RCS Prospectus for 2016/17

Undergraduate and Postgraduate Programmes 16| 17

16/17

International performing opportunities for every discipline

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

784 undergraduate students and 195 postgraduate students studied with us in 2013/14

16/17

CONTENTS

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

05 06 08 12 16 18 24 34

40 44 58 78 84 88 96 98 102

Welcome

What you need to know

Our experts

Our partners

Campus and facilities

Location

Student life

Graduate destinations

Dance

WELCOME TO OUR CONSERVATOIRE

Drama

Music

Production

Screen

Learning and Teaching

Research

How to apply

Open days

Glasgow is one of the greatest cities for the arts and we are proud to have the conservatoire of the future located here.

I am so pleased you want to continue your artistic education and you are considering studying with us at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. There is an innovative energy here at RCS that will inspire, transform and prepare you, as well as educate and nurture your individual artistic voice.

RCS is very much part of the local community, using art to transform the lives of people in Glasgow – whether this is locally through community arts projects or on an international stage such as performing at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. We are national, representing the cultural distinctiveness of our nation, and we are international in our reach – attracting students from across the globe to benefit from our unique artistic education and projecting our work in the great cities and communities around the world.

RCS is a community of artists. Our collaborative curriculum encourages a sense of community and allows space where new work can be created and performed within your own discipline or across the multiple art forms we excel in. All of our teaching staff are leaders in their respective fields with years of educational experience to guide your learning.

We are the only UK conservatoire to offer excellence across the performing arts disciplines of dance, drama, music, production and screen. As such, our experience is unique, brimming with possibility, and primed to help you become artistic leaders.

I hope to welcome you here as a student in the future.

Every day RCS is filled with thoughtful, disciplined work from our students and staff. We learn through our journey of study and reflection, through preparing for performances and by sharing work in our multitude of halls and performing venues each year.

“The RCS experience is unique, brimming with possibility and primed to help you to become the artistic leaders of the future.”

Jeffrey Sharkey Principal

We are embedded in Glasgow and Scotland, partnering with all the national companies and every major arts organisation.

As the only conservatoire for the nation, you will benefit directly from the many professional artists that come to Scotland – you will watch them perform, learn from them in masterclasses and guest lectures, and be inspired by their artistry.

Jeffrey Sharkey, Principal

04

05

WHY RCS?

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW With just under 1,000 students learning across two locations, specialising in five different art forms, RCS is oozing with innovative ideas, creative performances and a mass of talent. If you want to cut through the noise, here are some essential things you need to know about RCS.

1. Performance is everything

3. You get more contact time with your tutor than at any other UK conservatoire

Our whole curriculum is built around performance, ensuring we equip you with the skills to be the best performer you can be. Every year we hold over 500 performances across our five professional venues, making us the busiest performing arts centre in the whole of Scotland.

We have one of the highest staff-student ratios of any conservatoire in the UK. If you’re a music student here, you will receive a 90-minute individual lesson each week on your principal study. And if you have a second instrument – you’ll get another 30-minute individual lesson every week. This makes RCS the UK’s leading conservatoire for individual music tuition.

As well as performing in RCS, you will also have the opportunity to perform in a range of external venues throughout your time here, taking to the stage at other UK theatres, festivals, concert halls and industry events. Some of the performance highlights of the past year include: Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

4. Glasgow is the best place for artists to work in Scotland

| MA Classical and Contemporary Text students performing Love’s Labour’s Lost at Shakespeare’s Globe, London

As the unofficial capital of Scotland, Glasgow is the epicentre for the nation’s leading performing arts companies and is home to BBC Scotland, Scottish Ballet, Scottish Opera, Playwrights’ Studio Scotland and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.

This means our students are ideally placed in Glasgow to work with industry experts on our doorstep. Glasgow is also home to dozens of theatres, performing arts venues and music halls and is renowned for its love and celebration of culture.

| Music students playing alongside Nicola Benedetti and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra in Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai | BA Acting and BA Production Arts and Design students touring their production of Coriolanus to St. Petersburg | BA Digital Film and TV students premiering their films on the big screen at Cineworld

5. We love to collaborate

2. Our tutors are seriously good

From the second you walk in the door, you will be collaborating with your fellow students – across all the art forms. RCS is a unique environment where you will have countless opportunities to collaborate and create new work. From the annual, crossdisciplinary Bridge Week Festival to working in partnership with the national companies on collective projects – your artistic voice will be developed and nurtured.

Some of the industry’s best performers and educators work here. Our specialist tutors are all practising professionals in their own industry so you can learn from their experience as well as benefit from their knowledge and contacts. You’ll also learn from the huge array of visiting artists who visit RCS regularly to teach masterclasses. In recent years, our visiting artists have included Donald Runnicles, Peter Manning, Nicola Benedetti, Matthew Bourne, Paul Laverty and Billy Boyd.

6. Our graduates work Benefitting from the strong working partnerships with the national companies and industry leaders, our graduates work in their field upon completing their studies. Across each discipline, graduates achieve notable success – with many students securing work or apprenticeships before they finish their studies. In the School of Music, 99% of our undergraduate students are employed or in further study (HESA, 12/13).

06

07

OUR EXPERTS Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

K A T H E R I N E

B R Y A N

Flautist Katherine Bryan has been performing to international audiences since she was just 15 years old. At the young age of 21, Katherine was appointed Principal Flute with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra – a position she still holds whilst performing globally and teaching at RCS.

What is a typical working day like for you?

Mostly pretty crazy! If I’m rehearsing for a full day with the RSNO, I sometimes teach for a few hours afterwards.

It’s amazing, I can be totally exhausted but the moment a student comes in, it’s like a caffeine shot! Trying to then fit in some practise time for myself can be challenging, but often necessary, so it usually gets squeezed in at the end of the day.

What’s been your career highlight to date?

Giving the Scottish premiere of American composer Christopher Rouse’s Flute Concerto. A relatively unknown piece in the UK, but I couldn’t have wished for a better response. To feel you have successfully sold a new piece to audiences is a wonderful feeling.

You have been teaching at RCS for nine years.

What is it you enjoy most about teaching?

I love seeing a student improve over the course of our lessons, but it’s not just about that; to see a student embrace an idea and run with it is just fantastic for any teacher. I really enjoy discussing concepts with students and seeing them get inspired by the pieces we work on together.

You’ve studied at music schools in the UK and US, including Juilliard. What is it about the RCS School of Music that is different from other institutions?

Music students receive a 90-minute lesson each week on their principal study – 30 minutes more than any other UK conservatoire offers. How much difference does this extra individual teaching time make to a student?

The number of students here isn’t too large so there are lots of opportunities for everyone, and also a great camaraderie between students. They are very supportive of one another.

There is a great atmosphere at RCS – it’s like a big family.

People go out of their way to help each other, both staff and students. Also, it is easier to gain access to Scottishbased professional musicians. The proximity of RCS to all of Scotland’s national companies and Glasgow’s cultural events means making contacts is easy.

Extra time to build a strong, trusting relationship with a teacher is something I valued hugely when I was a student.

There is always so much to get through, so 90 minutes is wonderful, especially in the first couple of years of study. It’s nice to have more time to discuss ideas and work on things properly. I usually go into a lot of detail during lessons, so it’s good not to be rushed, and give the student time to ask questions.

What are you looking for in a potential music student?

Enthusiasm, openness, and a good work ethic. And a true love for music, of course.

You hold the position of Principal Flute at the RSNO. What benefits are there in maintaining a performing career alongside teaching?

What advice would you give a graduate who is just finishing their studies and wants a performing career?

Try and get as much performing experience as possible – even the smallest venue, audience or programme. If you want something, never think “I’m not sure if I should go for it in case I don’t get it” – prepare and go in with a positive state of mind. Oh, and always answer your phone and reply to emails! The only thing better than a talented musician is an organised, talented musician!

I find that demonstrating in lessons is very important.

Quite often I am teaching pieces that I’m actually playing at that time, which is interesting. It benefits my playing too!

I have to really think “how do I get around that problem?” and then I can impart the solution and hopefully help the student instantly. As a soloist, I can talk to students about performance techniques, from how to deal with nerves to communicating with an audience and having physical presence on stage.

The RSNO performs virtually every week just minutes away from RCS, so I encourage my students to come to as many concerts as they can. There’s no better resource than that for orchestral playing!

08

09

OUR EXPERTS Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

R I C H A R D

S M I T H

Richard Smith is a BAFTA award-winning screenwriter who works in Los Angeles and Scotland. Alongside his creative work, Richard tutors Digital Film and Television students, delivering lectures over Skype and intensive masterclasses when in Scotland. Here, Richard speaks to us about working in the competitive film industry.

You deliver some of your teaching over Skype. What are the challenges of using this particular delivery method?

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your work?

They’re just different beasts, and within the US, there are multiple industries. The most eye-opening thing about Hollywood is that it’s a business in the strictest sense; the studios aim to attract the biggest audiences, not necessarily to push creative boundaries. This becomes the purview of the independent sectors and films with arts funding (which is most Scottish and British films). The industry needs all those different parts, but you have to be mindful of who you’re writing for.

I don’t think it’s a question of challenges anymore. Skype is a great opportunity, and it reflects the way the business works; films are often packaged with creative teams across the globe, and it’s routine to conduct Skype meetings, conference calls and even video pitches. Students have grown up with video calling these days, so it doesn’t feel like a barrier.

You work in both Scotland and LA. What differences are there between the Scottish and US film industries?

I’ve been writing professionally since 2002. I have film and TV projects in the UK and US, including one currently in Glasgow (titled Glasgow Kiss). My first two films were Leonard (a character drama, starring RCS alumnus Denis Lawson) and Trauma (a dark psychological thriller, starring Colin Firth), and I’ve continued writing in both genres ever since. I’ve been lucky enough to work with producers like Christian Colson, Warner Brothers, BBC, Ealing Studios and Overbrook Entertainment.

The film industry in Glasgow and Scotland has grown rapidly in recent years. What opportunities are there for a screen graduate in Scotland?

How did you become involved in teaching at RCS? Not long after the DFTV course was created in 2004, I was asked to meet with students to discuss the scripts they were shooting. The students were obviously very talented, but needed help harnessing and focusing their imagination.

Before long, I was creating a screenwriting module, which included classroom teaching and ongoing individual script development. This now interlocks with other elements of the DFTV course, and has become a crucial part of the curriculum.

It’s a competitive business, with no single clear career path, but the most important thing to remember is that talent and hard work gets recognised. There are many active production companies in Scotland, and major broadcasters, who hire good people. Bursaries are available to writers, and arts funding is offered to short films and features. There are postgraduate programmes to further skills too. Our graduates have taken advantage of all these paths. In the last twelve months alone, two of our alumni (who are professional screenwriters with agents) have sold major feature scripts, so the course has proved to be an excellent springboard into the industry.

What are the most enjoyable aspects about teaching at RCS? I get to work closely with students from the moment they arrive, on multiple script projects. Seeing their storytelling skills and their voices develop is a real thrill. It’s a proud moment to see them ultimately produce original, challenging and convincing graduation films.

What advice would you give someone who is thinking of applying to study screen at RCS? Do it!

Image: Richard Smith in action on set.

10

11

OUR PARTNERS

WANT TO WORK WITH THE BEST IN THE INDUSTRY? We are uniquely placed in Scotland to partner with a wealth of inspiring professional and artistic companies. Our partnerships are so embedded within each of the programmes that it is impossible to separate the two. These are just some of the professional partnerships we work with regularly.

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

12

13

OUR PARTNERS Scottish Opera

Scottish Ballet

Shakespeare’s Globe

BBC Scotland

Scottish Opera is situated next door to the Wallace Studios campus and we are more than just good neighbours with our fellow artists. Annually, students play side-by-side with the Orchestra of Scottish Opera, work closely with senior technicians and train with the performers.

Scottish Ballet is Scotland’s national dance company which provides world class performances in Scotland and throughout the globe.

We are proud to partner Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre on London’s south bank. Each year our MA Classical and Contemporary Text students spend a full month learning at the Globe, refining their craft. As well as a Shakespeare play and other Renaissance theatre text, you also have the chance to perform on the world’s most iconic stage.

Glasgow is the epicentre of film and media in Scotland and BBC Scotland is located only a short walk from our campus.

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

RCS has worked in partnership with Scottish Ballet since the very beginning of the BA Modern Ballet degree in 2009, and the programme is delivered jointly between us. Working so closely with leading industry professionals means students learn directly from the very best performers and teachers, with unrivalled performance opportunities.

“We believe there are numerous benefits to our collaboration with RCS for young musicians. The orchestra audition process allows students the experience of auditioning for orchestral parts at the highest levels and prepares them for what to expect in the industry. Either through mentoring or by experiencing the rehearsals, you are learning what it’s like to perform alongside a professional, highly skilled, very talented collection of players.

Visiting artists to Scottish Ballet regularly come to give masterclasses and tutorials. Recent guests include Matthew Bourne, Constant Vigier and Nicolas Blanc.

This year, five of our BA Modern Ballet students received parts in Scottish Ballet’s The Nutcracker, directed by Peter Darrell. This includes third-year dancer Elayne Seaton who, since appearing in The Nutcracker, has been offered a place in the company.

Also, working closely with RCS Production students has been most useful – it’s given us a chance to trial the young students so that when they graduate they often come to work for us professionally.”

RCS has a unique agreement with BBC Scotland so our students from across each discipline can learn their craft inside BBC Scotland’s professional environment. Over the years, this partnership has given students lots of learning opportunities including: live TV performances, radio recordings, film-making on location on BBC sets and professional placements with BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.

“We teach you Shakespeare how Shakespeare would have done it. The whole faculty at the Globe enjoy having the MA CCT students here – they work incredibly hard, the standard is very high and it is always a great month for everyone involved.”

This fruitful partnership enables you to learn from experts and work in a live industry setting. In 2014, some of the work our students carried out with BBC Scotland included:

Nick Hutchison Course Director at Shakespeare’s Globe

Alex Reedijk General Director of Scottish Opera

14

15

|

DFTV and Acting students filmed on location at BBC’s River City set

|

Jazz students performed live on BBC Scotland’s Jazz House radio show

|

BMus students travelled to India to perform with BBC SSO on their Commonwealth tour with Nicola Benedetti and James MacMillan

The RCS campus is across two locations: Renfrew Street and the Wallace Studios at Speirs Locks.

Chandler Studio Theatre The Chandler, as it’s affectionately known to students, is a versatile black box space which can be used for devised performances or for smaller-set productions.

Ledger Recital Room

Renfrew Street

This venue is used for smaller concerts and performances, with a capacity of just over 100, and features a minstrels’ gallery.

Whittaker Library The Whittaker Library is one of the world’s most comprehensive collections of performance materials for dance, drama, music, production and screen.

16

St ridge 4

St

1

Buchanan Bus Station

s Rd

5

St

Renfr ew

11

ad d e n

Hope

Camb

Dalho

Rose St

St

t

West N il

St Renfie ld

t

nan St Bucha

ell St

12

St

Glasgow Central

Glasgow Queen Street

Que en

Argyle St

St

Argyle

17

St

Mitch

Waterl oo

orge S

St

t

Union St

cent S

ll St

St. Vin

gent S t

West G e

Hope

The Guardian, July 2014

Renfr ew

e St

10

ton St

Bath S

3

Cowc

Wellin g

Our purpose-built opera school is a flexible performance space which can be used for a full-scale opera production or for a rehearsal and coaching space.

9

West Re

Map key 1: Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Renfrew Street 2: The Wallace Studios at Speirs Locks 3: The Glasgow School of Art 4: Glasgow Film Theatre 5: Theatre Royal 6: Scottish Opera 7: National Theatre of Scotland 8: King’s Theatre 9: Centre for Contemporary Arts 10: The Royal Concert Hall 11: The National Piping Centre 12: The Lighthouse

Alexander Gibson Opera School

St

usie S

t 8

iehall

mpb e

Our most prestigious concert hall boasts a magnificent organ and is frequently in demand by the BBC for recordings and broadcasts. This venue is where the RCS Symphony Orchestra rehearse and perform. Recent performers in this venue include Nicola Benedetti, Steve Reich, Steven Osborne and Courtney Pine.

Sauch

St

West C a

This campus was created to be a state-of-the-art learning and teaching space for our specialist disciplines. Here you will find beautiful, light ballet studios, a wardrobe department that could rival any of the national theatres’, and an extensive studio for design and set construction students – including a full-size stage paint frame.

Renfr ew

Scott

Stevenson Hall

Corn St 7 2 Civic St

The Wallace Studios is our second campus, located at Speirs Locks, a ten-minute walk from the Renfrew Street campus.

In 2014, a £6.2 million extension of the Wallace Studios was completed, affording our students with an additional eight large ensemble rehearsal rooms – big enough to rehearse staged performances before they transfer to the venues.

6

St

Wallace Studios at Speirs Locks

The principal venue for plays, musicals and opera, the New Athenaeum Theatre is an impressive theatre space which can seat an audience of over 300. The stage is equal in size to that of the London Palladium, therefore makes a perfect space for performers to learn on. Additionally, there’s an orchestra pit for up to 50 players and the theatre is fully equipped with the latest stage technologies, including automated flying equipment.

“Glasgow’s nightlife – and the city in general – is one of the most creative, friendly and witty scenes in the country.

The sprawling industrial town, which has been tirelessly regenerating itself over the past three decades, seems to produce an endless stream of forwardthinking musicians, artists and designers that spiral out of its live music venues, pubs and clubs.”

e Rd

New Athenaeum Theatre

Image above: A Bridge Week performance taking place in the Ledger Recital Room Edington

In addition to unique print materials, you will have access to thousands of electronic resources, and extensive audio and film collections. There’s also a dedicated silent study area and enhanced WiFi hotspots to make sure you get the best learning experience.

Renfrew Street also houses five professional performance venues and welcomes over 40,000 audience members through the front door each year to watch over 500 performances programmed during the academic calendar.

Garscub

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

Positioned in the heart of Glasgow, Renfrew Sreet is home to the School of Music and the School of Dance, Drama, Production and Screen. Alongside a host of drama rehearsal rooms and music practice suites, Renfrew Street is where you’ll find the Whittaker Library, the Digital Training Unit, the Student IT Suite and our four recording studios.

Elmbank St

C a m p us a n d fac i l i t i e s

OUR CONSERVATOIRE IN THE HEART OF GLASGOW

St

George Square

L o c at i o n, L o c at i o n, L o c at i o n

E D G Y

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

U R B A N

L E G E N D A R Y 18

F R I E N D L Y

“Glasgow combines style, edgy urbanity and the residents’ legendary friendliness in a captivating blend that will leave you wanting more.”

Lonely Planet, 2013

Culture city

Award-winning city

Heralded in Time magazine as Europe’s secret capital of music, Glasgow’s live music scene is unrivalled. As well as being home to most of the country’s leading orchestras and ensembles, Glasgow is world-renowned for its underground music scene, boasting a plethora of bars and clubs full of new talent. Glasgow’s live music reputation is further enhanced with The Hydro, a purpose built music venue which has already attracted some major performers to the city.

Glasgow is featured in: | Top 10 cities in the world Rough Guides, 2014 | Top 10 places in the world Lonely Planet, 2013 | Top 20 places in the world The Telegraph, 2014

Glasgow is rich in arts culture with numerous theatres and performing arts venues all within close reach of the city centre.

There are also over 20 museums and galleries scattered around the city – with the majority free to enter.

The eyes of the world are on Glasgow. As host of the Commonwealth Games 2014 and the MTV European Music Awards 2014, Scotland’s unofficial capital has also been named as one of the top ten places in the world to visit by travel gurus Lonely Planet (2013) and Rough Guides (2014).

The city has fast become a hub for the UK film industry and is home to BBC Scotland, STV, and countless entertainment, technology and digital companies. You may recognise Glasgow landmarks from films such as World War Z, Fast and the Furious 6 and Under the Skin as the city’s landscape has attracted Hollywood film-makers in recent years.

Intrigued at what makes this city so special? Spend just 24 hours in Glasgow and you’ll be smitten with the Glaswegian friendly ‘banter’, Victorian architectural masterpieces intertwined with cutting-edge style and design, the culinary classics (haggis and tatties, anyone?) and, of course, the fiercely proud, artistic culture.

Eclectic cultural delights range from the Britannia Panopticon, the world’s oldest surviving music hall, to the Gallery of Modern Art. Throw into the mix the breath-taking Necroplolis or one of the city’s many parks and you’ll never be at a loss for something to do.

19

L o c at i o n, L o c at i o n, L o c at i o n

“One of the reasons I chose to study in Glasgow was the live music scene – there’s always something going on.”

Student city As the second largest student city in the UK, Glasgow is home to 130,000 students. Every September during Freshers’ Week the city is thriving with new students exploring what the city has to offer.

Shopping

Conor Lee-Bourke, BA Modern Ballet student

Aside from its cultural jewels, Glasgow is famous for its shopping.

The ‘Style Mile’ is located around the corner from RCS and is one square mile of brand retail, with student favourites Topshop, H&M, Urban Outfitters and high-end designer stores Mulberry and Armani. If you prefer something quirkier, hop over to Glasgow’s West End and browse the numerous vintage shops and independent music stores.

Eating and drinking RCS is a stone’s throw away from many of Glasgow’s finest restaurants, café bars, traditional pubs and local eateries.

Crowned most vegan-friendly city in the UK in 2013, Glasgow caters for all types of culinary tastes.

Nightlife From old-school pubs to electro and techno clubs, Glasgow’s nightlife has it all. For great student nights out, head along Bath Street and Sauchiehall Street for late night bars, before trying one of the many club nights. The Sub Club, the longest running underground club in the world, is the place for clubbers who take their techno seriously. Alternatively, Ashton Lane is a cobblestoned, fairy-lit haven of cosy pubs and bars that stay open until the wee hours.

Festivals

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

Image below: Sauchiehall Street is the student centre of Glasgow and is a 20-second walk from the front doors of RCS. Head here for a multitude of restaurants, bars, clubs, shops and music stores.

Glaswegians love nothing more than a celebration, and not a month goes by without Scotland’s largest city hosting a festival.

Highlights include Celtic Connections in January featuring two weeks of the best Scottish music, the Glasgow Film Festival in February premiering the best films from Scotland and across the world, the Glasgow Jazz Festival in June, and Bard in the Botanics, an open-air summer festival of Shakespearean classics. Usually the common denominator in all these festivals is that they feature RCS students or graduates.

Getting around Glasgow’s city centre is compact; you can walk from one end of the city to the other in less than an hour and the transport links are excellent and relatively inexpensive. The majority of students walk or cycle to RCS and Glasgow has a city-wide bike hire scheme.

Glasgow is the most cost-effective city for students living in the UK. (Natwest Student Living Index 2014)

Money matters It is estimated that a student’s living costs for everything (including accommodation) in Glasgow is £156 per week.

For an all-day travel ticket on the subway (the underground transport system), students pay £2.70. The average price for a pint of milk is 49p and the average price for a pint of beer is £2.78.

20

21

L o c at i o n, L o c at i o n, L o c at i o n

Location: Edinburgh

RCS in Edinburgh

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

A 55-minute train journey links Scotland’s two largest cities, making Edinburgh hugely accessible to RCS students. Edinburgh welcomes over four million visitors each year, and a stroll through the capital is enough to understand why the city is so popular for tourists. Whether you’re looking for culture, heritage or performing arts – Edinburgh delivers.

Taking advantage of our close proximity to the capital city, RCS has close links with several theatres, production companies and universities in Edinburgh. Here’s a small sample of the work our students do in Edinburgh.

Edinburgh Festivals The arts world flocks to Edinburgh every August to revel in the Edinburgh Festivals. Whilst the largest and most famous events are the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, you will also find a host of other cultural festivals taking place around the city in August, including the Edinburgh Mela, the Edinburgh International Book Festival and the Royal Military Tattoo. Every square inch of the city is turned into a performance space for the festivals.

Pubs, clubs and pop-up beer gardens stay open till 5am with shows continuing into the early morning. There’s even a daily comedy show up the iconic Arthur’s Seat if you’re inclined to do some hillwalking as a pre-show warm up.

|

MA Musical Theatre students take two shows each year to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and perform in top venues, including the Assembly Hall

|

In partnership with the University of Edinburgh and the Edinburgh International Festival, we run an Artistic Entrepreneurship short course for arts producers from around the globe

|

Music students perform at a variety of events, including the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in individual projects and as accompanists to the MA Musical Theatre students

Location: Scotland

4. Spend time in Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Musuem Kelvingrove is a magnificent building – both inside and out.

Spend a couple of hours wandering through the galleries and draw inspiration from classic masterpieces by Dali, Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Pissarro and more contemporary works from the Glasgow Boys and Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Best of all, the permanent exhibitions at Kelvingrove are free to enter.

“One of the top three countries in the world” Lonely Planet, 2014 Being based in Glasgow means you can easily explore all Scotland has to offer – whether you’re doing it by car, bus or train. Here are the top five things we recommend you have to do when living in Scotland.

5. Go to the Lochs Whether you’re looking for that monster or wanting to explore the Scottish countryside, Scotland’s lochs are simply gorgeous.

Loch Ness and Loch Lomond are the most famous, with Loch Lomond and the Trossachs only a 30-minute drive from the city centre.

1. Bag a Munro Famous for being a land of hills, there are 282 Munros in Scotland (mountains with a height of over 3,000 ft). A popular hobby is to ‘bag’ a Munro by climbing to the summit – a common aim among hillwalkers is to try and climb all 282.

2. Celebrate Hogmanay No-one quite brings in the New Year like the Scottish. Hogmanay – the Scots name for 31 December – is celebrated throughout the land, with Edinburgh’s famous street party being the most popular Hogmanay destination. Celebrate the New Year with live music, fireworks, a wee dram and, of course, a rendition of Auld Lang Syne.

3. Visit Skye A beautiful island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland, Skye boasts scenery that will truly take your breath away. Skye’s picturesque backdrop has featured in many UK and American films and the locals love to show visitors around their island.

It also has a rich arts heritage; look out for traditional folk and music festivals taking place throughout the year.

Images: Edinburgh’s Princes Street fireworks display at Hogmanay.

MA Musical Theatre student performs as Gomez during the 2014 run of The Addams Family at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

22

Image: Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum

23

STUDENT LIFE

T H I S

I S

T H E

L I F E

Week IN THE LIFE OF AN RCS STUDENT It might seem like a cliché to say no week is the same as another, but at RCS, this statement rings true. We followed final year BA Modern Ballet student Stefanos Dimoulas for one week to find out exactly what an average week of studying here looks like.

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

MONDAY Mondays are always busy days. Not only do I have ballet and jazz lessons at the Wallace Studios, but I take advantage of learning in a conservatoire and also study piano in the afternoon, with piano tutor, Ed Cohen. I would definitely say my dancing is better than my piano skills at the moment, but it all helps with my musicality!

THURSDAY I’m taking part in a creative collaboration between the Piano and Dance departments in RCS – we’re using Romeo and Juliet as our theme; this image is taken from the piece I choreographed on the Montagues and Capulets.

FRIDAY Today is a rehearsal for the graduation showcase. This will be my last performance at RCS and we’ll perform in the New Athenaeum Theatre. This picture (to the left) is from one of the contemporary pieces of the show.

TUESDAY Rehearsing for Bridge Week performance. I’m working with other dancers and musical theatre students. This photograph was taken as we were trying out different costumes and looks for the camera.

SATURDAY Early flight this morning to Amsterdam with two of my classmates, Moritz and Ellie. We’re auditioning for Nederlands Dans Theater 2 (NDT2) and we took this photograph just as we arrived in the city. An exciting end to a rather busy week!

WEDNESDAY Off to the Theatre Royal today to watch Scottish Ballet’s The Nutcracker, featuring five dancers from RCS. Beautiful performance.

24

25

STUDENT LIFE Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

p e t r i c a

c i o b a n u

MMus pianist Petrica is the first RCS student to win both RCS concerto competitions. We spoke to Petrica about his studies at RCS and how he finds living in Glasgow.

You have won a lot of competitions – both here at RCS and at international competitions. How do you deal with performing at such a high level? What’s been the highlight of your career so far?

Whether a concert or a competition, I always try to remember that the most important thing is to stay true to the music.

Somehow, that keeps me focused and ready and the adrenaline of each event puts me on my mettle.

You started your studies here in 2010 on the BMus programme. What were your first impressions of RCS and living in Glasgow?

Every opportunity is valuable in its own way but I think the highlight so far has been when I was selected by the famous pianist Lang Lang as one of only ten soloists for his Massed Piano event at the Royal Festival Hall in 2011. I played one of my favourite Silvestri pieces and it gave me the chance to play in front of 3,000 people in the prestigious venue.

I first remember being very impressed by the facilities and the training on offer. I was also instantly struck by how welcoming and supportive everyone is here. I felt like I fitted in from the very beginning. I love the cultural diversity of Glasgow. It is such an exciting and vibrant place to be.

What advice would you give an aspiring musician who was thinking about applying to study here at RCS?

What do you enjoy most about your Masters course?

Thanks to the RCS piano competition last year, I recently had the chance to play with the RCS Orchestra as part of the Danzmayr the Sorcerer concert with David Danzmayr, and it was a fabulous opportunity. Importantly, as well as the excellent performance opportunities, there is time to focus on practising and polishing my overall performance skills.

My two teachers are extremely dedicated and RCS also organises some excellent masterclasses led by renowned visiting teachers.

The best advice is to come and see RCS for themselves or spend time talking to current students. I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a nurturing study experience which encourages performance development as a priority.

You’ve got another year left of your studies here; what do you hope to do in this time and after you graduate?

Currently, between concerts, I am preparing for my entry into three of the world’s toughest piano competitions which will begin in summer next year. Glasgow is the perfect place for me to tap into the expertise of my teachers and hone my performance skills to be ready for such an important challenge.

I am aiming high and I know everyone here will support me which is very reassuring.

Can you tell us what an average day as a postgraduate student is like?

Well, my performance schedule is pretty busy so I spend most of my time rehearsing or learning repertoire.

I’m not at all a morning person, so I tend to practise from approximately 10am until 9pm. Luckily, RCS is open until late and during the day at weekends. I also have a piano lesson with my teacher Aaron Shorr every week, a weekly group theory seminar, and many other opportunities to receive important feedback on my concert and competition repertoire from my teachers and peers.

Tell us a bit about your tutors at RCS. What support do they give you in your studies? Is there any advice they’ve given you that’s really stuck with you?

My regular teachers are Aaron Shorr and Norman Beedie.

They are both very experienced and dedicated. The best advice they’ve given me is to bring musical passion to everything I do without allowing that passion to overwhelm the music especially during a performance. On a more practical note, they have also given me really crucial advice about the importance of organising myself efficiently which is something I used to struggle with.

“I always try to remember that the most important thing is to stay true to the music. Somehow, that keeps me focused and ready and the adrenaline of each event puts me on my mettle.”

26

27

STUDENT LIFE Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

K E N N E T H

M A C L E O D

Kenneth is a third year Production Arts and Design student, specialising in set and costume design. Here he talks about why he chose to study Production and his recent project – designing the set for the musical theatre production of West Side Story in the New Athenaeum Theatre.

Now that your design is in the process of being created, how have you been collaborating with the various departments and what is it like seeing your vision brought to life?

Musical theatre is such an intense medium, it’s vital that the design works alongside the performers in every way possible.

For example, I’ve been working with the costume department and the choreographer, to ensure that the footwear works for the performers and for the “look” of the show, as well as working with my colleagues in the construction workshop to make sure all the set pieces are capable of high-octane dancing and staging.

You specialise in set and costume design; why did you decide to focus on this area?

I enjoy the process of taking a text and deciphering it, and that experimental period of playing with models and sketches and exploring the possibilities of how best a story can be told. I also enjoy how much it brings you into collaboration with all of the other production departments, and how much you’re constantly learning from that interaction.

It’s a strange experience having the design in your mind and your sketchbooks for six months or so, and then sharing it with the production artists, stage managers, technicians and performers – it’s very surreal seeing it brought to life on stage.

Can you take us through what a typical day is like as a Production student?

What work placements have you undertaken within the industry?

Every day is very different. If you are a Production Arts student, a normal day will consist of you working in the workshops at the Wallace Studios, but as a design student, you could be in the design studio making a model, meeting with a director or searching for props for a DFTV collaboration on the other side of town; the course is what you make of it, and it can lead you to doing all sorts.

Some of my external work experience has seen me work with Eden Court Theatre, in my hometown of Inverness, as well as with Glasgow-based theatre company Vox Motus.

Glasgow is very much the creative centre of Scotland, and being at RCS feels like being at the epicentre of it all.

Everyone always knows someone, who knows someone, who is doing what you want to do – so keeping in contact with the industry is never a stretch.

You recently pitched your set design idea to Andrew Panton (Artistic Director of Musical Theatre) for West Side Story. Can you tell us about the creative process that led to your idea and what it was like pitching your vision?

Glasgow is so vibrant, particularly for a designer, it’s never hard to find relevant work. From visual art, to production design on television and film, everything’s on your doorstep.

My fellow students have worked on commercial theatre, feature films, national television and on international concert tours, and this is all long before even graduating.

The idea really came from a desire to breathe new life into West Side Story – to go back to the original material, disregard all previous approaches and really try to get to the core of what the show is, and how that could be explored in its aesthetic.

What advice would you give people who are thinking about applying to study Production at RCS?

I listened to a lot of the music that inspired Bernstein, and did in-depth research into the Upper West Side in New York and the sorts of areas and environments that the gangs of West Side might skulk around in.

For the Production Arts and Design course, RCS is looking for people who have a clear and defined passion.

The most frequent thing I see is prospective students clamming up with nerves at their interview – try your hardest not to do this and keep your curiosity and passion for the arts flowing and make sure the panel sees what you are capable of.

With the help of another third-year student, a lighting designer Robbie Butler, we pitched our idea to Andrew and the Musical Theatre department. It was a nerve-wracking experience, but fortunately they loved it.

“Glasgow is so vibrant, particularly for a designer, it’s never hard to find work.

From visual art, to production design on television and film, everything’s on your doorstep.”

28

29

STUDENT LIFE Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

G L A S W E G I A N

S P I R I T

International student Ankna Arockiam travelled from India to study at RCS. She writes about what it’s like to be an international student in Glasgow and what it is about the city that’s made her an honorary Glaswegian.

Glasgow has something to offer every individual. And if you know where to look, you can find an outlet to channel your energies. From a performance at the Royal Concert Hall, art in the Kelvingrove Museum, a movie at Cineworld, buskers on Sauchiehall Street, a walk along the Clyde, a foodie paradise in the Merchant City, reading a book in the GOMA cafe, or just sitting down and enjoying a ‘wee’ bit of sun at Glasgow Green. Ceilidh dancing is my favourite part of any party or function. And no matter how wet the weather is, you’re sure to bump into a sunny smile at every street corner from the locals.

I was first introduced to what life would be like at the Royal Conservatoire by my cello teacher at the KM Music Conservatory in Chennai, India, whose mother had studied at RSMAD, as the Royal Conservatoire used to be known.

I still remember the day when I sat at Hyderabad airport and the screen in the lounge twinkled departures to Glasgow; I couldn’t stop smiling because I knew my dream of studying at RCS was finally turning into a reality.

Outside of Glasgow, walking on a beach, surrounded by hills blanketed in heather, feeling the rain on my face and looking at the Highland ‘coos’ (from a safe distance!) sums up my visits to the Scottish highlands and islands. The natural beauty of this country reflects in the hearts of its people.

The first few weeks passed in a blur, but memories of the international student pick-up, my first chippy on Buchanan Street, the crazy trips as I found my way from the Liberty Halls to the main campus for classes and back, and Freshers’ Week fortnight still remain vividly etched in my head. But, it would be most unfair, if I fail to mention that symbiotic quality that embraces this city of music. I have had the privilege of experience and embracing the two musical sides of Glasgow - the real, urban tones of the Glasgow city soundtrack and the classical, melodious notes that echo along the RCS corridors. This is a city that really does love music.

During my time here I’ve been lucky enough to be part of the 2014 Commonwealth Games and witness the independence referendum; both of these huge events made me realise how special it is when young people work together. As the current Vice-President of the Students’ Union, I want to share what this lovely city has to offer by bringing about a more holistic interaction between students at RCS and in the various other educational institutions of Glasgow.

Coming to Scotland is the best decision I’ve ever made.

The true Glaswegian spirit, according to me, is found in the acceptance that I’ve received from everybody I’ve met here.

Like others, I too have plans for my future but, whether I stay in Glasgow or not, I know that this Glaswegian spirit will remain in my heart for years to come.

The School of Music exposes the students by giving them access to free performances at RCS and across the city; additionally I have had the opportunity to sing with various choirs and performed across venues like the Old Fruitmarket, City Halls, and Royal Concert Hall amongst others.

“Coming to Scotland is the best decision I’ve ever made. The true Glaswegian spirit is found in the acceptance I’ve received from everybody I’ve met here.”

30

31

STUDENT LIFE

ACCOMMODATION

STUDENT WELL-BEING Champions of equality and diversity

Counselling

We welcome a diverse population of students and staff.

We believe that excellence can be achieved through recognising and celebrating the value of every individual, and are committed to promoting equality in all of our activities.

If you experience stress and anxiety at any time during your studies with us, you can access our professional counselling service.

A counsellor doesn’t give you advice or tell you what you should do; counselling is a process for exploring issues so you can reach your own decisions on the way forward.

We are committed to equality of opportunity both as an educational institution and as an employer.

For more information go to: rcs.ac.uk/studentsupport

Equality of opportunity means striving to ensure that no student or member of staff receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, actual or perceived religion or belief, sex and actual or perceived sexual orientation.

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

Student accommodation

From £5,480 for one academic year

In total, there are 130,000 students in Glasgow, and the city has lots of accommodation for students on offer. With so many choices, including our own student residence, you’ll find it easy to find the right place for your budget and preferences.

Prices at Liberty House start from around £5,480 for a single en-suite in a self-catered residence to around £7,760 for a studio flat. Please note, these prices are for 2015; for up-to-date prices please go to: libertyliving.co.uk

You can apply to stay at our student residence, Liberty House.

Just next to George Square and less than a 10-minute walk from the Renfrew Street campus, Liberty House is perfectly located for our students. At the other side of Liberty House is the lively Merchant City, which is full of cafés, restaurants, bars, art spaces and the BBC SSO. Liberty House also welcomes students from other local universities so it’s a great way to make friends quickly. As it’s in the very heart of Glasgow, there are excellent local shops and amenities right on your doorstep including rail stations connecting to the rest of the UK, only a few minutes away.

Your rent includes: |

All utility bills

|

Personal contents insurance

|

Internet access

To book your student accommodation for Liberty House please contact: accommodation@rcs.ac.uk and we will assist you with your booking directly.

Facilities at Liberty House

Disabled students

“Most gay friendly conservatoire in the UK.”

We welcome applications from all people with disabilities support needs. Many of our students have disabilities, e.g. medical conditions, specific learning difficulties and unseen disabilities. Our staff are proficient in teaching people with a range of learning styles and are committed to promoting the development of independent learning skills. You’ll find RCS is a very supportive and encouraging place to learn.

Stonewall, 2013

For more information go to: rcs.ac.uk/studentsupport

Students’ Union

Effective Learning Service

Once you become a student at RCS, you automatically become a member of the Students’ Union. We’re here for you, and to represent you. Our goal is to continually improve the student experience, so when you speak, we listen.

Accelerate your growth and development at any point in your learning journey by strengthening your study skills with our Effective Learning Service. It’s flexible, free and confidential, and ranges from one-to-one appointments and workshops to online support. Our inclusive approach is designed to meet your specific needs.

Naturally, at the Students’ Union we’re also about having a good time! We organise a range of events throughout the academic year starting with Freshers’ Week and ending with the Summer Ball.

Topics include:

For more information go to: rcs.ac.uk/studentunion

Private accommodation

Student support

If you would prefer to arrange your own accommodation, there is a wide range of flats and rooms for students provided by the private sector. The Private Accommodation Database (PAD) at glasgowpad.org is a good place to start looking.

From the moment you arrive to the day you leave, you can receive practical, emotional, and learning support from us; we nurture the whole person at RCS. Any time you need, you can use our formal services and every day you’ll feel a tangible sense of support in our friendly community.

|

Improving the quality of your written assignments

|

Referencing

|

Critical thinking

|

Managing your time

|

Reading strategies and note-making

|

Revision and exam techniques

For more information, please send an email to: els@rcs.ac.uk

|

All accommodation has en-suite showers, toilets and washbasins

|

WiFi included and data point access at a minimum speed of 24MB

|

Television points

|

Single and double study bedrooms share a fully-fitted kitchen area

|

Studio apartments are self-contained with their own kitchen

|

24-hour security

|

Comprehensive CCTV coverage

|

Manned reception 24/7

|

On-site management team

|

Pastoral care

“We’re here for you and to represent you. Our goal is to continually improve the student experience, so when you speak, we listen.”

|

On-site maintenance and housekeeping team

Students’ Union

|

24-hour laundry

RCS is a very special and inclusive place, and one where, we are sure, you will flourish and rise to the many challenges and intensive demands of your programme.

For more information go to: rcs.ac.uk/studentsupport

32

33

G ra d uat e d e st i nat i o n s

L I F E

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

A F T E R

R C S

Our graduates work.

They work all over the globe in a range of occupations with national companies, educational institutions or forging their own professional performing careers or establishing their own companies.

James McAvoy Alumnus, Class of 2000

It’s impossible to list the full range of our graduates’ accomplishments.

Here are just a few examples of some recent graduates who have already achieved successful careers.

34

35

G ra d uat e d e st i nat i o n s Laura Margaret Smith Scottish Opera Emerging Artist

Kevin Guthrie Actor

Laura Margaret Smith (pictured far left) graduated in 2013 after studying MMus (Performance) and MMus (Opera).

Since graduating Laura has been accepted onto the prestigious Scottish Opera Emerging Artists programme.

Kevin graduated from the BA Acting programme in 2011 and has been working in the industry consistently ever since, earning starring roles in movies Sunshine on Leith and Sunset Song, and BBC shows Two Doors Down and The Paradise.

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

“As an Emerging Artist you get to cover lots of different areas within Scottish Opera. I’ve had performance roles, understudy roles, and worked as part of the chorus on different productions.

As a young singer starting out in my professional career, this is the best start. One of my favourite projects so far has been Verdi’s Macbeth where I was one of the three witches.

The production toured all over Scotland. I always remember Sir Thomas Allen, Scottish Opera’s Music Advisor, telling me, ‘You are so lucky. Doing a national tour is the very best training for a young singer. You’ve got a different audience every night so you need adapt to your environment, and react immediately to them each time you perform.’

His words stayed with me throughout the tour and he was right, I learnt so much from that experience.

“I’ve been very fortunate to have had a wide range of work within the first few years since graduating. Working on Sunshine on Leith was an incredible experience; it was my first experience of filming on such a cinematic scale and the exposure that comes as a result of that. I loved the people, the cast, the crew, the director – everyone! We created a very special bond and that, I think, is why it has translated into such an enjoyable film experience.

I’m currently working with Robert ‘Bobby’ Carlyle (another RCS alumnus) on Barney Thomson. Bobby was very kind about my work and asked to speak to me about the potential of working on the film - and of course I jumped at the opportunity. Working alongside Bobby, Ray Winstone and Emma Thompson on this film is a dream come true. I am able to just soak up all of their experience and expertise and apply what I feel is right for developing my own craft.

I currently work with Patricia MacMahon, who gives masterclasses on the RCS summer school programme. If I had to pick just one great thing about her, and it is hard to pick just one, it would be her encouraging outlook and attitude to everyone. She teaches everyone, from young kids just starting to learn about singing to the big stars of the professional world like Lisa Milne. I’m really honoured to have her as my teacher.”

Graeme Brown Associate Principal Bassoonist for BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra

Thomas J. Baylis Dancer Dancer Thomas J. Baylis graduated in 2012 as part of the first graduating year of the BA Modern Ballet programme at RCS. Since graduating, Thomas has worked extensively in the UK and abroad. Some of his projects include choreographing My Shrinking Life with the National Theatre of Scotland, directing movement pieces for A Doll’s House at the Royal Lyceum, and working with Ashley Page at Glyndebourne.

Most recently, Thomas performed in Scottish Opera’s Orfeo ed Euridice.

As a former member of the Junior Conservatoire and as a BMus and MMus graduate, Graeme has a long history with RCS which began when he was at high school. Graeme is now Associate Principal Bassoonist for the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and performs regularly in Scotland and across the world.

“The training I received at every stage was first rate, and the facilities were equally great. There were so many playing opportunities inside and outside of the Royal Conservatoire which I took full advantage of. Orchestral training schemes arranged through RCS were by far the best thing for me; through these I began freelancing at the age of 19. Just after I graduated a job was advertised in the BBC SSO.

“The BA Modern Ballet programme technically prepared me to be a dancer so I felt ready to graduate and start work – but the other way it prepared me for my career was in the variety of projects I was able to get involved in – it meant that I was quite happy outside of my comfort zone!

After a three-year trial, I was appointed Associate Principal Bassoon. It is amazing to work in a fantastic orchestra which plays such a wide variety of repertoire in lots of different settings. I also have the advantage of not having to move from my adopted hometown, Glasgow!”

For me, one of the great things about RCS is that you develop other interests, you build friendships with other artists and you see yourself in a broader ecosystem. RCS is an amazing place where you can go and see theatre, dance and film – all in the one place for free!”

RCS students get one free ticket to all student performances.

To find out more about what’s on each season, go to rcs.ac.uk/boxoffice

Scotland is financing and producing more films and television programmes than ever before, now is a brilliant time to be a graduate!”

To read a full article with Kevin, go online to rcs.ac.uk/kevinguthrie

36

37

G ra d uat e d e st i nat i o n s Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

L A U R A

D O N N E L L Y

Laura Donnelly studied BA Acting at RCS, graduating in 2009. Originally from Northern Ireland, Laura now lives in America, working in TV and theatre.

We caught up with Laura in New York where she’s currently making her Broadway debut alongside Hugh Jackman in The River to find out more about life after her drama training.

You’ve recently worked with fellow RCS alumnus Sam Heughan on Outlander. What was it like working with someone you’d trained with previously?

Sam is a great guy. He was the year above me in drama school and was incredibly hard working. That has definitely continued through to now – he’s professional and a really lovely guy to everyone, and that’s exactly what you want from other actors on a set.

Do you keep in touch with other alumni?

Yes, many of them. My best friends are some of the people I studied with at drama school. My year was particularly close and most of us have stayed in touch regularly.

You’re currently starring on Broadway in The River and you’ve received excellent reviews. What attracted you to this role and what have you learnt from working alongside Broadway regular, Hugh Jackman?

What are your best memories from studying at RCS? For me it was about the people. Suddenly discovering friends and tutors who thought the same way as me, had the same values, the same goals; I felt so at home. It’s an incredibly supportive atmosphere. Most of my favourite memories are of just being amongst friends in the corridors. And I can still cry with laughter at some of things that went wrong during productions!

I was first attracted to the role because it was written by Jez Butterworth. I had seen Jerusalem and was blown away by it and I knew that whatever he had to say next was going to be very exciting. The River turned out to be a beautifully written, poetic piece and I fell in love with it. Secondly was the fact that Ian Rickson was directing. Ian is one of the most respected directors in British theatre, and with good reason. As for Hugh – he’s an amazing human being as well as an incredible actor. He’s thrilling to share a stage with because he always brings something fresh and yet still truthful to each performance. But just as importantly, he is a wonderful person to work with in general. He is kind and considerate to everyone he meets and he gives 100% to everything he does.

What are your top tips for recent graduates?

Work really hard. It will make all the difference. Whatever it is – an audition, a job you’ve landed, writing your own material - give it everything you’ve got. Don’t rely on luck, or natural talent. Hard work will pay off.

Do you get much time to see other plays/films?

What should we be watching?

Performing in such a high profile theatre role and living in New York is an aspiration for many actors and for RCS students. What are some of your highlights from the past few months?

I go to theatre a lot (when I’m not doing theatre) – the last thing I saw that blew me away was Alan Cumming (another RCS alumnus) in Cabaret in New York. In London I adored the recent revival of The Weir by Conor McPherson. I don’t watch a lot of TV but I always make sure I catch up on The Good Wife. The performances in that are incredible.

The job itself has been the greatest highlight – to work with such an incredible team on a brilliant play is as good as it gets.

Broadway has a buzz about it that is unlike any other theatre scene in the world and the audiences are so responsive and enthusiastic. Getting to know New York a lot better and getting to meet a few heroes along the way has, of course, been a joy too.

What’s next for you?

I’m continuing in The River until it finishes in February and then probably some more Outlander next year.

You’ve done a lot of interesting projects both on stage and screen, which do you prefer and why?

I definitely prefer stage – that relationship with a live audience can’t be beaten. It’s incredibly intense and exciting to be in a room full of people, telling a story and feeling the reaction from them. And there is so much opportunity to play around, try things out and explore the text. You never know what any given show is going to be like.

38

“For me it was about the people.

Suddenly discovering friends and tutors who thought the same way as me, had the same values, the same goals; I felt so at home.”

39

SPECIALISM Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

D A N C E

“The dancers all deliver the same, confident statement through the elegant rigours of classical technique: ‘this is who we are, this is what we do.’ ”

Nicolas Blanc delivering a masterclass to BA Modern Ballet students.

Mary Brennan, The Herald

40

41

DANCE

BA Modern Ballet in partnership with Three years, full-time rcs.ac.uk/ballet Head of Modern Ballet: Kerry Livingstone

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

This undergraduate programme is designed to help you build a robust classical technique and prepare you for the profession as a confident, versatile and technically strong dancer. You will graduate with the skills required by professional ballet companies as well as the ability to communicate effectively with an audience through the performance of a wide variety of classical, modern, and contemporary choreography.

Programme structure

Why choose us?

Application details

Year one

|

Delivered in partnership with Scottish Ballet

Institution code: R58

Your first year of training is focused on developing a sound technical and artistic basis in both classical ballet and contemporary dance. This grounding will be enhanced by supporting subjects such as pilates, pas de deux, pointework, virtuosity and contextual studies. In repertoire classes, work is drawn from the Romantic era.

You will end your first year with a performance in the final year students’ graduation showcase.

|

Small class sizes

UCAS Conservatoires code: 201F

|

World-class facilities

|

Excellent staff-student ratio

|

Opportunities for artistic collaboration across RCS

Apply via UCAS Conservatoires online www.ucas.com/conservatoires by 15 January 2016 (UK/EU) or 31 March 2016 (overseas).

|

Opportunity to complete the Royal Academy of Dance internationally-recognised vocational graded examinations

|

Compete in various international competitions including the Genée International Ballet competition during study

Year two In second year, you will focus on building upon the skills learned in first year. Choreography and choreographic collaboration are introduced, offering you the opportunity to work with other departments on the creation of a new work. In repertoire, you will gain skills as a solo performer (in both ballet and contemporary) including learning works from the classics.

The course is delivered in conjunction with Scottish Ballet and provides numerous opportunities, allowing you to gain invaluable insight into professional life. You will work regularly with Scottish Ballet staff and dancers, and internationally acclaimed teachers and choreographers. You will also have the opportunity to participate in performances or placements.

Year three Third year is a year of refinement of individual strengths and preparation for auditions for professional employment. You will have the opportunity to work with Scottish Ballet in Company class, gaining invaluable professional experience. You will develop an area of personal interest through individual projects, and your training will culminate in a graduation performance.

We are the only UK conservatoire to offer all of the performance art specialisms and are dedicated to enabling, and encouraging you to work collaboratively to expand your artistic horizons. You might find yourself performing on film for our screen students, choreographing a piece with our composers, or on stage at one of Scotland’s major theatres.

Academic entry requirements

Graduate destinations Our graduating students have been contracted to a range of renowned companies, including Scottish Ballet, Northern Ballet, Joffrey Ballet Apprenticeship, Geneva Junior Ballet, National Dance Company of Wales Apprenticeship, Universal Ballet Korea, David Hughes Dance Company, Vienna Festival Ballet, the National Theatre of Scotland and FX Saldy Dance Theatre.

Passes in five National 5s or equivalent such as Standard Grades (Grade 1-3) or Intermediate 1 or 2 or

|

Five GCSE (Grades A*-C) or equivalent or

|

Recognised equivalences

|

Knowledge of ballet vocabulary to a minimum of Intermediate level

|

Appropriate physical qualities for a career in professional classical dance

International English Language Testing System score (IELTS) (if applicable) level 6.5 with a minimum score of 5.5 in all parts.

We accept a range of qualifications and their international equivalences. Please email danceadmissions@rcs.ac.uk for more information.

Our facilities are among the best in Europe and feature state-ofthe-art dance studios and professional venues, as well as a whole range of other facilities to support you.

You will take part in performance opportunities, within a variety of environments and contexts, further enhancing the breadth of vocational education, and your employability. We aim to train you to be versatile and adept across a variety of styles to prepare you for work both in the UK and internationally.

42

|

43

SPECIALISM Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

D R A M A

83% of drama graduates are in employment or further study.

(HESA, 2012/13)

44

45

DRAMA

BA Acting

Year two You will build on your exploration of Shakespeare by delivering workshops in schools before rehearsing and performing a Shakespeare play. You will continue to develop your screen and radio technique, and explore new theatre work with established writers and directors. You are given the opportunity to work in collaboration with fellow students to explore new and devised work in our new work festival On the Verge at The Arches theatre.

A series of workshops will allow you to advance your movement skills in physical theatre and mask. You will undertake a professional practice module which will introduce you to the world of working as an actor.

Three years, full-time rcs.ac.uk/acting Head of Acting: Joyce Deans We are looking for students with outstanding commitment and potential who are dedicated to a performing career. You will work intensively on building your skills to a level that will bring you to the forefront of emerging actors in film, television and theatre today.

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

You will receive all the necessary conservatoire education to ensure you have a comprehensive and practical understanding of acting, voice and movement. When you graduate, you will have experience of working in all acting genres, including screen and radio, and an outstanding CV packed with performing credits. You will have the unique opportunity to study and work with professionals from Scotland, the UK, Europe and further afield. Our acting showcases, held in Glasgow and London, are attended by agents, casting directors and employers. An additional showcase is held in New York for our North American students. Your final show of third year will also be performed in both Glasgow and London.

Year three You will have the opportunity to work on main stage productions, a Christmas pantomime and a screen project. You may also benefit from various professional opportunities from one of our many industry contacts. You will perform in a professional showcase, which will be seen by a mix of employers, casting directors, agents, managers and producers. You will continue to develop your employability and entrepreneurial skills ensuring that on graduating you are well equipped to manage your career as a professional actor.

Our unrivalled professional connections put you at the heart of performance in Scotland and they include BBC Scotland, the National Theatre of Scotland, Citizens Theatre, Tron Theatre and The Royal Lyceum.

Why choose us? |

Industry showcases in Glasgow, London and New York

Programme structure

|

Excellent staff-student ratio

Year one

|

Our movement specialists are trained in Lecoq technique

You will explore the three main disciplines of acting, voice and movement. In acting you will investigate character, narrative, relationships and actions. In voice, you will develop your technique, and work on accents, dialects and vocal health. In movement you will set solid foundations for a balanced and free use of your body, and take classes in dance, acrobatics and Alexander Technique.

You will take classes in theatre history and reflective practice, and begin work on collaborating with other first years from across RCS. You will also have classes in screen and radio technique, and be introduced to Shakespeare.

|

Specialist voice training using the Nadine George technique

|

Unrivalled professional connections result in work opportunities for our students

|

Collaborative professional partnerships include the BBC and the National Theatre of Scotland

|

Participate in several national competitions including Spotlight Showcase, The Sam Wanamaker Festival, The Carleton Hobbs Radio Drama Award, The Gielgud Award and The Laurence Olivier Award Bursary

|

Partnership with BBC Scotland to allow students to work with BBC producers and on sets

|

European and international exchange opportunities during study

46

Recent highlights

Application details

|

In 2014 all of the graduating students had secured agent representation, offers of work, or in many cases, both

Institution code: R58

|

Current student Daniel Cahill and recent graduate Sarah Higgins performed in the National Theatre’s The James Plays to sold out audiences in Edinburgh and London

Apply via UCAS Conservatoires online www.ucas.com/conservatoires by 15 January 2016 (UK/EU) or 31 March 2016 (overseas).

|

New exchange programme from 2014 with the Paris Conservatoire

Academic entry requirements

|

International touring productions including performances in Taiwan, St Petersburg and Warsaw

UCAS Conservatoires code: W410

Graduate destinations Our graduates work in all aspects of the performance industry, primarily as professional actors in theatre, film, television and radio – both in the UK and internationally. Several household names have studied with us including James McAvoy, David Tennant and Alan Cumming.

Scottish Higher – three passes or

|

Scottish Advanced Higher – two passes or

|

A-level – two passes or

|

International Baccalaureate – minimum score of 24 with three subjects at Higher level or

|

Recognised equivalences

International English Language Testing System score (IELTS) (if applicable) level 7.5 with a minimum score of 7.5 in speaking We accept a range of qualifications and their international equivalences. Please email dramaadmissions@rcs.ac.uk for more information.

More recent graduates are also taking the industry by storm. Here are just a few of our very recent graduates to look out for: | Crystal Clarke (2013) cast in Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens | Jack Lowden (2011) won ‘Best Actor in a Supporting Role’ for Ghosts at the 2014 Olivier Awards |

|

Brian Vernel (2013) starred in the ITV mini-series Prey and will shortly be seen in the TV adaptation of JK Rowling’s The Casual Vacancy

| Adam Newington (2014) performed in the Royal Shakespeare Company and National Theatre of Scotland’s Dunsinane and at the Sam Wannamaker Festival at the Globe Festival alongside fellow alumna Mira Askelund (2014) | Cameron Crighton and Martin Donaghy (2014) awarded Citizens Theatre internship 2014/2015 | Millie Turner (2014) awarded Dundee Rep internship 2014/2015

47

DRAMA

BA Contemporary Performance Practice (Honours)

Year three The emphasis is on the researching artist. You will learn how to create text for performance, supported through individual mentoring by a performance tutor. You will study the ‘researching artist’ culminating in a dissertation exploring an idea relevant to your own performance practice. You will also undertake a professional placement in Glasgow and create an original collaborative performance.

Four years, full-time rcs.ac.uk/cpp Head of Performance Pedagogy: Deborah Richardson-Webb This programme is for the rebel performer. People who are:

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

Year four In your final year you will work towards developing a sustainable arts practice that will support your transition into your chosen professional field. You will make an original performance work for the Into The New festival at The Arches. You will have the opportunity to select projects which focus on directing, arts in participatory contexts, arts in criminal justice settings, site-specific work or an international professional secondment.

Recent highlights

Application details

|

Into The New, our sector-leading festival of new work features international artists performing alongside graduating students in our annual symposium event

Institution code: R58

|

Peter Lannon (2013) was awarded a BBC Performing Arts Fund Theatre Fellow in association with Imaginate

Apply via UCAS Conservatoires online www.ucas.com/conservatoires by 15 January 2016 (UK/EU) or 31 March 2016 (overseas).

|

Leyla Josephine (2013) won the Hammer and Tongue National Slam Poetry Award

Academic entry requirements

|

FK Alexander (2014) has performed at renowned performance festivals including Spill, Arches Live, Buzzcut, Tempting Failure and Steakhouse Live

| critical

|

radical

|

experimental

|

impassioned

|

theoretical

|

compassionate

|

politically aware

|

collaborative

|

techno savvy

|

open

|

angry

|

eco-centric

|

tender

|

bold

|

a theatre-maker, musician, dancer or visual artist

Why choose us?

(inspired by Guillermo Gómez Peña)

|

Excellent staff-student ratio and small class sizes ensuring individual attention

|

Opportunities for artistic collaboration across RCS

|

World-class facilities and performing venues

The programme has many links with professional companies and organisations who offer opportunities for students while on the programme as well as employment opportunities after graduation. These include: Imaginate, Tramway, Ankur Productions, A Moment’s Peace, Cryptic, Random Accomplice, Glas(s) Performance, 21st Century Challenges, Buzzcut, Starcatchers, Sense Scotland, Scottish Prison Service, The Lyceum Theatre, Platform and Battersea Arts Centre.

|

Emphasis on preparing you for diverse careers in professional practice

Graduate destinations

|

Work opportunities within the programme include performance and professional collaborations with national and international cutting-edge practitioners, companies, festivals and arts venues. Recent projects have included work with The Arches, Imaginate, National Theatre of Scotland, Glas(s) Performance, Tramway, Buzzcut, Corali, Ruth Mills Dance, Caroline Bowditch and Nic Green

Programme structure Year one The focus is on the ego-centric artist: you will learn about the methods and strategies of making performance using autobiography as your material. You are encouraged to question your attitudes, values and understandings and translate these discoveries into original performance work.

Year two You will explore how to apply your arts practice in social and participatory contexts including community and education settings.

You will take part in a residency within a community which will result in an original piece of performance work.

This stage of the programme focuses on your development as a socio-centric artist and how you engage with other people.

UCAS Conservatoires code: W310

Industry links

|

Scottish Higher – three passes or

|

Scottish Advanced Higher – two passes or

|

A-level – two passes or

|

International Baccalaureate – minimum score of 24 with three subjects at Higher level or

|

Recognised equivalences

International English Language Testing System score (IELTS) (if applicable) level 7.5 with a minimum score of 7.5 in speaking We welcome applications from artists from all disciplines including theatre, music, dance and visual art We accept a range of qualifications and their international equivalences. Please email dramaadmissions@rcs.ac.uk for more information.

Our graduates are working as solo artists in the live arts sector; directors and performers in devised, community, or educational performance, and as freelance drama workers. A significant number of graduates have set up their own companies. Other graduates have undertaken further study at Masters and Doctoral level.

“Not only does this course allow you to discover what kind of artist you are, but also what kind of person you are. It challenges how you see everyday life, and encourages you to always be inquisitive.”

Alumni include Nic Green, Jess Thorpe, Tashi Gore, Peter McMaster, Lou Brodie, Gary McNair, Rosana Cade, Liam Sinclair, Josh Armstrong and Johnny McKnight, all of whom produce performance work internationally and frequently teach or give workshops at RCS.

Daisy Douglas, CPP student

48

49

DRAMA

BA Performance in British Sign Language and English Subject to validation Three years, full-time rcs.ac.uk/performance Designed around the learning and teaching needs of the deaf performer, this programme is unique in the UK. The content has been developed in association with Solar Bear Theatre Company with input from a range of theatre, educational and deaf professionals. Our shared aim is to enrich the talent pool within the UK, whilst making training available to deaf artists.

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

The working languages of the programme will be British Sign Language (BSL) and spoken English. You will have fully qualified BSL interpreters in class, on stage and in rehearsal.

You will develop skills in acting, movement, signing on stage, improvisation and puppetry as well as explore highly visual and physical performance styles. You will also work on specific projects with students of other degrees.

Programme structure

Why choose us?

Application details

The BA Performance degree will be a challenging learning experience where you will benefit from the unique experience and environment of RCS. Over the three years, you will study a rich blend of performance modules, including visual performance, theatre devising, improvisation, classical and contemporary acting, as well as intense tuition in movement and text.

|

The only degree of its kind in the UK

|

RCS is the UK’s Centre of Excellence for the training of deaf performers

|

Jenny Sealey MBE is programme patron

Apply directly to the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

This programme runs every three years. The first cohort begins in September 2015 and after this we will begin to accept applications for study in 2018/19.

|

Excellent staff-student ratio

You will work alongside other specialisms at RCS, such as filmmaking, to broaden your skillset and learning experiences.

|

Opportunities for artistic collaboration across RCS

|

Industry showcases

Academic entry requirements

In second year you will deliver Shakespeare in Schools workshops, taking your craft and teaching drama pupils across Scotland.

|

Unrivalled professional connections including Solar Bear, the BBC and the National Theatre of Scotland

As well as developing new work and creating public performance pieces, your final year of study will include a showcase performance and a touring production. This distinctive course will prepare you for working in a professional setting and will encourage you to undertake work placements and develop your industry contacts.

|

Develop invaluable industry contacts via professional placement opportunities

There are no academic entry requirements. All applicants will be asked to state if their first language is BSL or English as part of the application form. This will be evaluated further by the audition/ interview panel. Applicants will be sent tasks before their audition/ interview, with at least three weeks to prepare.

For more information please visit rcs.ac.uk/performance or email dramaadmissions@rcs.ac.uk

Graduate destinations The goal of the BA Performance in BSL and English is to prepare you to be a working professional. We expect the first graduates of the programme to work in theatre, television, film, education and community contexts.

The small class size ensures you will have the opportunity to work closely with our teaching staff and visiting professionals.

You will benefit from our many collaborative and professional partnerships.

We will teach you the skills you need to prepare you for a career in film, television, theatre and more.

“The work that Solar Bear have been doing with RCS is fantastic; it’s necessary, this opportunity is fundamental. We are hungry to see our language represented on stage.”

Jenny Sealey MBE

50

51

DRAMA

BA Musical Theatre Three years, full-time rcs.ac.uk/musicaltheatreug Artistic Director of Musical Theatre: Andrew Panton The BA Musical Theatre programme offers practical, high level vocational education for exceptionally talented students who are dedicated to becoming highly skilled and employable professional artists. We are unique as we offer quadruple-threat conservatoire level tuition in acting, singing, dance and music.

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

Programme structure

Why choose us?

Application details

Year one Your contact and independent study time features core practical skills in acting, music, dance and voice. Underpinning this is a strong focus on your professional practice with theory, research, reflection, professional development planning, song and monologue portfolio development, personal marketing, and collaborative practice and performance classes.

|

Industry showcases in Glasgow, London and New York

Institution code: R58

|

Excellent industry connections

UCAS Conservatoires code: 202F

|

Excellent staff-student ratio

|

Experienced staff who have worked, and are still working, as directors, choreographers, composers and performers in London’s West End, regional theatre, film and television

Apply via UCAS Conservatoires online www.ucas.com/conservatoires by 15 January 2016 (UK/EU) or 31 March 2016 (overseas).

|

The opportunity to fully explore your creative skills.

Past students have had the opportunity to take roles as musical directors and directors for external corporate work; assisted guest creatives on Edinburgh Festival Fringe productions; presented their own song or composition material; produced their own work at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Year two Core skills classes and professional practice modules continue to support new learning areas and project work including collaborative instrumental labs, songwriting, producing and budgeting, acting for media, musical theatre scenes and an opportunity for public performances of devised musical theatre work. You will also have opportunity to expand your learning via choice modules offered across the RCS.

We offer an extraordinary combination of world-class facilities, professional connections, and opportunities for collaboration, at a level and intensity that’s not available elsewhere. You will train as a truly multi-disciplinary artist, so you will need to demonstrate high level acting, singing, and dance ability, as well as additional instrumental skills.

You need to be eager to perform, ambitious, intellectually agile, and a fantastic communicator with a story to tell. You will spend time working with directors and writers on new musical theatre, as well as traditional and contemporary productions.

Year three The final year concentrates on developing your performance experience, profile, marketing, audition techniques and industry connections. Skills classes augment dedicated rehearsal process for two main stage musicals (book and contemporary). You have the opportunity for elective choice in actor musicianship performance or other choice elements. Professional practice modules continue to underpin your learning, with strong emphasis on employment skills.

You will work regularly with students from MA Musical Theatre, and the other specialisms; our music students form the orchestra of all of our major shows; production students provide all the off-stage and backstage support, and as well as filming with our screen students in our studios and on location, you may find yourself on BBC production sets, with guidance and support from BBC Scotland.

Academic entry requirements Scottish Higher – three passes or

|

Scottish Advanced Higher – two passes or

|

A-level – two passes or

|

International Baccalaureate – minimum score of 24 with three subjects at Higher level or

|

Recognised equivalences

International English Language Testing System score (IELTS) (if applicable) level 7.5 with a minimum score of 7.5 in speaking

Graduate destinations Graduates are working in London’s West End, regional theatres, film and television productions and with major companies including the National Theatre of Scotland, Citizens Theatre, Dundee Rep and the BBC. Following showcase, the majority of our students are signed immediately by agents from the UK and overseas.

We accept a range of qualifications and their international equivalences. Please email dramaadmissions@rcs.ac.uk for more information.

You may have seen our recent graduates perform in: Avenue Q (national tour), Warhorse (national tour), 39 Steps (West End), Once (West End), Blood Brothers (national tour), Wicked (West End), Spiderman (Broadway) and Let the Right One In (Broadway).

“We are unique as we offer quadruple-threat conservatoire level tuition in acting, singing, dance and music.”

52

|

53

DRAMA

MA Musical Theatre

Programme structure

(Performance), (Musical Directing) or (Choreography)

Performance | Dance, voice (spoken and individual singing and repertoire lessons), acting and performance

One year, full-time rcs.ac.uk/musicaltheatrepg Artistic Director of Musical Theatre: Andrew Panton Performance The performance pathway is an intensive blend of high-level vocational education and creative opportunities for students who already have a related degree and/or performing experience.

|

New musical development

|

Fully produced performance of a public concert in conjunction with the RCS Big Band

|

Musical theatre scene study and performance

|

Public performance of solo cabaret or devised performance

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

| Full season of work produced at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe; including a fully produced main stage musical theatre production (previous productions include Jerry Springer the Opera, Spring Awakening, Company, The Addams Family, Urinetown, and Avenue Q) and the performance of a brand new work developed through the course of the year

As well as practical performance learning, we’ll equip you with skills, knowledge and contacts for your professional career. The programme is closely linked with the industry, and has been developed with professional input, ensuring you acquire the practical skills that employers are looking for. You will have a high degree of one-to-one contact time, including individual voice and singing tutorials with some of the finest singing teachers in the UK, as well as training in acting, dance and music.

Musical Directing | Focused skills on keyboard, conducting and rehearsal techniques, scoring and arranging, sound (keyboard programming) and voice (vocal knowledge and repertoire coaching)

Musical Directing (Full scholarships are available) The musical directing pathway is designed to support the development of skill base and the exploration of creative thought for the musician with a passion for theatre. Through specialised conservatoire training, specific attention will be paid to grounding your keyboard and conducting skills, to exploring scoring and arranging, keyboard programming and vocal technique, all with a view to building the depth of process needed in the varying environments relevant to musical theatre.

Choreography Musical theatre choreography is an ever-evolving creative role within theatre and film, and one which has greatly changed over the last 10 years. Industry practitioners have backgrounds in ballet, contemporary, jazz, physical theatre and other movementbased techniques.

|

The development of new work in conjunction with writers and a creative team

|

Assistant Musical Director on three fully produced BA Musical Theatre shows including a book musical, a contemporary musical and an actor musician project

|

MD of a fully produced public concert series in conjunction with the RCS Big Band

|

RCS Pantomime

|

MD of a series of solo cabaret

| A variety of creative roles on a season of work produced at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, including a fully produced main stage musical and new work (previous productions include Jerry Springer the Opera, Spring Awakening, Company, The Addams Family and the performances of new work developed through the course of the year)

This degree is the only one of its kind taught within a conservatoire environment and you’ll benefit from learning alongside students studying programmes in acting, modern ballet, music, opera, contemporary performance practice, classical and contemporary text, and digital film and television.

54

|

Industry placement

|

Showcase in Glasgow, London and the opportunity to showcase in New York

Choreography | Skills-based modules to help you develop and refine your skills |

Diversity of stylistic range to ensure you are a technical and versatile choreographer

|

Project work and industry-based placement

|

Supported by an industry mentor

|

Work as part of a creative team to synthesise all technical, creative and professional skills through the rehearsal and production of musical theatre work at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Musical Directors Alan Bukowiecki, Book of Mormon, Chicago and Hair (US national tour). Andrea Grody, Venice and Love’s Labour’s Lost (New York). Amy Shackcloth, Wicked, Phantom of the Opera, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (UK national tour). Sarah De Tute, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (UK national tour).

Lindsey Miller, Fame (UK national tour). Claire McKenzie, award-winning composer on various projects for Citizens Theatre, Dundee Rep, Lyceum Edinburgh and founder of Noisemaker music theatre company.

Application details Institution code: R58

Why choose us? |

92% of graduates are in employment or further study (HESA, 2012/13)

|

Industry showcases in Glasgow, London and New York

|

Excellent industry connections

|

Staff members are active multi-disciplinary artists

|

Full season of work produced at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe

|

Regular masterclasses and workshops with industry professionals including producers, directors, casting directors, agents and performers (recent visitors include Sir Cameron Mackintosh, John Barrowman, James Brining, David Grindrod, Jemima Levick, Barbara Dickson and Dominic Hill)

UCAS Conservatoires codes: Performance: 703F Musical Directing: 702F Choreography: See website Apply via UCAS Conservatoires online www.ucas.com/conservatoires by 30 April 2016.

Academic entry requirements An undergraduate degree, or international equivalent, in a subject area relevant to the demands of the programme International English Language Testing System score (IELTS) (if applicable) level 7.5 with a minimum score of 7.5 in speaking We accept a range of qualifications and their international equivalences. Please email dramaadmissions@rcs.ac.uk for more information.

Graduate destinations All of our training is geared towards preparing you for a sustainable and long lasting professional career. Graduates of the programme are working around the world; in London’s West End, on Broadway, on national and international tours, and for renowned Scottish companies including the National Theatre of Scotland.

Here are some examples: Performers John McLarnon, We Will Rock You and The Commitments (West End). Rebecca Faulkenberry, Rock of Ages, Spiderman and High School Musical (Broadway). Scott Garnham, Les Misérables and I Can’t Sing (West End). Aaron Lee Lambert, Sister Act, Shrek and Urinetown (West End). Robbie Towns, Legally Blonde and Transatlantic (West End). Keisha Fraser, Colour Purple and Book of Mormon (West End).

55

DRAMA

MA Classical and Contemporary Text (Acting) or (Directing) One year, full-time rcs.ac.uk/cct Head of Classical and Contemporary Text: Mark Saunders

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

There are two strands to this programme – acting or directing – with students working together as an ensemble throughout the year. You will focus on two strands of theatre: classical (Shakespeare and Renaissance) and contemporary (new writing).

There will be numerous opportunities to learn, experiment, and collaborate in projects, performances, and rehearsals.

As part of your studies, you will complete a one-month residency at Shakespeare’s Globe in London, developing your knowledge and skills of working with classical text.

You will also spend time working on brand new work with some of Scotland’s most talented writers in our collaboration with Playwrights’ Studio, Scotland. These new plays are performed in Glasgow to a public and professional audience in trimester three.

Programme structure

Why choose us?

Application details

Trimester one You will start with exploring, c reating, and developing performance texts. If you’re a director, you will work with the actors, participating in the practical classes to gain experience in methodologies of voice, movement and acting. You will learn about the processes of new writing and ensemble creation, as well as learning how to get the most out of working collaboratively with playwrights and other professional practitioners. You will explore approaches to realism by working through scenes by Chekhov. Halfway through the trimester, both actors and directors will begin their journey into contemporary text, starting with exploring scenes from existing plays by commissioned playwrights. In the final month of this trimester, you will spend an intensive month at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, London, being taught by Globe education tutors. This month culminates with a performance on the iconic Globe stage.

|

Month-long residency at Shakespeare’s Globe, London

Institution code: R58

|

Industry showcases in Glasgow, London and New York

UCAS Conservatoires codes:

|

Fully-supported productions of Renaissance and Jacobean works

Acting 700F

|

Work on new plays with commissioned professional playwrights

Apply via UCAS Conservatoires online www.ucas.com/conservatoires by 30 April 2016.

|

Close links with professional partners including the National Theatre of Scotland, the Tron Theatre, The Arches and Bard in the Botanics Festival

Academic entry requirements

|

Masterclasses and workshops with visiting artists

An undergraduate degree, or international equivalent, in a subject area relevant to the demands of the programme

|

Opportunities to create and perform original, interdisciplinary, practice-led research

International English Language Testing System score (IELTS) (if applicable) level 7.5 with a minimum score of 7.5 in speaking

Trimester two You will rehearse Shakespearean and/or Renaissance texts with professional directors. Directing students will work as assistants in this process and acting students will explore the rehearsal process within the structure of a professional production, to which the industry is invited to attend. There will be sessions on entrepreneurialism, small company start-up, and networking, with professional practitioners being invited here to share their knowledge and experience. You will also complete your own practice-led research project, and have the opportunity to undertake a professional placement of your choice in line with your future aspirations. Additionally, there will be the opportunity for North American students to participate in a New York showcase before the spring break.

You’ll end your studies here with industry showcases in Glasgow and London. Through this programme, you will benefit from unrivalled professional connections allowing you to develop invaluable industry contacts. When you graduate, you will have gained practical high-level experience of working in the profession, as well as all-important contacts and the skills to underpin your future career, including business, entrepreneurship, and industry etiquette.

Trimester three In the final trimester, the new plays, developed during the year in collaboration with the commissioned playwrights, go into final rehearsal and performance. At the Edinburgh Festival, you will participate in specially selected discussions and workshops, as well as seeing productions from around the world. Your year with us will finish with industry showcases in Glasgow and London.

Watch MA Classical and Contemporary Text students talk about their experience studying at Shakespeare’s Globe theatre during their month-long residency at rcs.ac.uk/cct

Directing 701F

We accept a range of qualifications and their international equivalences. Please email dramaadmissions@rcs.ac.uk for more information.

Graduate destinations Our graduates work as performers, directors, dramaturgs, producers, writers, and teachers. Graduates have started theatre companies; written, directed, produced and performed shows at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Arches Live, Refugee Week and Bard in the Botanics; and performed and helped direct stage, film and television productions. Some of our recent graduates include:

“Every day so far on the MA CCT course has been a revelation - it’s intensive and incredibly rewarding. It’s great to see yourself and your classmates flourishing in this exciting, challenging environment.”

| Lauren Hurwood (actor, Northern Stage) | Gwendolen Chatfield (actor, the Globe) | Tim Evers (actor, Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh) | Vickie Beesley (actor/director, Terra Incognita Theatre Company) | Michael-Alan Reid and Angie Kay (actors/directors, Cardboard Fox Theatre Company)

Helen Katamba, MA CCT student

| Ishbel McPharlane (actor and writer) | Stacy Gould (actor and producer) | Riley Madincea (film and theatre actor) | Amanda Gaughan (director, NTS/Lyceum Theatre/ Dundee Rep) | Debbie Hannan (assistant director, the Royal Court) | Phil Bartlett (assistant director, Theatre Royal, Plymouth) | Amy Ludwigsen (director, Shakespeare in Door County)

56

57

SPECIALISM Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

M U S I C

“RCS gives you the tools necessary for pursuing a career…embrace all the art forms while you’re here – they will influence your performing in the future.”

Karen Cargill, RCS alumna

58

59

MUSIC

Bachelor of Music (Honours) Four years, full-time rcs.ac.uk/bmus Head of BMus Programme: Helen McVey The BMus undergraduate programme is our exemplary music degree for performers and composers. We value hard-working, talented and experimental students and support your learning in a creative and nurturing environment. The four-year programme supports you to become a specialist in your chosen field.

Our programme has four pathways: Performance, Composition, Jazz and Joint Principal Study. All our pathways are designed to: Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

| inspire | challenge | contextualise |

create the next generation of professional musicians

Programme structure

Why choose us?

Application details

Year one The BMus programme ensures solid foundations with core modules at the heart of the curriculum. As a BMus student, you will continue to specialise in your principal study receiving 27 weeks of 90-minute lessons in a one-to-one teaching capacity. This is further contextualised through departmentally-led supporting studies programmes. Other core subjects include: practical musicianship, music in history, music in society, introduction to collaborative practices and one core elective choice (either piano skills, second study or complementary musical skills).

|

90-minute one-to-one tuition per week, the highest of any UK conservatoire (and an additional 30 minutes if you have a second study)

Institution code: R58

|

98% of our BMus graduates are in employment or further study (HESA, 2012/13)

|

Excellent staff-student ratio

|

Uniquely connected: our partners include Scottish Opera, Scottish Ballet, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Classic FM

Year two In year two, core modules comprise principal study: Music in History, Practical Musicianship and Music in Society. BMus Jazz pathway students have slight variances (e.g. Performance of Jazz History). In addition, the introduction of choice modules occurs at this stage. Choice modules are offered across RCS, allowing you to experiment with your own artistic practice and to learn from other disciplines.

Graduate destinations

Academic entry requirements

We have an exceptionally high graduation employment rate and our students secure work across the world upon graduating.

Our graduates work in orchestras, conservatoires, national companies and as freelance, professional artists.

| Scottish Higher – three passes or

We currently have over 40 choice modules on offer including production, external work-based learning and leadership. Some of our most popular choice modules are Kodály Musicianship, Alexander Technique, Arts Leadership and Fundraising, and Acting.

UCAS Conservatoires codes: Joint Principal Study – 301F BMus Performance – 300F BMus Composition – 302F BMus Jazz – 303F Apply via UCAS Conservatoires online www.ucas.com/conservatoires by 1 October 2015.

| Scottish Advanced Higher – two passes or | A-level – two passes or | International Baccalaureate – minimum score of 24 with three subjects at Higher level or

Some recent examples of graduate destinations include:

| Recognised equivalences

Fraser Gordon is Principal Contrabassoon with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Christopher Gough is on trial as Principal Horn at the Royal Scottish National Orchestra whilst Dávur Juul Magnussen is Principal Trombone and Martin Murphy is on trial as Associate Horn.

Subjects recommended: Music and English at Higher, Advanced Higher or Advanced level of equivalent. For singers, the study of two foreign languages (German, French or Italian) Successful applicants will normally be of a standard at least equivalent to Grade 8 with Distinction of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music in their principal study

Year three We continue to give you further autonomy in year three with core modules in The Teaching Musician, Music in History modules (topic-based) and additional performance activities. You will continue to select music-based modules or choice modules to complete your studies in year three.

Year four In year four you will work in various professional contexts ensuring you are ready for the industry or further specialised education. We offer research modules and performance modules as core with a further third of the credits made up in year four comprising choice and elective content.

98% of our Bachelor of Music graduates are in employment or further study (HESA, 2012/13)

International English Language Testing System score (IELTS) (if applicable) level 6.0 (with a minimum score of 5.5 across all parts) We accept a range of qualifications and their international equivalences. Please email musicadmissions@rcs.ac.uk for more information.

“The majority of our teachers are Principals in the national orchestras which is a great opportunity to meet and learn from these masters.”

John Logan, Head of Brass

60

61

MUSIC

Bachelor of Education (Music) with Honours Four years, full-time rcs.ac.uk/bed Head of Programme: John Gormley This vocational programme is for performers who aspire to teach music in schools; it is the main route into classroom music teaching in Scotland, qualifying you for both primary and secondary school teaching.

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

Programme structure

Why choose us?

Application details

Year one We provide a solid foundation in performance, theoretical subjects, arranging, history, academic writing, music technology and collaboration. Teacher education will focus on key professional issues, teacher’s conduct, ethics and the law; communication, discipline, classroom management, curriculum and planning; child development, theories of learning and essential aspects of cognition. School experience will be in a primary school.

|

The only programme of its kind with integrated school experience throughout all four years

Institution code: R58

|

100% of our graduates are in employment or further study (HESA, 2012/13)

Apply via UCAS Conservatoires online www.ucas.com/conservatoires by 1 October 2015.

|

Accredited by the General Teaching Council for Scotland and recognised across the UK and internationally

Academic entry requirements

|

Qualifies students for both primary and secondary teaching

|

Jointly delivered with the University of Glasgow, providing music education in parallel with teacher education

|

Students benefit from the resources of both RCS and the University of Glasgow

Year two We build on and develop critical skills in the same areas studied in year one. In teacher education we focus on: additional support needs; assessment theory in the context of promoting learning and achievement; child protection, in pupil support and in systems of pastoral care; health and well-being; and whole school approaches in promoting numeracy across the curriculum. School experience will focus on years one and two in a secondary school.

The degree provides integrated school placements in all four years of study. Following graduation, you will qualify for professional registration as a classroom teacher with the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS), and you are guaranteed a probationary year of classroom teaching. GTCS standards are recognised in the UK and internationally.

The programme is delivered jointly with the School of Education at the University of Glasgow. At the University of Glasgow you will study all aspects of teacher education and preparation for school experience and benefit from all of their facilities. At RCS you will undertake intensive music studies including a principal performance study, keyboard and vocal skills, performance classes, and participation in ensemble music and choral activities.

Year three We will focus on refining your performance skills; developing your research skills, further critical thinking and academic writing; and compositional techniques since 1900. You will also have the opportunity to choose two additional subjects.

UCAS Conservatoires code: WX33

Graduate destinations Most of our graduates go on to become music teachers in schools in Scotland, other parts of the UK or abroad. Some graduates choose to balance a part-time career in classroom teaching with a freelance career in music and a number have chosen to work in the higher education sector.

|

B in A-level Music plus two additional A-levels at C. GCSE English Language and Literature grade C, and GCSE Maths at grade B

International English Language Testing System score (IELTS) (if applicable) level 6.0 (with a minimum core of 5.5 across all parts) We accept a range of qualifications and their international equivalences. Please email musicadmissions@rcs.ac.uk for more information.

Year four You will choose to specialise in performance, composition or dissertation. In addition, you will choose two additional subjects.

Teacher education will consider performance and quality assurance; policy making in education; Scotland’s General Teaching Council arrangements and requirements within the induction year; and continuous professional learning. School experience will focus on secondary five and six.

62

A in Higher Music plus three additional Highers at BBC, one of which must be Higher English; and Maths at either National 5, Standard Grade 2, or Intermediate 2 at grade C or above or

Successful applicants will normally be of a standard equivalent to Grade 8 of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music in their performance study, and approximately Grade 6 in piano

Teacher education will consider wider social context, looking at class, ethnicity and gender in relation to education and attainment; poverty and anti-racism education; curriculum theory, the history of Scotland’s curriculum and national curriculum policy; professional issues; leadership within learning and education; the role of technology in supporting learning; and research in education. School experience will focus on secondary three and four.

If you wish to teach in Catholic schools, there is a course in Religious Education which leads to the award of the Catholic Teacher’s Certificate in Religious Education.

|

63

MUSIC

Masters of Music/ Master of Art in Music

The Masters programmes are for people who want to make music their life’s work. Perhaps you aspire to become an opera singer, a concert artist or orchestral musician; to accompany, compose or arrange; to work as a freelance instrumentalist or to be a conductor, music leader or animateur. You may be planning to coach or teach, either as the sole focus of your professional life or as part of a portfolio career. Whatever your rationale for applying, you will be able to refine and extend your musicianship in preparation for your next steps.

MMus (Two years, full-time) MA (One year, full-time) Part-time pathways are also available rcs.ac.uk/mmus Head of MMus: J Simon van der Walt Choose to study music at postgraduate level through our specialist MMus or MA programmes. You can study the following disciplines:

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

|

We offer two Masters degrees, the one-year MA and the two-year MMus. The MA runs full-time for three trimesters, with the third trimester being dedicated to a largely independent project. The MMus in Historically Informed Performance Practice in conjunction with the University of Glasgow also runs on this pattern.

Performance (Brass, Guitar and Harp, Keyboard, Strings, Timpani and Percussion, Marimba, Vocal Performance, Woodwind)

The MMus occupies four trimesters across two years, with a summer break in trimester three. A part-time pathway is available for the MMus degree, as is a 120 credit exit award of the PGDip.

| Accompaniment |

Chamber Music

| Composition

Graduate destinations

Academic entry requirements

Our Masters graduates work professionally in orchestras, ensembles and opera houses in the UK and abroad. Many build portfolio careers, combining part-time and freelance performance with teaching, community engagement, and work in allied areas such as music administration.

An honours degree (at least 2:2) in a subject area relevant to the demands of the programme

Institution code: R58 UCAS Conservatoires codes: Master of Music (Accompaniment) – 2 years 893F Master of Music (Chamber Music) – 2 years 337F Master of Music (Composition) – 2 years 891F Master of Music (Conducting) – 2 years 892F Master of Music ( Jazz) – 2 years 808F Master of Music (Opera) – 2 years 851F

Programme structure

|

The MMus and MA share two core modules: Principal Study and Supporting Studies. Through Principal Study you will have weekly 90-minute lessons with your principal teacher. The Supporting Studies module is an individually-negotiated programme of activities including coaching, performance classes, repertoire studies, rehearsals, and for singers, three or four languages.

Master of Music (Piano for Dance) – 2 years 803F

The Approaches to Critical Artistry module is shared across all Masters programmes and gives you the opportunity to pursue an individual research project in your own discipline. The programme is completed by the Negotiated Study module which occupies the final third of the MA programme, and up to four 10-credit elective modules drawn from the undergraduate programmes.

Master of Arts in Music (Composition) – 1 year 820F

| Jazz | Opera |

Piano for Dance (in partnership with Scottish Ballet)

| Repetiteurship |

Scottish Music

We accept a range of qualifications and their international equivalences. Please email musicadmissions@rcs.ac.uk for more information.

Application details

| Conducting Historically Informed Performance Practice (in partnership with the University of Glasgow)

International English Language Testing System score (IELTS) (if applicable) level 6.0 (with a minimum score of 5.5 across all parts)

Master of Music (Performance) – 2 years 890F

Master of Arts in Music (Performance) – 1 year 801F

“I came to study here because I am a huge fan of Scotland and wanted to live and work here.

I love the freedom of my degree, being able to begin acclimatising to professional work whilst still having the support of a teacher is wonderful.”

Master of Arts in Music (Piano for Dance) – 1 year 802F

Alice Allen, MMus student

Master of Music (Repetiteurship) – 2 years 894F Master of Music (Scottish Music) – 2 years 806F Master of Arts in Music (Accompaniment) – 1 year 831F Master of Arts in Music (Chamber Music) – 1 year 336F Master of Arts in Music (Conducting) – 1 year 840F Master of Arts in Music ( Jazz) – 1 year 807F Master of Arts in Music (Opera) – 1 year 800F

Master of Arts in Music (Repetiteurship) – 1 year 860F Master of Arts in Music (Scottish Music) – 1 year 805F Apply via UCAS Conservatoires online www.ucas.com/conservatoires by 1 October 2015.

64

65

MUSIC

Brass

Industry links

Head of Brass: John Logan International Fellow: Ian Bousfield The Brass department has a long tradition of excellence and a worldwide reputation for training leading musicians. Our team of dedicated staff includes many of Britain’s finest brass players such as John Logan, Mark O’Keeffe and John Gracie, and all have international reputations as soloists, orchestral, and chamber musicians.

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

Student apprenticeship schemes

|

Opportunity to rehearse and obtain feedback from players of the RSNO and the BBC SSO

|

90-minute weekly lesson coupled with an extra 30 minutes for a related study

|

Small class sizes allowing tutors more time to dedicate individual attention to each student

Recent graduate Scott Findlater has taken up a post at the AR Rahman’s KMC in Chennai, India as part of an exciting new partnership

Teaching staff Horn David Flack, Stephanie Jones, David McClenaghan and Hugh Potts

Why choose us?

|

|

RCS brass alumni occupy positions in orchestras and ensembles across the world. Christopher Gough is on trial as Principal Horn at the RSNO whilst Martin Murphy is on trial as Associate Horn at the RSNO. Antonio Jiménez Marín and Tom Poulson are both at Ensemble Moderne. Tom recently received second prize at the Aeolus International Competition for Wind Instruments.

Our students take part in symphony, wind, opera, and chamber orchestras, and a diverse range of ensembles including Big Band and Royal Conservatoire Brass. Our ensembles give concerts regularly throughout Scotland, and have played in many countries such as China, Spain, Denmark, Russia, Malta and Brazil.

Highest quality tuition from players from our national companies

Many of our students obtain further employment with the RSNO, BBC SSO, Scottish Opera and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra

Graduate destinations

You will get a real sense of the professional world on the programme.

As well as weekly classes in orchestral, ensemble and solo repertoire, individual tuition on your principal instrument and related second study, there are many performance opportunities, often in professional settings.

|

|

Trumpet Nigel Boddice, Peter Franks, John Gracie, Mark O’Keeffe and Ryan Quigley Trombone Lance Green, Chris Greive, Simon Johnson and Christopher Stearn Tuba David Dowall, Andrew Duncan and Anthony Swainson

Go online

Recent highlights

Find out more about the Brass department by going to rcs.ac.uk/brass and watch Head of Brass John Logan and students talk about their experiences of learning and teaching in the department.

Our brass ensemble in 2014 performed internationally in Germany and Brazil, and will be returning to the VIA festival in Gozo, Malta for a third consecutive year.

Also, please see the department’s Facebook page RCS Brass for all the latest news and events.

Recent concert repertoire has included Wagner’s Ring Cycle, Pictures at an Exhibition in a side by side concert with the New Wallace Collection led by our new Emeritus Professor in Brass, John Wallace.

Composition

Conducting

Head of Composition: Gordon McPherson BA DPhil

International Fellow in Conducting: Donald Runnicles Visiting Professor of Conducting: Garry Walker

When you study composition, you will work with diverse and talented staff all of whom are working artists, with diverse areas of specialist expertise. You will benefit from our professional partnerships with leading ensembles and orchestras, and there will be unmatched opportunities to hear your work performed in significant and exciting venues. The performance of new work is at the core of what we do here at RCS and we have a significant reputation for the celebration of contemporary and new music.

Plug, our critically acclaimed annual festival, has become a renowned platform for premiering new work.

Our Conducting programme will provide you with the comprehensive and integrated training required of a professional conductor.

You will concentrate on the technique and craft of conducting through diverse practical experience with RCS orchestras, our Opera department and a variety of classical and contemporary ensembles.

You will receive masterclasses and learn from the best conductors in the field. Through these individual lessons, in-house opportunities and aural classes you will develop perception, listening skills, and self-awareness to become a responsive leader in rehearsal and performance.

You will work across the disciplines, and explore composition for film, opera, ballet, and musical theatre, developing your ideas without being restricted to a certain type of player or performance.

We offer a highly prestigious Leverhulme Conducting Fellowship each year. The Conducting Fellow plays a major role in a wide variety of our performance activities, in both rehearsal and performance, and will work closely with the Royal Conservatoire’s visiting Professor of Conducting, Garry Walker, and the Red Note Ensemble plus our specialist tutors, conducting consultants, and visiting conductors.

Recent visitors to the department include Bill Sweeney, Joe Cutler, Sally Beamish, Sam Hayden, HK Gruber, Harrison Birtwistle, Stephen Deazley, James MacMillan, Steve Reich, Philip Grange, Peter Maxwell Davies, John McCabe, Martin Suckling, Donnacha Dennehey and Nicole Lizée.

Industry links

The Conducting Fellow will also act as assistant to Donald Runnicles, for eight weeks. Maestro Runnicles is Chief Conductor of the BBC SSO, General Music Director of the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Music Director of the Grand Teton Music Festival (Wyoming, USA), and Principal Guest Conductor of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

Recent professional partnerships include Robin Michael, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Icebreaker, Psappha, New Music Players, Red Note, Perth Symphony Orchestra, Drake Music Scotland, Erskine String Quartet, Garth Knox, Richard Craig, Kreutzer String Quartet, Scottish Ensemble and the Conservatoire de Paris.

Industry links

Graduate destinations

Our extensive professional links offer unmatched opportunities to observe and collaborate with the country’s major orchestras, such as the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.

There are many opportunities for graduates to work with ensembles both in Scotland and further afield. Others set up their own groups, and some may study for a teaching qualification. Increasingly, young composers are looking for opportunities to try their hand in the more commercial market, for instance in the computer games industry. Most of our composers find themselves immediately active in the compositional world.

Graduate destinations All of our 2013 graduates are working in the field. We aim for you to emulate the success of recent graduates like Jessica Cottis, now Assistant Conductor of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

Teaching staff Professor Rory Boyle, Colin Broom, David Fennessy, Drew Hammond, Alistair MacDonald, Stuart MacRae, Oliver Searle and Tom David Wilson

66

67

MUSIC

Guitar and Harp

Industry links

Head of Guitar and Harp: Professor Allan Neave

The department’s professional partnerships for guitar include:

The Guitar and Harp department offers you unrivalled opportunities for guitarists and harpists. Under the visionary leadership of international guitar virtuoso, Allan Neave, the Guitar and Harp department is the best place to develop your musical talents and performance skills.

|

Big Guitar Weekend

|

Classical Guitar Retreat

|

International Guitar Research Centre (University of Surrey)

|

National Youth Guitar Ensemble

Learning from a team of distinguished professional guitarists and harpists, you will be supported in your development to become a successful, well-rounded musician who enters the profession fully equipped with a broad range of skills.

|

NECGS Concert Series

|

Celtic Connections

For harpists, we have formal links with several companies, enabling you to play alongside professional musicians. These include:

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

With an emphasis on preparing you for a professional career as a player, the broad curriculum of the department includes:

|

The Royal Scottish National Orchestra BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra

| orchestral studies

| chamber music

|

| the art of teaching

| technique classes

Graduate destinations

| performance classes You will have many concert opportunities both within RCS, and externally, to play as a soloist, a chamber musician, to participate in competitions, and to play in any of the student orchestras.

Guitar and Harp graduates have gone on to further study in the US and Europe, become heads of university departments, international concert solo artists, orchestral principal harpists, teachers in private practice and high schools, and festival directors.

You are also able to study other aspects of the profession including teaching, academic research, holistic approaches, and to learn the business skills necessary to survive in the music industry.

Guitar graduate Sean Shibe was the first guitarist to be admitted to the prestigious BBC New Generation Artists Scheme and the only solo guitarist to have received a Borletti-Buitoni Fellowship.

There are numerous collaborative opportunities to work within different departments across RCS including drama, musical theatre and dance. Our contemporary music festival, Plug, is a perfect opportunity for you to work closely with new composers and to compose and arrange for yourself.

Teaching staff Guitar Jamie Akers, Dr Peter Argondizza, Malcolm MacFarlane, Matthew McAllister, Pavel Steidl, International Fellow, Phillip Thorne MBE, Ian Watt and Tomasz Zawierucha, Visiting Artist

Why choose us? |

Excellent partnerships and links to industry

|

Vast number of performance opportunities each academic session

|

90-minute lesson in your principal study each week

Harp Alina Bzhezhinska, Gabriella Dall’Ollio, Visiting Artist, Sharon Griffiths, Helga Storck, Visiting Artist, Pippa Tunnell and Sioned Williams, Visiting Artist

| Expert teaching team with regular guitar masterclasses from Pavel Steidl, Craig Ogden, Edoardo Catemario, Gary Ryan, Xuefei Yang and Martin Taylor |

Numerous harp masterclasses including Professor Helga Storck, Naoko Yoshino, Catrin Finch and Sivan Magen

68

Jazz

Masterclasses

Head of Jazz and Director of Scottish National Jazz Orchestra: Professor Tommy Smith

Special guests perform in the Blue Mondays concert series and teach masterclasses to our jazz students. The department has a long history of attracting guest teachers and past clinicians have included Makoto Ozone, Courtney Pine, Jacqui Dankworth, Branford Marsalis, David Liebman, Peter Erskine, Paolo Fresu, Bill Evans, Bob Mintzer, Randy Brecker and Arild Andersen.

The Jazz department is led by the internationally renowned saxophonist Professor Tommy Smith. Tommy is a major force in European jazz and has a reputation for producing successful musicians and new voices within the UK jazz scene.

Currently we offer the highest amount of contact time offered anywhere in the UK with 90 minutes of individual lessons each week on your principal study instrument, with the opportunity to study a second instrument.

Industry links We have a close relationship with the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra. The SNJO is considered Europe’s foremost contemporary big band and our partnership with them has given RCS students access to performances and behind the scenes rehearsals by Kurt Elling, John Scofield, Gary Burton, Gunther Schuller and Joe Lovano. We also work with BBC Radio Scotland and students broadcast their own compositions on the Jazz House programme.

In our dedicated jazz studios, you’ll study the essentials of chord-scale harmony, improvisation, classic repertoire, composition, history, music business and arranging. Our vision of jazz is comprehensive and inclusive, and you’ll be introduced to the full range of contexts from solo and ensemble work through to big band settings.

Studying jazz here gives you a high level of training aimed at cultivating your development as a creative and versatile jazz performer. Both the BMus and MMus programmes explore jazz in the broadest possible terms, and provide the opportunity to play, perform, compose and record in many different styles.

Graduate destinations Jazz graduates have been recipients of the prestigious Yamaha Jazz Scholarship, with pianists Peter Johnstone and Utsav Lal obtaining scholarships in 2013 and 2014. Peter and Utsav have also recorded a CD for the cover of Jazzwise magazine, and performed at the Houses of Parliament in London.

The BMus programme is the only full-time degree level jazz course in Scotland and offers many creative and artistic opportunities to you as a performer across a wide-ranging curriculum. The MMus pathway, for advanced study of jazz, offers the chance to further hone your performance and compositional skills and to develop your musical versatility and creativity to the highest level.

Graduates Brodie Jarvie and John Lowrie performed in 2014 at the London Jazz Festival as well as presenting their own successful jazz concerts in Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Teaching staff Why choose us? |

A teaching team featuring the best educators and highly acclaimed jazz performers

|

A rigorous performance schedule including Blue Mondays and BBC Radio Scotland broadcasts

|

Close links to the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra enabling you to watch professionals at work

|

Recording and mixing sessions with Nimbus Records where you’ll have the change to release an album on the RCS record label, Nimbus Alliance

|

Dedicated jazz studios for you to record your compositions

Mario Caribe, Alyn Cosker, Tom Gibbs, Chris Greive, Paul Harrison, Kevin MacKenzie, Tom MacNiven, Louise Mochan and Paul Towndrow

69

MUSIC

Keyboard and Collaborative Piano Head of Keyboard and Piano: Professor Aaron Shorr, BMUS, MMUS, DipRAM, ARAM The Keyboard and Collaborative Piano department will develop your individual skills in a supportive and challenging environment.

Our staff bring a wealth of experience to their teaching, and enjoy active performing and recording careers. You will benefit from their expertise in your weekly 90-minute one-to-one lessons, and performance classes in solo and chamber music.

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

Our performing and practice facilities are world class. You are guaranteed daily practice time on Steinway grand pianos, as well as a generous allocation of performance classes each week in the main concert halls. We offer a loan system to provide you with free use of an upright piano during the academic year in your accommodation.

RCS also has an extensive historic and reproduction instrument collection, including a newly refurbished Erard Grand, allowing exploration of core repertoire in its appropriate historical context.

Masterclasses

Piano Accompaniment

There is a busy programme of masterclasses and recitals given by pianists of international reputation. Recent visitors have included Richard Goode, Angela Hewitt, Elizabeth Leonskaja, Andrei Gavrilov, Leslie Howard, Pascal Roge, and Alexander Korsantia.

Distinguished artists Steven Osborne and Malcolm Martineau regularly visit to share their knowledge and expertise with you.

Anto Pett, International Visiting Professor in Contemporary Improvisation, also offers highly inclusive and innovative classes. Additional visiting artists include Hyoung-Joon Chang, Idil Biret, Olli Mustonen, Stephen Hough, William Fong, Petras Geniusas and Ian Fountain.

Piano Accompaniment is a varied and challenging postgraduate programme, led by one of Scotland’s most respected piano accompanists, Scott Mitchell, alongside a team of highly experienced professional accompanists and chamber musicians. You will engage in a wide range of collaborative opportunities to prepare you for this demanding profession working with students and lecturers from all departments at RCS.

Graduate destinations

MMus Accompanists also enjoy extensive performing opportunities, whether in concerts, competitions or accompanying students.

The course provides a wide range of choice for assessment, including studio recordings, commissions of new collaborative works, independent projects and full length recitals.

Teaching staff

Recent masterclasses for accompanists have included notable artists such as Malcolm Martineau, Susan Tomes, Roy Howat, Ashley Wass and Simon Lepper.

Professor Fali Pavri, Isobel Anderson, Norman Beedie, Emily Jeffrey, Yoon-Kyung Kim, Sinae Lee, Anna Mavromatidi, Jonathan Plowright, Anna Rastopchina, Victor Sangiorgio, Anne Scott, Heather Slade-Lipkin, Clare Sutherland and James Willshire

Why choose us?

Organ David Hamilton

|

90-minute individual lesson each week

|

Multitude of performance opportunities, including regular showcase concerts, and major competitions

|

Annual Piano Festival

|

Varied programme of masterclasses from international visiting artists including Steven Osborne (International Fellow in Piano), Malcolm Martineau (International Fellow in Collaborative Piano) and Anto Pett (International Visiting Professor in Contemporary Improvisation)

in partnership with

Piano for Dance Accompaniment is an innovative postgraduate degree, delivered jointly between RCS and Scottish Ballet in which you will work extensively with tutors, dancers and conductors.

The programme is led by Principal Conductor for Scottish Ballet, Richard Honner.

Developing core accompaniment skills forms the foundation of the programme. In addition to the extensive development of standard accompaniment repertoire, additional supporting skills are also cultivated in weekly group classes, including sight reading, orchestral reductions, transposition, figured bass, choral accompaniment, vocal and instrumental coaching and languages.

Many of our graduates have successful and diverse performing careers. Others have gone on to teach around the world, including at the Szechuan Conservatory and Kunming University (China).

Graduates of the Masters in Piano for Dance Accompaniment have gone on to jobs in major UK and European ballet companies.

Our students regularly win prizes in many international and national competitions including the Royal Over-Seas League, (Overseas Prize) and Moray (1st Prize), Estonia (Tallinn 1st Prize), France (Lagny Sur Marne and Piano Campus), Vines (Spain), Italy (Chieri), Greece (Maria Callas), the Czech Republic (EU competition, Prague), Germany (Frankfurt Sparkasse Chamber Music Competition) and Serbia (Isidor Bajic, Novi Sad). We also regularly offer students opportunities to perform concertos with prestigious professional orchestras such as the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and the BBC SSO.

Piano for Dance Accompaniment

We will provide you with the necessary skills to become a professional accompanist for a ballet company. You will study core ballet repertoire as well as accompanying skills such as improvisation, dance forms, appropriate repertoire selection, following directions and giving dancers the necessary musical support for their class work. You will have piano lessons with RCS lecturers, reinforcing aspects of piano technique, keyboard harmony and repertoire as well as offering a range of electives to enhance collaborative skills and employability in the profession.

Graduates of Piano for Dance Accompaniment have gone on to gain professional work with ballet organisations, including Scottish Ballet and the Ballet School at SOTA, Singapore.

Scholarships are available.

Students from this programme have forged professional careers as accompanists and work for a wide range of institutions and organisations throughout the world.

Repetiteurship As a repetiteur student, you will work and study as part of our internationally reputable Alexander Gibson Opera School. You will work regularly with Timothy Dean, Head of Opera, Oliver Rundell, Head of Music Preparation and Julia Lynch, all of whom have considerable professional experience, nationally and internationally. This programme will give you the opportunity to learn and study all of the core and related skill sets: piano lessons, languages, coaching, continuo playing, style, repertoire and conducting. A large part of your training will be in practical sessions, playing for classes, opera scenes rehearsals, full productions and, where appropriate, conducting.

Scholarships are available.

Accordion Djordje Gajic

Harpsichord Jan Waterfield

100% of Piano Accompaniment graduates are working in related employment

Alumni have gone on to study and work at the highest level, at the National Opera Studio, the Jette Parker Young Artists Programme (Royal Opera House), English National Opera, Opera North and Scottish Opera, as well as opera houses in Europe.

(HESA, 2012/13)

Scholarships are available.

70

71

MUSIC

Opera

Industry links

Head of Opera: Timothy Dean Head of Vocal Performance: Professor Stephen Robertson

Professional companies and agents frequently audition and give talks at the Royal Conservatoire including Glyndebourne Festival Opera, the Bayreuth Festival, Independent Opera, British Youth Opera and the Britten Pears School.

The postgraduate Opera programme is a highly focused, practical and pre-professional programme providing performance opportunities across a range of operatic styles, in venues of different scale and setting.

We share a close relationship with Scottish Opera. Students have frequent access to Scottish Opera rehearsals, a ‘shadowing’ scheme and a shared Emerging Artists programme for recent graduates.

You will have twice-weekly singing lessons and coaching sessions as well as classes in acting, stage combat, languages, movement, Alexander Technique, dance, auditioning and repertoire coaching in all the traditional European languages and Russian.

We have a lively network of international collaborations, including recent projects with Rachmaninov Conservatoire, Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien, Norges Musikkhøgskole, and the Hochschule für Musik, Nuremberg.

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

The Vocal department staff is a group of experienced and committed teachers, headed up by internationally-recognised teacher, Professor Stephen Robertson. We also regularly welcome guest artists to give masterclasses. Recent artists have included Sir Thomas Allen, Dame Felicity Palmer, John Trelevean and Roderick Williams.

Jane Eaglen is a regular visitor and students will also have the opportunity to work with Malcolm Martineau.

Graduate destinations

You will perform opera scenes allowing you to experience different repertoire and style and the annual Opera Project explores both contemporary/20th century and baroque repertoire.

Opera alumni include Peter Auty, Karen Cargill, Daniel Ohlmann, Jason Bridges, Elin Pritchard, Rebecca Afonwy-Jones and Jung Soo Yun. We are currently the only UK conservatoire to have two alumni on the Jette Parker Young Artist programme at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden UK, Anush Hovhannisyan and Michel de Souza.

Why choose us?

Teaching staff

|

93% of MMus Opera graduates are in employment or further study (HESA, 2012/13)

|

Unrivalled industry links with companies including Scottish Opera and Glyndebourne Festival Opera

George Gordon, Patricia Hay, Judith Howarth, Margaret Izatt, Helen Lawson, Julia Lynch, Kathleen McKellar-Ferguson, Wilma MacDougall, Iain Paton, Marilyn Smith, Julian Tovey, Christopher Underwood, Alan Watt and Gordon Wilson

|

Regular performing and collaborative opportunities across RCS

|

Busy masterclass schedule throughout the academic year

|

Excellent staff-student ratio

72

Scottish Music

Why choose us?

Artistic Director of Scottish Music: Phil Cunningham MBE Head of Scottish Music: Joshua Dickson MA PhD Head of Piping Studies: Finlay MacDonald, National Piping Centre

|

The UK’s only Bachelor of Music dedicated to traditional and folk music

|

100% of graduates are in related employment (HESA, 12/13)

RCS is proud to deliver the UK’s only Bachelor of Music degree dedicated to traditional and folk music. Aspiring performers on this course work closely with some of the world’s top solo and collaborative exponents to consolidate your performance technique, repertoire and personal style as a traditional musician, interwoven with development as a critical, creative, entrepreneurial and/ or teaching artist. This includes exploring both the established parameters of folk and traditional music and the shared technical vocabulary that links folk to classical and jazz worlds.

|

Develop invaluable industry contacts

|

Performance opportunities include the world-famous Celtic Connections festival

|

Opportunities for artistic collaboration across RCS

|

Professor Phil Cunningham MBE, internationally renowned musician and performer, is the programme’s Artistic Director

|

Collaborations and connections include the National Piping Centre, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, the European Network of Folk Orchestras, World Academy of Irish Music and Dance, Fèis Rois, East Tennessee State University and the Sibelius Academy (Finland)

You will perform in a variety of contexts. External learning opportunities include an Isle of Skye residency, touring, teaching placements and work placements in Scotland and abroad and appearances at high-profile events, including Glasgow’s renowned Celtic Connections festival, Piping Live!, international occasions of state and a range of UK, European and North American festivals.

Graduate destinations Our graduates are working in the professional music and related industries, including as performers, teachers, composers, musical directors, recording artists, producers, music therapists, doctoral students, community project managers, and broadcasters. There’s a great atmosphere in the department and RCS as a whole; it’s a close-knit community where you end up performing and gigging with other students and staff, and making friends for life.

Piping The Piping degree follows the same structure and range of contextual curriculum as in the main Scottish Music department, though its range of performance tuition is specifically dedicated to the well-rounded and in-depth development of the contemporary exponent of the Scottish Highland Bagpipe, delivered in partnership with Glasgow’s world-famous National Piping Centre. This includes core elements dedicated to solo piping, piobaireachd, pipe band work and piping in a folk ensemble context, in addition to optional tuition in bellows-blown piping and other piping specific electives.

Teaching staff Chris Armstrong, Margaret Bennett, Glenn Brown, Jenn Butterworth, Pete Clark, Heather Downie, Marc Duff, Jack Evans, Marie Fielding, Dr Fred Freeman, Visiting Lecturer, Wojciech Gardela, James Grant, Corrina Hewat, Màiri MacInnes, Kevin MacKenzie, Talitha MacKenzie, Mary McCarthy, Alistair McCulloch, Gordeanna McCulloch, Sheila McCutcheon, Ian Muir, Hamish Napier, Anne Neilson, Iseabail T NicDhomhnaill, Tom Oakes, Rod Patterson, Calum Ross, James Ross, Stuart Samson, John Somerville and Eric Ward

73

MUSIC

Strings

Chamber music

Head of Strings: David Watkin

Chamber music is a large and important part of our curriculum and RCS students enjoy regular chamber music and ensemble performing opportunities. As a student here, you can expect to learn and play in ensembles alongside teaching staff and visiting artists, including Principal Jeffrey Sharkey, Head of Piano and Collaborative Piano Aaron Shorr, Head of Strings David Watkin, and Alison Wells and with our resident ensembles including Stevenson Winds and Red Note Ensemble.

We offer one of the most dynamic string programmes in the UK. Your weekly 90-minute individual principal study lesson is enhanced by orchestral training classes, performance classes and instrumentspecific studio classes. You can also choose a second study and/ or a related study in historical instruments.

Experience in symphony, chamber, and opera orchestras is offered alongside chamber music, which emphasises the essential ensemble and communication skills needed for a long-term career.

Teaching staff

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

Our curriculum features opportunities for cross-disciplinary collaborative and experimental work. We encourage you to work with other departments and students from across all disciplines in RCS. Recently students have collaborated with musical theatre, modern ballet and composition students in creating new work that has been showcased at the Plug Festival.

Violin Ilya Gringolts, Visiting Artist, Leland Chen, Visiting Artist, William Chandler, Ruth Crouch, Francis Cummings, Tamás Fejes, Simon Fischer, Visiting Professor, Andrea Gajic, Chris George, Katie Hull, Gina McCormack, Angus Ramsay, and Justine Watts

Why choose us? |

High staff-student ratio

|

Expert teaching team who perform in the orchestras of Scotland’s national companies

|

Regular masterclasses from the world’s leading string performers, including Nicola Benedetti and Leland Chen

|

Multiple performing opportunities

Baroque Violin Ruth Slater Viola Lev Atlas, Andrew Berridge, Scott Dickinson, Duncan Ferguson and Stephen Tees Baroque Viola Alfonso Leal Violoncello Rudi de Groote, Robert Irvine, Aleksei Kiseliov, Martin Storey, Betsy Taylor and Alison Wells

Masterclasses Masterclasses are at the heart of our curriculum; our students learn from the very best performers. In 2014/15 we have had masterclasses with Nicola Benedetti, Ilya Gringolts and the Brodsky Quartet.

Baroque Cello Alison McGillivray Double Bass Nicholas Bayley, Tom Berry, Iain Crawford, Nikita Naumov and John van Lierop

Industry links We have professional collaborations with a number of high-profile orchestras and ensembles including Scottish Ensemble, Red Note Ensemble, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.

74

Timpani and Percussion

Masterclasses

Head of Timpani and Percussion: Kurt Hans Goedicke, Hon. RAM, Principal Timpanist Emeritus, London Symphony Orchestra

The department has close relationships with the world’s very best percussionists. Some of our most recent masterclasses are listed below and a full list is available online:

In preparation for your professional career, our Timpani and Percussion department provides excellent tuition and facilities for study, practice, and performance. These include three large dedicated studios with a full range of the highest quality instruments.

|

Leigh Howard Stevens, Marimbist and Clinician. Visionary musician Leigh Howard Stevens performed alongside students and delivered a special masterclass in May 2015

|

Chris Lamb, Principal Percussion New York Philharmonic and Manhattan School of Music. Chris visits the department three times each year to teach masterclasses

|

Eric Sammut, International Marimba Consultant, International Soloist and Clinician, Orchestre de Paris and Conservatoire de Paris. Eric visits RCS six times a year to perform and work closely with students; in 2015 he produced the concert featuring RCS students performing alongside Leigh Howard Stevens

You will have weekly 90-minute one-to-one lessons with renowned professional performers, enhanced by repertoire classes, as well as specialised individual and class tuition in Latin American, ethnic percussion, and drum set provided by six visits per academic year for two days each. Although tuition is directed towards orchestral repertoire, we’ve developed well-established traditions of solo performance and also offer a solo-marimba provision.

You will gain lots of performance experience in a number of learning and professional contexts. You will work with our ensembles in symphonic, chamber, opera, wind orchestra, brass, and Big Band repertoire in RCS and external venues.

Graduate destinations June Binnie is Principal Timpani with Sinfonia Finlandia.

James Gorman is a freelance drummer and percussionist currently playing percussion on the UK tour of Evita. Graduate Calum Huggan was the first British student to be accepted on to the Advanced Solo Marimba course at the Royal College of Music.

Graduates Philip Hague and Louis Abbott have achieved considerable success with their band Admiral Fallow. They have two critically acclaimed albums to their name, have been signed by Vancouver-based label Nettwerk and have toured throughout the UK, Europe and the USA.

We operate a number of side-by-side schemes with Scotland’s leading orchestras, where you can experience the realities of the working world in a supportive environment. You will benefit from the guidance and mentoring of professional musicians, performing in some of Scotland’s major concert halls and venues.

Why choose us? |

Small class sizes; the department only works with a maximum of 12 students to ensure the highest possible teaching contact and practice time

|

Three large dedicated percussion studios with a full range of the highest quality instruments

|

Unrivalled links with the world’s leading performers in timpani and percussion

|

Performing opportunities alongside guest artists and masterclass clinicians

|

Cross-discipline collaboration opportunities with students from across RCS

Teaching staff Jay Allen, Ruari Donaldson, Martin Gibson, Dave Hassell, Robert Howes, Tom Hunter, Christopher Lamb, Simon Lowdon, John Poulter and Gordon Rigby

75

MUSIC

Vocal Studies

Masterclasses

Head of Vocal Performance: Professor Stephen Robertson

You will benefit from regular masterclasses and coaching from renowned artists. Recent guests include Dame Gwyneth Jones, Dame Felicity Lott, Patricia MacMahon, Sir Thomas Allen, John Treleaven, Malcolm Martineau, Rosalind Plowright, Barbara Bonney, Roderick Williams, Jane Eaglen and Christine Brewer.

We help you to fulfil your potential as a singer and become a versatile, independent artist. Our team of tutors and coaches work with you to help you find your own unique voice and establish a lasting technique specifically for you.

The department has an excellent team of tutors, many of whom work at the highest international level and who bring a range of specialisms with them.

Industry links

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

Through our partnership with Scottish Opera, you will have the opportunity to work with a fully professional orchestra and the highly experienced Scottish Opera technical and coaching teams.

Scottish Opera’s Emerging Artist scheme also offers you the chance to make a start in the profession.

Classes are offered in all the main languages, and associated repertoire, such as Italian song, lieder, melodie, with further classes for oratorio, opera, auditions, performance skills, Alexander Technique and vocal pedagogy. You will have the chance to perform in main-stage operatic productions, choral works and specialist chamber groups. You will be able to take advantage of professional opportunities whilst studying including solo singing for a choral society or small cathedral ensemble, or a main work with the BBC or at the Edinburgh Festival. The RCS Song Studio recital series is extremely popular with audiences and provides a fully professional outlet for this repertoire.

The department has very strong links with Glyndebourne Festival Opera, The Bayreuth Festival, British Youth Opera, and both the Samling and Britten Pears School, all of whom regularly visit RCS to audition, with our students being offered valuable work, experience and coaching.

Graduate destinations

The Vocal Studies department is busy and challenging, working in an atmosphere of varied inspiring performances and with each singer, perfecting your craft, yet also finding the emotional honesty which lies behind truly great singing.

Why choose us? |

90 minutes of individual singing lessons each week

|

Unique classes specifically on the basis of vocal technique

|

Students are taught how to understand the vocal mechanism

|

Imagination and artistry are seen as crucial components in the curriculum

|

Numerous diverse performance opportunities, including taking part in full operatic productions

|

Plentiful contact with leading professionals in masterclasses, competitions, companies and auditions

Recent highlights

Head of Woodwind: Heather Nicoll The Woodwind department has an international reputation for nurturing talent and producing leading musicians. Our team of dedicated staff includes many of Britain’s finest woodwind players, with world-class reputations as soloists, orchestral and chamber musicians.

Numerous performance opportunities including TV broadcasts, public performances, worldwide tours and concert soloist opportunities with Scotland’s major orchestras and ensembles

Teaching staff

|

90-minute one-to-one lesson each week

|

A rich programme of public masterclasses, individual and group coaching, side-by-side performances and CD recordings

|

Perform alongside professional musicians in our Mondays and Fridays at 1 concert series

|

Work with elite wind ensemble, Stevenson Winds, and receive intensive coaching with its expert players

|

Bassoonists performing in concert alongside Peter Whelan

|

Oboists performing live in concert with Alison Teale

Recent woodwind graduates include:

We encourage you to form your own ensembles and offer professional coaching to support your work. Our ensemble, Stevenson Winds, promotes our woodwind talent and sees yet more high profile performance opportunities for you to perform alongside top professional players.

|

Woodwind students performing Poulenc’s Sextet in a live radio broadcast with Michael Collins

Graduate destinations

As a woodwind student, you will benefit from a diverse range of performance opportunities. Symphony, chamber and wind orchestra performances, opera productions, wind ensembles and chamber experience are also central to your training.

Weekly performance, technique and repertoire classes take place in our world-class recital venues providing the ideal environment for your development and a professional accompanist is provided for you throughout your training.

|

Also in 2014, our students toured India with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra in a series of live concerts, TV and radio broadcasts and education workshops with celebrated violinist Nicola Benedetti.

Unparalleled one-to-one weekly tuition is given to every student, with a 90-minute principal study lesson and a further 30-minute lesson available on both a related instrument and second study of choice. Weekly tuition is enhanced by visits from distinguished guest artists from across the globe.

Recent graduates have been offered places on the Covent Garden Jette Parker scheme, as well as contracts in fully professional houses including Staatsoper Berlin, Covent Garden, Scottish Opera, Opera North, Welsh National and Royal Opera Den Norske.

Graduates have also been successful in international and national competitions such as Jung Soo Yun who won the Richard Tauber Prize and subsequently the Montserrat Caballée Competition, (also winning both the Stuart Burrows International Voice Award and the Les Azuriales Opera Competition in France). Louise Kemeny also won the Joaninha Trust Award.

George Gordon, Patricia Hay, Amand Hekkers, Judith Howarth, Margaret Izatt, Scott Johnson, Helen Lawson, Julia Lynch, Kathleen McKellar-Ferguson, Wilma MacDougall, Iain Paton, Clare Shearer, Marilyn Smith, Julian Tovey, Christopher Underwood and Alan Watt

76

Woodwind

|

Fraser Gordon is now Principal Contrabassoon with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

|

Kate McDermott is Co-Principal Clarinet with the Gothenburg Opera

|

Graeme Brown is Associate Principal Bassoonist and the youngest musician in the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra

Teaching staff Lorna McGhee, Visiting flute consultant, Richard Blake, Janet Bloxwich, Katherine Bryan, John Cushing, Elisabeth Dooner, Yann Ghiro, Lawrence Gill, Alison Green, Sheena Gordon, David Hubbard, James Horan, Matthew Hunt, Alison Mitchell, Ruth Morley, Josef Pacewicz, Janet Richardson, Rosie Staniforth, Alan Warhurst, Stephen West and Peter Whelan

Why choose us?

77

SPECIALISM Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

P R O D U C T I O N

“It’s not a job you’re training for; it’s a lifestyle.”

Ros Maddison, Head of Production

78

79

PRODUCTION

BA Production Arts and Design Accredited by the National Council for Drama Training Three years, full-time rcs.ac.uk/productionarts Head of Production: Ros Maddison This programme has been designed specifically to create a high-level conservatoire learning environment for aspiring scenic artists, prop makers, stage c arpenters, costume makers and costume designers. You will learn in an environment where excellence can be achieved and where your technical knowledge is as important as your creativity and individuality.

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

Programme structure

Why choose us?

Industry links

Year one You will experience all areas of the theatre production process as well as build initial skills and knowledge in your major subject.

You will receive a broad based introduction to the production environment and examine the design process through the five core subjects culminating in the choice of a minor subject to compliment your major study pathway.

|

Only degree of its kind in Scotland

|

Only UK conservatoire offering opportunities in production to collaborate with staff and students across the art forms of dance, drama, music and screen

|

Excellent staff-student ratio

|

Industry placement

RCS has invaluable relationships with industry including the National Theatre of Scotland, National Theatre (London), Scottish Ballet, Citizens Theatre, Royal Lyceum Theatre, Disney Cruise Lines, Association of British Theatre Technicians, Association of Stage Pyrotechnicians, Production Lighting and Sound Association, Stage Technologies and Just FX.

|

Final year showcase

Graduate destinations

|

Regular workshops and masterclasses with distinguished visiting professionals

|

Work on a diverse range of productions

Production Arts students begin by engaging with practice based work on RCS productions as part of a collaborative team with students from third year. Processes, skills and techniques are gathered as well as the opportunity to observe senior students in managerial positions. Design students explore the design process from concept to final presentation through personal projects and begin the process of designing for a fully-realised production.

|

Purpose built production workshops and design studios and five public performance spaces

|

Regular presence at the Prague Quadrennial Design Exhibition and the Word Stage Design Exhibition

Recent graduates have found employment in positions such as Assistant Carpenter (Royal Lyceum and Pitlochry Festival Theatre), Assistant Scenic Artist (Royal Lyceum, Citizens Theatre and Pitlochry Festival Theatre), Art Department (BBC and various independent films), Costume Maker (Pitlochry Festival Theatre) as well as in design roles with organisations such as the BBC, National Theatre of Scotland, Arches Theatre and the Tron Theatre.

|

Study abroad opportunities in Europe, California and Hong Kong

Year three Each student negotiates their individual pathway in third year in order to effectively take advantage of the available production roles, personal projects, choice modules and secondment opportunities over the two trimesters. The secondment ensures you are making contacts with industry practitioners and potential employers and often acts as a springboard into your first job.

A showcase of work, organised and created by the final year students is exhibited and a range of potential employers are invited to view your work.

Recent highlights

UCAS Conservatoires code: 203F

|

Hosting and participating in a Linbury Prize Portfolio Advisory day with Pamela Howard and Simon Higglett

|

Staff and student participation in a range of roles for the 2014 Commonwealth Games

Apply via UCAS Conservatoires online www.ucas.com/conservatoires by 15 January 2016 (UK/EU) or 31 March 2016 (overseas).

|

Increase in graduates securing postgraduate study places around the world

|

|

Year two You will consolidate your fundamental skills and knowledge and be introduced to more advanced approaches and techniques including management and self-promotion.

You will be interviewed and accepted based on your profile in one particular area of study taken from the five subjects on offer (scenic art, set construction, costume construction, prop-making, and set and costume design). You will follow an individually-negotiated pathway based on a major and minor study to ensure a quality learning experience and afford you the opportunity to engage with the broad and diverse range of performance programmes.

As well as being highly skilled in your own disciplines, you will also understand and engage with the production and design process as a collaborative and creative contributor.

The opportunity to work with film-makers, dancers, musicians and actors is unique and the facilities in which we do this are second to none. The Wallace Studios at Speirs Locks has purpose built production workshops and design studios and the Renfrew Street campus houses five public performance spaces including a fully equipped proscenium arch theatre and a black box studio theatre. The combination of professional venues, extensive workshops, construction spaces, design studios and the latest stage and workshop technologies provide a fantastic learning environment.

We work closely with industry to ensure the high-level expertise you will acquire is current, competitive and of the highest professional standard, so you will gain all of the skills and knowledge needed for your future career.

Application details Institution code: R58

Academic entry requirements |

Scottish Higher – three passes or

Continuing success of undergraduate exchange scheme with HKAPA and CalArts

|

Scottish Advanced Higher – two passes or

|

A-level – two passes or

Recent student success both on placement and in employment on major TV shows such as Peaky Blinders, Game of Thrones, Outlander and Downton Abbey and with major artists such as Beyoncé

|

International Baccalaureate – minimum score of 24 with three subjects at Higher level or

|

Recognised equivalences

International English Language Testing System score (IELTS) (if applicable) level 6.5 with a minimum score of 5.5 across all parts

“The ideal candidate will enjoy getting their hands dirty, making a mess, working in a team, all to create something beautiful.”

We accept a range of qualifications and their international equivalences. Please email dramaadmissions@rcs.ac.uk for more information.

Gary Fry, Lecturer in Scenic Art

80

81

PRODUCTION

BA Production Technology and Management

Programme structure Year one Your first year will be based on experiential learning and skills acquisition focusing on the context of production through a range of classroom, workshop and venue-based experiences culminating in allocated roles in each area on RCS productions.

You will investigate the collaborative nature of production and performance and have the opportunity to work with other students from across RCS on small projects.

Accredited by the National Council for Drama Training Three years, full-time rcs.ac.uk/productiontechnology Head of Production: Ros Maddison

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

This is the only technical theatre degree in Scotland. Through the programme we produce production technicians, stage managers and lighting designers who can turn their hands to any related role, making them employable in a range of contexts, whilst also being specialists in specific career pathways, i.e. stage management, stage technology, sound technology, lighting technology and lighting design.

Year two You will be introduced to more advanced approaches and techniques including management and self-promotion. This is delivered both on allocated roles on RCS productions and in the classroom. Also, you will engage with choice modules where you can choose from a range of modules on offer from programmes across the institution or undertake a negotiated project.

You will be passionate about producing live performance and aspire to being integral to the development and leadership of BA Production Technology and Management in the future.

Year three You will consolidate your learning and explore and develop specialist skills in autonomous situations on RCS public productions.

You will negotiate your individual pathway in third year in order to take advantage of the available production roles, choice modules and secondment opportunities. You will also be offered the opportunity to visit at least one major trade show or association conference during your final year.

We’ll help you to create your own pathway through the programme, focusing on your areas of interest. You will learn to work creatively, as an individual artist and in collaboration with other students of all disciplines.

Problem solving, people skills and organisational skills are all areas in which you should show potential, along with an awareness of team working and the qualities of leadership.

You will need to have a working knowledge of and an aptitude for at least one of the subjects within the programme (i.e. stage management, stage technology, lighting or sound).

Why choose us?

RCS is a major public performance and conference venue with world-class facilities. The combination of professional venues, extensive workshops, construction spaces, design studios, and the latest stage and workshop technologies provide a fantastic learning environment, second to none in the sector.

|

The only technical theatre degree in Scotland

|

The only UK conservatoire offering opportunities to collaborate with staff and fellow students across dance, drama, music and screen

|

|

Fully equipped proscenium arch theatre with a full height fly tower and automated flying capabilities as well the highest level equipment in both lighting and sound

|

Study abroad opportunities in Europe, California and Hong Kong

Graduate destinations Our graduates work in a huge range of companies and specialisms all over the world. Here are a few examples of where some of our recent graduates have worked: Malcolm Stephen, Head Mechanist, Royal New Zealand Ballet Wendy Manson, Automation Advisor, Cirque du Soleil

Recent highlights |

Alix Ross, Senior Technician, Royal Opera House

Hosting welcome event for the Production Lighting and Sound Association (PLASA) Focus Glasgow, December 2014

Helen Sennett, General Manager, Grange Park Opera Chris McDougall, Production Manager, National Theatre

| Masterclasses with Tim Reid (Video Designer), RC Annie (Stage Weapons), Raymond Short (Fight Director), Bruno Poet (Lighting Designer), John Robb (Edinburgh International Festival), Lincoln Parkhouse (Pyrotechnics) and many others |

Continuing high graduate employment rates with companies such as Cirque du Soleil, Stage Technologies, GrandMA, National Theatre of Scotland, Scottish Ballet and Scottish Opera

|

Staff and student participation in a range of roles for the Commonwealth Games and continuing success of undergraduate exchange scheme with HKAPA and CalArts

David McMorris, Fleet-wide Audio Developer, Disney Cruise Lines Emma Geddes is Automation No.1 for the national tour of Dirty Dancing Rosanna Barber works on ITV’s Downton Abbey Andrew McCabe is on tour with Cirque du Soleil

Application details Institution code: R58 UCAS Conservatoires code: 204F Apply via UCAS Conservatoires online www.ucas.com/conservatoires by 15 January 2016 (UK/EU) or 31 March 2016 (overseas).

Industry links

Academic entry requirements

We have a close working relationship with the Production Lighting and Sound Association, National Theatre of Scotland, Scottish Ballet, Citizens Theatre and Pitlochry Festival Theatre. RCS is also validating partners of the Association of British Theatre Technicians (ABTT) award scheme.

|

Scottish Higher – three passes or

|

Scottish Advanced Higher – two passes or

|

A-level – two passes or

Excellent staff-student ratio

|

International Baccalaureate – minimum score of 24 with three subjects at Higher level or Recognised equivalences

|

Industry placement

|

We work closely with industry to ensure our production training is current, competitive, and of the highest professional standard, so you will gain all of the skills and knowledge needed for your future career.

|

Regular workshops and masterclasses with distinguished visiting professionals

|

Develop invaluable industry contacts with our unrivalled professional partners

International English Language Testing System score (IELTS) (if applicable) level 6.5 with a minimum score of 5.5 across all parts

Our graduates aspire to become the creative leaders and innovators of the future and are encouraged to push accepted boundaries and create new standards of practice in the industry.

|

Work on a diverse range of productions

|

Purpose built production workshops and design studios and five public performance spaces

82

We accept a range of qualifications and their international equivalences. Please email dramaadmissions@rcs.ac.uk for more information.

83

SPECIALISM Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

S C R E E N

“ I have recently returned to RCS to teach.

It’s great to see the next generation of talented and passionate filmmakers – it’s exciting to work with them.”

Paul Wright, award-winning DFTV graduate

84

85

SCREEN

BA Digital Film and Television Three years, full-time rcs.ac.uk/dftv Head of Digital Film and Television: Adam McIlwaine This programme is for aspiring film-makers who are passionate about the film-making process. It’s a rich and challenging environment for students who are keen to develop their skills to the highest level and who have the potential to originate new ideas for film and television.

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

Programme structure

Why choose us?

Application details

Year one Working individually and in groups, you will engage with the mechanical and creative elements of screenwriting and TV content projects designed to develop technical skills and grow creative awareness. You will learn about craft skills in camera, post production, producing and sound recording within workshops and practical projects.

|

Access to state-of-the-art technology, including RED One and RED Epic MX Digital Cinema camera

Institution code: R58

|

Opportunities to develop short film and programme ideas

|

The only UK conservatoire offering opportunities to collaborate with staff and fellow students across dance, drama, music and production

Apply via UCAS Conservatoires online www.ucas.com/conservatoires by 15 January 2016 (UK/EU) or 31 March 2016 (overseas).

|

Unrivalled professional partnerships including BBC Scotland, Progressive Broadcast Hire and Dumbarton Studios

|

Learn from award-winning expert staff

|

Benefit from workshops and masterclasses from distinguished industry practitioners who work with you on a daily basis

Year two You will develop your technical skills and work as a creative practitioner. You will learn directing skills, and choose a specialist area to work with, selecting from cinematography, post-production, sound recording and producing. You will be involved in the production of a number of 90-second film projects and work on the RED One camera system to originate project work.

At RCS you will find lots of resources at your fingertips; there’s nowhere else in the UK that provides the range of specialisms that we do. This means that you have the opportunity to work with actors, composers, directors, dancers and musicians, as well as your peers from production, including scenic artists, stage managers, and technicians. Everything you need to make great work for the screen is right here.

Year three You will hone your technical skills to a highly specialised and professional level, whilst reinforcing the practice of independent responsibility and development. You will realise professional creative content and negotiate your role as a specialist practitioner.

You will use the RED Epic Digital Cinema system for your final year projects.

You will benefit from extensive industry contact, which can include working on live BBC sets, becoming part of the crew on a professional production, masterclasses and expert tuition from industry practitioners on a daily basis, and more. We’ll help you develop your ideas and your creativity, and you can cover multiple film-making functions such as screenwriting, production management and editing, or focus on one specialism such as cinematography or sound recording.

During major project work and specially designed workshops, all three year groups work together as heads of departments, assistants and trainees to allow work on collaboration skills, set etiquette and understanding of crew hierarchy.

86

UCAS Conservatoires code: 200F

Academic entry requirements |

Scottish Higher – three passes or

|

Scottish Advanced Higher – two passes or

|

A-level – two passes or

|

International Baccalaureate – minimum score of 24 with three subjects at Higher level or

|

Recognised equivalences

International English Language Testing System score (IELTS) (if applicable) level 6.5 with a minimum score of 5.5 across all parts

Graduate destinations DFTV graduates are employed by major broadcasters, production companies, and film-makers. Some graduates work freelance for independent companies or on short film schemes, and some have gone on to postgraduate study, including with the National Film and Television School.

We accept a range of qualifications and their international equivalences. Please email dramaadmissions@rcs.ac.uk for more information.

Go online

Our graduates are highly regarded and in demand. DFTV graduate Paul Wright’s first feature film, For Those in Peril, was selected for the Cannes film festival and chosen to compete in Critics’ Week.

DFTV graduation film Hannah won Best Undergraduate Fiction award at the 2014 Royal Television Society Awards (Scotland) and The Groundsman won best fiction film at the 2014 BAFTA Scotland New Talent awards. Krysty Wilson-Cairns sold her science fiction script Aether to a major studio and was named as one of the UK Stars of Tomorrow by Screen International.

She is currently working on an adaptation for director Darren Aronofsky.

Watch some of our DFTV students’ short films online at rcs.ac.uk/dftv

87

SPECIALISM Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

L E A R N I N G &

T E A C H I N G

Christian Kluxen leading the RCS Symphony Orchestra rehearsal

88

89

LEARNING AND TEACHING

MA Learning and Teaching (Gaelic Arts)

Why choose us? |

The only degree of its kind in the world

Three years, part-time rcs.ac.uk/magaelic

|

Excellent staff-student ratio

|

Opportunity to study in Glasgow at RCS and in Skye at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig

|

Flexible delivery offers you the chance to learn part-time and from a distance

Head of Programme: Jamie Mackay

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

This programme is aimed at Gaelic speaking actors, musicians, singers, fine artists, theatre, film and television professionals, designers, writers and directors who wish to develop as educators in a range of contexts. The programme gives you the opportunity to deepen your understanding of Gaelic culture, develop knowledge, skills and understanding required to deliver and assess effective educational experiences, and to design and generate a piece of work that contributes to the evolution of your area within the Gaelic arts education sector.

Graduate destinations The programme will equip you with the skills to design, deliver and assess educational packages within a range of education contexts from community workshops to the Higher Education sector.

The final project provides an opportunity for you to synthesise a deepening understanding of Gaelic culture, your evolving arts practice and your knowledge and skills as an educator on a significant, self-generated project under the supervision of a professional mentor.

The programme will be delivered predominantly online supported by a series of face-to-face weekends and short residential periods at RCS and at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig in Skye. This programme is designed to run on a part-time basis to allow you to maintain your own professional commitments and to situate a significant portion of your learning within a work-based context.

Application details Institution code: R58 UCAS Conservatoires code: 0W0F

Programme structure

Apply via UCAS Conservatoires online www.ucas.com/conservatoires by 30 April 2016.

Year one Your first year centres around two learning and teaching modules, Approaches to Critical Artistry and The Teaching Artist. The third module, The Gaelic World, provides an overview of the historical, geographical, cultural and political context for Gaelic artists.

Academic entry requirements An undergraduate degree, or international equivalent, in a subject area relevant to the demands of the programme

Year two Your year will begin with the learning and teaching module in which you will design, deliver and evaluate an education-based project. The second module of the year, Traditional Culture and Literature of the Gaels, provides an opportunity to investigate the wide range of Gaelic source materials that have inspired Gaelic artists and have helped shape the cultural landscape.

Students will be required to demonstrate competence in Gaelic International English Language Testing System score (IELTS) (if applicable) level 7.5 with a minimum score of 7.5 in speaking We accept a range of qualifications and their international equivalences. Please email dramaadmissions@rcs.ac.uk for more information.

Year three You will study a final module which presents an opportunity for you to devise, negotiate, undertake and evaluate a major project designed to synthesise your learning on the previous modules, progress your development as a Gaelic arts educational professional and to contribute to the evolution of the Gaelic cultural landscape.

90

MA Ionnsachadh agus Teagasg (Na h-Ealain Gàidhlig)

Carson sinne? |

An aon chùrsa cheum den t-seòrsa sa san t-saoghal

Trì bliadhna, pàirt-ùine rcs.ac.uk/magaelic

|

Àireamhan fàbharach eadar luchd-obrach is oileanaich

|

Cothroman ionnsachaidh an Glaschu aig RCS agus aig Sabhal Mòr Ostaig

|

Teagasg pàirt-ùine is air-astar ri fhaighinn

‘S e cleasaichean, luchd-ciùil, seinneadairean, luchd nan ealain fhinealta, luchd dràma, film is telebhisein, dealbhadairean, sgrìobhaichean agus stiùirichean aig a bheil Gàidhlig agus a tha airson an cuid sgilean foghlaim thar caochlach co-theacsa a neartachadh a tha fa-near sa phrògram seo. Tha cothrom an lùib a’ phrògraim airson barrachd eòlais fhaighinn air cultar na Gàidhlig, airson eòlas, sgilean is tuigse a leasachadh a leigeas leat foghlam èifeachdach a liubhairt is a sgrùdadh, agus airson pìos obrach a dhealbhadh is a chruthachadh a chuireas ri leasachadh do chuid eòlais ann am foghlam ealain na Gàidhlig.

Cinn-uidhe luchd-ceumnachaidh Anns a’ phrògram seo, ionnsaichidh tu sgilean a leigeas leat prògraman foghlaim a dhealbhadh a liubhairt is a chleachdadh ann an caochladh suidheachaidhean foghlaim eadar bùithteanobrach coimhearsnachd agus Foghlam Àrd-ìre. Anns a’ phròiseact dheireannach, cuiridh tu an t-eòlas agad air cultar na Gàidhlig, an dòigh-obrach ealain agad agus an t-eòlas is na sgilean agad mar eòlaiche-foghlaim còmhla an lùib a’ phròiseict mhòir fo stiùireadh neach-stiùiridh proifeiseanta.

Thèid am prògram a lìbhrigeadh air-loidhne, air sreath thursan deireadh-seachdain aghaidh-ri-aghaidh agus air greisean còmhnaidh goirid aig RCS agus aig Sabhal Mòr Ostaig san Eilean Sgitheanach.

Tha am prògram air a dhealbhadh gus an tèid agad air d’ obair phroifeiseanta a ghleidheadh agus gus an tèid cuid mhòr den ionnsachadh agad a dhèanamh ann an seagh obrach.

Fiosrachadh cùrsa Àireamh ionaid: R58 Àireamh UCAS Conservatoires: 0W0F

Structar a’ phrògraim

Iarrtasan air-loidhne tro UCAS Conservatoires www.ucas.com/conservatoires ro 30 Giblean 2016.

A’ chiad bhliadhna Tha a’ chiad bhliadhna agad stèidhichte air dà mhodal ionnsachaidh is teagaisg: dòighean cleasachd sgrùdail agus an neach-ealain teagaisg.

Anns an treas modal, saoghal na Gàidhlig, thathar a’ sgrùdadh a’ cho-theacsa eachdraidheil, chruinn-eòlaich, chultarail is phoilitigich dha luchd-ealain Gàidhlig.

Teisteanasan inntrigidh Ceum math, no teisteanas eadar-nàiseanta co-ionnan, ann an cuspair freagarrach ri obair a’ phrògraim. Feumaidh oileanaich deagh chomasan Gàidhlig a thaisbeanadh

An dàrna bliadhna Anns a’ mhodal ionnsachaidh is teagaisg aig toiseach na bliadhna sa, bidh thu a’ dealbhadh, a’ liubhairt is a’ sgrùdadh pròiseict stèidhichte air foghlam. Ann an dàrna modal na bliadhna, Cultar Dùthchasach agus Litreachas nan Gàidheal, bidh thu a’ rannsachadh caochladh thùsan Gàidhlig a tha air mac-meanmna luchd-ealain na Gàidhlig a phiobrachadh agus air cur ris an t-saoghal chultarail.

An treas bliadhna Gheibh thu cothrom anns a’ mhodal mu dheireadh agad air pròiseact mòr a dhealbhadh, a rèiteachadh, a chur an gnìomh agus a sgrùdadh a bheir an t-ionnsachadh agad air na modalan eile còmhla, a bheir an leasachadh agad mar neach-foghlaim proifeiseanta sna h-ealain Gàidhlig air adhart agus a chuireas ri leasachadh saoghal cultarail na Gàidhlig.

Ìre 7.5 a rèir International English Language Testing System (IELTS) (mas iomchaidh) agus 7.5 aig an ìre as lugha a thaobh labhairt Bidh sinn a’ gabhail ri caochladh theisteanasan agus teisteanasan eadar-nàiseanta co-ionnan. An tuilleadh fiosrachaidh aig dramaadmissions@rcs.ac.uk

91

LEARNING AND TEACHING

Postgraduate Certificate in Learning, Teaching Support and Administration in Arts Education

Programme structure Year one You will be introduced to and engage in an Arts Education Community of Practice where you will critically examine your own teaching methods informed by reflection and using a range of relevant theories, viewpoints and models of learning and teaching practice to advance skills in teaching and learning in light of new experiences and understandings.

rcs.ac.uk/pgcert This postgraduate programme is designed to appeal to drama, music, fine art, production, design, screen and dance professionals working within an arts education context and has three distinct routes, each designed to appeal to a specific educational context and professional role.

You will have the opportunity to apply skills, new insights and understanding to your practice, critically examine their impact on your learners’ experience and obtain feedback both from tutors and peers to inform future professional development and practice.

The three routes are:

MEd Learning and Teaching in the Performing Arts

Why choose us? |

A unique programme designed specifically for performing artists and teachers

|

Opportunity to upgrade your teaching qualifications to Masters level

|

Personal supervision and mentoring by expert teachers and artists in the performing arts.

This programme provides a unique opportunity to both practising artists and teachers in the performing arts to either upgrade their teaching qualifications or obtain a postgraduate degree in learning and teaching that has been designed to develop teaching skills for the performing arts.

|

Opportunities to develop specialist or new skills in your subject discipline or a related performing arts subject discipline

|

Access to unrivalled performing arts education provision, facilities, resources and expertise

Programme structure

|

Opportunities for artistic and educational collaboration between teachers and artists

|

Excellent staff-student ratio

Subject to validation Two years, full-time Three years, part-time rcs.ac.uk/medperformingarts

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

Full-time The programme’s design means that working professionals can still opt for this mode of delivery and complete the programme in a two-year period. The programme is delivered through a mix of taught sessions, online workshops and tutorials, independent learning, personal supervision and work placement. Some of the taught and online sessions are in the evenings, at weekends and in summer. You can use your own teaching work and/or work placement to complete the practical and project elements of the programme.

Graduate destinations This qualification will allow you to pursue opportunities in performing arts education in a variety of contexts, both discipline specific or in other arts contexts.

Application details Apply via UCAS Conservatoires online www.ucas.com/conservatoires by 30 April 2016.

Part-time Part-time, the programme is delivered over a three-year period, through a combination of online workshops, distance and independent learning, weekend seminars and work placement or work-based learning.

Academic entry requirements An undergraduate degree or international equivalent, in a subject area relevant to the demands of the programme

Practical teaching and work placement In both the full-time and part-time delivery modes of the programme, the practical teaching, work placement and project elements of the programme can be negotiated and completed either as part of your current work commitments, through work placement or using a wide range of teaching opportunities available across the extensive performing arts curriculum offered by RCS.

|

Higher Arts Education

|

Learning Support and Administration in Higher Arts Education

|

Arts Education

Year one/two You will undertake a work-based learning and teaching project in your arts subject discipline where you will be required to develop effective learning environments and approaches to student support and guidance, design and plan learning activities and/or programmes of study, teach and support learning, and assess and give feedback to learners.

All routes carry 60 SCQF credits at SCQF level 11. On successful completion, students can use the credits accumulated to progress to other postgraduate learning and teaching programmes offered

by RCS.

Your project will be piloted/delivered with a group of students studying at SCQF level 7 or above and critically evaluated.

The three PG Certificate routes are detailed below. To find out the entry requirements for each of the routes, please see rcs.ac.uk/pgcert

Why choose us?

PG Cert Higher Arts Education This programme is for individuals teaching arts programmes at Higher Education level (SCQF levels 7 to 12, or equivalent) who wish to professionally develop their learning, teaching and assessment methods and skills in an arts context. The programme is mapped to the UK Professional Standards Framework for learning and teaching in Higher Education (UKPSF) and accredited by the Higher Education Academy. As a result, successful completion of the programme can lead to professional recognition by the Higher Education Academy and attainment of Associate Fellow or Fellow status.

The programme is designed specifically for individuals teaching arts subjects at Higher Education level in a range of contexts including conservatoires, small specialised HE arts institutions, colleges and across a range of participatory settings

|

The programme is mapped to the UK Professional Standards Framework (UKPSF) for learning and teaching in Higher Education

|

Successful completion demonstrates that your practice is aligned to UKPSF. The programme is accredited by the HE Academy and can lead to attainment of Associate Fellow or Fellow status. Successful achievement will entitle you to use post nominal letters (AFHEA or FHEA)

Graduate destinations

The programme is delivered part-time, over a 16-month period, using a blend of face-to-face, online and work-based methods.

The delivery model is designed to create a community of reflective teaching artists who are encouraged to work both collaboratively and independently, share effective practice and provide peer support and evaluation. Face-to-face sessions are built around weekend seminars hosted at RCS.

Successful completion provides evidence of your commitment to professionalism in teaching and learning in higher education.

Higher Education Academy accreditation is a portable asset, which has UK-wide relevance and is increasingly recognised by Higher and Further Education institutions. As a result, achieving the qualification could help you to:

Successful applicants are expected to be qualified/experienced to teach in their arts subject discipline and must be working in a university/college or other relevant participatory setting, teaching at SCQF levels 7 or above (or equivalent).

International English Language Testing System score (IELTS) (if applicable) level 7.5 with a minimum score of 7.5 in speaking We accept a range of qualifications and their international equivalences. Please email dramaadmissions@rcs.ac.uk for more information.

92

|

93

|

Secure full-time teaching posts in both the college and HE sectors

|

Apply for promoted/senior posts in teaching in Higher Education in both colleges and universities

LEARNING AND TEACHING Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

PG Cert Learning Support and Administration in Higher Arts Education

Year one/two You will undertake a work-based administrative or learner support project in your own arts Higher Education context where you will be required to:

This programme is for learning support and administration professionals working in a Higher Education context who wish to professionally develop their knowledge of Higher Education and learning and teaching in an arts context in support of quality enhancement and institutional development.

Administrators: Develop effective administrative systems and approaches aimed at offering an improved service to learners and/or other stakeholders. In your project you will be required to design and plan the enhancement(s) and pilot and critically evaluate it with learners and/or other stakeholders of your choosing.

The programme is delivered part-time, over a 16-month period, using a blend of face-to-face, online and work-based methods.

The delivery model is designed to create a community of reflective administrative and learning support practitioners who are part of a wider arts education community. You will be encouraged to work independently and collaboratively with other administrators, learning support professionals, teaching artists and learners to share effective practice, identify opportunities for quality enhancement and provide peer support and evaluation. Faceto-face sessions are built around weekend seminars hosted at RCS.

Learning support professionals: Develop effective learning support environments and approaches to learner support, design and plan learning support activities, support learning, and give feedback to learners. Your project will be piloted with a group of learners of your choosing and critically evaluated.

Why choose us?

Alternatively, the programme can be completed with relevant credit-rated short courses (further information can be found at rcs.ac.uk/shortcourses).

Successful applicants are expected to be qualified/experienced administrators or learning support professionals working in an arts education setting (e.g. college or Higher Education Institution).

|

Designed specifically for administrators and learning support professionals working in a Higher Arts Education context

|

Enable you to engage with and contribute to an arts education community and use it to learn from and inform and evolve your administration/learner support practice

|

Credits can be accumulated through participation in relevant credit-rated short courses

Graduate destinations Successful completion provides evidence of your commitment to professionalism in administration and/or learner support in an arts context. As a result, achieving the qualification could help you to, for example:

Programme structure Year one You will be introduced to and engage in an Arts Education Community of Practice where you will critically examine your own administration/learner support methods and practice informed by reflection and using a range of relevant policies, theories, viewpoints and models of learning and teaching practice, quality assurance and enhancement to gain insight to learner support and/or quality enhancement in light of new experiences and understandings. You will have the opportunity to apply new insights and understanding to your practice, critically examine their impact on the service you offer to students and other stakeholders to inform future professional development and practice.

94

|

Secure senior administrative/learning support posts in arts and/or post-16 education

|

Apply to become an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

PG Cert Arts Education

Year one/two You will undertake a work-based learning and teaching project in your performing arts subject discipline where you will be required to develop effective learning environments and approaches to student support and guidance, design and plan learning activities and/or programmes of study, teach and support learning, and assess and give feedback to learners.

This programme is for artists interested in developing knowledge and skills in learning and teaching as part of their professional development or to enhance opportunities to work either formally or informally as a teaching artist.

The programme is delivered part-time, over a 16-month period, using a blend of face-to-face, online and work-based methods.

The delivery model is designed to create a community of reflective teaching artists who are encouraged to work both collaboratively and independently, share effective practice and provide peer support and evaluation. Face-to-face sessions are built around weekend seminars hosted at RCS.

Your project will be piloted/delivered with a group of students of your choosing and critically evaluated.

Why choose us?

Alternatively, the programme can be completed with relevant credit-rated short courses (further information can be found at rcs.ac.uk/shortcourses).

Successful applicants are expected to be qualified/experienced to teach in their arts subject discipline and must be working either part-time or full-time as a teaching artist or have access to work placement to undertake practical elements of the programme.

Assistance can be provided to help students secure relevant work placements.

|

Designed specifically for artists who either have as part of their professional lives, a teaching commitment either in an arts education context, community context or participatory setting context or aspire to be teaching artists

|

Enables you to engage with and contribute to a teaching artist community and use it to learn from and inform and evolve your teaching practice

|

Credits can be accumulated through participation in relevant credit-rated short courses

Graduate destinations

Programme structure

Successful completion of this programme provides evidence of your commitment to professionalism in learning and teaching.

As a result, achieving the qualification could help you to, for example:

Year one You will be introduced to and engage in an Arts Education Community of Practice where you will critically examine your own teaching methods informed by reflection and using a range of relevant theories, viewpoints and models of learning and teaching practice to advance skills in teaching and learning in light of new experiences and understandings.

You will have the opportunity to apply skills, new insights and understanding to your practice, critically examine their impact on your learners’ experience and obtain feedback both from tutors and peers to inform future professional development and practice.

95

|

Secure part-time/full-time teaching posts in post-16 education

|

Secure part-time/full-time and/or project based teaching work in a host of different arts settings including cultural, community and other participatory settings

SPECIALISM Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

R E S E A R C H

Research

Research Excellence Framework 2014

Three years, full-time rcs.ac.uk/research

The work of the Research department has been judged as world leading and internationally excellent in the latest Research Excellence Framework results. These national results suggest RCS research in music and drama has the highest impact of any higher education institute research in Scotland.

Head of Research: Dr Stephen Broad It is not enough for our emerging artists to graduate from RCS equipped for the industries as they stand today: we need to enable them to develop the skills and attitudes that will let them take on the world and reshape it, creating new ways of performing, collaborating and making work. This is why research is central to and embedded throughout our curriculum, and why we support our staff to develop cutting edge research in and through the performing arts. The UK’s recent Research Excellence Framework exercise (REF 2014) recognised the world-leading research of our excellent staff, and judged 93% of our research to be of an international standard.

The research submitted in 2014 included Professor Ros Steen’s research into the human voice, which allowed her to successfully unlock the expressive potential used by actors on stage. Professor Steen worked closely with RCS alumnus Alan Cumming in his one-man virtuoso show Macbeth to release the full potential of his voice, as well as the full cast of Black Watch to help them find authentic voices for this critically acclaimed production.

Wanting to make your mark on the world is a basic artistic impetus, and the impact of our research on cultural life and arts policy was also recognised in REF 2014, with some 60% of our research judged to be world-leading in terms of the reach and significance of its impact.

A vital part of this work is driven by students following our research degree programmes. Following an historic agreement between RCS and the University of St Andrews in 2000, we offer research degrees leading to the awards of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) and Master of Philosophy (MPhil). Students matriculate at both institutions and their degrees are validated and awarded by the University. As well as having access to all the facilities of a modern international conservatoire, they are able to use the academic resources of a world-leading ancient university.

“Cummings’s grasp of the poetry [of Macbeth] is so complete, and his raw emotional immersion in it is so total, that the audience remains absolutely gripped by the narrative; and unable to resist the sense of being pulled by the story towards the very brink of hell.”

Our research degree students are highly professional performers, practitioners, directors, scholars and composers, all seeking new ways to develop and contextualise their work while forging ahead in their particular disciplinary specialism through rigorous, often practice-based, research. Our vibrant interdisciplinary research environment includes performing arts education and policy, Scottish music, historically-informed performance, and a range of other specialist areas. All are supported in their research by carefully selected and expert supervision teams, and in project delivery by the unique resources of the Royal Conservatoire.

Joyce McMillan, The Scotsman

Festivals such as Into the New and Plug provide many opportunities for students to showcase their projects and to engage their fellow students in the realisation and performance of new work. Previous research students have been supported in significant artistic projects such as the mounting of a new fully-staged opera and the performance of large scale symphonic works.

Find out more about some of our recent research projects at rcs.ac.uk/exchange

96

97

HOW TO APPLY

HOW TO APPLY

Minimum academic undergraduate entry requirements for all programmes Decisions on offers to programmes will be based on the outcome of an audition, as well as meeting minimum academic entry requirements Award type Score required

All applications made on time are guaranteed an audition/ interview. Auditions are held at the Royal Conservatoire and at a number of locations around the UK and overseas. If you’re applying from outside the UK, we can accept auditions by recording for performance programmes, and for nonperformance programmes you can submit your portfolio by post and be interviewed remotely.

For undergraduate and postgraduate programmes you must apply through the UCAS Conservatoires online admissions service. You will find their website at: www.ucas.com/conservatoires Our institution code is R58.

Applications for research are made directly to us; full details and application forms are available at rcs.ac.uk/research

Entrance requirements Entrance to RCS is based on talent, potential and ability, so we will consider relevant experience that may compensate for any lack of traditional education.

Before you apply, we strongly recommend visiting us to meet our staff and students, and see our facilities and environment at the relevant open day.

To check the suitability of your qualifications or experience please email us at danceadmissions@rcs.ac.uk dramaadmissions@rcs.ac.uk or musicadmissions@rcs.ac.uk

Registration is essential for attendance. It opens one month in advance of each event at rcs.ac.uk/opendays Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

Application closing dates for 2016/17 entry All applications for all music undergraduate and music postgraduate programmes: 1 October 2015

|

UK/EU undergraduate applications for dance, drama production, and screen: 15 January 2016

|

Overseas (non-EU) undergraduate applications for dance, drama, production, and screen: 31 March 2016

|

All applications for drama and learning and teaching postgraduate programmes: 31 March 2016

|

All research programmes: 25 January 2016

3 passes

A-level

2 passes

International Baccalaureate

24 with 3 subjects at Higher level We offer a flexible approach to students taking Highers over more than one academic year and/or who achieve their qualifications in more than one sitting.

Auditions

Wherever you are in the world, if you believe you have the talent, dedication and ambition, we encourage you to apply to the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

|

Scottish Higher

Individual programmes may have specific entrance requirements, and you can find these in each programme’s Guide for Applicants at rcs.ac.uk/apply. We accept a wide range of qualifications, including international qualifications. If yours isn’t listed here, please contact us for more information at the above addresses.

Disabilities and medical conditions We encourage applicants to disclose disabilities and medical conditions so we can provide suitable adjustments. If you declare a disability or medical condition when you apply, our Counsellor and Disability Adviser, Jane Balmforth, will get in touch to discuss arrangements to support you at your audition or interview. For more information please go to rcs.ac.uk/studyhere

Entrance requirements for BA (Hons) Contemporary Performance Practice Award type Score required Scottish Higher

3 passes, one of which must be a pass in English or Drama

A-level

2 passes, one of which must be a pass in English or Drama

Entrance requirements for BEd Music Award type Score required Scottish Higher

A in Higher Music plus three others at BBC, one of which must be Higher English; and Maths at either National 5, Standard Grade 2, or Intermediate 2 at grade C or above

A-level

B in Music plus two additional A-levels at C. English Language and Literature at GCSE level grade C, and Maths at GCSE level Grade B

Minimum requirements for BA Modern Ballet Award type Score required Standard Grade/National 5

National 5s passes in five National 5s or equivalent

Intermediate 1 or 2

5 passes

GCSE (Grades A* - C)

5 GCSE (Grades A*– C) or equivalent Knowledge of ballet vocabulary to a minimum of RAD Intermediate level (or equivalent). Appropriate physical qualities for a career in professional classical dance.

Minimum drama postgraduate academic entry requirements Award type Score required Undergraduate degree

Pass

Minimum music postgraduate academic entry requirements Award type Score required Undergraduate degree

98

2:2

99

HOW TO APPLY

Funding

English language requirements If your first language is not English we require evidence of your language ability. Our required scores in minimum International English Language Testing System (IELTS) are listed below. Other equivalent English language qualifications will be considered – please contact registry@rcs.ac.uk to check the required score.

For music applicants who narrowly miss our English language entry requirements we offer a pre-sessional English language course in partnership with the University of Glasgow. Please note there is an additional fee for this course. For further information please email musicadmissions@rcs.ac.uk

Programme of study Minimum IELTS score All music programmes

Level 6.0 (with a minimum score of 5.5 across all components)

BA Production Technology and Management BA Production Arts and Design BA Digital Film and Television BA Modern Ballet

Level 6.5 (with a minimum score of 5.5 across all components)

BA Acting BA (Hons) Contemporary Performance Practice BA Musical Theatre Programmes MA Classical and Contemporary Text MA Musical Theatre MEd Learning and Teaching in the Performing Arts

Level 7.5 (with a minimum score of 7.5 in speaking)

Tuition fees The fees listed below are for 2015/16. Tuition fees are given as guidelines only as they are subject to an annual increase which is broadly in line with inflation. Please check rcs.ac.uk/fees for the most up to date information.

If your scholarship was donated by a trust or private individual, you may have to meet additional conditions. You will be required to submit information about yourself such as a biography and also an end of year progress report. Students must also list the award in their biography and, on occasion, attend events where their donors may be present. Every scholarship student is expected to play a full and active role in the life of the institution, to act as a good role model for other students, and to be a good ambassador for RCS.

Scottish and EU-based students The Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) will pay tuition fees for all eligible full-time Scottish-based and other non-UK undergraduate EU students, who are studying in Scotland at degree level for the first time. Students should apply to SAAS for payment of tuition fees even if they are not applying for any other means of support. Eligible students can also apply for student loans through SAAS. For further advice and to check eligibility contact SAAS directly on 0300 555 0505 or visit saas.gov.uk

The RCS Scholarship Fund is supported by the generosity of many charitable trusts, companies, businesses, individual members of the public and from bequests, therefore we ask students not to approach the following organisations independently:

Students from England, Wales and Northern Ireland These students are eligible for the same funding/loan package that they would benefit from if they attended an institution in their home country.

| ABRSM |

Cameron Macintosh Foundation

Please visit gov.uk/studentfinance (England), studentfinancewales.co.uk (Wales), studentfinanceni.co.uk (Northern Ireland).

|

The Crerar Hotel Trust

|

The Cruden Foundation

|

John Mather Trust

External funding

|

RCS Trust

For more information about alternative funding sources, including external scholarships and bursaries, please visit rcs.ac.uk/studyhere. Our International and Student Experience team are available to advise and assist applicants and current students about funding your studies at RCS.

|

The Leverhulme Trust

|

EMI Music Sound Foundation

|

Inches Carr Trust

|

Thomas and Margaret Roddan Trust

|

The Wolfson Foundation

| Barcapel

Please email studentfinance@rcs.ac.uk or telephone +44 (0)141 270 8281/+44 (0)141 270 8223 for further information.

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

Scottish/EU £ Rest of UK £

International £

All undergraduate programmes

1,820

9,000

14,838

MMus (Performance/Composition/Conducting)

7,740

7,740

14,838

MA (Performance/Composition/Conducting)

10,503

10,503

17,835

MMus (Opera) Years 1 and 2

8,478

8,478

17,835

MMus (Vocal Studies) Year 1

8,478

8,478

17,835

MA (Opera and Vocal Studies)

11,610

11,610

20,000

MA Musical Theatre

11,610

11,610

17,835

MA Classical and Contemporary Text

11,610

11,610

17,835

MEd Learning and Teaching

7,740

7,740

14,838

PG Certificate

3,672

3,672

7,344

Research (Performance/Composition) Full-time

6,747

6,747

14,838

Research (Performance/Composition) Part-time

3,375

3,375

7,416

Continuing Education per unit

1,323

1,323

2,053

100

| Yamaha

Scholarships One third of our incoming undergraduate and postgraduate students are funded from our annual scholarships fund of around £1.4 million. Scholarships are awarded primarily on talent but there is a specific means-tested ‘Rest of the UK students’ fund for incoming students as well and there is also a range of bursary support available. Any student from any country who accepts a place will be considered for a scholarship based on their talent, potential and financial need. You will be required to submit a statement of financial need and may be asked to perform to the scholarship panel on the day of your audition. If you are successful, you will receive a separate scholarship notification. A scholarship award can cover either part or the full cost of tuition fees, and may include an element for maintenance.

101

VISIT RCS

OPEN DAYS Experience the buzz of RCS for yourself.

Attend an Open Day and learn more about RCS, tour the campus and student halls, and meet our expert tutors.

Open Days are extremely popular and places are limited.

Registration opens one month in advance.

Reserve your place at rcs.ac.uk/opendays

Short Courses and Junior Conservatoire

Photo credits All images unless otherwise stated © Royal Conservatoire of Scotland / KK Dundas

Short Courses and the Junior Conservatoire at RCS offer a wide and varied programme of over 200 courses for children, young people and adults in dance, drama, music, production and screen.

Page 48: Second image © Freya Gosnold

These courses range from intensive weekend courses, open access weekly classes, spring and summer schools to auditioned programmes for the Junior Conservatoire.

Music – Friday 5 June 2015

Many of our courses are for those who want to study the performing arts at degree level in the future and provide excellent opportunities to find out what it’s like to study at RCS full-time.

Drama, Production and Screen – Friday 7 August 2015 Production and Screen – Friday 9 October 2015 Drama – Friday 16 October 2015

To find out more about these opportunities, please see: rcs.ac.uk/shortcourses rcs.ac.uk/junior

Modern Ballet – Friday 6 November 2015

VISIT US Can’t make an Open Day? Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

Visit us for a tour of RCS at another time of the year.

Tours run most Monday afternoons and Friday mornings.

Get in touch with us at tours@rcs.ac.uk to find out more.

102

All details correct at the time of publication, and printed in good faith; all information is subject to alteration. We reserve the right, without notice to vary the content of programmes, and modify facilities and arrangements. We are a charity committed to the achievement of excellence in the performing arts. A company limited by guarantee

Page 20 and 21: © Glasgow City Marketing Bureau 2014 Page 22: Edinburgh’s Hogmanay 2013 – Midnight Moment © Chris Watt Page 23: Walker looking over Loch Na Keal towards Ben More © Visit Scotland Page 25: The Nutcracker © Scottish Ballet Page 36: Laura Margaret Smith © Ga-Ken Wan

Design by www.d8.uk

reg no 4703 (Scotland) and a charity registered in Scotland no SCO015855.

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland rcs.ac.uk

100 Renfrew Street, Glasgow, UK, G2 3DB +44 (0)141 332 4101

facebook.com/rcsofficial @RCStweets RCSofficial