Continuing ArtsEd’s Centenary celebrations, we launch Thomas Dennis’ 100 Years in 100 Seconds video.
Thomas attended both ArtsEd Day School and Sixth Form, graduating from the Sixth Form in 2014. He went straight from ArtsEd, landing the lead role of Christopher Boone in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, then landed another lead role as Albert Narracott in the National Theatre’s War Horse.
Find out what he had to say about his time at ArtsEd, and how it helped kick-start his exciting career:
To celebrate ArtsEd’s 100th Birthday, we have gathered together some of our wonderful alumni to tell us their ArtsEd stories in a series of short films that we will be releasing throughout 2019-20.
First up, we had the fabulous Miriam-Teak Lee, star of exciting new musical &Juliet. You can watch her video here.
And now, we share 100 Years in 100 Seconds with BA Musical Theatre alumnus, Danny Mac who graduated in 2009. Danny has enjoyed tremendous success both on stage and screen; from Hollyoaks and Strictly Come Dancing, to Amelie the Musical and On The Town at Regents Park Open Air Theatre. Today, Danny opens in Christmas West End sensation: White Christmas at the Dominion Theatre. His next endeavor will be Pretty Woman: The Musical which will be opening on the West End, February 2020.
We are thrilled to have a number of alumni nominated for this year’s WhatsOnStage Awards, including the brilliant Isabella Pappas from our Sixth Form. Isabella’s nomination is for Best Supporting Actress in a Play for her role as Cassidy Lafayette in Appropriate, Brandon Jacob Jenkins’ new play staged at the Donmar Warehouse.
Balancing Sixth Form responsibilities while working in the industry is a huge challenge that Isabella has attacked head-on. Here’s what she had to say about her nomination and how ArtsEd helped her along the way:
“It is amazing to be nominated for a WhatsOnStage Award for Best Supporting Actress alongside such accomplished women. And it’s equally wonderful to have Appropriate nominated for Best New Play. I believe in the power of theatre to move audiences in unexpected ways and I’m fortunate to have been involved in plays like Appropriate and The Nether, which raise important questions and stimulate debate amongst audiences. The fact that WhatsOnStage awards are chosen by the public shows that people appreciate the artistry and talent of everyone involved in these productions.
Since my nomination, the outpouring of support from ArtsEd has been overwhelming and I cannot thank everyone enough. As an ArtsEd student, it can be a challenge to represent the school’s tradition of excellence and its commitment to London’s theatre tradition while also being a working actor. I’m often revising backstage and between shows in order to juggle both commitments. I could not do this without the strong support of the ArtsEd community. Their support takes so many forms: from the dozens of ArtsEd instructors and students who came to see Appropriate, to teachers providing a flexible academic schedule so that I could attend recalls, to the students who helped support me after I missed lessons. ArtsEd has a 100-year tradition of promoting success in the performing arts and I’m proud to be a part of that tradition and to have their guidance, instruction and encouragement as I pursue my craft.
It’s time to get voting! Show your support for Isabella and other ArtsEd nominees: Miriam-Teak Lee, Oliver Tompsett and Jac Yarrow and vote on the WhatsOnStage website now!
In ArtsEd’s 100th year, we unearth memories, pictures, programmes and newspaper clippings to collate the rich history of ArtsEd together. While doing so, we discovered a whole family of ArtsEd students made up of three generations of women: grandmother, Lynn Sawyer, her two daughters Samantha and Claire Sawyer, and granddaughter, Scarlet Grace Churchhouse, who currently attends ArtsEd Sixth Form.
Grandmother, Lynn shares memories from her time at ArtsEd in the 60’s:
“I attended 144 Piccadilly at Hyde Park. It was an amazing building full of history. I simply loved it there. I won a scholarship in 1966 and had a wonderful time. After my schooling I then auditioned for the students’ school and continued my training for a further three years.
I am still in the business that I love as a talent agent! I have trained many students who have gone on to further training at ArtsEd; one of these is Jordan Shaw who is doing amazingly well playing the lead role in The Lion King.
I have wonderful memories of my time at ArtsEd and cherished every moment. Even back then, I knew this was a very special place indeed.
…By the way, I still have my boater hat!”
Lynn Sawyer, age 14
Daughter, Claire Sawyer also shared memories of her time at ArtsEd:
“When I think back to my time spent training at ArtsEd, I can only think of what an amazing school it was and how lucky I was to have had the opportunity to study drama there. Not only is the vocational training outstanding, it also offers an excellent academic education.
I attended the day school at the age of 11 when the school was located at Golden Lane. It was an impressive building with lots of character and even an iron bridge! Our Head at the time was the lovely Mrs Jack.
In my second year we moved to Turnham Green, Chiswick to where it is today.
I was fortunate enough to audition for a Walt Disney Film called Friendship in Vienna and was offered a role with my friend Zoe Tahir and we filmed in Budapest for a while, and our drama teacher chaperoned us. I was also fortunate enough to perform in The Sound Of Music at The Apollo Theatre, and my luckiest role was landing the lead in a three-year TV series called Mr Majeika which aired every week and on Christmas Day! I honestly believe it was ArtsEd that put me in good stead to land these roles!
Claire and Samantha Sawyer in their ArtsEd uniforms
I love the fact that 3 generations of my family have attended the school! My mother, sister and now my daughter Scarlet is fulfilling her dreams studying there.
I made friends at ArtsEd that I still have to this very day and the lovely memories of studying there will stay with me forever!”
Daughter, Samantha Sawyer reminisced on her time at ArtsEd:
“I can remember being so excited to have been offered a place at ArtsEd and following in my mother’s footsteps, having heard such wonderful stories of her time there. We were taught such amazing skills that have taken us through our professional lives. I excelled in acting and worked in a number of television series for some time, such as Barchester Chronicles and Lame Ducks. ArtsEd is such a prestigious school and I am so proud to be part of their Centenary”
Granddaughter, Scarlet Grace is currently studying Acting and Film Studies at ArtsEd Sixth Form, and she is also appearing in exciting new series, Truth Seekers, starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. You can read more about it in our previous news article.
ArtsEd are on the hunt for exciting new musical theatre and acting talent in Ireland as we take our auditions to Dublin this December.
As well as auditioning, prospective students will get an insight into life on our BA Acting and Musical Theatre courses, direct from our very own world-class tutors and alumni, all without the cost of travelling to London. These costs can be a major barrier for young people who have great talent but limited financial means.
Our Dublin audition day is part of a long-term commitment to improve opportunities for talented young people from underrepresented backgrounds to pursue careers in the performing arts.
Shane O’Riordan, one of our BA Musical Theatre graduates, is currently appearing in the UK & Ireland Tour of LES MISÉRABLES and is thankful for his experience at ArtsEd:
“ArtsEd helped me through tough times as I needed an operation on my ankle. It was our Principal, Chris Hocking who got me an audition for the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation Scholarship. This took massive financial pressure off my parents, as they had their house up for sale to pay for my fees. I had the most amazing and supportive three years at ArtsEd, and my life wouldn’t be the same if it wasn’t for the training.”
Chris Hocking, Principal and Director for the School of Musical Theatre says:
“Taking our audition day to Dublin is an essential step in increasing participation across the sector and is a vital part of ArtsEd’s commitment in offering outstanding training to everyone.
“We want to encourage students with exceptional potential in Ireland to join us at ArtsEd. The distance means not everyone can always make it to a London audition, so we want to bring the audition to you. If you want to be part of the ArtsEd family and train with us then we want to see YOU at our Dublin audition.”
Phoenix College says about the audition day:
“We are thrilled to be hosting ArtsEd’s audition day here in Dublin for their world-class BA Acting and Musical Theatre courses.
“ArtsEd’s reputation as a centre for excellence lies in their industry-focused expertise and calibre of staff, its intensive and practical training schedule, and their strong focus on pastoral care.
“Because of ArtsEd’s outreach efforts, students here in Ireland who have dreamt about a successful career in the performing arts can audition for one of the UK’s leading drama schools without the travel demands and costs of getting to London.”
The Dublin audition will take place on Wednesday 18 December 2019, at Phoenix College in Dublin. The audition session will include a warm-up workshop led by ArtsEd Acting and Musical Theatre tutors. BA Acting candidates will be expected to prepare two monologues, while BA Musical Theatre candidates must be prepared to act, sing and dance.
Candidates can find out more and apply on our auditions page.
To celebrate ArtsEd’s 100th Birthday, we have gathered together some of our wonderful alumni to tell us their ArtsEd stories in a series of short films that we will be releasing throughout the year.
To kick things off, we have our Musical Theatre alumna, Miriam-Teak Lee. Miriam-Teak is the star of exciting new musical: &Juliet, which is opening at the Shaftesbury Theatre this week. In her video, Miriam talks about her journey with ArtsEd, and how she has applied her training in the industry.
You can watch Miriam’s video right now!:
Remember to keep an eye out for more alumni videos throughout the year…
ArtsEd is 100 years old this year. That’s a long time to have been an organisation so brimful of talent, passion and expertise!
ArtsEd was established 100 years ago by Grace Cone and Olive Ripman, pioneering educationalists who shared a passion for the value of combining an academic education with a specialised training in dance, drama, music and art. We are delighted to be continuing their legacy with our wonderfully talented pupils and students.
There is a lot to look forward to during our Centenary year. We have just launched a lovely new website, and we have also gathered together some of our wonderful alumni to tell us their ArtsEd stories in a series of short films that we will be releasing throughout the year.
100 Years in 100 Seconds, was launched this week with a teaser. Take a peek to see who’s been involved!
Last weekend marked the inaugural Black British Theatre Awards, recognising black talent in the performing arts from right across the UK. Full of talented nominees and fabulous performances, the ceremony closed Black History Month with a flourish. And to top it off, Amara Okereke, brilliant alumna of our BA Musical Theatre degree, won the Recent Graduate Award!
Amara shot to fame in 2018 as the first black actress to be cast as Cosette in iconic musical, Les Miserables on the West End. A role for which she won the The Stage Debut Award for Best Actress in a Musical. From Les Mis she went straight on to star as Laurie in Oklahoma at Chichester Festival Theatre and she is currently in rehearsal for The Boyfriend at the Menier Chocolate Factory.
The Recent Graduate Award was collected by Amara’s proud mother, Dr Ebere Okereke, who is delighted with her daughter’s achievement:
“It was a privilege and an honour to represent my daughter at the inaugural Black British Theatre Awards ceremony on Sunday, and a double pleasure to receive the award for outstanding recent graduate on her behalf. She thanked ArtsEd and NYMT for her training and for the opportunities that training has given her. It is thanksto her training that she has had such a phenomenal start to her career.
Awards such as this bring visibility to the black people in the industry. One of the award recipients on the night said ‘I feel seen’ and that captured for me exactly why this award ceremony is so badly needed. With this event and the database of excellence that it proposes to create, black performers will be ‘seen’. As the parent of a performer it gives me great comfort to know that my daughter has such esteemed company who understand her experience that she can call on. It’s a wonderful thing Solange and Omar have created and they are to be congratulated.”
ArtsEd Principal, Chris Hocking also attended the awards ceremony, and couldn’t be more proud:
“Amara has taken the industry by storm. She is such a kind, generous and talented actor and a brilliant Ambassador for ArtsEd.”
This year sees ArtsEd celebrate 100 years of world-class training in the performing arts by launching in Dubai and across the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Earlier this month, our spectacular launch in the UAE was celebrated with a dinner and performances from our very own ArtsEd graduates at the beautiful venue Weslodge, Marriott Marquis, Dubai. Attending the dinner were, UK Consul General Mr Andrew Jackson, Director General of Dubai Culture Mrs Hada Badri, and representatives from KHDA and the eight schools with whom ArtsEd will be working: DESC, GEMS Wellington Silicon Oasis, GEMS Wellington Primary School, Jumeirah College, Jumeirah Primary School, GEMS Wellington International School, Safa Community School and Kings School, Al Barsha. Representing ArtsEd were Chairman of ArtsEd International, Mark Burch and CEO, Chris Hocking and teachers and graduates from ArtsEd.
HM Consul General, Andrew Jackson, welcomed ArtsEd International to Dubai, saying.
“I am pleased to congratulate ArtsEd on the launch of their innovative performing arts training in the UAE. This is a great example of creative partnership between the UK and the UAE, bringing together culture and education. ArtsEd have a long history of excellence in training and it is particularly exciting that they have chosen to make the UAE launch part of their centenary celebrations.”
This centenary year will see our talented team deliver world-class performing arts training across the UAE to international partner schools. ArtsEd will work with schools to achieve their strategic goals, including increasing enrolment, harnessing creativity, building self-esteem and confidence, and developing vital skills amongst their students and teachers. ArtsEd will also be providing open programmes for students across the region to attend during the holidays.
Principal, Chris Hocking says:
“We are thrilled to be bringing ArtsEd to Dubai. Our fantastic teachers, brilliant graduates and talented students will work with our UAE partner schools and their students to deliver world-class bespoke programs helping to develop a full range of performance skills internationally.”
For more information about ArtsEd in the UAE, or how to become an ArtsEd partner school,
Please contact Dr Andrew Lee in Dubai: Tel: +971 56 135 4704 Email: Alee@artsed.co.uk
Scarlet Grace, currently in the Sixth Form at ArtsEd has just been cast as Charlotte White, a lead role in Truth Seekers, an exciting new comedy/horror series for Amazon Original.
Starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, best known for hit films Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead, Truth Seekers follows a team of part-time paranormal investigators, who travel the UK, sharing online their ghostly sightings. As their supernatural sightings become more frequent, so does their sense of serious danger, as they begin to uncover a conspiracy that could impact the entire human race…
Scarlet began her training at ArtsEd Day School and continued on into the Sixth Form, studying BTEC Acting and A Level Film. Scarlet is no stranger to the big screen. Earlier this year, she played Pickle in the Holmes & Watson movie, starring Will Ferrell and John Reilly. When asked about this exciting new venture, she told us:
“I had an amazing time filming for new Amazon Series, ‘Truth Seekers’! Written by Nat Saunders and James Serafinowicz, and starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, the series will launch on Amazon Prime Video in over 200 countries, and I am playing the role of Charlotte White with a twist to her character!”
Truth Seekers began filming the eight-part series in September, with the launch date still pending… watch this space!
