FREE CLPL from Fair Access at RCS in March & April 2025

 Recharge Your Creative   Practice: CLPL Workshops for   Expressive Arts Secondary   Teachers 

 Energise your teaching with our spring series of free workshops led by professional practitioners

Two adults sitting at a desk designing

A man and woman working together designing a prop

Tuesday 29 April 4.30 – 6.30pm
Practical Prop Making led by Merlin Currie, RCS Props Tutor 

Join us to create a handheld prop for performance, using a practical step-by-step approach. Find out how to create simple but effective props and the best materials to have in your store cupboard. 

 

 

Two people working together at a piano

 

Tuesday 6 May 4 – 6.30pm
Ways into Composition led by Tom W. Green, RCS Lecturer in Composition  

Explore a range of compositional techniques including creative strategies for composing with pupils who have limited musical literacy, using digital and non-digital aids. 

 

 

 

A young person holding drum sticks

 

Wednesday 14 May 4.30 – 6.30pm
Accessible Music Making for BGE Learners led by Stephen Henderson, Drummer, Composer, Band leader and Educator 

Develop tools to build pupils’ confidence and musicality, without them needing to read music. Explore rhythm activities, games, simple melodies and improvisation to make BGE music lessons more engaging.

 

 

Two people standing at lighting desk in a theatre

 

Monday 19 May 4.30 – 5.45pm
Get to Know Your Lighting Desk led by Paige MacGillivray, RCS Lighting Production Student 

For teachers who have the FLX S24 desk and want a better understanding of it. Led by an RCS Lighting student, who can give an insight into BA Production Technology

 

 

A woman pointing with her fingers

 

Tuesday 27 May 4.30 – 6.30pm
Devising Towards Performance led by Robbie Gordon, Theatre Maker and Creative Engagement Specialist

Explore the devising and writing techniques Wonder Fools use to tell authentic stories with communities. Delve into practical ways of shaping narrative and performance and leave with tools to support your pupils’ creativity. 

 

 

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Please Note: Fair Access prioritises those facing barriers in accessing the arts. Such as those who:

  • live in an SIMD1 Postcode 
  • are care experienced 
  • are estranged and receive no support from family or carers
  • live in an SIMD1 Postcode or SIMD2 Postcode and belong to one of the following groups:
    • living rurally with poor transport links
    • Black, Indigenous or People of Colour 
    • D/deaf or Hard of Hearing

Get in touch if you have any questions or need us to check a postcode for you.

For this reason, our CLPL sessions prioritise places for teachers whose schools have a high percentage of SIMD1 postcodes within their catchment area.

 Contact Us 

If you have any questions about these activities please get in touch with us at: fairaccess@rcs.ac.uk

School Info Sessions: New Access Courses and Get Into

 School Info Sessions 

New Access Courses and Get Into at RCS

A young person holding a theatre light

Are your pupils curious about creative careers? Do they want to know how to get into training and what jobs this could lead to in the world of work?

Book an in-school information session for your S5/6 pupils to find out about two exciting Fair Access courses that could be their next step.

Our staff will come and lead an interactive session about the following fully funded pathways and answer any questions that you and your pupils have:

  • Get Into: Performing and Production is for people 16+. This programme builds skills, confidence and insider knowledge. Ten weeks of practical workshops gets pupils started on their creative journey in Performance, Production for Stage and Screen, Singing Together or Arts with Community.
     
  • Our brand new Access Courses are for people 17+. This eight-month programme awards 40 Credits at SCQF Level 6. The courses are for people who are serious about studying BA Theatre ProductionBachelor of Education (Music) or BA Arts with Community at RCS. Pupils hone their skills and receive expert guidance on applying for BA programmes and preparing for auditions/interviews.

Pave your pupils’ way to employable careers in the creative industries.

Information sessions last one hour – morning or afternoon slots available. Choose from our menu of dates on application form. Spaces are limited so please sign up as soon as possible.

 

Book Now button

Deadline: 31 January

 Who Can Apply 

Our Get Into programme and Access Courses are fully funded and specifically aimed at people who:

Get in touch if you have any questions or need us to check a postcode for you.

 Contact Us 

If you have any questions about these activities please get in touch with us at: fairaccess@rcs.ac.uk

Taster Mornings

 Taster Mornings 

For Music Teaching, Production or Acting

Are your pupils interested in studying Music Teaching, Production or Acting at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland? Teachers can sign up now for you and up to three of your pupils to attend our taster morning.

These sessions will focus on providing information about the degree programmes here at RCS. They will be a great opportunity to:

  • Find out about the programmes from those who teach it
  • Get involved with interactive workshops
  • See inside RCS and get a feel for what it could be like to study here
  • Meet the Fair Access Team and learn what support we can offer you and your pupils

All sessions are taking place at RCS in the Renfrew Street building taking place from 9:30am until 12:30pm. Choose below from the sessions you’d like to attend:

 

 Who Can Take Part 

WACI is funded to support young people who face barriers in accessing the arts. You are welcome to book up to 3 pupils on this session who meet the following criteria:

Get in touch if you have any issues with filling out any of the forms.

 Contact Us 

If you have any questions about these activities please get in touch with us at: waci@rcs.ac.uk

National Schools Workshops

 National Schools Workshops 

School workshops in the performing and production arts

WACI are delighted to be offering a new programme of National Schools Workshops. Aimed at S5-6 classes and delivered within schools across Scotland. The workshops in performing and production arts are interactive, high-quality and delivered by industry experts.

Places are strictly limited and can be requested via the information pages for each workshop and subsequent signup forms:







All workshops will: 

  • Require two periods or equivalent 
  • Be targeted toward S5-6 
  • Be offered on a first come first served basis 
  • Provide students with an insight into the fully funded access programmes at RCS, further and high education pathways and potential career options 
  • Serve as talking point on their personal statement 
  • Provide them with transferable skills for their SQA assessments 

To be an eligible school you must be listed on our wider schools list 

 How to Contact Us 

If you have an queries or questions about this activity, you can contact the team at: 📧waci@rcs.ac.uk

Come and Try: CLPL Sessions for Teachers 2024

 Come and Try: 

 CLPL Sessions for Teachers 

Wednesday Evenings in September 2024

Young woman playing a violin. Words: Come & Try A group of adults in a dance studio practicing

WACI are delighted to be offering two new Career-Long Professional Learning (CLPL) sessions for teachers this coming September:

All sessions are free and take place at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Aimed primarily at secondary teachers who work in schools with large catchments of SIMD1 areas, you can find out more and sign up by clicking the links above. 

 Contact Us 

If you have any questions about these activities, please email: waci@rcs.ac.uk

WACI X RCS Production in Argyll

 WACI x RCS Production 

Community Collaborations:

Tiree and Oban Sounds Design Workshops

Woman standing outside a school

WACI and sound lecturer, Clare Hibbard, from the RCS Production Technology and Management (PTM) department have been out and about in Argyll delivering an introduction to sound design workshops for students in Oban and Tiree High Schools. It was a great opportunity to get out and meet teachers and students in the West Coast communities to talk about WACI, RCS and all things sound production. Clare delivered a fascinating workshop on how industry professionals approach designing sound for theatre and film and certainly got the students thinking about pathways and careers in production.

 Contact Us 

If you have any questions or queries or would like to know how to get involved with WACI, please email: waci@rcs.ac.uk

Bachelor of Education (Music) Taster Morning

 Bachelor of Education (Music) 

 Taster Morning 

Monday 11 December, 9:30am – 1pm

Are your pupils interested in studying Music Teaching at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland?

Sign up now for you and up to three of your pupils to attend our taster morning. Taking place here at RCS, it will focus on providing information for the Bachelor of Education (Music) Degree. 

This morning will be a great opportunity to:

  • Find out about our BEd Music programme from the people who teach it
  • Try your hand at an introduction to music studies session
  • See inside RCS and get a feel for what it could be like to study here
  • Get up close with the instruments and resources available at RCS
  • Meet the Fair Access Team and learn what support we can offer you and your pupils

* Applications now closed *

Sign Up Deadline: 8 December, 12 noon

Fair Access is funded to support young people who face barriers in accessing the arts. You are welcome to book up to three of your pupils on this session who meet the following criteria:

Get in touch if you have any questions or need us to check a postcode for you.

 Contact Us 

If you have any questions or have any issues with filling out the form, please get in touch at: waci@rcs.ac.uk

Masterclass for Schools: Directing

 Masterclass for Schools: 

 Directing 

Wednesday 11 October, 9:30am – 1pm

Two young men sitting on a studio floor, holding paper to read from

Do you teach pupils who have been chosen to be assessed as Directors for Higher or Advanced Higher Drama? Then our Masterclass for Schools: Directing is for you.

This workshop aims to help your young people achieve as highly as possible in their practical directing, in relation to the SQA Marking Criteria. Your pupils will be supported to get up on their feet and share ways to bring text to life. 

Come along with your Directing candidates and let’s pool our resources to give them the best opportunities for success. 

When: Wednesday 11 October, 9:30am – 1pm
Where: RCS, 100 Renfrew Street, Glasgow, G2 3DB
Who is it for: Teachers of Drama and their pupils

* Applications now closed *

This workshop will be led by Linda Duncan McLaughlin (Director) and Neil Millar (Education Scotland) and is in partnership with Glasgow CREATE.

‘This was such an enjoyable and insightful session in how I might approach directing.’

‘It was valuable to see the process that a director goes through in the rehearsal room and processes you can take an actor through.’

Note: Fair Access is funded to support young people who face the greatest barriers in accessing the arts. Teachers are welcome to book up to four of your directing students onto this session who meet the following criteria:

  • living in a SIMD20 postcode and/or
  • care experienced or estranged and/or
  • identifying as Black, Indigenous or a Person of Colour (living at a SIMD20 or 40 postcode).

You can check your postcode here or the team can check it for you.

 Contact Us 

If you have any questions or any issues with filling out the form, please get in touch at: waci@rcs.ac.uk

Fair Access Goes North!

 Fair Access Go North! 

Dingwall Academy and Eden Court

Fair Access enjoyed a road trip to the Highlands, with Mark Stevenson and Ramesh Meyyappan from the BA Performance and graduate of that course Benedetta Zanetti. Our mission? We had several!

Thow pupils with a singing tutor in a gym hall

Just before the winter holidays, we were delighted to work at Dingwall Academy with ten pupils, most of whom are deaf and others who are hearing but learning British Sign Language which is taught in the school. The group were almost all new to Drama but threw themselves into games and creating characters and scenes. We had a great morning and Ramesh told the group, ‘We really enjoyed working with you, it was really lovely. You’re really creative and playful and fun.’ Mark added, ‘Drama’s about being brave, standing up and trying something and I’m really impressed with what you did. For that kind of bravery, I want to commend all of you and during the morning I saw some beautiful moments.’

Whilst at Dingwall Academy we also spread the word about Fair Access to teachers including Art + Design, Woodwork, Technology, Dance, Music, Guidance and the senior management team.

We also visited Eden Court, leading deaf awareness training for fifteen staff members including Engagement, front-of-house and audience managers, restaurant and bar, box office, freelance arts facilitators, and National 5 Drama BSL interpreter. This session explored a range of topics including the best terminology to use when speaking about users of BSL or deaf people, BSL signed and captioned performances at Eden Court, how to attract deaf audiences and the value of programming work by deaf artists. Everyone signed their name and learned key phrases in BSL relevant to their job area, such as, ‘do you know where your seats are?’ It was a great way to spend a Friday afternoon with a lot of laughter as well as learning.

Then the next day, we returned to Eden Court, which was buzzing with audiences and shoppers enjoying a Christmas craft market that spread over several floors of this lovely building. Instead of browsing, we were welcomed to a National 5 Drama class, comprised of pupils from several secondary schools in the Highlands, which don’t teach the subject. In the group were two talented pupils from Dingwall Academy, one deaf and both BSL users. Ramesh taught visual storytelling techniques and Mark shared ways to physicalise text. The aim was to provide new creative tools for devising and performing, and the group produced some very beautiful work. Fair Access is very excited to be working in the Highlands and developing such great partnerships with Eden Court Theatre and Dingwall Academy.

A huge thank you to everyone who got involved and made us feel very welcome. We can’t wait to return to see you all again.

 Visit the Fair Access Website 

If you would like to know more about the work Fair Access do, head over to our website at: rcs.ac.uk/fair-access

Fair Access Go North

 Fair Access Go North 

Dingwall Academy and Eden Court Visit

Greoup of people in gym hall in drama session

Fair Access enjoyed a road trip to the Highlands, with Mark Stevenson and Ramesh Meyyappan from the BA Performance and graduate of that course Benedetta Zanetti. Our mission? We had several!

We were delighted to work at Dingwall Academy with 10 pupils, most of whom are deaf and others who are hearing but learning British Sign Language which is taught in the school. The group were almost all new to Drama but threw themselves into games and creating characters and scenes. We had a great morning and Ramesh told the group, ‘We really enjoyed working with you, it was really lovely. You’re really creative and playful and fun.’ Mark added, ‘Drama’s about being brave, standing up and trying something and I’m really impressed with what you did. For that kind of bravery, I want to commend all of you and during the morning I saw some beautiful moments.’

Group of young adults in a gym hall.

Whilst at Dingwall Academy we also spread the word about Fair Access to teachers including Art + Design, Woodwork, Technology, Dance, Music, Guidance and the senior management team.

Later in the afternoon we were at Eden Court, leading a deaf awareness training for fifteen staff members including Engagement, front-of-house and audience managers, restaurant and bar, box office, freelance arts facilitators, and National 5 Drama BSL interpreter. This session explored a range of topics including best terminology to use when speaking about users of BSL or deaf people, BSL signed and captioned performances at Eden Court, how to attract deaf audiences and the value of programming work by deaf artists. Everyone signed their name and learned key phrases in BSL relevant to their job area, such as, ‘do you know where your seats are?’ It was a great way to spend a Friday afternoon with a lot of laughter as well as learning.

The next day, we returned to Eden Court, which was buzzing with audiences and shoppers enjoying a Christmas craft market which spread over several floors of this lovely building. Instead of browsing, we were welcomed to a National 5 Drama class, comprised of pupils from several secondary schools in the Highlands, which don’t teach the subject. In the group were two talented pupils from Dingwall Academy, one deaf and both BSL users. Ramesh taught visual storytelling techniques and Mark shared ways to physicalise text. The aim was to provide new creative tools for devising and performing, and the group produced some very beautiful work. Fair Access is very excited to be working in the Highlands and developing such great partnerships with Eden Court Theatre and Dingwall Academy.

 Get In Touch 

If you would like further information or have any questions about Fair Access Outreach work, email: fairaccesshello@rcs.ac.uk