Category: News

Applications for 2024.25 Now Open!

Posted on by Yvonne McLellan

 Applications Now Open! 

Apply now for Transitions 2024.25

A collage of images of young people doing production and performing arts

*APPLICATIONS NOW CLOSED*

Application Deadline: 31 January 2024

Transitions is an award-winning performing and production arts initiative. We believe that everyone with talent and potential should have access to training at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland regardless of their background.

We understand that finding and funding suitable training activities and courses can be challenging for many people who want to pursue a career in the performing and production arts.

The Transitions initiative aims to provide funded training for those wishing to study the performing or production arts. We seek to help people who would like to study:

 Can you join Transitions? 

To be eligible you must meet the following criteria:

  • you are 16+ if interested in either drama, film or production
  • you are 7+ if interested in music or ballet
  • you have not completed a higher education programme
And are one or more of the following:
Or are living in an SIMD1 or SIMD2 postcode and:
  • living rurally
  • Black, Indigenous, People of Colour (BIPOC)
  • a young carer

 Contact Us 

If you would like us to check your postcode, or have any other questions, please contact the team

📧 transitions@rcs.ac.uk

Call, email or visit our website

Self Tape Sessions

Posted on by Yvonne McLellan

 Self Tape Sessions 

Year of Application Students

Young woman standing in front of a camera recording an interview session.

Throughout January, we had a wide selection of Transitions students come into RCS to have audition tapes filmed for their college, university, and conservatoire applications. Students ranging in disciplines from acting, musical theatre to music teaching, were accompanied by an engineer to record their self-tapes.

Working in partnership with RCS Admissions it was great to see how prepared they all were.

The feedback has been extremely positive with applicants loving their tapes and appreciating the atmosphere in the studio. It helped students feel more confident so we hope that this is something we can offer in the future again.

Transitions Student Joins National Youth Orchestra

Posted on by Yvonne McLellan

 CONGRATULATIONS TOM DONKIN 

Celebrating a successful audition and place in the NYO 2023

Head and shoulders of young man smiling, wearing glasses next to a port

One of our Transitions students, Tom Donkin, has been successful in his audition for the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain 2023. He has gained the role of joint principal for the Bassoon section.

As part of this, Tom will be participating in a leadership programme, three residencies and a number of workshops and concerts throughout the year.   The first residency will commence on 30 December 2022 with a tour around the country including the venues such as the Barbican Concert Hall, Nottingham Royal Concert Hall, Warwick Arts Centre and Philharmonic Hall Liverpool. 

The orchestra will be officially launched in November.

Well done Tom!!

Production Arts Training for Secondary Teachers

Posted on by Yvonne McLellan

 PRODUCTION ARTS TRAINING 

for Secondary School Teachers Throughout May

Our RCS Production Arts CLPD Sessions are well underway throughout the month of May in partnership with Glasgow City Council’s CREATE. These sessions are aimed at developing secondary teachers’ production art skills and will focus on four key areas of Lighting, Set Design, Costume and Make-up. 

So far, we have received fantastic feedback from our participants:

Lighting

“The entire session was so useful, as a probationer I do a lot of training, and this has been the most valuable one all year!”

“Seeing the resources used by professionals, being inspired to use the process in my learning and teaching. New ideas!!”

“Fantastic overview, and the time disappeared in an engaging session”

Set Design

“The whole session was excellent, fantastic staff, materials, and venue.  Everything was perfect and I can’t wait to build on this excellent training”

“It feels wonderful to have this connection with RCS and context between secondary and higher education and training”

“I’m doing this whole session at school tomorrow with my class – they’ll love it!”

We look forward to seeing the rest of you at our sessions in Costume and Makeup  and hope to be able to offer further sessions of a similar nature in the near future.

Alumni TV Success: Yana Harris

Posted on by Yvonne McLellan

 TRANSITIONS ALUMNI TV SUCCESS 

Yana Harris | Channel 4’s Comedy Blap ‘Unfair’

Group of people standing in front of a fairground.
Yana Harris, 3rd from the left.

Yana has been cast in a 15-minute comedy pilot that is available online on All4 and YouTube. The show is called Unfair and is set in a Showman’s yard in the East End of Glasgow.

This is what Yana had to say about her the experience:

‘ The show tells the story of a sheltered young woman being kicked out if her mums house and moving in with her boyfriend and his family. Her boyfriend however happens to be a Showman and it’s quite the culture shock.

This show is particularly close to me heart as I am ethnically a Showperson and my community is more often than not misrepresented. The show was written by Emma Lennox, who is married to a showman and has been living on a yard for years. I believe it’s based on her experience.

I play Missouri, the intimidating little sister. I also worked alongside Fair Scotland as an advisor helping the production team with accuracy.’

Press:
The National, Channel 4’s Unfair

Holiday Greetings from Fair Access

Posted on by Yvonne McLellan

As we have approached the end of the year we wanted to thank all our students for your commitment during such challenging times. We can see how hard all our Transitions and Widening Access to the Creative Industries students have been working and the Fair Access Team are really proud of you all. 

We believe that the performing and production arts have the power to change lives and we’ve seen this first hand through our workshops, outreach, creative projects, performance trips, creative conversations and events. We hope that you all get to spend the time with the people you like the best over the holidays.

Advice and Support

We have also compiled a list of support services offering advice and support for care experienced and estranged young people over the festive period should you need them:

1/ Time to Talk –  A number you can call for confidential support and advice.

www.reesfoundation.org/time-to-talk

2/ Stand Alone Festive Guide – A guide offering ideas of how to cope with common festive frustrations. 

www.standalone.org.uk/guides/festive-guide

3/ Become Charity – Information including Christmas link-Ups and Advice line information.

www.becomecharity.org.uk/for-young-people/care-advice-line/support-at-christmas

Take care everyone and we hope you have lots of fun.

With much love from the Fair Access Team.

News From Across The Network: Black History Month

Posted on by Yvonne McLellan

Glasgow is the most multicultural region in Scotland, with people from diverse nationalities, ethnicities and religions calling the city home.

The Coalition for Racial Equality has curated this directory of events taking place throughout Scotland in October.

Black Histories on Film – The GFT will feature a Black Histories on Film event every Monday throughout October with three film screenings with Black-led panel discussions, and will round the month off with an industry panel event exploring the history of Black cinema in the UK and the issues of access and representation in front of and behind the camera.

Africa In Motion Film Festival – 15 – 31 October – This year’s festival will explore the dynamics of beautiful relationships, the power of women-led story-telling, unique forms of protest, the maddening complexity of human nature, our environment, and Q&As foregrounding distinguished African talent.

News From Across The Network: COP-26

Posted on by Yvonne McLellan

It would be hard to miss that the world’s gaze will be on Glasgow at the start of November for the COP-26 Conference as world leaders gather to discuss the Climate Crisis and what is to be done. 

Logo for COP-26. A swirling world.

Here are a wee selection of events, interventions and happenings outside the walls of the conference for young people to engage with: 

  • Check out Climate Fringe at COP26 – this directory shares a wide variety of arts-based events and activities, including a number centred around film and performance. See their Calendar here
  • Tune into COPTV – a daily online broadcast, delivered by 12 young people letting the world know what the young people of Scotland think about the climate crisis and the solutions being discussed at COP.
  • The countdown to COP26 is on – what kind of noise are you going to make? Let it Grow is a mass participation music project inviting music makers of all ages and from all walks of life to add their voice to intensify public pressure ahead of COP26, and have some creative fun in the process.
  • Phone Call to the World Explores climate change and environmental crises through art, science and digital technology. This online resources features multimedia submissions from across the globe in run up to COP.
  • Climate Challenge: 1.5 Degrees Films invites people to make 90-second films to share their thoughts and ideas about climate change. Everyone, regardless of background, age or filmmaking experience are encouraged to take part. There are resources available online to help people get started. Submit your film by 24th October 2021.

Positive Stories for Negative Times

Posted on by Yvonne McLellan

 Positive Stories for Negative Times 

Screening at St Roch’s Secondary, 22 October, 1:30pm

The Fair Access Department has been collaborating with the Drama Department at St Roch’s Secondary School and Wonder Fools Theatre Company on Positive Stories for Negative Times. 

Picture: Copyright – Colin Mearns, Glasgow Evening Times

We worked with BA performance graduate Peter Dobre and d/Deaf students at the school to create a BSL version of Stef Smith’s The Pack. Filmmaker Carina Hauchine documented a week of rehearsals and the final performance. We are very excited to be getting the team back together to screen the documentary at St Roch’s on Friday 22nd October.

It’s worth noting that as well as lead director Peter Dobre, filmmaker Carina Hauchine and Wonder Fool’s Robbie Gordon and Jack Nurse are all graduates of RCS and making waves in Scotland’s creative community. 

If you are interested in attending the screening – we have limited spaces available – please contact Fran Higson at f.higson@rcs.ac.uk 

Recent Press Coverage:

  1. Glasgow deaf pupils create play in BSL with RCS
  2. Wonder Fools Nominated for Nominated for Best use of Technology in the Third Sector The Herald Digital Transformation Awards 2021