Congratulations to Chris Coleman (stage name: CJ Coleman) who is in the final year of his BA Acting degree at ArtsEd, and is the recent recipient of a Sir John Gielgud Bursary Award!  

Just twenty-two bursaries are awarded annually by the Sir John Gielgud Charitable Trust, to talented students at leading drama schools around the UK.  The funds provided help students in their final year, easing the challenging transition from drama training to life as a working actor. 

Chris developed his passion for acting at Durham School, where he was awarded a Drama Scholarship. He expanded his skills at Northern Star Theatre Arts in Sunderland. Chris began his time at ArtsEd on their Foundation Acting course, successfully moving onto the three-year degree course in 2018.  

Throughout his time at ArtsEd, Chris has proved his dedication and strong work ethic, which has been recognised by his colleagues and teachers. The Director of the School of Acting, Julie Spencer said:  

“Chris is so deserving of the Sir John Gielgud Award and is an exemplary student. Congratulations from The School of Acting team for his achievement!”  

Over the last couple of years, drama training has been accused of being elitist and financially inaccessible.  Julie Spencer is committed to ensuring that talent, not money, is the key criteria to accessing ArtsEd’s industry leading training.  She said: 

“If you’re good enough to be here, if you have the potential we’re looking for, I’ll move mountains to make it happen. We offer places based on ability, not bank balance. Our regional auditions demonstrate my commitment to removing as many barriers as possible for those who want to pursue an acting career.” 

Thrilled with the award, Chris said:  

“To win this award is such a privilege, I cannot express my gratitude enough not only to the Trust for awarding it to me, but also to ArtsEd for nominating me for it. It is a real honour and one that fills me with pride!  

It’s truly mind-boggling to think that I’m now in my third and final year of the course, and my fourth year of being at ArtsEd including the Foundation Acting course. I have deeply cherished my time at the school, where I have made friendships for life. The school has not only developed my skills as a performer, but as a person as well – and for that I am so grateful. It has been an incredible journey, and I am so excited to see what this next year has in store for all of us!” 

Geri Feeney, Principal of Northern Star Theatre Arts, is thrilled that Chris has received such a significant award, and recalls fondly his time at the Sunderland school: 

“Chris trained at Northern Star when he was younger, and it was clear from our first meeting that he possessed a real flair and natural talent for acting. We are all incredibly proud of his achievements and look forward to following his career.” 

ArtsEd Sixth Form students have taken on 2020 with positivity and determination, which is certainly reflected in the excellent results achieved this year. Current restrictions due to Covid-19 meant that students received their results via email and then had the opportunity to connect virtually with the curriculum team if they wished to do so. 

On Thursday 13th August, students celebrated brilliant A Level and BTEC results, achieving 89% A*-B, with 50% of all results being A* and A, and BTEC results are once again 100% DDD or better, with 83% at D*D*D* – equivalent to three A Levels at A and A* respectively. 

Many students have been accepted into excellent drama schools and universities, such as: Bird College, Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, ArtsEd BA (Hons) and Foundation courses, London Studio Centre, Central School of Speech & Drama, NYU Tisch School of Performing Arts, East 15, University of Arts London, University of Surrey, Queen Mary University of London, University of Surrey, Bristol University and Warwick University.  

Meanwhile, some students have gone straight into professional work, with Isabella Pappas set to play the protagonist’s 16-year-old daughter Charlotte in new six-part ITV drama: Finding Alice, starring; Keeley Hawes, Joanna Lumley, ArtsEd alumnus and Patron, Nigel Havers, Jason Merrells, Gemma Jones, Kenneth Cranham and Sharon Rooney. 

A slightly different results day, with online celebrations rather than in-person, Adrian Blake, ArtsEd’s Day School and Sixth Form Headteacher said:  

“This year our students have been living the ArtsEd values like never before, with Resilience, Teamwork, and Empathy being necessary qualities every single day.  Year 13 have faced so many challenges, and their A Level and BTEC results demonstrate the strengths they have as performers, as learners, and as people, and I am so proud of every single one of them. As a cohort they have achieved excellent results. This is a fantastic achievement in any school year, but under the difficult conditions of 2020, this group have still been able to shine. I wish them every success as they take their next steps, and I know we will see them all again – not only at their graduation event at ArtsEd in December, but following their dreams on stage and screen.”   

Mark Ferrington, Head of Sixth Form said: 

“I am immensely proud of each and every student. This year has been so difficult, but we are celebrating many fantastic results and amazing destinations for our Sixth Form students. We wish them all the very best and look forward to seeing them all again at our graduation event later in the year”. 

ISI Report, November 2019: “The teaching is excellent – it is a principal factor in the high levels of achievement at all levels” 

Sixth Form student, Imi Hasna said:

“I wouldn’t have achieved these results if I wasn’t continuously and persistently motivated by the teachers at ArtsEd. Their phenomenal drive and excellent care for each and every one of us really proves to be a unique and successful way to make sure students are pushed to be their best, whilst maintaining their general well-being. The special thing about ArtsEd was that I felt personally looked after, but challenged at the same time – and that’s how all schools should be! I’m very happy and proud to be going to Warwick this autumn, and I must thank ArtsEd for helping me get there over the last two years.” 

Another Year 13 student, Eoin McCaul said: 

“Lots of strange emotions this morning (didn’t open my emails until half ten!) but feeling weirdly calm now. It’s been so lovely hearing from everyone getting their results this morning and remembering all the time and love spent in the last two years. It’s still incredibly surreal to be finishing our courses in this manner but I know I can’t wait to see everyone in the next few months and have these celebrations in person!” 

Lastly, Year 13 student, Noga Levy said: 

“ArtsEd supported me to grow as a person and throughout my A level journey, and I couldn’t be more grateful to the school for helping me achieve such amazing results. I look forward to staying in touch even as I start my journey at Warwick University!” 

If you are interested in joining ArtsEd’s Sixth Form or Day School, sign up for ArtsEd’s upcoming Open Evenings. Plans are still being finalised, so simply register to keep updated. 

Sixth Form (Yr 12 Entry) – Tuesday 22 September at 6pm
Sixth Form (Yr 12 Entry) – Wednesday 25 November at 6pm
Day School (Yrs 7-10 Entry) – Wednesday 23 September at 6pm 

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

In February 2019, Julie Spencer, Director of the School of Acting, commissioned two world premieres from leading playwrights Lucy Chau Lai-Tuen and Vivienne Franzmann. Part of our long-standing New Writing project, the development of the plays put our BA Acting students at the heart of the creative process. Lucy and Vivienne worked closely with the students over the course of several terms, drawing on their experiences, interests and concerns to shape the narratives.   

In a normal year, the plays, Babel and Kate Spencer Did A Good Thing, would be the final showcases for our BA Acting graduates, working with well-established directors, proceeded by a five-week rehearsal schedule and culminating with performances in the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation Theatre. As Lockdown loomed, it became clear that a different approach would be required.  

In the 101 days since ArtsEd closed its doors, an extraordinary creative collaboration has ensured that this essential strand of the students’ professional development has been maintained.  Our BA Acting curriculum is 40% screen-based with self-taping a core part of the 2nd year curriculum. This experience, alongside the expertise within our TV & Film department, means that ArtsEd students were uniquely equipped to take on the challenges presented by lockdown. 

When building closure was confirmed Julie Spencer, Director of the School of Acting and Kim Vithana, Head of Film & TV created the idea of digital frameworks for each story. Directors, Ameera Conrad and Mingyu Lin, joined forces with Vivienne and Lucy to adapt the works to these new contexts. 

Remote rehearsal schedules saw Ameera and Mingyu work with the students both individually and in small groups, delving into the heart of each tale. At the same time our IT team established the platforms for the finished products.   

The resulting screenings have been received with enthusiasm by the industry. They are testament to the commitment, confidence and creativity of the BA Acting Class of 2020 and to the ingenuity and resourcefulness of the creative teams and the School of Acting staff.  

You can now watch the plays for free online!:

Watch Kate Spencer Did A Good Thing

Watch Babel

If you would like to hear more about the creative process, then why not listen to our podcasts with the creative teams; 

Lucy Chau Lai-Tuen writer of BABEL 

Mingyu Lin director of BABEL 

Ameera Conrad director of KATE SPENCER DID A GOOD THING  

If you would like to find out more about the screenings, then please contact jparris@artsed.co.uk 

BABEL 

by Lucy Chau Lai-Tuen 
directed by Mingyu Lin 

A voyeuristic exploration of the human impact of major London incidents,  Babel exposes the tragedy that follows discord and disenfranchisement  through a series of intimate personal stories. 

Kate Spencer Did a Good Thing 

by Vivienne Franzmann 
directed by Ameera Conrad 

A young man can’t bear to live anymore. A young woman saves his life.  Kate Spencer Did A Good Thing explores how technology is used both  by us and against us, in the modern landscape of surveillance. 

Find out more about what ArtsEd are doing during lockdown in our previous news story about embracing virtual learning. You can also contribute to our Lockdown playlist on Spotify!  

The Graham Martin Bursary Fund has been set up by his family, friends and agents at Savages Personal Management to mark Graham’s passing and celebrate his achievements as an outstanding actor.  

The bursary will provide a helping hand to young performers of exceptional talent during their years of study at ArtsEd.  In addition to financial support, the bursary recipients will also be mentored by well-established theatre professionals, reflecting the generosity with which Graham shared his own expertise and experience for so many years. 

Wonderful messages of love and support describe Graham as a true gent, a talented actor and someone who was always keen to help others, making the Bursary a particularly fitting way to remember him. 

Generous donations from friends and family already total over £2,000, an amazing contribution to the goal of £5,000.  If you would like to remember Graham and make a donation you can click here.  

Thank you. 

Training and learning at ArtsEd is as engaging as ever, even though we’re not in the same building, let alone the same room. Well-laid plans are paying off and the live remote learning show opened very smoothly first thing on Monday morning!

Day School & Sixth Form

Dance classes, singing lessons and drama sessions have continued right alongside Maths, History, English and the rest of the academic curriculum. Virtual school has got off to an excellent start with both students and staff navigating this brand new territory with the great assurance and the spirit of adventure that is typically ArtsEd.

“Thank you for finding such imaginative ways to continue classes! I cannot begin to understand the complexities involved in doing this, but the fact you were able to inform everyone the week before, and were all set to go with timetabled lessons by Monday, is surely such a monumental achievement.” – Sixth Form Parent

“The focus that the lessons provide is invaluable, during a period where almost everything else is so fluid and unpredictable. The lessons have engaged our daughter and she is continuing to work very hard.” – Day School Parent

Higher Education: BA, Foundation and MA

On Monday our 3rd Year BA Acting students started virtual rehearsals on their final productions, Katie Spencer Did A Good Thing by Vivienne Franzmann and Babel by Lucy Chau Lai-Tuen. Our annual New Writing commissions, these two new plays are being directed by Ameera Conrad and Mingyu Lin respectively and the productions will be launched online in June. More details to follow…

Director, Mingyu Lin Tweeted:

Virtual rehearsals for @ArtsEdLondon have been a blast thanks to an enthusiastic cast and a brilliant script by @LucySheen 

Meanwhile, the 3rd Year BA Musical Theatre students have had Zoom workshops with industry professionals including Janie Dee, Matthew White, David Grindrod and Harriet Thorpe, gaining fascinating insights into the profession from experts right at the heart. One 3rd year student Tweeted:

Actually had the best day of virtual @ArtsEdLondon classes! Feeling very blessed at the opportunities they are still putting in place for us even in a pandemic!

Our Foundation Acting students have also enjoyed working with specialists, enjoying a Zoom masterclass with Paul-Ryan Carberry from Iris Theatre! Paul was delighted to have met the next generation of actors and Tweeted:

Thanks to @yusuf_khamisa & @ArtsEdLondon for asking me along! A huge pleasure to share some time with such a passionate bunch of young artists and I’m really looking forward to seeing what they create in the future.

Our MA Acting students are hard at work on their self-tapes this week, guided by our Senior Screen Acting Tutor Mark Street. We look forward to seeing results in the next few weeks!

And to keep up the good vibes, we’ve invited everyone to suggest songs to add to the ArtsEd Lockdown Playlist on Spotify. Check it out and Tweet your suggestions! ArtsEd are ‘virtually’ unstoppable! Why not keep up with us on Twitter?

The ongoing public health crisis has brought our exciting new build project to a temporary halt. Progress over the last nine months has been hugely impressive. The building is fully watertight as of last week and most of the work that still needs to be done is internal. Whilst everything is lying quiet for a while, we thought you might like a sneak peek at what’s been going on since January! 

Starting on the ground floor, this lovely expanse will consist of two new rehearsal rooms and a dance studio, as well as breakout rehearsal spaces and changing rooms.   

Up on the first floor the Day School & Sixth Form will have a suite of new classrooms, a dance studio and a study space.  On the second floor we’ll have three fabulous new dance studios with fantastic feature windows. 

And one of the best bits…  The Green Roof, a wonderful roof terrace and drama studio for the exclusive use of the Day School & Sixth Form pupils. Lucky them!    

To top it all off, we’ve got our own little field of solar panels.   

We have been delighted with the progress so far and are really looking forward to sharing these wonderful new spaces with the whole of the ArtsEd community. Our moving in date is going to be a bit later than planned, but that won’t take away from the excitement or the sense of achievement when we do we get there. For now, we’ll just have to be satisfied with choosing paint colours…

Continuing the celebration of ArtsEd’s Centenary, we launch Islam Bouakkaz’s 100 Years in 100 Seconds Video!  

This launch is just in time for release of new Netflix series, The Letter For The King, featuring our BA Acting 2018 classmates, Islam Bouakkaz and Thaddea Graham. 

Based on Tonke Dragt’s bestselling medieval adventure novel, this story follows fifteen-year-old squire, Tiuri (Amir Wilson), who is tasked with delivering a top-secret letter to the King; the contents of which the whole future of the kingdom depends on. On this deadly mission, Tiuri is joined by a group of Novices, including Thaddea as Iona and Islam as Arman.  

Perhaps a series to add to your isolation TV list? 

Find out what Islam had to say about his time at ArtsEd, and how it helped kick-start his exciting career: