NEWSLETTER WINTER RWCMD 2019 ALUMNI

rwcmd.ac.uk/alumni ALUMNI NEWSLETTER WINTER 2019 ALUMNI NEWSLETTER WINTER 2019

New York RWCMD News Showcase Da Iawn! Following on from our New Round up York Gala for Catherine Zeta- Some Jones on St David’s Day, the College was back in the heart highlights of America’s theatreland for its annual US Showcase at the Signature Theatre on 42nd Street. Now in its fourth year, the Showcase acts as a springboard into the industry, giving our American and Canadian acting and musical theatre Rhiannon Boyle (1999) Rachel Brown (2014) graduates an opportunity to First Writer in Residence, backed by Deputy Stage Manager for Harry Potter perform in front of agents, the BBC and National Theatre Wales. and the Cursed Child. managers, casting directors Royal Harpist and industry guests from the American entertainment Simon Trinder (2000) Patrick Barrett (2015) Alis Huws had plenty to industries. UK and Ireland tour of Disney’s The Lion King. Junior Chorus Director at Royal Scottish celebrate in July this year. National Orchestra. Not only did she graduate from the College with a Photo by Catrin Arwel. Rachael Canning (2001) Master’s Degree but she Designer A Midsummers Night’s Dream Tianyi Lu (2016) was also announced as the at Regents Park Theatre. Welsh National Opera female conductor Official Royal Harpist. Prince RWCMD in residence. Charles revived the tradition Honorary Drama of having an Official Harpist Associates Jean Chan (2008) in 2000 in order to foster (2016) The RWCMD Associates Designer A Midsummer Night’s Dream Gareth Trott Welsh talent on the harp, the at the Globe Theatre. Brass tutor at London College of national instrument of Wales. recognises and celebrates the achievements of recent graduates Music (University of London). Alis is used to playing for early in their chosen careers. Royalty, having already Samuel Bees (2007) & Last year we recognised Music New York Showcase Students. performed for the Royal Kyle Lima (2009) Emily Rooke (2018) alumni and this year we are family several times. BBC Writers Rooms Welsh Voices 2018/19 WNO’s vocal animateur internship Her many high-profile recognising our drama alumni – programme from acting on stage and screen, Run in partnership this year with National performances also include Alumni Theatre Wales and Radio Drama Wales. playing regularly at events to stage managing critically- Association for the Welsh Assembly acclaimed productions, to Charlotte Fry (2019) During the last few months Government, performing dressing the Spice Girls… our Alumni Association Tom Cullen (2009) & Appointed as Tours Assistant at the across Europe and the Far Congratulations, all! membership has grown James North (2002) Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. East, and joining Katherine Eric Abrefa to over 1000. It’s been Nominated for a 2019 British Academy Jenkins and Only Men Aloud Elli Andrews wonderful to get back in Cymru Award. to celebrate the UEFA Heejun Lim (2019) Aneurin Barnard touch with you and hear League Final in Cardiff. Tom Cullen about what you’re up to. On Appointed as lecturer in the conducting Alis said of her appointment: Rebecca Davies 28th September over 200 Francesca Moody (2010) department in Chongqing University in Seoul. "It’s a great honour and Joe Fletcher alumni representing music Producer of Edinburgh Fringe shows privilege to have been given Madeline Girling and drama spanning the Square Go and bringing Baby Reindeer this unique opportunity. I Olivia Harris decades from 1960s upwards and Do Our Best. Please continue to let us know what you’re am passionate about my Sarah Hellicar joined us for our Alumni doing now: [email protected] Welsh heritage and I would Arthur Hughes Reunion which was a great hope to use this platform to Luke McCall success. We’ll be planning Laura Tweed (2010) be an ambassador for our Francesca Moody more events over the next Production Buyer on Killing Eve. language, music and culture." Amy Morgan year which we’ll be in touch Ian Peniston about soon. Sarah-Jayne Powell Sophie Melville (2013) Gabriella Slade Winner of The Stage Edinburgh Awards 2019. Anjana Vassan Alex Vlahos Ulrike Zoellner 2 RWCMD.AC.UK RWCMD.AC.UK 3 ALUMNI NEWSLETTER WINTER 2019

RWCMD Alumni Reunion: 28th September 2019

Photos by Clement Chan

4 RWCMD.AC.UK RWCMD.AC.UK 5 ALUMNI NEWSLETTER WINTER 2019 ALUMNI NEWSLETTER WINTER 2019 70th anniversary exhibition

The exhibition timeline located in the Linbury Gallery. Pinboard memory timeline with memories added by alumni and staff, Photos by Edmond Choo.

Judith Dray (RWCMD Archivist) asked them to either write their memories and Mandie Garrigan or record a story or memory that stood out (Library and Archives Assistant) to them. These oral or written memories are "awarded a British displayed alongside the items from the archives Empire Medal in the that they selected. When we started thinking It was really inspiring sharing the archives with Fiona Sinfield with Professor Helena Gaunt. Photo by Clement Chan. 2017 New Year’s about curating the College’s the alumni who contributed their stories to the Honour’s List for her 70th anniversary exhibition, exhibition and seeing the potential of archival objects to spark memories. The stories people outstanding service we thought it was important told were often both hilarious and inspiring, and I to musical education that it captured the spirit couldn’t help but notice how many of them said that their time at College had changed their lives. and the community of the College’s story over Fiona its 70 years... Of course, we couldn’t include everyone at this in South London." stage which is why it was important that the With this in mind, it seemed important that it exhibition was interactive so that more people were Sinfield focused on the people – staff, students, and friends able to add their stories and memories. We included – who have made the College what it is today. a pinboard timeline for people to add memories, Fiona Sinfield, née Ingram, education, particularly to Key Stage 1 and 2 pupils We began the process by drafting a timeline of the photographs and other objects from their time is commendable particularly as primary schools College’s history. We used material gathered from at College and a memory booth where people attended the College from do not always have the specialist Music Teachers the College Archives, as well as from a research could record their memories. It has been brilliant 1970–74 when she completed among their full time staff who can deliver high trip to Glamorgan Archives where information to see the pinboard timeline filling up with a huge her LTCL in Performance quality musical learning. about the very start of the College is recorded in breadth of memories allowing us to reflect a more complete story of the College across the decades. and in Teaching specialising She was awarded a British Empire Medal in the 2017 the Education Committee Minutes. Like many projects, this was definitely a collaborative in piano and voice... New Year’s Honour’s List for her outstanding service After compiling factual information for the to musical education and the community in South timeline, we began approaching alumni to collect process. It was wonderful to be able to work with Although she is originally from Milford Haven in London. She retired in July this year having taught memories of their time at the College. We invited designers at the College to create something really Pembrokeshire, the vast majority of her career was music for 45 years and has inspired so many people one or two alumni from each decade to come into beautiful to commemorate the College’s history. in inner London where she taught underprivileged during that time. the College. For each person, We selected relevant We are very grateful for the extremely hard work put in by staff and students from the Design for children of both Primary and Secondary years. We’d love to profile other alumni at future events. material from the archives such as photographs Performance and Stage Management departments. She taught music to children from a variety of We have so many to recognise and would like to and programmes they were in and prospectuses backgrounds. Many of them, often due to cost invite nominations from you about who that may in from when they were at College. We chatted with The physical exhibition was on display from 28 implications, would not otherwise have had the the future. Please do this by emailing our alumni them and encouraged them to talk about their September to 4 November. If you missed this then opportunity to learn to play the piano, to sing or email address [email protected]. memories. We asked them to select an object that check out the online version which can be found even play the recorder outside school. Her selfless triggered their memories or was particularly at: http://bit.ly/RWCMD70 determination to raise standards in musical meaningful to them and explain why. We also

6 RWCMD.AC.UK RWCMD.AC.UK 7 ALUMNI NEWSLETTER WINTER 2019 ALUMNI NEWSLETTER New College Zoë Smith Strategy Celebrating 20 years working at RWCMD

Earlier this term, the Board of Directors signed to represent Wales as a major cultural force in the off a new College Strategy. Producing creative world, and ensure the impact of our highly skilled Who are you, and what is your excellence and nurturing an inclusive and graduates on the creative industries. We will role at the college? international artistic community, we will continue achieve this by being: I am Zoë Smith; after reading Music at Oxford University, I trained as an accompanist at the Royal Academy of Music and the Royal Scottish Expert AND Resourceful Collaborative Academy of Music, following this with a freelance career which took me into most of the conservatoires. Zoe Smith. Contemporary AND Inclusive AND Responsible I have been working at the College in a range of roles since 1999: Assistant to the Head of Music, Assistant service and all-round supporter of their activities. Head of Music, Assistant Director of Music, Head of When I have downtime, I am usually on my Kindle Expert Resourceful Collaborative Interdisciplinary Practice, Head of Ensemble reading detective novels or watching competitive + Deep craft specialism + Creative problem-solvers; + Mining the creative Performance and Head of Postgraduate Programmes cooking shows on TV (my son is an excellent cook (Music). So I have done everything from organising so we like dissecting them!). + Industry focused, working individually and collectively potential of ensemble concerts to timetabling to sorting out ensembles in partnership, learning looking for results greater + Bringing a rich range of to my current role of running the PG Dip & Masters on the job with industry than the sum of the parts disciplines into dialogue What have been your highlights courses, with more than 120 PG students. expectations + Practical, rooted, and exchange and challenges?

determined and gritty: There have been an enormous number of highlights, + Prepared for lifelong + A community of How has the college changed for ready to put in the but every annual graduation has a real buzz, employment professionals (students you in the last 20 years? hard graft particular when I get to read the students’ names and as young professionals; I arrived at College in the year that we were granted recognise their achievements in the shared smile Contemporary + A culture of high support, teachers who learn, premium funding, allowing the College to develop before they cross the St David’s Hall stage. I have high challenge learners who teach) + Traditions and existing more ambitious plans in terms of staffing and courses, been involved in many really exciting performance

repertoire serving new with funding to underpin the aspirations. I have worked projects, but the one that fascinated me the most work: staying relevant Inclusive Responsible for four Principals and seen an amazing transformation was managing the project with National Dance of the physical estate and shared in the development Company Wales, seeing our student orchestra + Now and next: always + Local and global: Wales + Engaged in the bigger of provision and a student body that can really performing in the pit in the Donald Gordon Theatre looking to the future in dialogue with nations picture; outward looking; inhabit our amazing spaces. The vibrancy of our (Wales Millennium Centre). Another major highlight across the world globally connected; aware + Curious, inquiring, performances and the strength of our connection has to be travelling to China on many occasions for + Championing diverse embracing the unknown; + Broadening horizons and with our local community has been transformed. recruitment and Welsh Government promotional individual pathways within risk-taking and space to fail possibilities Throughout all of this development and growth (there activities; it has given me some crucial cultural the RWCMD community being integral to artistry + Open to the big challenges, are many more Music students now), the friendly and insights and enabled me to develop better + A culture of mutual respect and critically self-aware supportive nature of RWCMD has been maintained, understanding with our international students (as well which is a great source of pride and comfort. as eating some amazing food and seeing some fantastic sights – selfies on the Great Wall of China are hard to beat). I have relished the challenges of "the friendly and supportive tailoring a range of Masters programmes to ever- The strategic growing cohort, looking for ways of developing 2  4 nature of RWCMD has been pillars on which specialisms and creating really effective courses. this is will be A pioneering public An integrated research maintained, which is a great programme (performance, and enterprise environment source of pride and comfort." What’s coming up? built are: participation, learning), incubating new work and I had the amazing fortune of being invited to record a providing transformative innovating for the arts CD of solo Welsh piano repertoire with my wonderful experiences for diverse Tell me about life outside of college? colleagues at Ty Cerdd (the Welsh Music Centre), communities across Wales I am kept very busy by my family – Mexican husband and this has led to opportunities to create concert and two amazing children: Alex (16) and Mariana (10). programmes featuring Welsh song and piano 1 5 Both are trilingual (Spanish spoken at home and music, so I am very excited to get out and about Future-focused training A sustainable model and Welsh at school) which is a joy to me (Spanish) and performing these. All of this contributes to my area of with outstanding student 3 set of business practices hugely impressive (Welsh), and they both love to sing research, and I am in the process of getting material experience; delivered by A global position and to deliver a flourishing – Alex is in Only Boys Aloud and Mariana is in Only ready to submit for a doctorate in the next couple world-class staff in an international profile as organisation Kids Aloud; they also both take singing lessons from of years, which is incredibly exciting for me, inclusive community a conservatoire RWCMD graduates (I know the quality of their combining genuine interest with detective work training!). They tend to keep me on my toes as a taxi and performance – what more could I ask for?

8 RWCMD.AC.UK RWCMD.AC.UK 9 ALUMNI NEWSLETTER WINTER 2019 Day in the Life of… Music Become a member and students support student training experiences and performance opportunities

Who are you, what courses are you studying? Music Students Verity-Belle Atkinson and Charlotte Forfar. Verity: I’m Verity-Belle Atkinson and I’m on the Masters in Vocal Performance course. Charlotte: My name is Charlotte Forfar and Stagecoach but contacted them a few years ago I’m on the same course. We both completed asking if I could volunteer in classes which led to our undergraduate degrees in vocal studies at being employed as a teacher. RWCMD in July 2019. Charlotte: This is something that we’re highly For more information on joining CONNECT, please call or visit Tell me about your course, a quick committed to and it takes preparation and 02920 391420 www.rwcmd.ac.uk/connect run through a normal working day? good organisation to manage our studies and Charlotte: Every day is different. We have work effectively, we tend to look ahead to each tuition in skills such as languages (Italian, German term and dedicate time to lesson planning and and French), Movement and Drama. We also preparing for assessments. have Vocal Performance classes, College Chorus, Verity: During our undergraduate degrees, both academic classes and individual coaching and Charlotte and I organised placements working practice. There are also intensive performance with the Welsh National Opera and BBC running projects which are totally immersive and are often workshops in schools. led by external industry professionals giving us Charlotte: We took part in the first side-by- great links with future employers in side project with WNO Chorus and Orchestra and around Cardiff. (Dead Man Walking) and as a result of this were Verity: I work as an audition usher at the college employed with WNO and Oasis (a non-profit and Charlotte works in front of house. This is charity that aims to help Refugees and Asylum great as its allows us flexibility with college Seekers in Cardiff) in an Outreach Project ‘Hope commitments giving us time for our studies, Has Wings with WNO singers and players bringing but at the same time gives us good professional together a unique mix of classical music, African experience. beats and Iranian, Jurdish, Algerian and South " It's the famIly spIrIt that hIts American influences. What do you do outside of your course? you when you walk Into the Verity: Towards the end of our undergraduate How does living in Cardiff present you degrees, we decided to stay and do our foyer… everyone supports with extra opportunities? postgraduate degrees at RWCMD. There was no everyone else. thIs Is my way of Charlotte: We are choral scholars with the BBC real consideration of anywhere else at that stage gIvIng somethIng back for the Chorus and have been since our second year at as Cardiff has so many opportunities and RWCMD the college. Rehearsals are twice a week, and up provides such a supportive environment for pleasure I've had here"

to four times a week leading up to performances. T en McTernan students early in their career. ChRis Ball, legaToR Verity: Recent engagements with BBC NCW include regular concerts at St David’s Hall, Cardiff What projects have you got coming up? and Brangwyn Hall, , The BBC Proms RWCMD College Chorus are performing Faure’s Kirs BY PHOTO Seasons 2017-19 at The Royal Albert Hall and Requiem with the Symphony orchestra at St To talk to someone about supporting louisa TuRneR MaRie WooD featured stand out soloists at this year’s Proms David’s Hall this month; the BBC Chorus are the students of RWCMD through leaving 02920 391420 02920 391401 in the Park. We also both teach at Stagecoach performing the Messiah in December; and in the a gift in your will, please contact: [email protected] or [email protected] Stage School taking classes of 3-6 year olds on Spring term Vocal students at RWCMD are Saturdays and Sunday. I was initially a student at producing an Opera Scenes performance.

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RWCMD What's On Symphony KEEP Highlights at Orchestra IN TOUCH Our instrumentalists explore the man behind the music the College this in Beethoven: Musical Superhero, a special school’s Spring term… concert at St David’s Hall. Part of the city-wide celebration of 250 years since the composer’s birth.

Musical Theatre Youth and rebellion erupt on to the stage at the Sherman Theatre in March as our musical theatre performers star in the rock musical based on Wedekind’s controversial play Spring Awakening. Richard

Burton The Wearable Art Show. Company The current cohort of 3rd year actors, designers and Richard Burton Company, stage managers present Stupid F**king Bird, three plays – a new version Photo by Kirsten Mcternan. of Molière’s Tartuffe, Simon Stephens’ powerful Motortown and David Opera Lindsay-Abaire’s wacky Our singers bring Mozart’s Wonder of the World, enduring comedy Cosi Fan supported by Bad Wolf. Tutte to life in the Dora Stoutzker Hall and Music Theatre Wales visit the College for the first time with Denis + Katya, Design for exploring our age of digital Performance connection in association The ever-popular Wearable with London Sinfonietta. Art Show returns featuring costumes constructed by Chanae Curtis in The Marriage of Figaro. Photo by Robert Workman. our theatre designers, don’t this this unique cat-walk of dance, light and sound. There are many benefits of joining the Alumni Please help us to reconnect Association. Apart from helping you reconnect with your peers, we offer a range of services with other alumni by sharing including discounted Library membership for up information about the Visit www.rwcmd.ac.uk to 3 years after graduation, box office and association with them: for a full list of performances rehearsal space discounts, professional Music Theatre Wales: Denis + Katya www.rwcmd.ac.uk/alumni this spring. membership discounts.

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