Audition and Interview Prep Workshops

WACI are delighted to offer a range of workshops in November and December for those who are thinking about applying to study at college, university or conservatoire:

Person singing words saying 'Singing Audition Prep'

Two people holding paper, smiling. Words saying 'Filmmaking Interview Prep'

You’re eligible if you live in the West of Scotland are one of the following:

  • attending a FOCUS West School
  • living in an SiMD1 postcode
  • are Care Experienced or Estranged

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Bookings are now closed

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#GetReady #FocusOnFutures

Watch Our Fair Access Expo Live Sessions!

The Fair Access Team would like to extend a warm thanks to everyone who virtually attended our recent Fair Access Expo.

It was a bit different this year –  however, the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. We’re glad so many of you found it useful. For those who couldn’t make it along on the day, our microsite contains a recording of the live sessions ready to watch back. 

Image of a website in various device screens.

Have you ever wanted to know more about Fair Access at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, including information on the Transitions and WACI Programmes? Are looking for advice in studying or working in the performing arts?

Why not head over to our microsite now to watch back our live sessions:

  • Meet The Teams, Transitions and WACI
  • Industry Interview, with Laura Waddell and Graeme Smilie
  • Student Life, a showcase and Q&A (Content Warning! Swearing)

You can also: 

  • watch pre-recorded videos from students and professionals 
  • hear from the Assistant Principal and Fair Access Manager at RCS
  • watch our Fair Access Virtual Band perform
  • find links to information on UCAS and UCAS Conservatoires, 
  • links to funding information from the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS)
  • direct links to our programme websites

Again, thanks to everyone from all the team!

Visit the Fair Access Expo microsite here:

🌐 rcs.ac.uk/fair-access-expo

Bookings Now Open: Fair Access Expo Online

WHEN: Sun 25 October 11am – 3:30pm

WHERE: Online via Zoom (Participants will be sent information via email)

We know how daunting it can be pursuing a career in the creative industries, especially when no one you know has done it before. The Fair Access Expo offers an opportunity for you and your family or carers to receive support and advice about the educational and professional journey you are about to embark on.

  •   Meet the WACI and Transitions teams 
  •   Hear from those in the Creative Industries
  •   Hear from our current students
  •   Get involved in our interactive workshop

If you are a Transitions students or WACI pupil, you with your family, friends or carers are warmly invited to our Fair Access Expo. All members of your household are encouraged to join in!

This is event is free to attend but booking is essential.

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Booking Now Closed

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Booking Deadline: Fri 23 October

If you have any question please feel free to contact us by emailing: WACI@rcs.ac.uk

Fair Access Expo Online: Actor Helen Mackay

Welcome to the fifth in our series of Fair Access Expo Online videoes, where we asked the professionals who were due to take part in our Fair Access Expo panel if they could tell us a little bit more about their careers, all from the comfort of their own homes. Each week they will talk about:

  • their journey into the creative industries
  • what their day-to-day life is like
  • their advice to anyone hoping to follow in their footsteps

Introducing Helen Mackay, Actor

Helen studied at the RCS from 2006-2009 on the BA Acting Course. Since graduating Helen has appeared in numerous theatre productions all over Scotland.

Recent theatre credits include “Miss Julie” at Perth Theatre, “The Belle’s Stratagem” at the Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh and “Jury Play” at the Gridiron / Traverse Theatre.

Helens TV appearances include Rab C Nesbitt and DCI Banks and she has just finished recording “Weir of Hermiston” for BBC Radio Scotland. 

Be sure to check back next few weeks for the final instalment of our Fair Access Expo online series.

Contact Us

During this time we are still working away in the background here to give help and assistance so please don’t hesitate to contact us on:

📧 WACI@rcs.ac.uk

Follow Us

You can also follow us and like our pages on social media

 

WACI Lockdown Picks 5

Welcome to another week of WACI‘s favourite Lockdown Picks. Each week we take you through some of the best online resources in dance, drama, music, film and production. Enjoy!

Dance

New Second Line

This is a short performance hosted by Ted Talks which is inspired by the events of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. TED Fellow Camille A. Brown choreographed “New Second Line,”  which is a celebration of the culture of New Orleans and the perseverance of Black people in the midst of devastation. It’s a truly beautiful performance which I’d encourage you to watch even if you aren’t a dancer.

Production

Projections On Stage

This is a four-part blog for all those interested in technical theatre. The series explores the technical side behind creating projections for theatre.

Music

Jess Gilliam Virtual Scratch Orchestra

The Virtual Scratch Orchestra is open to anybody of any ability, any instrument. Jess Gilliam has written parts specifically designed for beginner and advanced musicians. Jess is currently encouraging musicians to take part in in the second part of this project which is a cover of the Beatles classic ‘Let it Be’. 

Film

Into Film

This resource is created by the BFI and the National lottery and has a range of Film-focused activities for young people.

Drama

Vocal Warm-Up

This short vocal warm-up led by Jeannette Nelson offers young actors techniques to prepare their voice ahead of rehearsals and performances. Great for any aspiring actors!

We hope you enjoy this selection and check back next week for more! 

WACI Lockdown Picks 4

Another week past we have a selection of new WACI picks for you! Hand-picked by our team with the WACI seal of approval to keep you entertained and engaged with the performing and production arts whilst we’re on lockdown.

This week we have Becca also running through our picks:

Dance

Pop Up Space with Jasmin Vardimon

Jasmin offers a range of free online dance tutorials to keep you moving whilst we’re on lockdown! 

Production

Interview with Al Lugger

This short video was created by Audio Technology Magazine. Al Lugger, the Head of Sound for Les Miserables, describes what it’s like mixing for a large-scale musical.

Music

Sofar Sounds

Small concerts filmed all over the world in small and unusual places.

Film

Moviola: Coffee Break Film School

Moviola is a comprehensive filmmaking education resource. They have created a step by step short and sweet overview of the filmmaking process from screenwriting to lighting.

Drama

Evan Placey’s ‘Girl’s Like That’

Evan Placey’s ‘Girl’s like that’ is an online play that explores gender equality and the pressures on today’s digital generation.

We hope you enjoy this selection and check back next week for more! 

Fair Access Expo Online: Set and Costume Designer Becky Minto

In late March 2020 we were excited to be bringing you the Fair Access Expo. An event where students, friends, family and carers were invited to come into the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland to learn more about the creative industries and courses. Unfortunately due to COVID 19 we had to postpone this event but we still wanted to give you the opportunity to hear from the some of the exciting speakers we had lined up for the event.

We asked the professionals and students who were due to take part in our panel discussion if they could tell us a little bit more about their careers, all from the comfort of their own homes. They talk about:

  • their journey into the creative industries
  • what their day-to-day life is like
  • their advice to anyone hoping to follow in their footsteps

Introducing Becky Minto, Set and Costume Designer

In the first in a series of videos from the professional panel, we have Becky Minto. Becky is a Set and Costume Designer who trained in Theatre Design at The Welsh College of Music and Drama. She teaches part-time on the Performance Costume Degree/MFA course at Edinburgh College of Art. 

Becky has designed over 100 productions for companies including National Theatre Scotland, The Royal lyceum, Grid Iron, Visible Fictions, Vanishing Point, Scottish Dance Theatre, Lung Ha, All Or Nothing, Perth Rep, 7:84, The Byre, The Citizen’s Theatre, Upswing Aerial Theatre Company, Fire Exit, Walk The Plank, Mark Murphy, RCS, Dundee Rep and Pitlochry Festival Theatre. She was also the Associate Designer for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies for Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games; Land of Giants Belfast/London 2012 Festival and This Side The Other Side, Turku’s Capital of Culture Opening Ceremony in 2011.

She was awarded the Silver medal for Space Design for the National Theatre Scotland’s production of The 306:Dawn at the World Stage Design exhibition in Taipei 2017. Out Of This World for VTOL co-designed with Mark Murphy for was selected for Staging Places UK Design exhibition at the Prague Quadrennial 2019 and is currently at The V&A, London until March 2020. Ignition NTS and Iron-Oxide’s White Gold were selected for Make Believe/ UK Design for Performance exhibition Prague Quadrennial and The V&A, London 2015. She has exhibited for the Society of British Theatre Designers in 2011 and 2007.

Recent projects include: Hope and Joy (Pearlfisher/Stellar Quines); How Not To Drown (Thickskin); The Ugly One (Tron Theatre); Only In Whispers (Perth Museum and Art Gallery); Little Top (Ellie Dubois/Starcatchers); Catch Me (Upswing); Ulster American, How To Disappear (Traverse Theatre); Flightpath (Extant/Yellow Earth); Shift (NTS);

Future work in 2020 includes co-designing Underwood Lane with John Byrne (Tron Theatre).

We hope you enjoyed this insight into a working professionals life and tips that you can use in your creative journey.

Be sure to check back as over the next few weeks where we’ll have something for everyone! Next week we’ll have Tim Courtney, Director for Film and Television. 

Contact Us

During this time we are still working away in the background here to give help and assistance so please don’t hesitate to contact us on:

📧 WACI@rcs.ac.uk

Follow Us

You can also follow us and like our pages on social media

 

WACI Lockdown Picks

WACI have been scouring the internet for some great online resources for you to check out whilst we are all on lockdown. We have found a range of tutorials, theatre productions and interactive videos.
We’ll share new resources with you every week. So without further ado, this weeks picks are:

Dance

Dance with Oti Mabuse

Oti Mabuse is a professional dancer who is well known for Strictly Come Dancing. On her YouTube Channel she has a range of dance tutorials for all ages and levels

Production

National Theatre: How to Make a Puppet

The National Theatre has a short series of videos on how to create your own life-size puppet and explains the principles of bringing it to life. The only tools you need are paper, tape and scissors!

 Music

How to Create 8-bit Game Music

This a step by step tutorial by Tragic O’Hara on how to make 8-bit game music for free. All you need is a computer or laptop!

Film

Every Frame a Painting

Every Frame a Painting is a YouTube Channel with a whole range of super interesting video essays about film form.

Drama

National Theatre at Home

The National Theatre are screening a new play each week on YouTube that were originally filmed Live at the National Theatre.

We hope you like this selection. Be sure to check back next week for more useful resources!

Theatre Trip: Frankenstein

Widening Access to the Creative Industries is offering you the opportunity to see Mary Shelley’s: Frankenstein at the Theatre Royal


Rona Munro has created a brilliant new adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Gothic masterpiece which places the writer herself amongst the action as she wrestles with her creation and with the stark realities facing revolutionary young women, then and now.

WhenWednesday 27th November at 7pm.
Where: Meeting at the RCS for 7pm to then walk to the Theatre Royal.

*Update: Sign up for this has now closed.

Summer School Scholarships - Applications Now Open

Do you go to one of the 37 FOCUS West schools?

Interested in a career in the creative industries?

Want to develop your skills in a chosen field?

We’re able to offer up to 10 fully-funded places on one of the Summer Schools taking place here at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland throughout the school holidays.

These courses offer an opportunity for you to try something new, develop your existing experience and/or gain a more in-depth understanding within a variety of art forms.

From dance to drama to filmmaking, there’s something for everyone with an interest in the performing and production arts – why not click here to have a look at the Lifelong Learning Summer School’s programme and see if there’s a course that appeals to you.

Some of the courses are very popular, and spaces will fill up quickly – we’ll be assessing applications as and when they come in, so get your application in as soon as you can to avoid being disappointed!

* Update: Bookings have now closed. 

If it would be easier for you to provide a voice recording or video statement in support of your application, or you require some help filling in this form, please do not hesitate to be in touch:

📧 WACI@rcs.ac.uk
 0141 270 8319

DEADLINE: Monday 15th April, 10am