Transitions Team
Jesse Paul / Head of Fair Access
Jesse Paul is the Head of Fair Access at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. She has worked as a Teaching Artist for over 30 years across the UK in a wide range of formal and informal educational and community settings. These include higher educational institutions, theatres and hospitals. Fair Access has always been the core of her work.
Some of Jesse’s favourite things are: Going to shows like Sacekripa, reading books like To Throw Away Unopened by Viv Albertine, going to festivals like Counterflows and looking for new music on Rough Trade.
Carole Williams / Transitions Coordinator
Carole is a Transitions Coordinator and has worked on the initiative since it began. Carole works closely with students as they approach their year of application to the RCS providing audition and interview prep and anything else needed to make the transition as smooth and successful as possible. She leads on additional activities such as performance trips, Meet the Maker sessions and Creative Conversations as well as designing and delivering personal development sessions.
Outside of RCS Carole is the National Drama Advisor for Scottish Community Drama (SCDA) and travels across Scotland delivering skill-based workshops to local community groups. She has also delivered National training programmes such as directing skills for amateur theatre-makers in partnership with the Citizens Theatre. She is passionate about fair access and the importance that arts plays in the health of a nation.
Some of Carole’s favourite things are: Stephen Sondheim, War Horse, Intouchables (Untouchable) and Walter Presents programmes.
Jo Kalinowska / Transitions Coordinator
Yvonne McLellan / Transitions TEL Coordinator
Yvonne McLellan is the Technology Enhanced Learning Co-ordinator for both WACI and Transitions here at RCS. She is also a music publisher. Starting her musical life in brass bands as a Flugelhorn player, Yvonne has been active in the music industries since 1997, working with companies such as Island Records, SpinnUp (Universal Music), V2 Music, Native Publishing and Lost Art Agency.
Working in A&R, music publishing, marketing and international, Yvonne has used her experience and passion in community work, sharing knowledge and promoting opportunities in the Creative Industries in education with experience of teaching in FE/HE since 2003.
Some of Yvonne’s favourite things are: bands like Declan McKenna, Gus Gus, The Cure, lots of electronic music and making things.
Morag Robertson / Transitions Administrator
Louise Brown / Fair Access Outreach and Engagement Officer
Louise has worked in applied and community theatre in a range of settings. She has taught in Secondary schools and in Further and Higher Education, including at the University of the West of Scotland and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. She worked as a freelance arts practitioner before joining the Citizens Theatre, where she worked as Creative Learning Officer for fourteen years. Whilst at the Citz, Louise gained her master’s from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Louise believes passionately in the power of the arts to make social change.
Some of Louise’s favourite things are: swimming in the sea, watching films by Paul Thomas Anderson, singing along to Hollywood musicals and La La Land, listening to Nick Cave and that moment in the theatre when the lights go down and everyone goes quiet.
Ellen McNeill / Fair Access TEL Administrator
Ellen is the Technology Enhanced Learning Administrator for WACI and Transitions here at RCS. She is also a singing teacher and studied Vocal Performance at RCS. She first started working with young people when she was a tutor as part of the Enhanced Learning Tutoring Initiative. Run by Queen Margaret University, the initiative provided free tutoring to high school students in East Lothian. Ellen also has experience working in higher education and worked as BA Course Coordinator at the Academy of Music & Sound, Glasgow.
Some of Ellen’s favourite things are: hanging out with her family dog, exploring charity shops and listening to cheesy music, like ABBA!
