Yesterday, ArtsEd’s BA (Hons) Acting and BA (Hons) Musical Theatre students celebrated three years of hard graft, arriving in caps and gowns to collect their degrees and all qualifying with flying colours.

Surrounded by family, friends and the ArtsEd staff that have nurtured their talents throughout their time here, this year’s graduation was a joyful occasion, full of anticipation for the future of the talented graduates of 2019.

Principal, Chris Hocking, opened the Ceremony, inspiring the gradates with his words of wisdom:

“Congratulations for making it to the end – Three years, but I bet it feels like it has gone in a blink of an eye!  You have all done brilliantly to get through our training.  It is demanding and intense and there has been blood, sweat and plenty of tears.  But it’s so worth it!  We know that you will all go on to brilliant, varied and fascinating jobs in your journey through the business of show!  Remember to keep learning and always be curious!”

Julie Spencer, ArtsEd’s new Director of the School of Acting and Chris Whitehead, Head of Third Year Musical Theatre, also addressed the audience, encouraging the graduates to be kind, to be brave and to be bold.

Addresses on behalf of the graduates were given by Nicole Baisden, representing the School of Musical Theatre and Michael Workeye, representing the School of Acting.

We were delighted to welcome Peter Polycarpou as our Guest Speaker.  The wonderful triple-threat star of stage and screen underlined the importance of looking after yourself in the cut and thrust of the business:

“Mental health is crucial in this industry – look after who you are. Be prepared and be resilient. Give yourself space and time to be quiet and endeavour to bend, not break, like bamboo in the wind.”

Degrees were conferred by City, University of London, and celebrations continued back at ArtsEd where graduates joined the ArtsEd Alumni Network – ensuring that we can stay in touch and celebrate their successes well into the future.

And finally, some of the class of 2019 had some words of wisdom for their first year selves.

“Enjoy every minute – and face every challenge with a smile.”

“Don’t underestimate the power of rest!”

 “Make every day count…it will all go by in a flash!”

Once again, ArtsEd’s Day School has produced an excellent set of GCSE results with every student securing at least six GCSEs and many students achieving eight, nine, and even ten.

With the new top grade of ‘9’ now being in full operation (equivalent to A**), ArtsEd has once again seen a third of students achieve this new grade in one or more subjects, and every student achieving a top grade of 7, 8, or 9 in at least one subject – indeed over 40% of all the GCSE Results were in this top band.

Adrian Blake, ArtsEd’s Day School and Sixth Form Headteacher said:

“We are thrilled that our Year 11 students have done so well in their exams especially with the changing landscape of GCSEs. To achieve so many top grades just shows how multi-talented our students really are, and I am enormously proud of each and every one of them.”

Year 11 Pupil, Abbie Punton has thoroughly enjoyed her time at ArtsEd, and is excited for the future:

“I’m really, really happy! I know that without the hard work and dedication of the teachers and the overall support I received here, I wouldn’t have been able to achieve what I have! I’m so grateful for all they’ve done for me. I’m really excited to start at Laine next year to study the Level 6 Diploma in Musical Theatre!”

Another year 11 Pupil, Charlotte Sparks is delighted with her maths result and eager to continue her journey at ArtsEd:

“In January I was told that it was unlikely that I would pass maths – but I’m so happy that I passed! It’s all thanks to the teachers at ArtsEd – I’m so grateful. I’m excited to continue my studies at ArtsEd Sixth Form where I will be taking BTEC Acting and Drama A level.”

If you are interested in finding out more about ArtsEd Day School or Sixth Form, you can sign up for one of our September Open Evenings.

Sixth Form Open Evening (Year 12 Entry) – Tuesday 24 September, 6pm & Wednesday 20 November, 6pm
Day School Open Evening (Years 7-10 Entry) – Wednesday 25 September, 6pm

Sixth Form students at ArtsEd celebrate the school’s best ever results in BTECs with a superb 100% Triple Distinction and above (equivalent to three A levels at A and A* grade), with 85% achieving Triple Distinction (D* D* D*)!

A levels also saw a 100% pass rate with 30% of all A level results at A* / A, and overall 78% of all results were A* – B, which is our highest figure on record and significantly above the national average.

ArtsEd’s Sixth Form leavers will be enjoying a summer break before heading off to a range of vocational destinations, including Bristol Old Vic, Bird, Laine Theatre Arts, LAMDA, London Studio Centre, Mountview, RADA, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, and of course ArtsEd, with others choosing top choice university places, including Falmouth, University of Sussex, Rose Bruford College, Cardiff University and University of the Arts London.

Some students have gone straight into professional work, with Billy Nevers currently starring in Jesus Christ Superstar at The Barbican, followed by &Juliet at The Shaftesbury in November.

Adrian Blake, Headteacher for ArtsEd’s Day School and Sixth Form said:

“I am so proud of all the students who have worked tirelessly to achieve such wonderful results – and full credit to the staff who have enabled each of our sixth form students to stretch themselves as learners in order to shine in the exam room as well as on the stage. This is our best set of sixth form results ever, and shows improvement in BTEC and A levels for the seventh year in a row. I wish each and every one of our students the very best for their continuing studies here at ArtsEd and beyond.”

Mark Ferrington, Head of Sixth Form said:

“I am incredibly proud of the results this year and all the work the whole team has put in to making these young, talented students achieve both academically and vocationally. The diversity and quality of destinations is outstanding, with some students going straight into working professionally in the West End. These results demonstrate that ArtsEd Sixth Form provides the very best choice for students looking for a bright future.”

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

Sixth Form student, Maisie Ayres said:

“ArtsEd really helped me get the support that I needed to get these results. I can honestly say that it’s been the best two years that I’ve had – there are so many options here, both academically and opportunities for live performances, and the teachers are amazing – they really cater to each student and help them do the best they can. I’m so happy with my results – I did much better than expected and I’m excited to attend Guildhall next year.”

Sixth Form student, Ellie Sparrow said:

“I did A level Film and BTEC Musical Theatre, and I’m so happy with the results. I’m excited to attend The Institute of the Arts in Barcelona and I honestly feel I wouldn’t have been able to make that big step, going to another country to study a subject that I love without the skills that I learned from ArtsEd. ArtsEd has taught me to be confident, resilient and always fight for what I want.”

If you are interested in joining our Sixth Form or Day School, sign up for ArtsEd’s upcoming Open Evenings

Sixth Form (Yr 12 Entry) – Tuesday 24 September at 6pm
Sixth Form (Yr 12 Entry) – Wednesday 20 November at 6pm
Day School (Yrs 7-10 Entry) – Wednesday 25 September at 6pm

We are thrilled to announce that ArtsEd has achieved excellent results for third year running in the 2019 National Student Survey.

ArtsEd Principal, Chris Hocking said:

“We are delighted that for the third year in a row, overall student satisfaction at ArtsEd is well over 90%. This result underlines our reputation as a provider of outstanding training in the performing arts.

To maintain this excellence, it is vital that we understand how our students feel about the quality of our teaching and the support they receive at ArtsEd.  The National Student Survey enables us to do this and our first-rate results, alongside those of many of our competitors, are testament to  the strength and effectiveness of the performing arts training sector as a whole.

“ArtsEd continually reviews and refines our acting and musical theatre courses to ensure the training we provide is of the highest quality and prepares students for the particular demands of today’s industry.  An area in which ArtEd really shines is the nurturing ethos and family feel of our organisation.  With our ‘learning community’ scoring 100% this year, we know that our students and staff feel part of a strong and supportive community.  This sense of nurture and belonging is absolutely integral to our success and enables our students to flourish both here and when they graduate.”

Each year, ArtsEd holds open submissions for original screenplays to be performed by graduating BA Actors, and we are delighted to invite writers to submit their scripts for the fifth season!

Launched in 2014, the Original Screenplay Project has gone from strength to strength, with a limited number of films from the project submitted to film festivals. In 2016, the film Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang by Paul Houghton won Best Comedy at the Crystal Palace International Film Festival, and in 2018 we were thrilled to win the Best Student Project award at the London Short Film Fest for Caroline Jeffries’ Heads or Tails.

How does it work?

Shortlisted scripts will be read in a workshop setting and once the final scripts have been selected, writers may be required to develop or adapt their work. They will subsequently be filmed in March 2020, by a professional director and director of photography, supported by a full student crew. Each film will then be edited to broadcast standard and screened before an industry audience.

Each script should combine a clear, narrative arc with a degree of dramatic action and must also fulfil the following criteria:

Be of 10-12 minutes duration
Be suitable for filming on a limited budget
Require a maximum of 3 simple locations and not involve difficult technical set ups i.e.: long driving scenes, period settings etc.
Tackle contemporary subject matter, both comedy and drama and be set in the last decade
Be suitable for a cast who are in their twenties, with a minimum of 3 to 6 strong roles
Avoid any extreme violence or explicit sexual content
Require a limited number of older cast or none at all ideally

All writers will be fully credited for their work, retain copyright of the script and receive a link to the film. Cast and crew are mostly students but any additional crew, directors and writers will receive a small remuneration to be confirmed by ArtsEd.

We will acknowledge receipt of submissions but regrettably, due to the volume of submissions we are unable to provide individual feedback. Final scripts will be chosen by September 2019.

To submit a script for our consideration, please email a copy in PDF or Word format to scripts.artsed@gmail.com and remember to include your name, contact details, and script title on the front page, together with a brief synopsis and character breakdown.

Deadline for submissions is Monday 20th May 2019

ArtsEd will be taking BA Acting auditions to Manchester this February to ensure that more people outside of London can experience an audition.

Aimed at those who cannot attend in London, the audition day will provide students with insight into ArtsEd’s BA Acting course and the opportunity to listen to key tutors and alumni about daily life. The audition session will also see a warm-up workshop led by an ArtsEd Acting Tutor where candidates will be required to perform two monologues.

Successful applicants will be invited to a recall audition in London, where they can also learn more about ArtsEd’s distinctive training, including insight into how the course is uniquely split between acting techniques for stage and screen. At the recall, prospective students can also tour ArtsEd’s excellent facilities and experience the uniquely vibrant atmosphere of its Chiswick home.

The Manchester-based audition event will take place on Saturday 23 February 2019 at the Shena Campus, Manchester College – students can sign up to attend now.

ArtsEd’s Director of the School of Acting, Gareth Farr sees these auditions as an essential step in increasing participation across the sector and as part of ArtsEd’s commitment in offering outstanding training to everyone.

Gareth says:

“Students with exceptional potential can’t 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 Manchester audition.”

ArtsEd Graduate, proud Mancunian, and star of Calendar Girls, The Musical UK Tour, Tyler Dobbs says:

“I didn’t have a lot of money for my auditions so I auditioned for four schools – one being ArtsEd. The audition was brilliant because I met some students and staff and really got the ArtsEd vibe!

“After I was offered a place I did everything I could to get myself to London. I had fantastic support and advice from ArtsEd with regards to funding and wouldn’t have been able to do it without them. My advice is ‘go for it’ – don’t hesitate and get yourself to the audition! Sign up today!”

APPLY NOW!

Sixth Form students at ArtsEd celebrate the School’s best ever BTEC results with a superb 100% Triple Distinction and above (equivalent to three A Levels at A and A* grade).

The A Levels saw a 100% pass rate with 39% of all A Level results at A* / A – which is another year-on-year increase of the highest possible grades, and ArtsEd’s highest figure on record. Overall 68% of all results were A* – B, which once again is significantly above the national average.

ArtsEd’s Sixth Form leavers will be enjoying a summer break before heading off to a range of vocational destinations including; ALRA, Bird, Laine Theatre Arts, LAMDA, London Studio Centre, Mountview, RADA, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, Trinity Laban, and of course ArtsEd, with others choosing top choice university places, including Goldsmiths, Newcastle and York.

Those continuing their training at ArtsEd include students on both the BA in Musical Theatre, and Acting.

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Adrian Blake, Headteacher for ArtsEd’s Day School and Sixth Form said:

“I’m really proud of the students, and staff, who have worked together so successfully to raise the bar yet again and secure such fantastic results.

“It’s the combination of talented individual minds meeting young talent here at ArtsEd that creates a truly dynamic environment for teaching and learning. Our dedicated staff build warm and constructive learning relationships with pupils, creating a strong ethos of nurture and individualism enabling each student to flourish and make a success of adult life. I wish each and every one of our students the very best for their continuing studies here at ArtsEd and beyond”

Sixth Form Student, Joshua Orpin said:

“I feel so overwhelmed – especially with my A Level Dance result, where I achieved two grade boundaries above what I expected. Being at ArtsEd has been the best experience. Coming from an amateur drama background, I came here with no training and have learned so much. I wouldn’t change my experience for the world and feel very lucky.

“It’s been a busy and stressful journey, but the training and support from everyone here makes ArtsEd the amazing place that it is. I’m really looking forward to continuing my training at ArtsEd on the BA Musical Theatre course.”

Sixth Form student, Niamh Bennett said:

“I’m so happy with my results. I didn’t expect to get an A* in A Level Drama – I couldn’t have done that without the amazing and dedicated teachers here at ArtsEd. The training here has been very different – there have been plenty of surprises, and it has shaped me into the person I am today.

“ArtsEd is such a supportive place, it feels like one big family and is such a great stepping stone for the future. Now I can’t wait to start the BA Acting course at Academy of Live and Recorded Arts (ALRA) in September.”

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

If you are interested in joining our Sixth Form or Day School, sign up for ArtsEd’s upcoming Open Evenings:

Sixth Form (Yr 12 Entry) – Tuesday 25 September at 6pm
Day School (Yrs 7-10 Entry) – Wednesday 26 September at 6pm

I spent a very 70’s induced lunch time in the local caf with the delightfully creative, Liz Bacon, director of one of this year’s MA Shows, 1972: The Future of Sex. From first watching this play performed by the creators, The Wardrobe Ensemble, I was excited to discover what Liz and our MA cast would bring into the mix!

T: Hi Liz. You are currently at the early stages of rehearsal and you are devising extra scenes for 1972: The Future of Sex. What is your process for that?

L: We’ve already decided our three devised storylines, and we got to this point by playing around with pieces of the script and then worked out where our big questions were. In the play, there are big question marks that need not be answered, because it’s the audience’s job to go away and answer them. But there are still some storylines and characters that need more exploring, which was only enhanced by the research we did into the era. Our big question was: Why are we putting on a play about 1972 in 2018? What do we want to say about it? What do we want the audience to go away thinking? What actions do we want them to take? How can we pull out more threads from the story to serve that purpose? But from a more practical angle, devising gives everyone the chance to have more of an equal part in the play, so it’s come from the casting process as well – who naturally fits into the roles. We decided to work on the characters already in the script, as the thought of devising new ones was a bit too much in the time given, so instead we have focussed purely on expanding the storylines.

T: Ultimately, this is a very physical piece; what has inspired you when it comes to physical direction?

L: I honestly don’t know how to work any other way. The reason why I love working physically is that it creates a breadth of possibility and freedom that allows us to make decisions about the play. For me, the fact that we have a really tight ensemble of twelve people, it’s such a moving and engaging thing to watch. 1972: The Future of Sex is about adolescence, it’s about sex, it’s about physical bodies and beings, so to tell that story in a passive way would be nuts! In the reality of the play, there’s a band made up of seventeen year olds. These teenagers are probably not very strong musically, but they have the soul to perform something raw with energy and guts, and I feel like that’s how the whole play should be told.

T: How are you finding tackling the comedic dynamic coupled with the serious themes of sexuality?

L: My main focus, after reading the script was creating characters that the audience could connect with. I’ve been working on the authenticity of the piece, so I think the comedy will come naturally with that. The play is unexpected and surprising in its format, which really lends itself to the comedic side of it. It all comes back to play – throughout the whole rehearsal process, we’ve been playing around, and I think that joy will show.

T: What are you enjoying most about working with our MA students?

L: They’re so enthusiastic and they’re so hungry to learn stuff and try new things. The positivity and support that they give one another is incredible. Also, the fact that MA students are a bit older really helps with discussions in the play around permission and identity, because they bring their life experiences into it. They’re a really smart group. Their real challenge is trusting themselves – the MA course is only a year, but it’s important that they give themselves permission to move onto the next step and trust that they’re qualified enough to move into the industry.

T: What are the main challenges you have faced so far?

L: Devising the new storylines has been a challenge, as they need to evolve at the same pace as the rest of the world within the play. It takes a lot of faith, timing wise – it is one thing rehearsing a play that’s already been written, but when you’re adding new devised scenes to it, it suddenly becomes a much longer process. We’ve also got a live band on stage, so we have to compose and create songs; it’s a lot of fun, but timing crops up again as a challenge!

Get involved in the 70’s madness from 4-7 July and BOOK NOW.

So there I was, sat in the local caf enjoying a toasted sandwich and a chat with the wonderfully insightful, Holly Race Roughan, director of one of this year’s MA Shows: The Laramie Project. I was keen to know how this twenty year old American play about the brutal murder of gay man, Matthew Shepard can still bear relevance for us today.

T: Hi Holly. So, The Laramie Project is renowned for its many characters. As you get into the full-swing of rehearsals, what will your process be towards getting the actors to embody such a huge range of characters?

H: The answer at the moment is – I don’t know! But most likely it will be through physicality. The overall framing of the show is very much about Tectonic theatre company rein-acting the Laramie residents, so there doesn’t need to be sense of naturalism like a straight verbatim play would have. Because of that, we haven’t worried about being age or gender specific. Some of the actors are doing a variety of accents, but that’s a personal choice, as they feel like it brings something out of their character. For example, Marc Zayat who is playing the University President of Wyoming is doing an accent from his heritage as he feels that the character reminds him of someone he knows.

T: The Laramie Project is celebrating its 20 Year anniversary, what can this play say to a contemporary audience? Why does it still bear relevance?

H: I think the Laramie Project is about community accountability. It’s a story about two young men who commit an act of hate violence and we watch as the community unravel, respond and come to terms with it. What I’m realising at the moment is that we have to move away from the ‘witch hunt’ model when trying to solve issues in our society. We have to take collective responsibility for our complicity in hate culture. In a very direct way, when I read the play, the ‘Me Too’ campaign came to mind – we are at that point in our society where we go: If we lock up Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, Max Stafford-Clark and others, we will have resolved sexism and sexual violence in the theatrical community. But what I’m realising is that we have to answer that question as a collective and realise that we are all complicit in rape culture. The Laramie Project asks the question: What if the real perpetrators of this horrendous crime are not Aaron McKinney and Russel Henderson, but us as a Culture. I think it’s a metaphor for the turmoil that we’re going through at the moment, whether that’s Islamophobia or gendered violence. The sad truth of it is, twenty years later we’re still seeing homophobic hate acts at that level. Change takes a long time, and this play is depressingly relevant – it asks us to examine us as a wider culture.

T: What research and discussions took place in preparation for this play?

H: This is a really political, discussion-heavy play, so to begin with – partly to shake up my own process, I decided to go down the route of movement, devising and playfulness to try and crack this verbatim piece. However, by the end of the week I hit a brick wall and realised it wasn’t working. As a director, I tend to work from the inside out rather than the outside in, so realised I actually needed to come at it from a discussion point of view. The discussions that have come out of this have been really controversial, and I’m at the age where I have a lot of  strong opinions, and that can be a challenge in an ensemble piece as you work out to what extent are you a director, and what extent are you a facilitator. On top of this, I have watched the documentaries, looked at my own life experience and brought in my own work in feminism and activism rather than the specific knowledge of Wyoming in 1998. This piece has to be about the cast, the wider world right now and the audience, so in a way, I don’t want to get too bogged down in research, but have enough to spark inspiration in the rehearsal room.

T: What are you enjoying most about working with our MA students?

H: I think they’re eager and they’re not cynical, and that’s joyful. When you do a one year MA course, you want to make the most of it – squeeze out everything you can get from it. There’s no complacency when doing a one year course. I’ve been knocked out by their enthusiasm – it’s something you don’t always see in professional rehearsal rooms. Another thing I have noticed is that they’re all so different – the thing about MA students is that they still hold onto their individuality and they bring their life experience into their work.

T: What are the main challenges you have faced so far?

H: Verbatim resists anything you put on it, and it works when you keep it simple and really pure – and that can be dull from a director’s perspective. However The Laramie Project does allow a way out because of the way Tectonic Theatre Company places themselves into the narrative. The challenge is – how do you make this theatrical? Another challenge is how to make the political engaging and nuanced rather than binary and simplistic. It’s also very challenging staging a play with seventeen bodies in the space!

Celebrate the 20th Anniversary of The Laramie Project from 4-7 July and BOOK TICKETS HERE.