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Programme co-ordinator Steve Medlin with WAC founder Celia Greenwood (third from right) with third-year students Samantha Webber, Natalie Bailey, Anna Goodwin and Maia Thompson |
Ground-breaking arts course in financial race for survival
AN arts college that once trained Oscar-nominated actresses Sophie Okonedo and Marianne Jean-Baptiste may have to close its flagship diploma course unless it can find £100,000 before August.
WAC, a performing arts and media college based at the former Hampstead Town Hall in Haverstock Hill, is in a race against time to find the cash before its new term starts or it will lose out on thousands already pledged to it but dependent on it being able to raise the full amount.
While the arts college is funded by Camden, its diploma in Musical Theatre is paid for by private trusts and charitable donations and allows the school to offer free places to pupils who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford training for the three-year course.
The majority of the school’s competitors charge between £8,000 and £14,000 for the same course.
In the recession funds have dried up, putting its existence in jeopardy.
Ms Okonedo, who was nominated for an Oscar for Hotel Rwanda, trained at the school in the late 1980s while Ms Jean-Baptiste, nominated for Secrets and Lies, trained there in the early 1980s and returned to teach and tour with the school in later years. She remains in close contact with WAC’s founder Celia Greenwood.
Ms Greenwood, appealing for financial help, said: “We will feel absolutely terrible [if this course ends]. This is an amazing and groundbreaking course which has been in development since 2003 and has probably had £750,000 invested in it getting it to this place.
“This school recruits almost entirely from young people from very low income families who wouldn’t be able to access any other colleges that offer qualifications because they wouldn’t be able to pay the fees.”
The diploma is the only one of its kind to teach western and non-western forms of vocals, drama and dance to the same level.
Last year there was a waiting list of 200 for just 12 places.
www.wac.co.uk |
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