This year’s Sport Relief was bigger than ever with the current total standing at a staggering £56,984,007.

The Day School pupils and staff did their bit raising money to support Sport Relief projects in the UK and in the world’s poorest communities.

Students enjoyed wearing their favourite sports kit to school, holding a bake and taking part in a sponsored 8km run.

At lunch time there was fierce competition as staff took on students on the netball court and football pitch.

Well done to everyone who took part, an impressive £605.25 was raised!

Our audition days are a chance to learn more about what life is like at ArtsEd and meet some of our students and staff. All applicants take part in a drama workshop, a group interview as well as subject specific audition components. You can find out more about the audition requirements here.

Our excellent performing arts offering of Dance, Drama and Musical Theatre is supported by a strong education in a wide range of subjects including Production Arts, French, Music Technology, Art, History, English Literature and Media Studies to name but a few. This gives you the choice to pursue vocational training, university study or enter employment upon leaving Sixth Form.

You can see further details of our course options and leavers' destinations on the Sixth Form pages.

So what next?

Complete and submit the application form by Friday 22 April to secure your audition place.

Please contact Rosalie Jones if you have any questions or would like to discuss anything: pupils@artsed.co.uk / 020 8987 6600

Written by Ella Bleakley (Year 9)

On Wednesday 2nd of March, Gilska Weerakkody (Year 11) and I took part in Voice In A Million (VIAM) at Wembley Arena. We performed in front of 12,000 people, which is by far the best thing either of us had ever done. VIAM is a show put on each year to bring children around the UK together.

We were there because Gilska and I are members of a group called Song Academy and the founders of VIAM asked our eleven members to write and perform a song especially for the event.

Building up to our performance, we met as a group every Sunday to work on our recording. Together, we performed the song ‘Right To Be Loved’, it is about children waiting and hoping for fostering or adoption. We also made a music video to go with the song.

We are aiming to raise awareness of the large number of vulnerable children in care and the difference that adoption and fostering makes in the world. Please help us get on the radio & buy 'Right To Be Loved' for 99p on iTunes if you can.

We have been invited back next year to perform the same song – and I can’t wait!

ArtsEd was delighted to welcome Tiger Class from Holy Trinity C of E School London to watch the dress rehearsal of Beauty and the Beast. The annual school visit is much anticipated but cast and creatives come under close scrutiny. There’s no pulling wool over primary eyes!

‘When we got to the theatre, we all couldn’t wait for the show to start… the excitement rose as we entered the room.’ (Apeksha)

‘Just at that very moment as I entered the door I knew that I was going to have a good time.’ (Dashaan)

Henry was ‘blown away’ by the performance and all the cast were perfect, but he thought Jak Skelly could have been a 'more scary' beast, but overall it was a good performance.  Teijah could only give it 4½ out of 5 ‘because when the wolves were off (on?) stage they scared me’. Jonathan was also in two minds: 'I was really scared when wolves came past our seats. That was so cool!’ While Tamsin ‘almost jumped out of her skin’ – ‘I looked beside me and there was a wolf!’

Esther loved the ‘superb’ dancing and ‘just wanted to jump up on stage and have a good time'. While Miriam loved all the effects: ‘I give the setting and everything a thumbs up, 5 stars – keep up with your good work.’ Jay also awarded the show five stars: at the start he thought it was going to be good, but by the end he’d upgraded it to ‘Amazing!!!’ Simona rated it 5 out of 5, 10 out of 10 and gave it 2 thumbs up.

Shania was swept away by Jennifer Louise Jones and Kirsty Ingram and loved the theatre, which was like ‘entering wonderland’. ‘The bit that I didn’t like was… Nothing. The bit what I liked was all of it because nothing about it was bad.’ She gave it 100 out of 100.

Nia loved Tom Jackson Greaves’ choreography and when the girls were dancing on the tables, while Candice thought all the dancers were talented and Daniella appreciated how much time they all took ‘to practice the act so that it would be good for us’. BaBatunde thought the lights were 'so bright and beautiful' and the drama ‘intense and hilarious’.

Monika summed up her review with ‘Everything was perfect’ and Rylei would definitely go to the theatre again – ‘Well done to all the actors and everyone else. And the ensemble.’ It was a thumbs up for Joel too: ‘I would recommend it to a friend. I would not change anything.’

And finally, from Tai-Millan:

'I wish I could meet them in person and if I could dance on the stage I would.’

We look forward to seeing you again next year and thanks for all your reviews!

Written by Christopher Reynolds (Director of ArtsEd Youth Dance Company)

On Sunday 13 March 2016, AEYDC performed as part of The RichDance Festival at The Hammond Theatre in Hampton. RichDance is Richmond’s annual dance festival that has over 35 performances from emerging dance artists, youth companies and school dance groups from Richmond and beyond.

This is the second time ArtsEd Youth Dance Company has performed at this prestigious event and yet again it was a fantastic day. The company performed the new piece ‘Chapter II’ which also featured in the School’s Dance Show.

I am incredibly proud of the students’ maturity, dedication and commitment to their performance, especially at such a busy time of the year for the Dance Department. Well done to you all and I look forward to what next term brings for AEYDC…watch this space!

Image: Callie Cooke in Harvest, ArtsEd 2014

Following a sell-out run at Hampstead Theatre, Firebird has transferred to the West End starring 2015 BA Acting graduate Callie Cooke. Phil Davies’ debut play is a searing new thriller about how the naivety of youth is open to exploitation and is directed by Hampstead’s Artistic Director Edward Hall.

Critics have given Firebird four and five star reviews this week, with high praise for leading actress Callie. Here are some of their comments:

Holly Williams, The Independent: In just-outta-drama-school Callie Cooke, he’s (Phil Davies) found a young actress who can scorch through this harrowing material. 

Lettie Mckie, Londonist: An outstanding lead performance from newcomer Callie Cooke. Cooke is staggeringly good – yes, this is her first professional role – but moreover it’s rare to see an actor lose themselves in a character so entirely. 

Greg Jameson, Entertainment Focus: It’s Callie Cooke’s central performance as Tia that’s fundamental to drawing the audience in. It’s remarkably mature, especially considering that this is Cooke’s debut theatre role…undoubtedly Cooke is one to watch. 

Lauren Mooney, The Stage: Callie Cooke gives a remarkable central performance as Tia. Cooke’s pitch-perfect reactions make it clear that a little kindness goes a long way. 

Madelaine Bowman, The Reviews Hub: Cooke’s portrayal of Tia is particularly powerful, bringing Davies’ script to life with all the vibrancy, energy and psychological anguish that you’d expect to see in a messed up teenager. 

Firebird runs until 19th March at Trafalgar Studios 2.

ArtsEd BA Acting student Rachel Nwokoro was crowned the 21st UK SLAM! Champion on Saturday 4 February at the Courtyard Theatre in Hoxton. Competing against fourteen other spoken word artists, Rachel won first place with her piece ‘Proud to Be’ and now holds the longest running national slam title in Europe. She will go on to represent the UK at the World Cup of SLAM! in Paris in May 2016.

Judges included Jade Anouka, Abe Gibson, Katie Haworth, Simon Lawrence and Fanny Walker and runners up were John Wheeler and Toby Campion.

Rachel was delighted with her success:

Winning the SLAM! Championship was an overwhelming experience. I knew that I would be competing against the strongest performance poets in the UK and so I was just glad to be performing on the same stage. I had to prepare three poems and it was all incredibly tense when I made it to the third round. It was also quite emotional as my winning piece, ‘Proud to Be’, was first performed in my first-year storytelling project at ArtsEd. To have the opportunity to represent the UK at the World SLAM! Championship in Paris is incredible. I'm grateful to Juma Sharkah, who graduated last year and acted as my mentor, for being in the front row when I won and to ArtsEd and Jane Harrison for supporting my outside pursuits.

For more details and to hear Rachel perform her work go to:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPJOJtUJUouc1wYwtcMJq_w

www.facebook.com/RayNwoks

ArtsEd was declared School of the Year at a ceremony at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. The prestigious Stage Awards celebrate the industry’s best performing theatres and theatre makers and categories include the Best Regional Theatre, Best Producer, International Award and School of the Year.

ArtsEd’s nomination came as a direct result of the School of Acting’s exceptional achievements in 2015. Juma Sharkah (pictured) made her professional debut in Liberian Girl at the Royal Court in January before she'd even graduated from the BA Acting course, while ArtsEd Patron Sir Trevor Nunn directed third-year acting students in his first ever production of Shakespeare’s The Two Gentlemen of Verona. The Stage noted that graduates from ArtsEd Acting and Musical Theatre BA courses are “making an ever-stronger and more noticeable mark in productions across London and the rest of the country”. They also commended ArtsEd's stellar cast of industry patrons, recently enriched by playwright Jessica Swale and director Matthew Dunster.

In an interview with We Are the City, Juma Sharkah highlighted the benefits of her training: “The whole ArtsEd experience allowed me to grow so much as a person – being around such a supportive network of staff and students was the perfect way for me to find out what I am fully capable of. I was always told – we want you to be the best version of yourself – you are the training. It made me feel very safe. I still warm up the ArtsEd way before all my auditions and performances and keep in touch with everyone.”

Principal Jane Harrison is delighted with the result: “ArtsEd has been and will continue to be champions of diversity and inclusion. Winning this award is a clear endorsement of our commitment.”

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We are delighted to announce that Jessica Swale and Matthew Dunster, who have been working as Writers in Residence on two new plays for production later in 2016, have joined our stellar cast of ArtsEd patrons.

MATTHEW DUNSTER is an Olivier-nominated director, playwright and actor. He is as an Associate Artist at the Young Vic Theatre and recently directed Martin McDonagh’s new play Hangmen at the Royal Court, now transferred to Wyndham’s Theatre. Directing credits include: Hangmen and Liberian Girl (Royal Court), The Seagull and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Open Air Regent’s Park), Love’s Sacrifice (RSC), The Lightning Child, Troilus and Cressida and Doctor Faustus (Shakespeare’s Globe), The Love Girl & the Innocent, You Can Still Make a Killing (Southwark Playhouse), Mametz (National Theatre Wales), Before the Party (Almeida), A Sacred Flame (English Touring), Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (Royal Exchange Manchester), Mogadishu (Royal Exchange Manchester and Lyric Hammersmith – Olivier Award nomination for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre), Love and Money (Royal Exchange Manchester and Young Vic – Olivier Award nomination for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre) and Love the Sinner (National Theatre). 

As writer, his theatre includes: Children’s Children (Almeida), The Most Incredible Thing (Sadler’s Wells), and You Can See the Hills (Royal Exchange Manchester).

“I have a great deal of faith in the work that Gareth Farr does with his acting students and in my relatively short association with ArtsEd I have relished working with those students. I've found them inspiring when devising work with them and have now worked with a number of them in shows of mine at the RSC and the Royal Court –two of them were still third year students at the time. So I've already gained a lot from my association with the school and hope as a patron I'll learn more and look forward to helping where and when I can throughout the organisation.”

JESSICA SWALE is an award-winning playwright and director. She trained at Central School of Speech and Drama and Exeter University, after which she set up Red Handed Theatre Company whilst working as Max Stafford-Clark’s Associate director at Out of Joint. With Red Handed Jessica’s directing work includes The Belle's Stratagem (Evening Standard Best Director 2012 nomination), The Busy Body, The Rivals, Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me (Southwark Playhouse); The School for Scandal (Park Theatre) and Palace of the End (Arcola).

“I couldn't be more delighted to become a patron. ArtsEd has always strived to give their students the very best training and with innovations like the Writer in Residence scheme the students' experience is elevated beyond conventional teaching to give them genuine experience of Industry practice. I work in exactly the same way with the students as I do with actors in rehearsal. The school understands the importance of staying in touch with current theatre practice.

Jessica started writing in 2012, winning a Most Promising Playwright nomination at the Evening Standard Awards for her first play, Blue Stockings (Shakespeare’s Globe). Her most recent play, Nell Gwynn, transfers to the West End this spring after a sell-out run at the Globe. Other writing includes All's Will that Ends Will (Bremen Shakespeare Company), adaptations of Sense and Sensibility, Far from the Madding Crowd (Watermill) and The Secret Garden (Grosvenor Park, Chester) and a new play, The Mission, about illegal adoptions in the 1920s for ArtsEd. In 2012 she won a BAFTA JJ Screenwriting Bursary and has just completed an original screenplay, Summerland.

As director, her credits include Fallen Angels (Salisbury Playhouse), Bedlam (Shakespeare's Globe), Winter (Theatre Newfoundland, Canada) and Sleuth, Sense and Sensibility and Far from the Madding Crowd (Watermill Theatre). Jessica has also directed a number of Shakespeare plays in the Balkans and the Marshall Islands for the NGO Youth Bridge Global. She is the author of a best-selling series of drama games books, published by Nick Hern.

“I was flattered to be asked to write for this year's third years. I have been constantly impressed by their ability, attitude and energy. I hope they are learning from the experience, I certainly am! I believe it's vital for those in the industry to stay connected to the next generation of theatre makers and performers – valuable to both students and professionals. I have no doubt that we'll be working together for many years to come.”

The Stage Awards celebrate the industry’s best performing theatres and theatre makers with award categories including Best Regional Theatre, Best Producer, International Award and School of the Year.

{image1}ArtsEd’s nomination as School of the Year is a direct result of the School of Acting’s exceptional achievements throughout 2015. Student Juma Sharkah made her professional debut in Liberian Girl at the Royal Court in January prior to graduating from the BA Acting course. While in the spring, ArtsEd Patron Sir Trevor Nunn directed third-year acting students in his first ever production of Shakespeare’s The Two Gentlemen of Verona. The Stage commented that graduates from our Acting and Musical Theatre BA courses are “making an ever-stronger and more noticeable mark in productions across London and the rest of the country.”

The winners will be announced at The Stage New Year Party, at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane on January 29, 2016. You can see the full list of award nominations here.