Autumn 2009 Bursaries

One of our principal objectives in transforming the Friends organisation into a Registered Charity (FESPA) was to focus our energies on supporting not only our Summer Theatres but also the future health of the performing arts scene in the East Suffolk area.

That means each year investing some of our hard-won funds into tomorrow’s talent, in the form of student Bursaries.

The Bursaries are designed to provide financial support and encouragement to deserving students of the performing arts who either live in East Suffolk or have strong local connections and who have already obtained a place at a recognised college. Each of the students is required to submit an application form and CV and specifically to explain how the bursary would be of help to them. References also have to be supplied.

The Trustees are delighted to announce two new FESPA Bursary recipients for 2009. Our congratulations to Charlotte and Emma and we look forward to following their fortunes over the coming year.

Charlotte May Barker
If the face looks familiar, you are probably from the Lowestoft area and remember 18-year-old Charlotte’s ‘coronation’ as the Lowestoft Journal’s Carnival Queen 2009. Charlotte, from Carlton Colville, describes herself as having a “passion for drama” and being “fascinated by the creative process”. For as long as she can remember she has been determined to be an actress whilst also excelling academically in a wide range of subjects.

At school she took every opportunity to participate in theatre and music projects and was also an active member of the Gorleston-based drama group, Dasmagrik.
Having successfully completed her A levels at East Norfolk Sixth Form College, Gt Yarmouth, this summer she was amazed and “absolutely ecstatic” to be offered a place at RADA on their one-year Foundation Course in Acting.

“I almost didn’t make it to the second audition. The tubes and buses were down due to heavy snow and I had to walk from Liverpool Street to Gower Street with my boots falling apart in the slush. After seeing the quality and talent of some of the other 800 applicants for the 30 places, I didn’t dream I’d make the third round of auditions, never mind the fourth. However, whilst backstage at a Hamlet production at college, I had a call from my father saying the head of the course at RADA had rung to offer me a place without even having to attend the fourth round.”

No happy ending in sight yet, though! Charlotte is not from a greatly moneyed family and course fees, payable up-front were an eye-watering £11,000; that’s before you take the cost of living in London into account. Charlotte herself put all her personal savings into the pot as well as taking out a student loan and her father helped heroically by selling his beloved motorbike and caravan. It was still touch and go and FESPA has been delighted to help Charlotte finally attain the total required.

Emma Louise Bennett
Emma is no stranger to the performing arts scene of East Suffolk having worked first as Student Stage Manager and then as Assistant Stage Manager at Southwold and Aldeburgh Summer Theatres in 2007 and 2008. These were her final sixth form years at Queen’s Gate School, South Kensington which culminated with ‘Straight As’ in Drama and Theatre Studies, Religious Studies and History. Her Head of Drama describes her as “one of the most energetic, motivated and committed students that I have taught.”

Her energy extended beyond the stage into sport; she excelled at kayaking and scuba diving and gained a Silver in the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme.
A gap-year followed during which Emma gained work experience with the BBC, working with the post-production team on Doctors, taught English in Thailand and did a variety of bar and waitressing work. Then, this September she started her first year on the Drama course at Exeter University.

“The FESPA Bursary is going to be a considerable help,” says Emma. “The combined teaching and self-study time in the first year is over 40 hours per week. The money will allow me to focus on my academic work whilst easing the worry of living costs without relying on a part-time job.”

 

Our 2008 - inaugural Bursary recipients

Francesca Rose Currey, Aldeburgh
Francesca is in her second year at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, reading for a BA in Stage Management and Technical Theatre. After her all-girl schooling, her first year represented a rude awakening from her dream of uni as a world of freedom, boys and parties. She found herself working solidly 9am to 6pm every weekday while helping to lug sets around at weekends.

In spite of this, Francesca loves it, describing herself as “happy to be doing something that makes me fulfilled and gives me a sense of purpose.” But life is a continuous financial struggle. For the past three summers she has been working as part of the stage management team of the Summer Theatres but during term there is simply no time to fit in a part-time job to help pay the bills. Francesca says the bursary “will really help to ease the burden from my parents.”

Alun Vaughan, Walberswick
By coincidence, Alun is also on the Bristol Old Vic BA Stage Management Course where he has just begun his first year. He has been actively involved in drama since he was seven and studied it at A level at Mill Hill School. Alun has worked with Julia Sowerbutts’ theatre company in Walberswick and with Jim Laws Lighting Company but it was when working as ASM with the Jill Freud Company that he decided that stage management was for him.

Alun has many leisure and sporting interests including fly-fishing, music, tennis, swimming, cricket and rugby in which he played for his school’s First 15. He was ‘Head of House’ at Mill Hill where he also held the rank of Colour Sergeant in the school CCF.

Alun sees his FESPA bursary as a prestigious boost to his career as well as a valuable practical contribution, “enabling me to cut down substantially on my part-time work outside of course hours of which there are 52 a week!”

Maxim Calver, Gorleston
This exceptionally talented eight-year old cellist who has been a pupil at Corton Primary School, has won a place at the elite Yehudi Menhuin School in Surrey and started his first term there this September. Maxim has been playing the cello since he was four. His mentor, Dr Ioan Davies, Director of Music at the Pro Corda School at Leiston Abbey, says of Maxim: “I have not encountered anyone with such an intense artistic energy… not only an exceptionally gifted musician, he is blessed with a technique that is so apt for cello playing that leaves one with no other conclusion than to predict an absolutely stunning future for him as a performer. I look forward with immense excitement at following his progress.”

Maxim has already won many awards at local and national music events. Although his studies at the Yehudi Menhuin School are part- funded by grants, it is obviously important that a young man of his age should spend weekends at home. The FESPA award will go some way to helping with his considerable travel costs.