The sun is shining and we’re basking in yet more wonderful stories from #RWCMDCreative. Here are some of our many highlights, but to find out more follow us on social media.
The Jubilee weekend brought the first visit to the College for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their children. It was part of their very first official visit to Wales, and follows last summer’s memorable visit by our President, HRH The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall.
Just brilliant to be able to support #Cardiff as a #MusicCity introducing the Duke and Duchess, Prince George and Princess Charlotte to music making here and some fantastic inclusive initiatives over the Jubilee weekend. https://t.co/3EPg2ArJIs
— Helena Gaunt (@hgaunt) June 5, 2022
Celebrating in style, but not losing her head…huge congratulations to design graduate Gabriella Slade on winning a Tony award for Best Costume Design for Six the musical.
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Gabriella is also a Linbury prize winner, joining her many fellow RWCMD design grads in winning the coveted award.
Of the 48 finalists selected across the last four Linbury Prize years, around half – 23 – have been brilliant young designers from the RWCMD powerhouse.
Design Success: Six graduates in the final of the Linbury Award – again!
RWCMD Fellow, grad Amy Wadge was celebrating Sam Ryder’s Eurovision success even more than the rest of us this year. The grammy award-winning singer songwriter co-wrote Space Man, the out-of-this-world song which came second in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest.
Absolutely thrilled to be part of this song with @SamRyderMusic and Max Wolfgang for this years @Eurovision let’s take it to Space Man ❤️❤️❤️❤️ https://t.co/a5LHoGhyz8
— Amy Wadge (@Wadge) March 10, 2022
We’ll be singing this for light years to come…
In music news…
It’s not every day you bump into a jazz star, let alone play with them!
After Jazz student Thomas Harvey bumped into Gregory Porter at Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena they chatted about their mutual love of music. The legendary jazz singer then invited Thomas up on stage to join him…
Home from seeing @GregoryPorter whose guest was @iamladyblkbird. Well worth the two year wait and also the most chill gig i've ever been to haha. Compliments to @MotorpointDiff as the audio was fantastic. That @RWCMD student was excellent and has a bright future ahead of him. pic.twitter.com/yQK3zIcXws
— NSWMongoose (@NSWMongoose) May 13, 2022
And our strings students have been celebrating too, competing in the Cavatina Chamber music competition at Wigmore Hall last month.
Congrats to #RWCMDMusic students Elliot Kempton Tabitha Selley & Christos Balesntravos who competed in the prestigious @cavatinachamber music competition @wigmore_hall today.
The trio were up against seven other groups, all performing Beethoven Piano Trio in D No. 1 'Ghost'. https://t.co/6qnYmU4124
— Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama (@RWCMD) May 11, 2022
Composition student Anna Wood talked to us about her Atmospheres festival piece, powered 100% by green energy:
‘I was thinking about my compositional output’s carbon footprint… I don’t think it’s something we can choose not to think about.’
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And Junior Conservatoire student Shuchen Xie became the youngest person ever to win the Urdd Eisteddfod Composition Medal 2022.
What an incredible achievement – Da Iawn, Shuchen.
We're extremely proud of Junior Conservatoire student Shuchen Xie, who has won the 2022 Urdd Eisteddfod Composition Medal. At 12 years old, Shuchen is the youngest ever winner of one of the festival's top prizes. Congratulations, Shuchen! @RWCMD https://t.co/cii8fxwuqO
— Young RWCMD (@YoungRWCMD) May 31, 2022
New writing season
The Richard Burton Company premiered its NEW ’22 season here at College, before heading off to the Yard Theatre in London:
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We chatted to the writers and directors about the challenges and inspirations of working with RWCMD actors, stage managers and designers on the annual new writing season;
Fresh from appearing in Artist-in -Residence Roy William’s Freedom (March on Selma) as part of the NEW season, we’ve just heard that final year acting student Jerome Lance will be entering the blockbusting world of the Hunger Games. He’ll play Marcus, from District 2 in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, due for release later next year.
Couldn’t be prouder of Jerome Lance, an actor from one of our Open Door cohorts, who’ll lead in the new ‘Hunger Games’ prequel!https://t.co/x6bTJibuE2
Open Door works and you can be part of these young peoples journeys by supporting @opendoorpeople here- https://t.co/QiyjvDBxgg
— David Mumeni (@DavidMumeni) June 16, 2022
After a break of two years (thanks, Covid), Design for Performance students graduation show, Balance, showcases at the College before exhibiting at London’s Bargehouse.
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Wales’s got talent
It was a yes from the judges & it’s always a yes from us at RWCMD! Musical Theatre grads Luke McCall and Glain Rhys and their Wales of the West End team mates smashed their Britain’s Got Talent audition. It was the first time they’d performed together in person, going through to the semi-finals.
🎤 @WelshWestEnd SMASHED IT with their performance of 'From Now On'. Bravo 👏
Watch here: https://t.co/6TuTeO1Bvl#BGT pic.twitter.com/WWwAAcx7Nv
— BGT (@BGT) May 23, 2022
If we had a golden buzzer, we would’ve pressed it for them!
Stage Advice…
Great advice for budding stage managers and technical theatre students, from those who know, including our Head of Stage Management Ian Evans in The Stage this week:
As the theatre skills shortage continues, course leaders and tutors at UK drama schools @lincoln_college, @NKCollege1, @guildhallschool, @YourStMarys, @BOVTS and @RWCMD tell The Stage how they are preparing students for today's industry https://t.co/f4LbNWCOji pic.twitter.com/veWBKN3Ssz
— The Stage (@TheStage) June 14, 2022
Ian talked about adapting the course to suit the ongoing changes in the industry, with grads like Tony-nominated Dom Bilkey, National Theatre’s head of sound and video coming back to work with students on our New ’22 season. He also talked about the growing awareness of mental health, diversity and inclusivity within the industry and the need for training to encompass that to prepare students for their challenging career.
Commemorating David Edwards, former head of stage management
Friends, former students and colleagues came together to pay tribute to David Edwards, our much-loved former Vice Principal, RWCMD Fellow & Head of Stage Management at his funeral this month.
Sean Crowley, Director of Drama & Head of Design, said, ‘David was Vice-Principal when I started as Head of Design in 1999 although, I’d known him as Head of Stage Management since 1987 when I first visited to work as a design supervisor.
David guided me in my first year as a fledging Head of the Department writing new course documentation for the first time. His brilliance in supporting me was what he had always done with his students.
He trained generations of stage managers and designers and exemplified professionalism, dedication and care for all he worked with. He will always be remembered and loved.’
Welcoming RWCMD’s honorary Fellows 2022
We were delighted to announce our new Fellows this month, and look forward to welcoming them at our graduation on Friday 8th July.
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You can read more in the blog post below:
https://blog.rwcmd.ac.uk/2022/06/17/croeso-to-our-new-rwcmd-fellows-2022/
RWCMD Composer in Residence Errollyn Wallen was awarded her Fellowship, and is continuing to break barriers and be inspiring to all!
Barrier breaking is something @ErrollynWallen knows as the first Black female composer to have work performed at @bbcproms. Errollyn's compositions are heard and loved globally. This amazing woman is literally outer space, and our Arts & Culture award winner! #AWA2022 pic.twitter.com/bTpfo2iggd
— woman&home (@womanandhome) May 13, 2022
We also celebrated our 2020 and 2021 graduation last month, where our External Affairs Assistant, Daisy Cooksley reported from the front line.
#RWCMDGrad: Congratulations Class of 2020 and 2021, at last!
There’s much more to find out about #RWCMDCreative online. Don’t forget to follow us, and share your #RWCMDCreative stories on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and now TikTok,
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