ArtsEd Birthday

Principal Chris Hocking leads staff and students at ArtsEd in a rousing Happy Birthday chorus:

“We all wish Andrew much love and many happy returns for his birthday celebrations. We are so lucky to have a President who is so passionate and dedicated to the students and their training.”

Andrew Lloyd Webber, 70 today, has been president of ArtsEd since 2007 and his ongoing help and support has been invaluable. Not least in his generous £3.5 million support of our fantastic theatre, which was renovated and relaunched in November 2013, rightly named The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation Theatre. And the first show to open the theatre? What else but an amazing performance of Evita, in which Andrew was overcome by the talented cast and declared:

“I was not prepared  for such powerful story-telling, and for hearing quite simply the best Eva Perón I’ve ever heard!”

The theatre’s launch performance of Evita, composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber with lyrics by Tim Rice, was directed and choreographed by Joey McKneely. The roles of Eva, Perón and Che were performed by ArtsEd’s third year musical theatre students Mollie Melia-Redgrave, Daniel Donskoy and Olly Dobson.

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The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation Theatre has seen some equally amazing performances over the past five years, from students across all four ArtsEd schools, as well as from external performers. The Orpheus Centre recently used the theatre and were delighted with their experience:

“Words cannot express what a great week the Orpheus students and alumni had when they were rehearsing Orpheus the Mythical at ArtsEd. It is an inspiring place to be in, let alone rehearse in; we were all overwhelmed with the friendliness and politeness of all the students and staff we met on our travels around the building. Thank you so much for accommodating us and making our time there hugely enjoyable and rewarding.”  Caroline Pedley, PA to Sir Richard Stilgoe

Read more about Andrew Lloyd Webber’s long and illustrious career here and spread the Happy Birthday wishes by sharing this story!

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ArtsEd produces world-class talent in acting and musical theatre and houses a thriving and successful independent Day School and Sixth Form. We now need to develop our Bath Road facilities to create much needed new studio, rehearsal and teaching spaces, to inspire students and staff alike. The project will cover all aspects of ArtsEd’s provision and will see significant improvements in the Day School and Sixth Form facilities as well as those of the Schools of Acting and Musical Theatre.

ArtsEd moved into Cone Ripman House in 1985, which was built for Chiswick Polytechnic in the 1950s and adapted for the Schools’ use on arrival. Three decades on, the building is in need of significant refurbishment and reorganisation. We are currently at the planning stage and have started consultations with our staff, students and neighbours to provide the best space for all concerned.

Key objectives

• We want to provide our students with inspiring, world-class facilities including a state-of-the-art Studio Theatre to match the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation Theatre
• We want to bring all ArtsEd students back on site, ensuring that everyone experiences the best training possible
• We want to ensure that ArtsEd continues to share outstanding performing arts facilities and opportunities with the wider community

Principal, Chris Hocking says:

“Our goal is straightforward, to provide our students with facilities that match the exceptional quality of our teaching, ensuring that future generations continue to leave ArtsEd as outstandingly confident and creative young performers.”

Schedule of work

The full build plan and timings are yet to be confirmed but, once on site, construction should be completed within a year.  As with any major building project, there will be a long lead time before any substantial work begins, with the earliest start date being summer 2019.

The timing of all the building work is being carefully planned in order to minimise the impact on pupils’ day to day school life. In addition to scheduling major work during key holidays, the proposals include temporary changes to the existing buildings to reduce any noise and disruption during the construction process.

The proposals, from leading architects De Matos Ryan, make innovative use of the tight urban site, optimising the use of the existing buildings and unlocking the potential of empty courtyard space.

ArtsEd submitted the formal Planning Application to Hounslow Borough in early February.  During the public consultation period in early March, members of the public are invited to two open exhibitions of the plans – Monday 5 March and Tuesday 6 March, 4-7pm.

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ArtsEd is seeking planning permission from London Borough of Hounslow for the reorganisation and refurbishment of its west London home, Cone Ripman House, to create much needed new studio, rehearsal and teaching spaces.  The project will cover all aspects of ArtsEd’s provision and will see significant improvements in the facilities of the Day School and Sixth Form as well as the Schools of Acting and Musical Theatre.

Built for Chiswick Polytechnic in the 1950s and adapted for the Schools’ use on arrival over thirty years ago, Cone Ripman House is in need of significant development to create facilities that reflect ArtsEd’s reputation for world-class conservatoire training.

Principal, Chris Hocking says:

“Our goal is straightforward, to provide our students with facilities that match the exceptional quality of our teaching, ensuring that future generations continue to leave ArtsEd as outstandingly confident and creative young performers”

The proposals, from leading architects De Matos Ryan, make innovative use of the tight urban site, optimising the use of the existing buildings and unlocking the potential of currently empty courtyard space.

ArtsEd will be submitting the formal Planning Application to Hounslow Borough in the first half of 2018 and will begin the process of fundraising for the build once planning permission is granted.

Photo: Aristic impression from De Matos Ryan

Latest news on Shaping the Future Capital Campaign

ArtsEd is delighted to announce that second-year Acting student Cashauna Holland was presented with a Lilian Baylis Award at a recent ceremony at the Old Vic.

Cashauna was equally thrilled: “It was such an honour to hear that I was receiving the award and then to be at the ceremony was nothing short of a dream.”

The awards were presented by renowned actor David Suchet CBE, pictured, who offered the winners advice and encouragement.

Congratulations Cashauna!

The Lilian Baylis Awards, celebrating their 25th anniversary this year, are granted to students from each of the eleven accredited London Drama Schools, to help them complete their training by reducing financial stress. Nominated by their drama schools, students have to fulfil three criteria: show promise, with the potential to make a significant contribution to the development of theatre; experience hardship, with their course completion in jeopardy without additional finance and should have completed two years of a three-year course, or one year of a two-year course.

The awards are dedicated to the memory of Lilian Baylis (1874-1937) who ran The Old Vic Theatre from 1912 until her death. She was committed to ensuring that The Old Vic productions were of the highest quality and that the doors were open to many who could not afford the more established theatres. She was an important figure in developing major venues: The Old Vic National Theatre; Sadler’s Wells Opera, which became the English National Opera; Sadler’s Wells Ballet, which became Birmingham Royal Ballet and the Royal Ballet School.

Click here for more information about the Lilian Baylis Awards.