Widening Access Initiative (Outreach) Award – Commendation
In 2015/16, RCS recruited the first cohort of D/deaf acting students to a bespoke degree that was developed over a three year period with theatre partner Solar Bear. The project is the first of its kind in the UK. In 2012, the partnership committed to establishing, at pre-HE and HE levels, responsive training programmes that would create ground-breaking opportunities for a generation of D/deaf actors, previously wholly excluded from HE. Over the three-year period, the partners explored and established pre-HE access and skills development projects and a D/deaf Theatre Apprenticeship scheme to better understand and respond to the diverse needs of the students as well as prepare the institution for a cohort of degree students with no previous representation at the Conservatoire. After two year years of practical, action research work together, the partnership launched the BA Performance in British Sign Language and English.