Archive for the ‘News’ Category

Paris Film Festival win for ArtsEd and 2020 Acting graduates!

Posted on: July 7th, 2021 by Marketing User

Despite graduating in the most challenging of circumstances last year, five ArtsEd Acting graduates from our 2020 cohort are enjoying success on the film festival circuit!

The Phoenix won Best Short at the Around Films International Film Festival Paris. A snapshot in the lives of four women who work at a cabaret club, the film was produced last year by ArtsEd’s School of Acting.

Graduates, Paddy Goodall, Matilda Oliver, Kimberley Okoye, Zoe Wright, and Dorothea Sawczuk star in the original short film, written by Jake Vithana and directed by ArtsEd’s Head of Film, Television and Audio, Kim Vithana.

BA Acting students at ArtsEd receive world-leading training in performing for screen, which includes taking part in the production of short, original films in their final year of study. These films are produced from start to finish in the same way a professional movie is made, giving our students vital experience that they carry into their careers as working actors. Production values are extremely high, resulting in the work often being accepted for consideration at film festivals.

The Phoenix was last week announced as the winner of Best Short at the ARFF Official Awards to the delight of everyone involved and indeed the whole school!

The film is not available for public viewing as it is still in contention for other awards, but you can see a trailer here

Below is a selection of behind the scenes photos from the shoot.

 

 

 

 

 

Sharon D Clarke appointed as Vice President of ArtsEd

Posted on: May 21st, 2021 by Marketing User

ArtsEd is delighted to announce the appointment of Sharon D Clarke to the post of Vice President. 

Sharon has forged an exceptional career, garnering critical acclaim for dramatic and musical roles on stage and on screen. In 2019 she won the Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her standout performance in Caroline or Change. In 2020, she won the Olivier for Best Actress for her sensational portrayal of Linda Loman in the Young Vic’s production of Death of a Salesman. The latter also made Sharon the first person to be nominated in all four performing categories of the Olivier Awards. In 2017 she was awarded an MBE for services to drama.   

This extraordinary breadth of success and experience make Sharon a perfect fit for ArtsEd, which offers world-class training in both Acting and Musical Theatre.   

On her appointment Sharon said: 

Attending the ArtsEd 2018 Graduation Ceremony I was delighted to see Olivia Hibbert, who I had just worked with at The Hackney Empire on King The Musical. I couldn’t have been more proud watching her receive her Degree. 

I have had the joy of working with many ArtsEd alumni and applaud them for the talented triple threat performers, choreographers, directors, producers; beautiful humans with good work ethics, that they nurture and guide and enrich this industry with. 

I am truly delighted and honoured to be appointed Vice President of this wonderful Conservatoire of Excellence who are addressing change at a grass roots level, ever pushing forward to Equality, Inclusivity and Diversity, I look forward to us working together.” 

Chris Hocking, ArtsEd Principal said of Sharon’s appointment: 

Sharon’s outstanding and varied career speaks for itself, and I’m thrilled that she is joining the ArtsEd family as Vice President. Her integrity, her passion and her commitment to creating change where it needs to happen in our industry will be an inspiration to us allI very much look forward to introducing her to our students and to working together. 

Sharon joins David Grindrod and Robert Powell in the role of Vice President. ArtsEd’s President is Andrew Lloyd Webber. 

PHOTO: Sharon D Clarke with ArtsEd alumna, Olivia Hibbert at the 2018 graduation ceremony

Remembering Hornby at 50

Posted on: May 13th, 2021 by Marketing User

Today would have been Chris Hornby’s 50th birthday and I thought it would be a suitable moment to reflect on the wonderful legacy that has been created in his name. The success of the Chris Hornby Bursary Fund at ArtsEd has been tremendous, the perfect testament to Chris’s generous soul and the love that we all felt and still feel for him. We have pulled together this round up of how we all made it happen and the impact that the Fund has had so far.

Remembering Chris in this way is so fitting and I would love to be able to continue this special tribute to a wonderful man for a few more years. To that end, if you feel able to make a ‘birthday’ donation to the Fund today, then please do. But don’t worry at all if you can’t right now, your love and support over the years is hugely appreciated already.

Enjoy reading!
Lots of love,
Tim English

Clockwise from top left: (1) Gary Wilmot, Anne (Chris’s Mum) and Chris, first UK tour of Me and My Girl. (2) Chris and Tim at the opening of the Lion King UK and International Tour 2012. (3) Chris speaking to the Lion King cast with Musical Director Simon Lee. (4) Chris with Anthony Lynn, The Lion King Associate Director at The Lyceum Theatre.

Launching the Chris Hornby Bursary Fund in 2015

A special memorial event, held at The Lyceum Theatre in October 2015, gave family and friends from across the industry the opportunity to share their memories of Chris. Opened by Aled Jones who had worked with Chris on White Christmas, moving performances included ‘You Are My Sunshine’ sung by Louise Dearman, ‘Circle of Life’ performed by the cast of The Lion King, and Nat King Cole’s ‘Smile’ performed by the ArtsEd Choir. The Chris Hornby Bursary Fund was also launched, with an incredible £7,000 raised in just the first few days.

From top left: (1) Omid Djalili and Jodie Prenger share their stories. (2) Tim Howar and cast members of The Lion King. (3) Members of the ArtsEd Choir.

Since then we have continued to be moved by the generosity, enthusiasm and creativity of so many supporters. Other fundraising events include a Christmas Concert at the Actors’ Church, Kirsty Spark’s ‘Healthy Hearts for Hornby’ dance classes, Donald’s Beaujolais Night, West End audition masterclasses, and let’s not forget the Ealing half-marathon team!

We are so grateful for everyone who has supported the fund.

Together you have raised over £30,000!

 

Left: Song Workshop with Tim, Matt Henry, Jill Green and Alan Williams. Right: Christmas Concert with Joel Montague, Jo Napthine, Cavin Cornwall, Andrew Lancel, Trevor Dion Nicholas, Louise Dearman and the ArtsEd Choir.

The impact of your support

The funds raised have had a huge impact on the lives of two young performers studying on ArtsEd’s Musical Theatre degree, Jacob Thomas and Maria Conneely.

Maria Conneely in her showcase performance at ArtsEd, 2020 and Jacob Thomas in Legally Blonde ArtsEd, 2019.

Jacob was the first Chris Hornby scholar, receiving support for the full three years of his degree. This award was the first funded place at ArtsEd to be sponsored by individuals, a momentous achievement, without which Jacob would not have been able to complete his training. You can see Jacob’s showreels here. Graduating last summer, Jacob said:

“The support I have received not only financially but emotionally from Tim and the Chris Hornby bursary has been a crucial factor in my development and completing my degree. This has been a life changing opportunity that would not have been possible without the bursary. I am so excited to see where my career takes me, and to make Tim and Chris proud.”

Maria Conneely is in her final year and is on stage at ArtsEd this week as Jellylorum in Cats, the final graduate show of 2020/21. You can also watch Maria’s showreels here, produced to replace the usual Showcase whilst ArtsEd has been unable to welcome audiences. Maria said:

“I feel so honoured and privileged to have received the Chris Hornby Bursary this year. The financial support makes such a different to myself and my parents, for this we are so grateful. This bursary is so precious to me and has already supported me in so many ways in my final year of training. For the rest of my career, I will do my best to make Tim, and all the supporters of the fund, extremely proud.”

Continuing Chris’s legacy at ArtsEd

With students in greater need than ever in 2021/22, we are delighted that the Chris Hornby Bursary Fund has just enough funds left to support one more gifted young performer in their final year of study with us.

The particularly brilliant thing about Chris’s fund is that the vital financial assistance is accompanied by invaluable personal support, in the form of Tim’s expert mentoring and encouragement. We would really love to be able to continue this connection in years to come, supporting the next generation of performers and story-tellers.

If you would like to help make this happen, then please make a donation today. Every donation will make a difference, enabling future students to thrive and keeping Chris’s legacy bright.

Photography: Michael Donne, Tony Brown and Robin Savage

Saturdays at ArtsEd are back!

Posted on: April 9th, 2021 by ArtsEd Admin

Following the government’s confirmation that the roadmap out of lockdown is on schedule we are delighted to announce that ArtsEd EXTRA, our Saturday School, is returning to in-person teaching from 17 April!  

One of the most popular weekend Schools in West London, our Saturday Skills Academy provides Musical Theatre and Acting courses for ages 7-16. Taught by industry professionals and teachers from our Day School, Sixth Form and Higher Education courses, Saturday School pupils receive top quality training whilst making new friends and having fun! 

The Academy is run by Jessie Hills and James Wilson, both graduates of ArtsEd’s BA (Hons) Acting course. Here they explain a bit more about the return to in-person teaching this April. 

James: “We are really excited to return to face-to-face teaching however we also know that there may be anxiety among parents regarding safety. Rest assured we have lots of measures in place to be Covid-compliant, meaning pupils can concentrate on what we do best – having fun and exploring the wonderful world of performing arts!

Jessie: “ArtsEd is a fully-functioning Day School, Sixth Form and Higher Education institution, so lots of safety measures are already in place within the building. For our Saturday classes, this means we are able to offer Covid-compliant procedures right from the first session back.” 

ArtsEd EXTRA safety measures include: 

Jessie: “The school building is ‘fogged’ on Friday eveningwhen all the full-time teachers and students have left for the weekend. This is a deep cleaning process, which is very effective. Our studios are cleaned and sanitised on a Saturday morning just before we start teaching, as well. The school really has been great in supporting us to ensure we can safely reintroduce face-to-face teaching on our EXTRA courses.” 

The need to provide online, blended learning when schools were closed means we are prepared for anything if the government guidelines changeSaturday classes will always continue in one format or another. 

James: “When schools were forced to close, we proved that we could adapt with very short notice! We are now confident in our ability to deliver classes online and can switch to virtual learning with very little fuss. But with everything opening up again, and the roadmap out of lockdown on track, we’re just eager to get everyone back in the building. Zoom has sparked some lovely, creative projects in the performing arts industry but at the end of the day live theatre is supposed to be just that – LIVE! 

Jessie: “We’re really fortunate to have pupils and parents who have stuck with us through online classes and are returning for the new term. But there are some spaces available for newcomers, and now really is the time to join us. This term is going to be so much fun! 

For the Summer term, the Saturday Academy is focussing on a Disney compilation show that will be performed in our in-house venue, the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation Theatre.  

Musical Theatre students will be exploring songs, dances and scenes from Disney musicals and the actors will be using Disney characters to create their own unique scenes. The show will be performed in June. 

For more information and to book, click here

PHOTOS: Tess Henderson

Jonathan O’Boyle Appointed as Director of the School of Musical Theatre

Posted on: March 26th, 2021 by ArtsEd Admin

ArtsEd is delighted to announce the appointment of Jonathan O’Boyle to the role of Director of the School of Musical Theatre, effective November this year. 

Jonathan, who is from Derbyshire, trained as an actor at the Central School of Speech and Drama and then went on to study directing at Birkbeck, University of London where he graduated with an MFA in Theatre Directing. He continued his training working with Jonathan Church at Chichester Festival Theatre and Daniel Evans at Sheffield Crucible. He has also held the position of Associate Director at Theatre503. 

He won Best Director of a Musical and Best Musical Production at the 2021 Off West End Awards for his production of The Last Five Years (Southwark Playhouse). His 2017 production of Hair (UK Tour/The Vaults/Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester) won Best Off West End Production at the WhatsOnStage Awards and will continue to tour internationally when theatres reopen. 

Jonathan’s extensive CV includes directing credits for Bill Kenwright (Cruel IntentionsRain Man), This House, for Headlong and National Theatre, and a series of plays at Trafalgar Theatre; BASHRasheeda Speaking, and A Guide for the Homesick. He directed The View Upstairs (Soho Theatre) and for Southwark Playhouse, Pippin, and Aspects of Love. In 2019 he directed Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella at Cadogan Hall. 

On his appointment Jonathan said: 

“I am truly thrilled to be joining the ArtsEd family as the Director of the School of Musical Theatre.  As one of the leading drama schools in the country, with the UK’s premier training course in Musical Theatre, ArtsEd is firmly at the top of its game. I have always had the most joyous time working with the students at ArtsEd, and I can’t wait to continue that work and shape the future of the course.  

We are entering a challenging time in the arts sector. As we begin the road to recovery after the devastation of COVID-19, drama training will continue to evolve and change with the times. I am looking forward to that challenge, being at the centre of a school that strives for excellence.” 

In addition to his own directing career, Jonathan has worked with and assisted leading directors including Susan Stroman, Jonathan Church, Jeremy Herrin, Daniel Evans, Clare Lizzimore, and Jessica Swale. He assisted Christopher Wheeldon on An American in Paris at the Dominion Theatre and Neil Armfield on The Judas Kiss in Toronto and New York. 

For ArtsEd, Jonathan directed Nice Work If You Can Get It (2019) and will direct The Wedding Singer later this year. His appointment starts in November, after the autumn half-term, as he is directing Top Hat at The Mill at Sonning in September. This production will be Jonathan’s last show for a while as he shifts focus to concentrate on this new, exciting role. Jonathan will succeed Chris Hocking, Principal of ArtsEd since 2017 and Director of the School of Musical Theatre since 2006. 

Chris Hocking said: 

“I am delighted to confirm this fantastic appointment and welcome Jonathan to the ArtsEd family! His award-winning theatre career speaks for itself, and I’m certain he will add huge value to ArtsEd’s musical theatre training in what is an ever-changing landscape. I very much look forward to working with Jonathan as I hand over the School of Musical Theatre curriculum to him.” 

Photo: Nick Rutter

David Ian donates £250k to ArtsEd capital campaign

Posted on: February 25th, 2021 by ArtsEd Admin

In a week of positive news for the performing arts and education sectors, we are delighted to announce a major donation of £250,000 from David IanThis key gift launches our fundraising campaign for the ArtsEd Playhouse, the final phase of a ten-year, £20 million investment in our Chiswick home. This summer will see the official opening of the most recent element of this exciting project, a three-storey extension into an underused courtyard that includes new rehearsal rooms, dance studios and classrooms. The project was launched in 2013 with the creation of the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation Theatre.  

The ArtsEd Playhouse will replace the old Studio Theatre, enabling students to develop the skills required to perform in more intimate spaces and ensuring that we can continue to stage more than 20 professional standard productions per year. 

David Ian was appointed as a trustee to our board in November 2020. Chief Executive of his eponymous production company, and the recipient of five Olivier awards and three Tony nominations, David is a world-renowned theatre producer with a highly successful career spanning over 30 years.  

David said: 

“As a long-time friend to, and supporter of ArtsEd, I was delighted to be appointed to their Board of Trustees last year. Their Chiswick home has undergone a remarkable renovation and extensive addition to its facilities, ensuring it will remain at the forefront of performing arts training in the UK for many years to come. I’m pleased to kickstart their final round of fundraising, which will allow for the building of the ArtsEd Playhouse and complete their capital campaign.” 

David took a tour of the new building in December, and Chris Hocking, Principal of ArtsEd, was pleased to show him the rehearsal studio named after him.  

Chris said:  

David’s generous donation means we are now close to finishing what has been a ten-year project to improve and increase the facilities of our Chiswick home. This investment in ArtsEd demonstrates David’s commitment to supporting us as we provide world-leading training in the performing arts, despite the many challenges to our industry over the last year. I can’t wait to welcome audiences to the new ArtsEd Playhouse very soon!” 

 

Photo: Robin Savage

ArtsEd MA Acting – The Perfect Launch Pad

Posted on: February 8th, 2021 by ArtsEd Admin

Photo: MA students rehearsing Love & Information, 2020. Photographer: Steve Gregson

“The biggest misconception about our course is that it’s academic – a theoretical study,” says Simone Coxall, joint leader of the MA Acting course at ArtsEd, “when it couldn’t be further from that!” 

Simone speaks with passion, as does her co-leader, Richard Neale, when it comes to describing the course. “It’s vocational training. Rigorous, focused and intensive vocational actor training. People hear ‘MA’ and assume they will be writing essays about theatre.” Richard jumps in to qualify, “but our MA a one-year, professional actor training course. 

This is important for many reasons, says Richard. “There is the fundamental difference between academic and vocational in terms of the curriculum and learning, which is no small thing. Then there’s the funding element. Although the ArtsEd MA is a vocational course it is still eligible for government funding, a fact that is not widely known. People may be put off at the prospect of fees, but financial help is there if you look for it.”  

An online search for ‘postgraduate funding’ reveals encouraging government support for MA studies (more than £11k can be available for UK residents, for example), and there are several other options for support. Student finance, in the form of loans similar to those for undergraduates, is available. Funding options exist for single parents, low-income families, care givers and care leavers, disabled applicants, migrant students and more. Richard strongly advises applicants to look through all the information on the government website, which is linked at the bottom of this article. “Funding isn’t necessarily reliant on applicants having an undergraduate degree, either”, he says.

Which brings us to another misconception about the Acting MA – the idea that you must have an undergraduate degree in order to apply. “You don’t need to have done a degree to qualify for our course,” Simone confirms. “In terms of funding it’s not a necessity, as long as you fulfil other criteria and as long as the course you are applying for is eligiblewhich ours is. But entrance is not all about funding, anyway.” 

So, what is the criteria for the ArtsEd MA in Acting? What are Simone and Richard looking for in applicants? “Applicants need to know they want to be an actor!” says Simone. “An applicant must be hungry, curious, hardworkingWe are seeking a really interesting, diverse cohort of students that demand something of themselves in a rehearsal room. I can’t give a tick list of attributes or experience we are looking for, because our course is very much led by the group. Every year will be different.”

Richard agrees. “We get inspiration from our students. The impetus comes from within the year group. It’s the lived experience of the students, and the wonderful individuality of those experiences that affects how we study and interpret a text. We aren’t gatekeepers of art. Art is a shared experience, and that’s how we work, every day with our MA students.” Simone is also keen to emphasise that “we aren’t looking for the finished article. Just as with any Actor training course, we’re looking for potential, and an eagerness to learn.” 

As joint course leaders, the pair complement each other brilliantly, often helping to finish a thought or evolve an idea. As Richard puts it, “we work differently towards the same outcome, and wrestle with ideas together, bashing around until we come to a meeting point and then ‘bing!’ we hit upon the same solution!”  

When it comes to their teaching style, and methods, they are completely aligned. “Simone and I teach through offers, suggestions, and guidance” says Richard. “It’s about personal exploration as opposed to ‘this is right, that’s wrong’, which is vocabulary that we don’t use on our course. It’s about unlocking, harnessing, and sharpening the thoughts and curiosity of our students.”  

As new course leaders, Simone and Richard take seriously their responsibility to consider the relevance and ongoing development of their curriculum, particularly given the current conversations and progress across the industry. “We are interested in keeping hold of the traditions that are constructive, and rethinking those that are less constructive, less useful now. We retain only the techniques and training that are actually useful for the actor working in the modern, progressive world.” 

Supporting them in their vision is Julie Spencer, Director of the School of Acting, to whom they directly report. Since her appointment two years ago, Julie has developed the ArtsEd Acting curriculum to decolonise techniques and training, and bring the students’ cultural experiences into the conversation, throwing off the long-established Eurocentric approach of ‘we say, you do’. In a recent article by Lyn Gardner for The Stage, Julie set out her stall: “Actor training can’t remain static. If you have different students in the room, you have to respond to that. It’s about widening the canon and the curriculum, not losing rigour.” 

Why a one-year MA? 

Simone and Richard are keen to emphasise that the MA Acting course is not a three-year course simply crammed into one. “This is a course for many different types of people, different ages, with different skills and experiences, but perhaps with one major thing in common, which is that they have not taken the ‘standard’ route to vocational drama training” says Simone. Both go on to discuss the various circumstances a person might find themselves in when considering a one-year course instead of a three-year degree. Some are older than the average undergraduate, and perhaps pursued a different avenue before discovering a passion for acting. The course attracts a lot of musical theatre graduates, both from the UK and, particularly, America who decide they would like to spend a year sharpening their acting skills and technique. Others have some professional experience already and don’t feel it necessary to go right back to basics with a three-year course. The age range in the current MA cohort is 22 to 55, which Simone and Richard say is “brilliant – so exciting! It’s closer to what you’d expect to find in a professional company of actors. 

What about the training? 

“The one-year format isn’t a diluted degree,” says Richard “it’s just accelerated. It’s intense. It’s highly focused work, eight and a half hours a day, five days a week, where we jump straight in, full throttle. There’s less time for slowly discovering oneself, which is fine because our students don’t sign up for that – they want to get cracking from day one, exploring a text and bringing it to life. Just like in a professional rehearsal room, that’s what we do!” Simone describes the MA process as “grabbing everything from around you and really making demands on yourself in that one year of focused work.” Both are keen to underline their understanding of the emotional challenges of career in the performing arts and their commitment to preparing their graduates for the rigours inherent in the profession. “Our students leave us with the tools and skills they need to keep themselves physically and emotionally robust for the industry,” says Simone.  

The future 

Simone and Richard are excited to develop the MA in Acting course at ArtsEd and continue to push the boundaries of what it can achieve for its students. Both are strong advocates of diversity“It becomes a positive feedback loop” says Simone. “If we create a truly diverse cohort our course becomes responsive and reactive to that cohort. The ‘who and the ‘what’ of our texts and our work is moved and shaped by that unique set of actors, working collaboratively. It becomes transformative.” 

For more information and to apply: MA in Acting

For more information about MA funding: UK Government website

ArtsEd Alumni spring to fame in hit TV shows this January!

Posted on: January 28th, 2021 by ArtsEd Admin

We’re all looking for some gripping TV shows to get us through those dark January evenings! Thankfully, our alumnus Omari Douglas (BA Musical Theatre, 2015) and recent graduate Isabella Pappas (Sixth Form, 2020) have been gracing our screens during primetime.

Omari is a series lead in brand new channel 4 hit: It’s A Sin, written by Russell T Davies. Isabella has appeared in star-studded ITV series: Finding Alice. Since hitting our screens this winter, both Omari and Isabella have been listed on I Talk Telly’s The 21 TV Stars of Tomorrow 2021, so there’s exciting times ahead for these two young stars.

In It’s A Sin, Omari plays the lead role of Roscoe Babatunde alongside Years and Years singer, Olly Alexander. The series is set during the AIDS epidemic in the 1980’s. and since its release on 22 January, audiences have gone wild for it. Omari has been interviewed on a number of platforms discussing Roscoe’s extroverted character, and how people like him shaped the gay landscape for future generations:

In new ITV drama Finding Alice, Isabella plays the role of Alice and Harry’s 16-year-old daughter Charlotte. The cast also stars: Keeley Hawes, Joanna Lumley, ArtsEd alumnus and Patron, Nigel Havers, Jason Merrells, Gemma Jones, Kenneth Cranham and Sharon Rooney. You can read more about the show and Isabella’s experience in our news story. Since Finding Alice was released on 17 January, Isabella has chatted about the show on Channel Four’s Sunday Brunch and BBC Radio London. She has also appeared on a number of online platforms talking about her experience (and her favourite books!):

We are delighted to see two of our alumni playing lead roles in new TV shows this year, and we hope you will be tuning in if you haven’t already!

Chris Hornby Bursary Scholar takes to the stage at ArtsEd

Posted on: January 20th, 2021 by ArtsEd Admin

Chris Hornby’s legacy continues at ArtsEd with this year’s bursary awarded to Maria Conneely, a third-year student on the Musical Theatre course.

The Chris Hornby Bursary Fund was founded in memory of Chris in 2015. At the time of his death, Chris was the Resident Director for Disney’s The Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre, having performed the same role for Cameron Mackintosh on his production of Oliver! at The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.  Over the years Chris had worked as a choreographer, dance captain, and actor.

Chris was loved and respected throughout the industry and especially well known for his love of nurturing young upcoming talent. As a former ArtsEd student and bursary recipient himself, Chris knew the vital role that bursaries play in a young person’s journey into the performing arts industry.

We are enormously grateful for the wonderful support from Tim English, Chris’s partner, and so many of Chris’s friends and family, all of whom have been instrumental in fundraising for the bursary.

2020 saw a special milestone reached when Jacob Thomas, the first Chris Hornby Bursary Scholar, completed his BA in Musical Theatre, having been supported by the Fund throughout his training.

Jacob Thomas said: “The support I have received not only financially but emotionally from Tim and the Chris Hornby bursary has been a crucial factor in my development and completing my degree. This has been a life changing opportunity that would not have been possible without the bursary. I am so excited to see where my career takes me, and to make Tim and Chris proud.”

This year’s recipient, Maria Conneely, is thrilled to be awarded the Chris Hornby Bursary.

Maria said: “I feel so honoured and privileged to have received the Chris Hornby Bursary this year. The financial support makes such a different to myself and my parents, for this we are so grateful. This aside, however, the emotional support I’ve received as a Chris Hornby Scholar is impossible to put a price on. I’m so grateful to have met Tim and to be welcomed into his family as a scholar, I can’t really imagine not knowing him now! This bursary is so precious to me and has already supported me in so many ways in my final year of training. For the rest of my career, I will do my best to make Tim, and all the supporters of the fund, extremely proud.”

You can see Maria performing two solo pieces onstage in the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation Theatre in her showreel and explore the class of 2021 here.

Tim English said: “I’m thrilled that the Chris Hornby Bursary is now providing help and mentoring to its second talented student at ArtsEd, Maria Conneely.  Chris was a great advocate for younger performers and seeing our scholars shine warms my heart and comforts me that his death has not been in vain.
To see our first scholar, Jacob Thomas, grow and progress through his training has been wonderful and to be able to provide that opportunity to someone whose talent my otherwise have gone unnoticed is exactly why this bursary was set up. One of my personal highlights was seeing Jacob in his first professional show, ‘Soapdish’, at the Turbine Theatre, starring Louise Dearman, a great friend of Chris’ and a wonderful supporter of the bursary.
I’m determined that the Chris Hornby Bursary should continue to provide funds and mentoring for as many students as we can. Everyone with a dream to perform deserves a little help.”

Since the fund’s launch, an incredible £30,000 has been raised to help students with exceptional talent who need financial support to fulfil their dreams.  Thank you to everyone who has supported the Fund, from all of us at ArtsEd.

If you would like to donate to the Chris Hornby Bursary Fund, you can do so here, be sure to select the fund in the drop down option.

Lashana Lynch Video Completes ArtsEd Centenary Celebrations!

Posted on: December 18th, 2020 by ArtsEd Admin

ArtsEd was officially 100 years old in 2019!

Throughout 2019/20 we have celebrated this milestone with some of our most successful alumni in a series of videos recently published on our new YouTube channel.

We have now released all of our videos, the final one being a conversation with star of stage and screen, Lashana Lynch!

Lashana will soon appear on cinema screens as Agent Nomi in the new James Bond movie: No Time To Die.

In her centenary video she shares her ArtsEd experience and how training on our Acting course influenced her brilliant career.

On the 100 years of ArtsEd celebrations, Chris Hocking, Principal, said:

“In 2019 we began what we thought would be a year of centenary celebrations marking 100 years since Grace Cone founded her school, which would merge with Olive Ripman’s to form the Cone Ripman School, subsequently named Arts Educational Schools. 2020 proved to be a year like no other, however we’ve recently released our video series, 100 Years in 100 Seconds featuring some of our most successful alumni. We’re thrilled to share our last video, which rounds off our celebrations in spectacular fashion – Lashana Lynch discussing her ArtsEd experience and how our Acting course has influenced her brilliant career. We recently took ownership of our brand new building and will officially launch its studios, classrooms and rehearsal spaces in Spring 2021. We’re already looking ahead and preparing for the next 100 years of world-leading performing arts training!”

See Lashana’s video below and head to our YouTube channel to check out the rest in the series featuring: Miriam-Teak Lee, Stephen Whitson, Danny Mac, Nigel Harman, Islam Bouakkaz, and Thomas Dennis.

Video production: Bad Madam