Since 1946, Bristol Old Vic Theatre School has provided world-class training for performers and creatives, and has become a stronghold for arts training. Recent Acting graduate Georgia Cudby takes a look at the resounding impact that the school has on the city and beyond, as well as the hurdles it’s currently facing to continue its legacy.
From the outside, Bristol Old Vic Theatre School (BOVTS) appears to be somebody’s home. Two stately Victorian villas sandwich a modern, glass-fronted reception area. Either side, the original sash windows are slightly ajar to welcome in the warm summer breeze and sunlight, reaching through the sturdy tree in the front garden, projects dancing leaves on the whitewashed exterior. A gentle cacophony of harmonious singing, happy chatter and snatches of a play rehearsal rise and fall. Propped up on my elbows on the modest patch of grass studded with daisies, I can’t help but feel at home.
Nestled next to Bristol’s Clifton Downs, BOVTS has, indeed, been a home to many. For the last 80 years, young people with a dream and a heavy dose of determination have passed through these walls to study acting, directing, voice, theatre design, costume, production arts or writing. The world has been consistently impressed by the incredible rate that BOVTS graduates emerge onto and behind our stages and screens and I am sure you will know more than a handful.
Among the most well-known are Olivia Colman (The Crown, The Favourite), Daniel Day Lewis (My Left Foot, Lincoln), Patrick Stewart (Star Trek, Frasier), Theo James (Divergent, The White Lotus), Erin Doherty (The Crown, Adolescence) and Naomie Harris (Moonlight, Skyfall), and the school was founded with the support of none other than theatrical veteran Sir Laurence Olivier. Not only that, graduates’ work behind-the-scenes is consistently propping up some of the most influential arts venues, charities and production companies in the UK and internationally. Think Artistic Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, Technical Director at the National Theatre and various roles at The Globe and the National Theatre. This is my humble attempt to acknowledge the talented thousands, once “keen-beans” honing their craft by the Clifton Downs, who have been weaving their magic through the arts scene for the last eight decades.
Making the magic happen
BOVTS’ training has been tried and tested over the last 80 years. The training, across all courses, is centred around industry-related experience, helping students to gain confidence in skills they can immediately apply to professional work. In fact, a recent alumni survey found that 80% of alumni were still working in Theatre, TV and Film. Another impressive 90% agreed that their training at BOVTS had a significant impact on successfully getting work in their specialism.
Rob Langley-Swain, a spokesperson for BOVTS, told me: “There is something very special about the School and the community it fosters among those who train here. The passion, enthusiasm and fondness our alumni have for their time at the school is staggering.”
Despite BOVTS’ undeniable brilliance, in January this year, the school announced the closure of its three undergraduate degree programmes (Professional Acting; Costume for Theatre, Film and Television; and Production Arts). To many who once called it home, this felt like a bolt from the blue. A school that was at the forefront of the world’s artistic and technical excellence, a place that has fostered so much good. How was this possible?
Adapting to change
A challenging concoction of funding cuts, capping of student fees, restrictions to international student visas, increases in the cost of living and the Office for Students’ (OfS) announcement that it would no longer be accepting applications for self-registration with itself as a regulatory body left BOVTS in a seemingly impossible situation requiring “time and space to work through the options”.
It’s important to note the impact of these factors on the school. The School’s business planning for the next five years relied on self-registration to give them the ability to admit international students who form a “vital and vibrant part of life at the School.” Another blow was the loss of a historical grant from the central government as part of the school’s membership to the Conservatoire for Dance and Drama (CDD). This was worth more than £800,000 per annum. The coup de grace, perhaps, is the gap between the cost of delivering the high-quality training and the income the school receives from tuition fees. BOVTS estimates that a year of tuition on the BA (Hons) Professional Acting course costs approximately £20,000 per student per annum, which strays far from the £9,250 that the government loans. Largely, the expense comes from the 30+ contact hours per week; the nature of the disciplines requires in person, teacher-led, collaborative training.
Though the school still boasts a plethora of exciting Masters courses in acting, voice studies, directing, writing and design, a concern for some is that young people without a bachelor’s degree or government funding will not be able to access this prestigious training. Kanouté (Professional Acting BA (Hons), 2023) comments: “It feels so unfair that people like me won’t be able to experience training at a school like BOVTS… The BA course had people from all walks of life who kept the School’s creative force fresh and new…”
Rising star Assa Kanouté, who can be seen as a series regular in BBC’s Boarders, graduated from the Professional Acting BA (Hons) course in July 2023.
Kanouté reflects on her time at BOVTS: “My experience at BOVTS changed my life… I was exposed to so much knowledge from brilliant teachers who pushed and motivated us to be artists.”
How instrumental was your training at BOVTS to your success in acting now?
“It was hugely instrumental. I got my agent through a show I did at BOVTS in the final year, which helped me put my best foot forward… Training at Bristol has helped me self-correct and go into different jobs where I can comfortably rely on myself and what I know.”
Why do you think BOVTS is an important place? Why is it special?
“I think BOVTS is an important place because studying in a city like Bristol is such an amazing experience. There is something about its location in Clifton, next to the Downs, which is a bit of magic… You get to know people from all parts of the school, with its emphasis on mixing students from different courses together. Studying alongside the production arts students enabled so many creative collaborations.”
What happens next?
Dedicated staff are working fervently in bustling offices on Downside Road to protect the school’s future. When I asked the team what the current plan of action is, they explained: “We need to assess the financial needs of the school and work with supporters to build up the school’s financial resilience and resource, alongside developing a more sustainable ‘cost vs training’ delivery model.”
The school has been very clear that its number one priority is to nurture all current students, ensuring they complete their courses successfully and with the top-notch training they were promised when joining, and for which BOVTS is renowned. The school is working closely with the University of West England, their degree-validating body, to make sure this happens.
Despite the challenges it faces, BOVTS continues to radiate optimism and promote accessibility to the arts for Bristol and beyond. A distinctive fleet of Postgraduate and Short or Part-Time courses still attract talented and committed individuals from across the country. The hugely successful Young Artists and Young Conservatoire sessions will still be able to provide affordable opportunities for children aged 4-18 in our local community to become skilled communicators, storytellers and confident, empathetic young people.
Zoe Mackinnon has been working behind the scenes at well-known arts venues such as the Southwark Playhouse, Soho Theatre and Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre since graduating from the Production Arts BA (Hons) Degree in 2023.
What was your training like at BOVTS?
“Working on public productions from day one was such a great way
to get thrown into the real goings-on of a theatre production, and was the best way to learn such practical skills that carried me into the professional world.”
Can you sum up what is special about BOVTS?
“One of the real draws for me was the variety of theatres and site-specific venues across Bristol we got to work in. However, I think the most special thing is the relationship between the students and teachers. They care so much about the success of their students and truly nurture them. Lastly, it’s actually rare these days that I do a job where there isn’t another BOVTS graduate involved in the show in some way whether that’s an actor, creative or backstage team member, which is a true testament to the level of success the school has.”
BOVTS will continue to tell impactful stories and change lives through more than a dozen public theatre productions each year, in some of the most iconic creative venues across the city, such as the Bristol Old Vic and Tobacco Factory Theatre.
With some of the most affordable tickets for professional standard performances in the city, BOVTS allows young people and those from underrepresented parts of the wider Bristol community to experience live theatre.
As Kanouté says “When so much of our lives are automated, people crave connection – the performing arts should be recognised for their positive impact on our daily lives.” BOVTS certainly deserves that recognition for the countless ways it has shaped our city and the land beyond. This story certainly isn’t over – keep an eye out, Bristol, for what the next act will bring.
How can you support Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and the storytellers of tomorrow? Visit oldvic.ac.uk to find out more about tickets for public productions, short and part-time courses, youth programmes or making a donation.
Costumier Ruby Nex, a 2023 graduate from the Costume for Theatre, Film and Television BA (Hons) degree, now finds herself working consistently on film and television sets in her dream roles after an “incredibly invaluable experience” at the school. Recently, Ruby has worked as a Costume Junior on Russel T Davies’ The War Between Land and Sea.
How did you find your training at BOVTS?
“It’s one of the best courses regarding contact hours… There were 4 tutors for 20 students… BOVTS gave me not only technical skill but also stamina and determination and persistence… these skills have been so transferable…it’s given me a mentality that is pretty indestructible”
Do you believe BOVTS is a special place?
“BOVTS is an incredibly important place… it has art and creation at the forefront, and I think this is rare these days. Elsewhere, profit is put at the forefront of everything, and I think we are losing the depth of our culture because of that.”
