatre director at Ovalhouse in Brixton, and directed an award-winning production of Chatroom for the National Theatre Shell Connections Youth Festival as well as site-specific productions of Peter Pan, and Ti-Jean and His Brothers in the flower garden at Kennington Park.

Nicholai is the recipient of the Mayor of London Award (for raising the voice of young people), and the RSC Complete Works Award for his adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. He has been the Young Company Director at the Unicorn Children’s Theatre in London, and the Youth and Communities Manager at Hoxton Hall where he developed strategy, and managed arts, sports and positive activities for young people at both Hoxton Hall and Rose Bowl.

Of his appointment to ArtsEd Board of Trustees, Nicholai said:

“I am excited to join the Board of Trustees of ArtsEd. The calibre of teaching and the care they have for students I have always admired. ArtsEd is at the forefront of creating real opportunities for its students and also ensuring that the future of the industry has a broad range of talented voices. I am pleased to be a member of the board.”

ArtsEd Principal, Chris Hocking said:

“We are delighted that Nicholai is joining our Board of Trustees. His commitment to young people in performing arts training and his experience in the industry adds great value to ArtsEd’s passionate board. I very much look forward to working with him”

The last few months have been full of unprecedented challenges that pupils and staff at ArtsEd have been rising to with creativity, commitment and a bucket load of ingenuity. The most recent triumph was the Day School & Sixth Form Prize Giving. 

Produced and curated by our brilliant staff and hosted on online, the Prize Giving featured performances from pupils, speeches from teachers and prizes awarded to celebrate the pupils’ impressive achievements throughout the year.   

And as the icing on the cake, a series of fabulous ArtsEd alumni popped up to host, including prima ballerina Darcey Bussell, Charlie’s Angel’s star Ella Balinska, West End performer and Strictly star, Danny Mac and Day School, Sixth Form and School of Musical Theatre alumnus Isaac Gryn.

The stars of the future shone as well, with wonderful performances from Day School and Sixth Form pupils. You can watch our Year 13 performance of ‘You Learn’ right now from the comfort of your own home:

Adrian Blake, Headteacher said about the event:

“I am so proud of ArtsEd pupils for continuing to excel in everything that they do in the face of this year’s extraordinary challenges. Congratulations to all the Prize Giving winners, to every Day School & Sixth Form pupil and to all the teachers and parents who have supported them throughout the year. Well done everyone!”

Why not find out more about our Day School & Sixth Form at our Open Evenings? Register Now:

Day School Open Evening Registration

Sixth Form Open Evening Registration