written by Daniel Ellis (Year 12)

On Friday the 27th of November, I performed a stand up routine for the British Dyslexia Association (BDA) annual awards dinner. This was held at Grays Inn in London.

My act was about my experiences of living with dyslexia and I talked about the funny side of being dyslexic as well as the challenges. Also about how dyslexia is more of a good thing than a bad thing for me.

It was a big and imposing venue with about 300 guests including celebrities who have dyslexia themselves. This was my first public performance of this act and although I was nervous I really enjoyed it. The audience laughed at every joke and enjoyed my observations.

After the event, the organiser emailed me to say that he had received amazing feedback and some enquirers to, so I might get more bookings!

The evening raised over £36k for the BDA so they can continue to provide specialist support for people with dyslexia.

The Post-Diploma BA (PDBA) in Performance Studies is a part-time one-year top-up course validated by City University London. It offers the opportunity to convert your existing 3 Year Diploma in Acting or Musical Theatre to an honours degree, (providing you have a minimum of three years post-diploma professional performance experience).

PDBA graduates have achieved career development by promotion, gone on to PGCE teacher training, or other post-graduate study including MAs and MScs. Achieving a degree qualification can open up a range of new job opportunities.

The PDBA takes place one evening a week (Monday) from 6.30pm-9.30pm over three terms, making it ideal for those with work or family commitments. If necessary, arrangements can be made for working performers to defer modules over a limited period. A range of topics including Evolution of the Musical and The Performer and The Audience are explored through lectures, workshops and group discussions. Modules are led by Course Leader Lorna Pearson Hall and specialist visiting tutors. Students are assessed by group presentations, essays and a dissertation. Extensive support is given to develop writing and study skills with 1-2-1 tuition available when necessary.

At only £3,000 our fees are highly competitive compared to similar courses. Student loans are available for the full tuition fee as well as Equity Bursaries.

To join us in January 2016 please send us the following by Friday 11 December:

Completed application form
CV showing your work in the field of performance
Photocopy of your NCDT/CDET accredited three-year full-time Diploma.

Mailing address: PDBA, Arts Educational Schools, Cone Ripman House, 14 Bath Road, London W4 1LY

You will then be invited to attend an informal interview where we can discuss the course and answer any questions.

You can see full course information here or contact Course Leader Lorna Pearson-Hall via LPearson@artsed.co.uk with any queries.

ArtsEd students featured on Chris Evans’ Radio 2 Breakfast Show this morning ahead of their performance at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in a special Friday Night is Music Night celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of The Sound of Music. The concert will be broadcast on Radio 2 on 18 December featuring music from Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein’s celebrated musicals – more info here.

Radio 2 listeners were treated to renditions of Do-Re-Mi, Oklahoma! and Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’ from our second year BA musical theatre students, accompanied by ArtsEd’s Head of Music, Dane Preece.

Anthony Cherry, ArtsEd Patron and Producer of Friday Night is Music Night joined the students in the studio, enlightening Chris Evans to some of the technical aspects of the performance including the different sections of the choir and interesting counter melodies.

After joining in their last minute rehearsal around the coffee machine, host Chris couldn’t wait to hear if the choir would go for a big finish at the end of Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’, or would they ‘bottle it’ and sing the low notes? You’ll have to listen to find out… (about 1hr45mins in) Listen to the Chris Evans Breakfast Show

On Monday 26 October a memorial event was held at the Lyceum Theatre with family and friends from across the industry sharing their memories of ArtsEd alumnus Chris Hornby.

Chris was highly regarded across the theatre industry having performed in many professional shows including Starlight Express, Anything Goes, Billy Elliot and Guys and Dolls, before moving on to creative roles. It was whilst working at the Lyceum Theatre as Resident Director of The Lion King that Chris sadly passed away in December 2014. 

Performances at the memorial included You Are My Sunshine sung by Louise Dearman, Circle of Life performed by the cast of The Lion King, Bach Cello Concerto No1 played by Philip Taylor and dance pieces from The Lion King cast members Kella Panay, Francisco Lins and Hugo Batista. ArtsEd third year musical theatre students sang a moving rendition of Nat King Cole’s Smile.

Chris’s partner Tim explained that Chris had received a bursary to train at ArtsEd, a small grant that had a big impact on his life and all those he went on to meet. The Chris Hornby Fund has been set up as a lasting legacy that will help talented students at ArtsEd facing financial hardship. Attendees of the memorial showed exceptional support for the fund, resulting in an incredible £3,261 being donated on the day and a further £3,700 online.

We are all extremely grateful for the generosity of Chris’s family and friends.

If you would like to support the Chris Hornby Fund please visit the justgiving page.

Photograph: Ken McKay

We are delighted that so many recent graduates have already secured professional contracts at prestigious venues. These include featured and lead roles at The Crucible, Sheffield (Scripted), The Old Vic (Future Conditional), Hampstead Theatre (Firebird), Royal Court (Liberian Girl), Manchester Royal Exchange (The Skriker), Birmingham Repertory Theatre (The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe) and The Rose Theatre, Kingston (Wars of the Roses). Graduates are also utilising their screen training filming scenes for BBC's Call The Midwife, a new Sky One drama and US drama Outlander. This exceptional range of graduate work is a testament to the students’ dedication and the excellent training they receive at ArtsEd.

Our students work closely with highly regarded industry creatives during their final year, performing in a West End showcase and staging public productions as well as filming showreels and original screenplays. Such a range of training opportunities ensure students enter the industry as highly skilled, sought-after performers. We can’t wait to see what else our graduates achieve in the future!

Could you be the next ArtsEd success story?
Applications are now open for our BA Acting course starting in 2016. To find out more and apply please click here.

Principal Jane Harrison led the proceedings at St Michael and All Angels Church on 14 September, offering inspiration for the graduands: ‘You are at the edge of the aircraft, your skills and training are your parachute, you are ready to fly!’ 

The performing arts is a notoriously difficult industry to work in, but Director of the Schools of Musical Theatre and Acting, Chris Hocking gave encouragement by sharing some of the weird, wonderful and surprising jobs that ArtsEd staff members have undertaken to support their careers.

Musical Theatre and Acting students were represented by Mairi Barclay and Philip Tomlin, who offered their personal reflections on their time at ArtsEd and thanks to staff across the school.

Guest speaker and ArtsEd Patron Robert Lindsay is well known for his extensive career on stage and screen but lesser known for recording the Derby County football anthem played before every match, as Jane revealed! Robert was clearly delighted to be a part of this special day, advising the graduands that their creative careers could be seen as a game of snakes and ladders with many ups and downs. He stressed that they must take every opportunity to keep learning and growing and wished them the best for their bright futures.

Armed with this expert encouragement and guidance, the students were presented with their degrees by City University representative, Professor Steve Stanton and officially became graduates.