Meet The Stage Scholarship winners 2019

More than 50 young actors, singers and dancers between the ages of 8 and 21 have been able to access performing arts training thanks to The Stage Scholarships 2019. The awards have been granted by The Stage in association with eight generous partner schools and colleges, with a total value in excess of £200,000.

 The courses and scholarships range from weekend courses in dance, drama and musical theatre to full-time places at some of the UK’s most prestigious drama and stage schools. Previous winners of The Stage Scholarships have gone on to forge careers in the entertainment industry, performing in the West End in major musicals, Olivier award-winning dramas as well as major TV series and films.

In this photo special, we introduce some of the talented students granted scholarships in 2019, as they join us for a professional photoshoot to celebrate their achievements. The event took place in the plush Fairfield Lounge of the newly refurbished Fairfield Halls in East Croydon.

Nathan Johnston, Monet Knight and Dominique Sands

Emil Dale Academy

For the two-year BTEC sixth form course in Musical Theatre, a part-scholarship has been awarded to Monet Knight, aged 16 from Stotfold in Hertfordshire, Dominique Sands, aged 16 from Tenerife in the Canary Islands, and Nathan Johnston, aged 16 from Larne in Northern Ireland. Between them they have won scholarships worth £13,400.

“Training at Emil Dale is incredible,” says Monet. “It’s the best thing that I’ve ever done. My course is for two years and after that I plan to audition for a degree course. I’m not too sure where yet, but I definitely want to carry on studying.”

“Flying over by myself at the age of 15 to audition was scary,” explains Nathan. “I walked in and it was nerve-racking. I was shaking, but the people at Emil Dale Academy really made me feel welcome. There were some pupils there, they talked to me about the school and they really helped me decide that it was the best place for me.”

“Emil Dale just offers so much and the price it charges compares well to other schools,” Dominique adds. “I mean, we get a guest masterclass every single week and I don’t think people realise how incredible that is. And then on top of that we get, included in our fee, one-on-one singing lessons and outside that would cost more than £50.”

Hannah Roy-Davies and Morgan Summers

Fourth Monkey Actor Training Company

Hannah Roy-Davies, aged 20 from Greenwich, and Morgan Summers, aged 19 from Nottingham, have each won half-scholarships for Fourth Monkey’s popular two-year Rep Accelerated Actor Training Programme, worth a total of £21,500.

Hannah had already taken part in the one-year Year of the Monkey course before winning her scholarship. “Going from that to the two-year is such a big step. It’s so intensive. The teachers are so supportive, though. It’s not just like a teacher-student relationship, because they’re in the industry as well. It’s interesting to get their viewpoint and swallow all their knowledge. At the end of our first year, we do a showcase, then, when we go to Italy, we do a show there as well. Then we have about five seasons in our second year. We have our Camden Fringe, Shakespeare Season, Contemporary Season and an American play project.”

“It was quite a long audition process,” explains Morgan. “And thorough, but very enjoyable, and you felt at home as soon as you walked through the door. I’ve moved to north London now from Nottingham. I’ve been quite lucky as I’ve done quite a lot of fundraising to be able to move. In the future, I’d like to go into making my own work, and working with an ensemble physical theatre company.”

Maddie Monti

Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts

Maddie Monti, aged 14 from Dagenham in Essex, is thrilled to have won a full scholarship to attend the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in London – an award valued in excess of £65,000.

“I’m loving Italia Conti, it’s amazing,” she says. “The training there is absolutely phenomenal, and I couldn’t ask for a better school. As I’m in the Upper Juniors, we do a morning of academic studies, and in the afternoon we have ballet, singing and acting and then all of our vocational studies. It’s absolutely incredible, the classes are like a family.

“As for the future, I’m going to audition for a performing arts college on a scholarship hopefully. After that, I just want to go straight into the industry and start working. I’d like to go into dance but I love musical theatre. Dear Evan Hansen is amazing. I love the soundtrack and [lead actor in the West End production] Sam Tutty went to Italia Conti too.”

Avah Al-Geradi, Harriet Silk, Aimee Millward, Jessica Black and Georgie Mills

Razzamataz Theatre Schools

Razzamataz Theatre Schools offers a total of 25 awards at branches throughout the UK, providing free training for the winners worth in excess of £20,000. Avah Al-Geradi, aged nine from Liverpool, was one winner who really loves her classes there. “They are great fun and very active. I am so eager to go every Saturday. I’ve made so many new friends at the classes.”

Harriet Silk, aged 12 from Cambridge, says Razzamataz classes are the highlight of her week. “We sing, dance and act and the teachers are great too. I really like the singing and love to sing at local festivals. I hope to carry on with my vocal training and see where it take me in the future.”

“When I was little, my friend used to go to Razz and it was something I always dreamed of,” explains Aimee Millward, aged 15, who attends Razzamataz in Derby. “My mum saw a post on Facebook from the local teacher that The Stage Scholarship was available and I won. I just burst into tears because I was so, so happy. I’ve never been much of a dancer but Razz has given me the basics to carry on. It’s given me loads of confidence.”

Georgie Mills, aged 14 from Chesterfield, attends Razzamataz in Sheffield. “Everybody makes you feel so welcome there and I’ve made a lot of new friends. I get on really well with the teachers, they are lovely and so supportive. I love singing, especially the older tunes from the likes of Etta James and Whitney Houston.”

Jessica Black, aged 15 from Kent, has been attending classes at Razzamataz in Medway for nine years. “I used to be quite a shy person and it’s really helped me flourish as a performer. I will definitely be looking to continue training when I am older. The good thing is that there is such a family atmosphere at the classes. We have all grown up together. One of the best things is catching up with everyone every Wednesday and Saturday.”

William Bunting

Rose Bruford College

William Bunting, aged 21, is originally from Romsey near Southampton, but has since moved to Kent to commence his free place on the full-time 22-week Acting Foundation course at Rose Bruford in Sidcup, worth £8,250.

Bunting explains: “I took a couple of gap years since finishing college. I’d taken my A levels and then I took two years out to do full-time work. I really feel that I benefited from taking that break. I didn’t feel I was ready. Even though I’m doing the foundation course, my main aim is to get on to a BA course within the next year or two.

“Rose Bruford has been a really nice step up. I’ve been out of education for a while. Just coming back in and getting into the swing of things, the intensity and the commitment, to get that focus and physicality rolling again. And I’m loving the change.

“I was over the moon when I found out I’d won the scholarship. I phoned my dad and step-mum straight away and they had to listen to me screaming down the phone for a good five or 10 minutes.”

Lola Slavnich, Daniel Moore, Regan Garcia, Alliyah Johnson and Christianna Appiah

Spirit Young Performers Company

There were scholarship winners from both departments of Spirit Young Performers Company at the photoshoot this year. Representing the musical theatre company, Daniel Moore, aged 14 years old, is from Derby and Alliyah Johnson is 17 years old and from Battersea in south London.

From the dance company, Regan Garcia is 13 years old and from Sidcup in Kent, Christianna Appiah, aged 15, is from Chiswick in London and Lola Slavnich, also 15 years old, is from Essex.

Between all the winners, the value of the scholarships is worth more than £3,120.

“I’d already done some intensive classes with Spirit, but I live two hours away so it was always an issue,” explains Daniel. “Then I saw The Stage Scholarships advertised on social media and I begged my parents and they finally agreed. I’d love to work in musical theatre in the future and Spirit provides great training. We learn the routines and dances and I also get to do choir.”

“It’s great, every Sunday being able to train at such an amazing place. I get to do acting, singing and dance, so it’s a jam-packed day but it’s so much fun,” enthuses Alliyah.

“I’ve been performing professionally since I was nine, when I played Michael Banks in the Mary Poppins tour,” Regan says. “The Spirit training is great, though, and there are lots of competitions to take part in too.”

“I was really excited about winning the scholarship,” says Christianna, “because I knew it would help my family out a lot. I’m auditioning for dance colleges this year including Urdang Academy and Laine Theatre Arts, and would be keen to join the dance community, but I’m preparing for musical theatre ensemble work too.”

Lola has been dancing since the age of three. “I began with ballet classes. I learned to adapt to different styles while I’ve been at Spirit. I’m now looking forward to further training at a dance college and have had several auditions already.”

Nosike Akinnibosun, Marlon Lee, Giselle Akinnibosun, Lottie Hall, Bianca Misuri and Kara Henderson

Arts Educational Schools, London

There were several awards on offer at ArtsEd this year, including places at the ArtsEd Extra Skills Academy, ArtsEd Summer Course 2018 and the Excelerate Acting Course. The total value of the awards came to more than £13,000, with students from all over the UK winning places.

Bianca Misuri, aged 16, travelled all the way from Florence, Italy for her place at the Musical Theatre School 16+. “I had been last year and it really exceeded my expectations in terms of training. Our time was spent either training in singing, dancing and acting or preparing for a show at the end of the course. I would recommend this course to everyone because it doesn’t matter what your level of experience is. The staff get the best out of you and help you grow as a performer.”

Lottie Hall, aged 15 from Gosport, won training with the Creatives Musical Theatre class. “I’ve been attending Saturday classes now for about a year. I really enjoy it and I’ve learned so much about the industry.”

Brother and sister Giselle and Nosike Akinnibosun, aged seven and eight from Chiswick in London, loved their experience at ArtsEd. “I had a great time,” Giselle says. “And I did lots of dancing. I really like the dance classes and try to go every week to the school to train.”

Nosike is more of an actor, though: “I really liked the middle session of the week, where we did improv and acting. I love acting, especially for TV, and I feel that ArtsEd gave me a taste of what proper training will be like.”

Kara Henderson, aged 10 from Ickenham, loved making new friends at the Junior Drama Company. “I got to meet a lot of new people. On the first day we played lots of games and then we read through the script of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory before performing it at the end of the week.”

Marlon Lee, aged 11 from Pimlico in London, won a place on the Become a Film Star weekend course. “I’ve done it two years in a row now. In the first year we made a short film – we wrote the script, acted and performed in it. The second time, we created a small sketch and made a music video. I would definitely recommend this course to anybody interested in getting all-round training.”

Gretchen Withecomb

Sylvia Young Theatre School

Gretchen Withecomb, aged 12 from Lewisham, has won a scholarship for full-time training in dance, acting and singing at the prestigious Sylvia Young Theatre School in London. This is an award valued at more than £70,000 in total.

“I love it at Sylvia Young. It’s really fun because I’m doing what I love. It’s very welcoming and homely. It’s kind of like a second home and I love it. I’ve already been to a few auditions and done a few voice recordings.  I did one in half term, which is for teaching kids from different countries different languages. I’m doing one next week as well, and that’s just in studios in the area. It’s really fun. When I graduate, I want to start a career as an actor. I do love to sing as well.”

“At primary school, I did The Tempest in year five. It was only a small role, but my parents came to see it and they were like: ‘Oh, right. She’s not bad. We’ll sign her up to see if she can go into an agency.’ I got the agency and started doing auditions but never got any of them.

“My dad saw the poster for Sylvia Young and they knew it could only be on scholarship. I thought I was never going to get in and I really messed up in one of my auditions, but I got through to the last round. Then I got in, which was just fantastic.”

Words: Paul Vale, The Stage Scholarships editor and photoshoot co-ordinator
Photos: Alex Brenner With thanks to the staff at Fairfield Halls

Emil Dale Academy
Monet Knight, Dominique Sands, Nathan Johnston, Zhanel Atymtayeva, Jessica Odeleye

Fourth Monkey Actor Training Company
Hannah Roy-Davies, Morgan Summers

Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts
Maddie Monti

Razzamataz Theatre Schools
Beth Jane Gardner (Carlisle), Kaitlyn Cartner (West Cumbria), Logan Jackson Luke (Duham), Lilly-Mai Leonardo Muratore (Mansfield), Leah Marshall (Newcastle), Juno Bryant (Hackney), Katie Francis (Bristol), Isabelle Griffiths (Chester), Maisie Woodcock (Edinburgh), Harriet Silk (Cambridge), Amiee Millward (Derby), Abbie Nelson (Glasgow North), Eliza Hollands (Tonbridge), Jazzie DiDonato (Yeovil), Jessica Black (Medway), Mollie Grieve (Dumfries), Sophie Ainsworth (Newbury), Annalyse Mcdonagh (Penrith), Tabitha Richards (York), Adil Hassan (Barnet), Sarah Gibson (Sutton Coldfield), Avah Al-Gerardi (Liverpool South), Liv Corboy (Weymouth), Shay Kerr (Glasgow South), Megan Costello-Wright (Maidstone), Georgie Mills (Sheffield)

Rose Bruford College
William Bunting

Spirit Young Performers Company
Musical Theatre Company: Daniel Moore, Alliyah Johnson, Molly-May Gibson.
Dance Company: Regan Garcia, Christianna Appiah, Lola Slavnich, Nadia Djilali

Arts Educational Schools, London
Bianca Misuri, Hannah Bushnell, Esme Hodge, Giselle Akinnibosun, Nosike Akinnibosun, Kara Henderson, Sophie Lowe, Monet Bradshaw- Brown, Max Howell Jones, Mia Marino, Rico Pass, Marlon Lee, Holly Darby, Lottie Hall, Kit Riou

Sylvia Young Theatre School
Gretchen Withecomb

To find out details of The Stage Scholarships 2020, buy the January 2 issue of The Stage