Category: Widening Access

Fair Access Expo Online: Actor Helen Mackay

Posted on by Yvonne McLellan

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 6

Posted on by Yvonne McLellan

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

Dance Magazine

The Dance Magazine has created this long list of online dance performances & rehearsal videos for all dance enthusiasts to delve into.

Production

Learn to Animate

You can use this online tutorial to create your own short stop motion film.

Music

Chrome Music Lab

This online resource uses experimental music tools to improve understanding of various musical concepts. This is so much fun to play with. 

Film

Moving Image Education

Moving Image Education is an online resource that is a way of developing literacy skills to be able to better discuss, analyse, criticise and understand moving image texts.

Drama

The NHB Playgroup

Theatres may be closed right now, but The NHB Playgroup is OPEN – you can join NHB to discover and discuss fantastic contemporary drama by today’s most exciting writers, available to read completely for free!

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

WACI Lockdown Picks 5

Posted on by Yvonne McLellan

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! 

Fair Access Expo Online: Musical Theatre Performer Stephen Arden

Posted on by Yvonne McLellan

Welcome to the fourth 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 Stephen Arden, Musical Theatre Performer

Stephen trained in Musical Theatre at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Prior to this he studied at New College Lanarkshire and the University of Hull.

His performance credits include:

  • Sir Robin – Spamalot (UK & International Tour)
  • Nicky/Trekkie Monster – Avenue Q (UK Tour – The Olivier Awards and West End Live)
  • Ensemble – Still Game Live 2 & 3 The Final Farewell
  • WJ Clinton – Clinton the Musical (Edinburgh Festival & Kings Head, London)
  • Anthony – Sweeney Todd (DUCTAC, Dubai)
  • Melchior Gabor – Spring Awakening
  • Prince Findlay – Sleeping Beauty (The Brunton)
  • Zombie Musical (BAFTA New Talent Award)
  • A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Bard in The Botanics) Musicals Wanted (European Tour)
  • Elegies for Angels Punks & Raging Queens (The Tron)
  • Charlie Brown in Snoopy!!!

He is also a regular performer for The Byre Theatres annual Pantomine.

Stephen can be seen in BBC Short Stuff films Flowers and Splitting the Bill. He has transitioned into Shakespeare performing in Hamlet and As You Like It for Bard in the Botanics.

In addition to performing Stephen has worked as an Associate Director, Resident Director and Choreographer. Stephen co-designed the pilot year of Musical Theatre for The Junior Conservatoire at RCS and specialises in creating original pieces of drama and tutoring young performers.

Be sure to check back as over the next few weeks where we’ll have something for everyone! Next week we’ll have actor Helen Mackay.

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 4

Posted on by Yvonne McLellan

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! 

Join Our Virtual Fair Access Band

Posted on by Yvonne McLellan

Virtual Fair Access Band

Are you a singer or a musician? Want to be part of our lockdown band?

If you are a pupil that goes to one of our 37 WACI schools or are part of the Transitions programme, you’re invited to join us to take part in an exciting new musical collaboration project!

Through the wonders of modern technology, musicians Becca Skeoch and Owen Sinclair are putting together a socially distanced band and creating a special video collage to be shared on the RCS social media accounts.

How to take part:

  • Sign up for the project via this online form: Registration Deadline is the 22nd of May

On the Sign-Up form you will be asked:

  • Your main instrument.
  • Your ability (beginner, intermediate and advanced).
  • If you can comfortably sight-read or follow a chord chart.
  • If you have access to a device that will allow you to record a video with audio.

What will happen next:

  • Owen and Becca (the musicians behind the project) will then decide on the piece of music that is suitable for the instrumentation for the students that have signed up to the project.
  • You will then be sent a guide track accompanied by either a score, chord chart or lyrics that is suitable for your ability level and instrument.
  • There will also be an online tutorial session that you will be invited to join in which Becca and Owen talk you through the music that you have been sent and how to record it so that your part is in time and slots in with your fellow virtual band members.
  • You will then record your part on video and send it to Owen and Becca.
  • Finally, Owen and Becca will edit the audio and video to create our Virtual Fair Access Band.

Get involved!

Fair Access Expo Online: Double Bass Emma Smith

Posted on by Yvonne McLellan

Welcome to the third 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 Emma Smith, Double Bass Player 

Emma Smith studied double bass at the Royal College of Music where she was trained in classical double bass technique and repertoire. Building on the language of classical music, and exploring the story-telling aspect of folk music from different parts of the world, Emma has forged a career as a versatile composer, improviser and collaborator. 

An advocate for gender balance in the arts, and with support from Serious/Cryptic, she produces the multi-genre series Bitches Brew, which showcases the best of female instrumental improvising talent and celebrates the increasingly diverse listening habits of people around the world.

Emma is a Lead Trainer for Musicians Without Borders, working with musicians in conflict and post-conflict zones around the world to use music as a tool to rebuild communities and create social change. As an OCM BOOM 2019 Artist she explored the effect of trauma on our sense of time and space, culminating in multimedia solo performance, The Relentless Approach of Better Times, which combined film, electronics, loops and live double bass.

We hope you have 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 Stephen Arden, Musical Theatre Performer.

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 3

Posted on by Yvonne McLellan

We’ve got our third week of 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.

Dance

Dance Art Journal

Social media feed on Twitter collating dance-related activity and culture.

 

Production

How To Spray Paint A Portrait

A step by step video with Tragic O’Hara that takes you through the stages of how to spray paint large scale portraits​.

Music

Together At Home

Together at Home was a virtual concert series organised by Global Citizen and curated by singer Lady Gaga.

Film

Filmmaker IQ

This Youtube Channel provides a great overview for filmmakers, especially beginners. However, it goes in-depth enough that moderately experienced filmmakers can find real value in the content.

Drama

Boy’s Don’t

Paperdale productions ‘Boy’s Don’t’ explores insights into male experiences of growing up. From the playground to the classroom boys learn that displaying their feelings is a no-no. But what happens to emotion that can’t be let out, and who picks up the pieces?

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

Launching: Let's Sing in Gaelic

Posted on by Yvonne McLellan

How is everyone? We hope you are all well and finding lots of great ways to keep yourself busy!

The WACI Team are delighted to announce the launch of the second in a series of online toolkits, Learning Gaelic Song

If you have ever wanted to learn to sing in Gaelic but didn’t know where to start, this project is for you! We’ll take you through the steps in learning to sing ‘Seallaibh Curraigh Eòghainn’ featuring video tutorials from folk singer Josie Duncan with downloadable resources to help you along the way.

Our toolkits are open for anyone to use, so whether you’re a teacher looking for new resources to share, a young person at home who is keen to learn Gaelic Song, we really hope you will enjoy learning with us.

If you’d like to send in photos of you practising or videos of you singing what you’ve learned, we’d love to see them! We are hoping to choose some of them to feature on our social media and Vimeo page.  Also if you are sharing any photos or videos on social media be sure to tag us @RCSWACI and use the hashtag #WACILetsSingInGaelic

To get started click here!

Fair Access Expo Online: Director for Film and Television Tim Courtney

Posted on by Yvonne McLellan

Welcome to the second 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 Tim Courtney, Director for Film and Television

Tim Courtney is a retired painter, a failed musician, a devoted doggy daddy and an award-winning Director. He has exhibited many short films, music videos and art installations across the globe. At the end of 2018, he won the Best Short Film BAFTA Scotland Award for My Loneliness Is Killing Me, and has recently finished his fourth Episode of River City for BBC Studios. Tim is currently working on his first feature film which is set to shoot later in the year.

We hope you have 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 Emma Smith, Double Bass Player and Musicians Without Borders.

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