Scottish Youth Theatre opens registration for 2018

Fresh from a sold out performance by their first ever National Ensemble last month, Scottish Youth Theatre have opened registrations for the 2018 company.

The successful applicants will form the second ever Scottish Youth Theatre National Ensemble. 2018 is the year of young people, and the company are keen to find the best Scotland has to offer, so they will be travelling to Edinburgh to audition aspiring performers from the area.

The National Ensemble is a year’s commitment and is open to anyone aged 16 – 25 who lives, works, studies or has family in Scotland. Auditions and membership of the Ensemble is free and entry is based purely on ability.

Once recruited, Ensemble members will attend monthly development weekends led by top theatre practitioners taking place across Scotland. This will culminate in a flagship performance in August which will be devised and performed by the company.

When asked what qualities are required in potential members, SYT’s Artistic Director Mary McCluskey explained: “We are looking for creative, enthusiastic and dedicated young people. Individuals who display the potential are the ones who will most benefit from everything the Ensemble has to offer. As the Ensemble is a collaborative experience, those with an interest in theatre-making in all its forms, including writing, directing and performing are encouraged to apply.

“The Ensemble is an amazing opportunity for anyone who wants to study or pursue a career in theatre and performance. Our current Ensemble has worked with a range of practitioners including Frantic Assembly and BAFTA winner Kate Dickie. 2018 will see similar opportunities in the build up to the main production which will be a central part of SYT’s contribution to the Year of Young People”.

Ensemble 2017 member Stephen Quinn (23) from Falkirk is keen to recommend the Ensemble experience. Stephen said: “The opportunity to work with like-minded peers and with professionals is not one to be passed up. Scottish Youth Theatre cares about giving those with talent and drive the skills and knowledge they’ll need to become versatile, accomplished performers. Working with them is an opportunity you should definitely not miss out on.”

Auditions will be held on 14 & 15 October at Edinburgh Palette in The Drawing Room.

Those interested in being part of the Ensemble should register for an audition by Friday 22 September at www.scottishyouththeatre.org

Culture Project Fund: applications close 10 March

The City of Edinburgh Council’s Culture Project Fund will in its first year focus on support for the performing arts. Grants of up to £5,000 will be awarded to organisations based in Edinburgh to help with the costs involved in developing new performing artwork. Continue reading Culture Project Fund: applications close 10 March

Performers invited to audition for College places

Edinburgh College is hosting auditions for acting, dance and music courses starting in August and is inviting talented young people to come and show their skills as performers. Continue reading Performers invited to audition for College places

Edinburgh College stars set to shine at DanceFest

Catch college performers before they Take Flight

Edinburgh College’s performing arts students are ready to mesmerise the crowd tomorrow at a one-night dance festival at the city’s Festival Theatre. Continue reading Edinburgh College stars set to shine at DanceFest

Electrifying talent on show in Let’s Glow festival

Let’s Glow festival shines a light on Edinburgh College’s creative talent

Edinburgh College’s dazzling creative students are about to light up the city with a two-month celebration of their luminous talents.

The Let’s Glow festival gives Edinburgh the chance to enjoy performances and exhibitions from college students covering everything from music, theatre and dance to photography, film, art, animation, textiles and design. The programme of events will showcase the skills and talents of the students, demonstrating the work they have undertaken at Edinburgh College over the last year.

Let’s Glow runs from 4 May to 22 June, with events taking place at venues across the city – including the college’s campuses, Summerhall, The King’s Theatre, The Traverse Theatre, The Edinburgh Filmhouse and The Queen’s Hall. Photography students are also taking their work to exhibit at Brick Lane in London.

The festival will feature students from all the college’s creative industries study programmes: Art and Design; Broadcast Media and Photography; Computing; Music and Sound Production; and Performing Arts.

The programme includes large-scale end-of-year shows by music, arts, photography, film and animation students; the PASS Cross Currents dance event choreographed by college staff and performed by students; an exhibition of make-up artistry; a graphic design exhibition; performances of Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale and contemporary Scottish play My Romantic History; the PASS Out showcase for final-year Acting and Performance students; a musical theatre revue; and the premier of an original musical about Scotland’s most revered and most controversial instrument – the bagpipes!

The festival launched last night with sneak peek performances at the city’s La Belle Angele.

Jon Buglass, head of the Centre for Creative Industries at Edinburgh College, said: “Following the success of the first Let’s Glow festival last year, we’re delighted to showcase the incredible talents of our current crop of students. The events at this year’s festival allow us to celebrate and share the remarkable work our students have been producing over the last year. We are constantly blown away by the quality of their work and the time, effort and dedication they put into its production.

“The diversity in the programme means there really is something for everyone on offer. So if you want to be inspired by the talents of our students, get along to one of our Let’s Glow events.”

The full programme of events – some of which are free – and details of where to buy tickets can be found at www.edinburghcollege.ac.uk/letsglow.

Keep up to date with Let’s Glow events on Facebook and Twitter.

#letsglow15

Celebrating choreography at Gallery of Modern Art

One-off dance performance at Modern One tomorrow

Edinburgh College’s contemporary artist in residence has unveiled a new exhibition about choreography at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art – and the college’s dance students are preparing a one-off performance tomorrow (Thursday 9 April) to complete the installation.

Julie Duffy, a former HND Contemporary Art Practice student at the college, is displaying ‘Rhythmic Structure’, the culmination of her residency and an exploration of dance choreography. The exhibition is at the Pig Rock Bothy in the grounds of the Modern One gallery until 12 April.

The final phase of the work involves BA (Hons) Dance students from the college’s Performing Arts Studio Scotland, who will choreograph and perform an original dance piece in the Bothy in response to Julie’s installation on Thursday 9 April at 2pm. All are welcome to attend the performance.

Julie is one of several former college students who have been invited back to the college as artists in residence. During her five-month residency, she undertook the Rhythmic Structure project and has also been working with students to help their development.

Rhythmic Structure explores the formal qualities of dance, focusing on the collaborative work of choreographer Merce Cunningham, composer John Cage, and painters Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg, alongside Oskar Schlemmer’s ‘Das Triadische Ballett’. The work includes a screen-printed floor, hanging drapes and delicate structures made from felt, card and expanding foam!

The Artist in Residence (AIR) programme at the college gives practicing artists who are also former students the opportunity to come back to the college, providing them with a dedicated studio space as well as access to specialist resources and facilities. It aims to give them an opportunity to develop their practice and gain experience in learning and teaching in further education.

Julie (above) said: “Working with the lecturers and students on the Contemporary Art Practice HND has been really stimulating. The AIR residency at Edinburgh College has been a wonderful opportunity to develop a new body of work in a creative and supportive environment. Showing my new work in such an internationally significant institution wouldn’t have been possible without the AIR programme.”

Alan Holligan, lecturer in Contemporary Art Practice and AIR programme coordinator, said: “Julie’s show at in the bothy is a mark of the quality of the artists graduating from the HND Contemporary Art Practice course who then return as artist in residence. Julie’s contribution to the course has been excellent and her influence on students is clear. I’d like to thank the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art for their support.”

Julie-Ann Delaney, curator at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, added: “The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art is delighted to be working with Julie Duffy on the presentation of her ambitious new installation within Pig Rock Bothy at Modern One. Julie’s work has transformed the interior of the bothy, and the culmination of the project – which will see a newly choreographed dance work made by Edinburgh College students – will further this by bringing the space to life in a manner unlike ever before.”

Julie, the college’s eighth artist in residence, graduated from her HND in 2008 and went on to gain a 1st class BA Hons Degree in Fine Art at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design (DJCAD).

Since graduating from DJCAD in 2011, Julie has developed new work and has exhibited regularly throughout Edinburgh including solo exhibitions at Summerhall and group shows at Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop. As well as developing her solo practice in sculpture, Julie has more recently been developing collaborative practices with former college artist in residence and DJCAD graduate Hayley Mathers.

Edinburgh College is currently recruiting for courses starting in August, with a range of art and design courses available, including the HND Contemporary Art Practice. For more information about courses and to learn how to apply, go to the college website edinburghcollege.ac.uk

Creative Industries Open Days at Edinburgh College

Edinburgh College Open Days next week

Edinburgh College is throwing open its doors next week and inviting anyone interested in careers in the creative industries to find out how they can get on course to success.

The college’s Centre for Creative Industries is hosting three open days to introduce prospective students to its range of courses across three of its campuses, including art and design, computing, broadcast media, photography, music and sound production, and the performing arts.

There will be opportunities to speak to lecturers and students, experience the cutting-edge facilities at each campus, and get hands-on with interactive activities.

The Creative Industries Open Days will take place from 3-6pm at Sighthill Campus on Tuesday (3 March), Milton Road Campus on Wednesday and at Granton Campus on Thursday 5 March.

More than 100,000 people are employed in the creative industries sector in Scotland, with careers in film, radio, media, theatre, music, and digital media available.

Jon Buglass, head of the Centre for Creative Industries, said: “These open days provide the perfect opportunity for prospective students to get hands-on experience of what studying at Edinburgh College’s Centre for Creative Industries is really like. It is an exciting time for the creative industries in Scotland, and our courses provide the perfect framework to develop the skill, nurture the talent and develop the creativity of our students to prepare them for a creative career.”

Visitors to Granton Campus can see the top-of-the-range performing arts facilities at the Performing Arts Studio Scotland (PASS), which provides training in acting, dance, make-up artistry, technical theatre and theatre costume.

Budding musical theatre stars and musicians can visit Sighthill Campus, where the Music Box facilities include recording studios, practice rooms and an auditorium. The Music Box is the high-tech home to most of the college’s music performance students, both classical and pop.

Those who would prefer to study the technical side of music production can visit Milton Road Campus, where courses in sound production and the music business are offered in the CRE:8 creative centre alongside the HND Popular Music.

The campuses also have excellent facilities for those interested in courses in photography, audio visual technology and radio. The college’s computing courses provide essential skills in software development, games design, web development and building and testing computers and IT networks.

The college’s art and design students work to exciting briefs in their chosen field, whether fashion, textiles and costumes, jewellery, interior design, architecture, contemporary arts, interactive media, graphic design or illustration.

Not all courses are taught at all campuses, please check the Edinburgh College website to identify the appropriate open day for your subject area.

Applications for the all the college’s Creative Industries courses starting in August are open now – find out more about the courses available on www.edinburghcollege.ac.uk/august2015 or by calling the college course information line 0131 660 1010.

Applications for August courses will close on 15 May.

Love drama? Sign up for Summer Festival course

TALENTED youngsters who love drama are being urged to apply for Scottish Youth Theatre’s acclaimed Summer Festival flagship theatre courses by actors from the hit comedy Still Game and the hugely successful Harry Potter films.

SYT patrons, Oscar-winning actress and screenwriter, Emma Thompson – who played eccentric professor Sybill Trelawney in the Harry Potter films – and Paul Riley, who played lovable rogue Vincent in Still Game, believe that Summer Festival courses are a great way for young people to develop the acting and theatre production skills needed to follow a career in the industry.

Summer Festival, now in its 39^th year, consists of intensive courses for ages 14-25 years covering all aspects of theatre and drama including production, acting and stage management.

Places are highly sought-after, so entry to the courses, which range from three-six weeks-long in July and August 2015, is by audition only in February. Applications for Summer Festival can be made throughout February at www.scottishyouththetare.org.

There are also shorter courses available for ages 8-11 and 12-15.

Paul Riley, is just one of a long list of actors who started their career at SYT’s Summer Festival. Others include Gerard Butler (James Bond, How To Train Your Dragon, 300), Karen Gillan (Dr. Who, Guardians of the Galaxy), Colin McCredie (Shallow Grave, River City), Blythe Duff (Taggart, The James Plays) and Kirstie Steel (Waterloo Road, Glasgow Girls).

Paul said: “I remember taking my bow on the Olivier stage at the National on the south bank the same day Laurence Olivier died. I was 17 and a member of the Scottish Youth Theatre.

“I’m now proud to say I’m now one of their patrons. There is no question that attending SYT put me on the path to becoming the professional I am today. I’m one of hundreds, if not thousands, who passed through SYT and went on to have a career in the arts. Just as important are those who didn’t but still draw on the life skills and confidence that attending SYT provides.”

Long-term SYT patron, Emma Thompson, who also starred in numerous successful films including Howards End, Sense and Sensibility, and Nanny McPhee, added: “I had the privilege of visiting SYT’s Summer Festival in Glasgow in 2013, and meeting some of the talented young students along with my mother, and fellow patron, Phyllida Law.

“We were blown away by the energy, commitment and creativity of these young actors who were rehearsing two critically-acclaimed productions: Mary Queen of Scots got her Head Chopped Off, by the uniquely brilliant Liz Lochhead, and Now’s the Hour, about the independence referendum, which was a huge success at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe.

“It was very clear to us that Scottish Youth Theatre is unique in its ability to create a safe, fun and stimulating environment where children and young people can express themselves, take risks and reach their creative potential.”

Mary McCluskey, Scottish Youth Theatre’s chief executive and artistic director said: “Summer Festival is SYT’s sector leading flagship course. These intensive performance courses allow young people to build on their personal, social and performance skills in a professional theatre environment.

“Our Production and Performance Learning Programme for ages 16-25 also leads to a SCQF qualification equivalent to Advanced Higher. In 2013, Summer Festival created Now’s the Hour about the independence referendum which went onto to a huge success at the 2014 Edinburgh Fringe.”

Students focus on stardust spectacular

Edinburgh College photographers throw spotlight on students’ winter showbiz special

A student photography exhibition celebrating Edinburgh College performing arts students’ winter showbiz spectacular is now on display at Leith’s Creative Exchange.

The exhibition showcases the college’s recent show We Are Made of Stardust, developed and performed by Edinburgh College students. Two HND Photography students – Tracey Largue and Sara Thomson – took the photos of the show that feature in the exhibition, showing off the vibrancy, energy and emotion of the performance.

We Are Made of Stardust, which featured HND Year 2 Acting and Performance students, was devised by lecturer Scott Johnston and formed using the cast’s own ideas and stories. The 30 young actors in training shared their personal tales of love, loss and life with the audience in performances at the college’s Perfoming Arts Studio Scotland (PASS).

Marjory Crooks, curriculum manager for broadcast media, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to see examples of the highly professional work produced by two of our photography students. The students on our various creative industries courses are encouraged to collaborate on projects to develop their practical skills and share their learning experiences.”

Scott Johnston said: “This was an incredibly successful show in terms of audience feedback which was universally extraordinarily positive. The cast all learned from each other by sharing ideas and experiences. This helped build the actors as a team, an essential part of working in any field but especially in theatre.”

The We Are Made of Stardust exhibition at Creative Exchange on Constitution Street runs until Friday 30 January, 9am – 5pm each day.

Edinburgh College is currently recruiting for a range of courses in the Creative Industries starting this month including evening classes in Digital Photography: Studio Image Manipulation and Photography: Introduction to Portraiture. For more details on these and other courses, visit www.edinburghcollege.ac.uk.

Time traveller Karen calls in at college

Pictured: Performing arts programme leader Scott Johnston, David Robertson, Karen Gillan, Marlee Pearson and Kay McAllister.

Local lass (and soon to be Galactic superstar!) Karen Gillan returned to Edinburgh College Granton Campus – where she studied performing arts – to give students an insight into the life and career of a top actress.

Karen, who studied at the college’s Performing Arts Studio Scotland (PASS) from 2004 to 2005, met around 70 students during her visit, answering questions and posing for pictures.

She spent 45 minutes with the students from the NC and HND Acting and Performance courses at the waterfront campus, talking about the career that has taken her from the BBC’s Dr Who to Hollywood films and a starring role in an American sitcom. She discussed everything from the intricacies of working with the green screens used to add digital effects, making her way as a Scot in Hollywood and London’s media worlds, and how her college education has helped her progress in TV and film.

Karen visit came at a busy time – she’s never been in higher demand. She features in two major major films to be released this summer: the unsettling horror Oculus and the latest Marvel blockbuster Guardians of the Galaxy. In Guardians of the Galaxy, she will share the screen with the universe’s toughest talking raccoon and his walking tree creature friend, as her blue-skinned villain Nebula does battle with the heroic Guardians!

She also has a starring role in a new sitcom called Selfie on America’s NBC Network.

The visit to Edinburgh College was arranged by performing arts programme leader Scott Johnston, who taught Karen at the college and has stayed in touch with her since she left.

Karen said: “It was such an honour to be welcomed back into the college that taught me so much. It was great to see so many enthusiastic students. It made me nostalgic for my time spent studying with Scott and the things I learned.”

Scott said: “It was an absolute joy to have Karen back at the college. The students loved meeting her. They got the chance to ask her loads of questions and learned a lot about what it’s like to try and make it as an actor, so it was really valuable for them. After the Q&A she stayed behind to pose for selfies with the students so they were delighted. She’s a great actress and a lovely person, and we’re very proud of how she’s doing.

“We try to give our students as broad an understanding of the industry as possible to make sure they appreciate all aspects of it when they begin their careers, so we arrange regular visits by actors, writers, directors, agents and other roles. When it’s someone like Karen, who studied here on the same course they did, that can be incredibly inspiring. She’s a brilliant ambassador for the college and we hope our students can follow in her footsteps.”