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.

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

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