2020 Awardee: Kari Hall

“The Dewar Award has allowed me to pursue my dreams of going to drama school. Without this award, this would have remained a dream, thank you so much for making this my reality.”

YEAR OF AWARD: 2020
AGE AT AWARD: 20
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

Born and raised in a small town just outside of Edinburgh, Kari has always had a burning passion for the performing arts. For her, this was a safe place where she always felt free and was able to excel.

After studying her HND in Acting and Performance at New College Lanarkshire in 2019, Kari gained her place at The Bridge Theatre Training Company.

In her time away from her studies, she has worked in a full time role at the Scottish government, as well as with the Citizens Theatre Young Co on the show ‘Adrift’ where she took on the main role of ‘Cammy’. Kari particularly enjoyed working on this piece due to the themes of mental health and her advocacy on the subject.

Kari also has an interest in playwriting, and to pursue this she became part of the Traverse Theatre’s ‘Young Writers’.

After completion of her studies, Kari hopes to have strong foundations and relationships within both Scottish and London theatre. She dreams of one day working with theatre companies such as Frantic Assembly alongside writing and producing her own work, which she hopes to take to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

How the Award Helped

Kari received a Dewar Arts Award to support her studies at The Bridge Theatre Training Company in London.

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“The Dewar Award has allowed me to pursue my dreams of going to drama school. Without this award, this would have remained a dream, thank you so much for making this my reality.”

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2020 Awardee: Roisin Lavery

"I am so honoured to be chosen as a Dewar Artist. This award has allowed me to begin my Masters degree in Vocal Performance at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. It has also given me an incredible personal and professional lift as I commence my career as a young opera singer."

YEAR OF AWARD: 2020
AGE AT AWARD: 20
ARTFORMS: , ,
WEBSITE:https://www.facebook.com/rosielavery.co.uk/
 
 

Biography

Rosie Lavery is a ‘Ginger Soprano’, described by her tutor Clare Shearer at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland as ‘innately musical’ with ‘a very special soprano voice that has huge potential’.

Rosie is a Britten-Pears Young Artist 2020, has won the prestigious Governor’s Recital Prize at RCS and was Highly Commended (2nd Place) in the French Song Competition. She has performed recital programmes around Scotland, in venues such as The House of an Art Lover  and Institut Français. She has also completed a residency at the Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA) in Glasgow as one of two singers in a live art installation names ‘An Atmosphere of Joyful Contemplation’.

Following her love of contemporary music, Rosie was a soloist during RCS Plug Festival, premiering a piece by Graeme Law titled ‘This May be for the best’. She has performed all over Europe, including performances of Donizetti’s ‘L’elisir d’amore’ in the Palazzo Corsini in Florence. She has been the soprano soloist with many choirs in Glasgow, including RCS Voices, Academy of Sacred Music and Glasgow Cathedral Choir.

Rosie has been involved in various projects with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, including a radio recording of Bartok’s ‘Der Wünderbar Mandarin’. She was selected for the Associate Artist Programme at RCS, working with Karen Cargill in coachings, masterclasses and residencies.

Rosie is also the Musical Director for Sounds International Choir, and the Assistant Musical Director of the St Andrew’s Cathedral Choir. Her ambition is to perform throughout the world.

How the Award Helped

Rosie’s Award enabled her to study a Masters Degree at the RCS with her respected tutor Clare Shearer.

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"I am so honoured to be chosen as a Dewar Artist. This award has allowed me to begin my Masters degree in Vocal Performance at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. It has also given me an incredible personal and professional lift as I commence my career as a young opera singer."

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2020 Awardee: Christopher Michie

"Receiving this financial help from The Dewar Arts Awards is extremely beneficial and will inevitably allow me to flourish. Thank you so much!"

YEAR OF AWARD: 2020
AGE AT AWARD: 23
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

Christopher Michie is a Glasgow based flautist.

As a student at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Christopher received tutelage from Ruth Morley as well as taking part in numerous competitions and ensemble projects. He has been a Concerto Finalist and two-time Chamber Recital Finalist. In 2019, Christopher won the prestigious Governor’s Solo Woodwind Recital Prize and later played alongside the Scottish Chamber Orchestra’s Wind Soloists.

Christopher gained a position on the Live Music Now Scotland scheme as part of the Clark-Michie flute and harp duo, bringing live music to children with additional support needs and the elderly suffering from dementia. As well as performance, Christopher enjoys teaching and pedagogy, and regularly tutors students of all ages.

Christopher is an advocate and ambassador for fair access in the arts. As a former Transitions student at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, he believes that music should be open to everyone from all walks of life.

As an artist, Christopher’s ambition is to build a thriving portfolio career of orchestral, chamber and solo playing.

In 2020, Christopher was accepted to study a masters at the prestigious Royal College of Music in London.

How the Award Helped

Christopher received an Award to support his postgraduate studies at the Royal College of Music.

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"Receiving this financial help from The Dewar Arts Awards is extremely beneficial and will inevitably allow me to flourish. Thank you so much!"

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2019 Awardee: Alexis Tie-Gill

"The Dewar Arts Award has allowed me to develop my playing and my music without having to constantly worry about the cost. It has allowed me to broaden my horizons and have big goals for the future. I hope to become a professional musician and share my music with others."

YEAR OF AWARD: 2019
AGE AT AWARD: 13
ARTFORMS: , ,
 
 
 

Biography

Alexis Tie-Gill is a violinist and pianist. She began playing both instruments at the age of 9, and by 13 had demonstrated an exceptional talent.  She won several competitions at the Edinburgh Music Festival and was selected to play in the Junior National Youth Orchestra of Scotland for two years in a row. In the second year, she was selected as leader of the orchestra. As well as performing in many concerts, Alexis gained a distinction for her Grade 7 piano and a merit for Grade 7 violin.

In 2014 Alexis’ father passed away, and she became concerned about the costs her family incurred through her participation in music. She applied to the Dewar Arts Awards for support, to enable her to continue to develop her skills as a musician without placing a financial burden on her family.

How the Award Helped

Alexis received an Award to support her with her orchestral and tuition fees, and to purchase a new violin.

She writes;

“I am very grateful to everyone at Dewar Arts Awards…I have been able to purchase a violin which is the right size for me, which suits my playing and allows me to express myself. From the funding, I will be able to have the opportunity to lead the Junior National Youth Orchestra of Scotland and be taught privately by professional musicians who will help me to achieve my goals and become a successful musician. Dewar Arts has given me many opportunities which I never would have experienced without them.”

Since the Award

Update April 2020:

Alexis received an additional award to support her participation in Senior NYOS, RCS and summer camps for violin and piano. She achieved grade 8 on both piano and vioin whilst in her third year of senior school, was ‘Highly Commended’ for the RCS Gilbert Innes Prize for Piano, and gained Second Prize in the Kawai New Piano Stars competition (Age 14-15).

“Receiving a Dewar Arts Award has allowed me to become a more open-minded musician and to take hold of new opportunities which come my way. It has also encouraged me to have high hopes and aspirations for the future. I am grateful for the help which Dewar Arts has given me and hope that one day I will be able to give back through my music making”

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"The Dewar Arts Award has allowed me to develop my playing and my music without having to constantly worry about the cost. It has allowed me to broaden my horizons and have big goals for the future. I hope to become a professional musician and share my music with others."

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2019 Awardee: Amy Paterson

"I am so grateful to have received this award...allowing me to branch out and study at a conservatoire level, which will help me reach my goal to become a professional musician."

YEAR OF AWARD: 2019
AGE AT AWARD: 17
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

Amy is a Tenor Horn player from the small town of Campbeltown in the West of Scotland.

From a very young age, Amy demonstrated a musical maturity and ability far beyond her years. It was clear that she had a real gift for music. Much of Amy’s success as a musician has come from her determination for accuracy and her commitment to embracing all musical opportunities available to her.

Coming from a remote location meant Amy often had to travel long distances for playing opportunities. In spite of this, as a young musician she committed herself to several nights a week with a brass band as well as taking on solo and ceilidh gigs with her fiddle. She also taught younger pupils privately, being highly regarded by parents and pupils alike.

At school, she proved herself to be an asset – taking part in countless shows, concerts and community playing events. She also took the role of principle horn with the National Youth Brass Band of Scotland for several years running, and won a number of awards and solo competitions.

When receiving her Dewar Arts Award in 2019, she was the Scottish Brass solo champion and had been featured in Les Neish’s Rising Stars section in the British Bandsman magazine. She gained a place to study Tenor Horn Performance at the Royal Northern College Of Music, with her ambition being to develop her performance skills and pass on her knowledge through teaching others.

How the Award Helped

Amy’s Dewar Arts Award supported her in taking up her place to study at the Royal Northern College of Music.

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"I am so grateful to have received this award...allowing me to branch out and study at a conservatoire level, which will help me reach my goal to become a professional musician."

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2019 Awardee: Ciaran Roberts-Osterberg

"I cannot express how amazing it feels to be a Dewar Artist, and how grateful I am for the award...I would not be able to take up my place at Berklee if it wasn’t for the help that Dewar has so graciously given me."

YEAR OF AWARD: 2019
AGE AT AWARD: 18
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

Ciaran is a multi-instrumentalist from Dundee, who started taking lessons on the drums, piano and vocals at school as a way to cope with bullying from his classmates. Ciaran is autistic, which presents challenges for him in everyday life (such as social interactions, mental processing and understanding how other people think). However, music is something that comes very easily to him, and in which he has been able to flourish.

Having studied jazz and improvisation since the age of 15, Ciaran was inspired by greats such as Ella Fitzgerald, Herbie Hancock, Elvin Jones and Charlie Parker.  This led him to aspire to his dream of attending Berklee College of Music and becoming a professional musician.

On achieving an offer from Berklee, Ciaran engaged in a campaign to gain the funding required to cover his studies.  He agained support and endorsement from trusts, individuals and celebrities including Curtis Stigers and five-times Grammy Award winner Antonio Sanchez.

Ciaran has achieved some major milestones, including headlining in the Dundee Jazz Festival with his Trio, performing for the US Consulate, playing at the famed Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London, and performing for the Royal Family at Windsor Castle. He has played with top UK musicians such as Liane Carroll, Alan Benzie, Pete Johnston, Gordon McNeil, Malcolm Edmonstone, Jules Jackson, and Rick Taylor. He has also had the opportunity to play with Grammy-winner and Berklee film scoring faculty, Claudio Ragazzi.

Ciaran hopes that his studies at Berklee will enable him to meet and have the opportunity to play with some of the best international young talent, as well as some of the music industry’s top performers.

He aims to specialise in Jazz, as well as continuing to perform in multiple genres by leading his own groups and performing with other ensembles as a “sideman”. He hopes to tour internationally, to become an accomplished composer and arranger, and also to become an educator, an autism activist and a motivational speaker.

How the Award Helped

Ciaran’s Award supported him in achieving his dream of studying at Berklee College of Music.

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"I cannot express how amazing it feels to be a Dewar Artist, and how grateful I am for the award...I would not be able to take up my place at Berklee if it wasn’t for the help that Dewar has so graciously given me."

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2019 Awardee: Frances Allen

"I hope that this creative direction, along with the industry connections that the RCA can facilitate, will be formative in my career as a Sound Artist."

YEAR OF AWARD: 2019
AGE AT AWARD: 22
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

Born in Inverness, Frances started playing the piano at the age of 6. At age 11 she took up the saxophone which then became her principal study.

After receiving a distinction in Classical saxophone, Frances went on to study Music at the Reid School of Music, University of Edinburgh, in 2014. Whilst at Edinburgh, Frances studied Jazz saxophone and improvisation with Edinburgh-based saxophonist Zack Moir, and Classical saxophone with internationally renowned saxophonist Richard Ingham.

Alongside performance, Frances began to explore her compositional ideas under the tuition of Dr Gareth Williams. Improvisation heavily influenced her compositional practices and she began to experiment with the relationship between visual art and musical principles. With her work, Frances drew inspiration from a range of 20th century artists and designs.

After graduating in 2018, Frances has gone on to study her Masters in Sound Design at the Royal College of Art, in London. As part of the School of Communication, Frances is interested in bringing together music and design to explore the possibilities for immersive and interactive composition.

How the Award Helped

Frances’ Award has made is possible for her to study at the RCA and to afford the tuition fees for her Masters.

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"I hope that this creative direction, along with the industry connections that the RCA can facilitate, will be formative in my career as a Sound Artist."

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2019 Awardee: Joshua Parkhill

"The Dewar Arts Award has allowed me...to play to my full potential while studying at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland"

YEAR OF AWARD: 2019
AGE AT AWARD: 18
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

Originally from Ayr, Joshua started playing brass instruments in the Salvation Army through their learner program at the age of four. When he started high school, his grandfather gave him and old trombone out of his loft and then started teaching himself how to play it.

Towards the end of high school, he took part in the Ayrshire music festival where he won the Open Brass Category and then went on to win the Overall Best Instrumentalist. This was where he won The Elizabeth McNair Trophy, James M Clark Prize for Instrumental Music and The John R Chalmers Trophy. After spending two years at the Junior Conservatoire getting taught by Alastair Sinclair he started studying full time at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 2019 where he is taught by Lance Green on a scholarship place.

Joshua’s ambitions as a trombone player are to graduate the Royal Conservatoire and work as a freelancer in Glasgow. He has a passion for teaching and community outreach through music which he discovered while volunteering to give music lessons at the same learner’s program where he learned how to play.

How the Award Helped

Joshua’s Award helped him to make repairs to his trombone, enabling him to progress in his studies and performance.

Since the Award

Joshua was appointed the Musical Director of Brass Sounds Inverclyde in October 2021. He led them to a very impressive win in the 4th Section Scottish Championships in 2022, and followed this up with a podium position in the 3rd Section in 2023. He was also a Semi-Finalist in the European Solo Championships in Malmo, Sweden in 2023.

In 2023, Joshua graduated with a 1st Class Honours degree from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 2023. In June 2023, Joshua was appointed the new Resident Conductor of UNISON Kinneil Band.

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"The Dewar Arts Award has allowed me...to play to my full potential while studying at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland"

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2019 Awardee: Calum Moore

"The Dewar Award has allowed me to grant my degree the time and dedication it requires without having to worry about finding funds for living costs. For this, I am incredibly grateful."

YEAR OF AWARD: 2019
AGE AT AWARD: 24
ARTFORMS: , ,
 
 
 

Biography

Calum is a writer-director who applied to the Dewar Arts Awards whilst living and studying in Glasgow.

In 2018, Calum gained a first class degree in English Literature from Stirling University, specialising in Creative Writing.  As part of his dissertation at Stirling University he was able to write his first play, ‘The King’s Child’, and chose to present this in full iambic pentameter.

Through this process, Calum discovered his desire to create a series of Verse Dramas, using the same poetic imagery and witticisms as traditional Shakespearean verse but with modernised language, references and relationship dynamics (a sub-genre of ‘New Verse’). From here, Calum spent six months working to achieve an ATCL in Directing at Acting Out Drama School in Edinburgh, for which he gained a Distinction. This proved extremely helpful in achieving a place to study on the Masters in Classic & Contemporary Text at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

Calum has worked alongside Scottish Youth Theatre’s National Ensemble Project, has been an Assistant Director with Fizzgig Theatre, an ensemble member of the Dundee Troupe in the National Theatre of Scotland’s FUTUREPROOF Project, and a Free Fringe Performer with Some Kind of Theatre.  He has also served as a Theatre Teacher at the International Summer School for Teens.

How the Award Helped

Calum’s Award enable him to accept his place to study on the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland’s MA Classic & Contemporary Text Programme (MACCT) as one of only four directing students.

Since the Award

Update January 2020:

Calum writes “the course has gifted me knowledge in Acting/Directing Technique, as well as lessons in Movement, Voice and Textual Analysis. It has granted insight into my personal strengths as an artist and given me the confidence in my craft to some day join the theatre directing industry professionally. Additionally, the MAACT programme grants its directing students the chance to lead their own creative projects – including a Movement-based Ensemble Project, a Realism Unit focussing on Chekhov’s Writing, the chance to direct a full modern Contemporary Production along with the opportunity to Assistant Direct for Professionals in the field.

Significantly for my own practice and artistic aspirations, our cohort will be spending a month residency at the Globe Theatre (January 2020). This grants us the chance to learn from professionals specialising in Shakespeare and Verse Drama and is thus an opportunity of a lifetime.

My course is a full-time project, with classes and creative research tasks keeping me busy 7 days a week, and thus one I could not balance alongside extended working hours. The Dewar Award has allowed me to grant my degree the time and dedication it requires without having to worry about finding funds for living costs.
For this, I am incredibly grateful.”

Some Kind of Theatre Production of The Steampunk Tempest (2017)

Graduate in Directing from Acting Out Drama School (2019)

National Ensemble with Scottish Youth Theatre (2019)

SYT’s ‘Act of Repair’ (2019)

Futureproof | Radial (2018) from National Theatre of Scotland

Teaching with ISSFT

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"The Dewar Award has allowed me to grant my degree the time and dedication it requires without having to worry about finding funds for living costs. For this, I am incredibly grateful."

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2019 Awardee: Melek Ipek Vursavas

"Melek Ipek's award will help her learning environment and developing her piano skills. She thinks that without the support of the award, she would not have been able to attend this life-changing and beautiful experience."

YEAR OF AWARD: 2019
AGE AT AWARD: 6
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

Melek Ipek was born in Ankara, Turkey, in 2014. She grew up in a musical environment – her mother graduated from a music conservatoire and her grandfather is a musicianship manager.  Melek took her first music and rhythm classes from her family members.

When Melek was four, she began taking piano lessons.  Through this, her piano teacher discovered she had exceptional musical ability. She could easily understand rhythms and notes and proved herself to be a quick learner. Melek is very talented and enthusiastic about the piano and is ever growing in her abilities.

After her family moved to Scotland, Melek Ipek started school in Haghill Park Primary. She began learning the piano under her the tutelage of Ms Alina Horvath at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland’s Early Years Music Department. At the beginning of the 2019/2020 term, she also began attending musicianship classes at the Conservatoire.

According to her lecturer, Alina; “Melek is not only able to communicate and express herself effectively in her second language English after a few months but also the language of music. She has a great understanding of musical pitch and rhythm, and she uses her knowledge efficiently in practice.

She has highly developed motoric skills with great muscular hands supporting her sensitive control over the keyboard. Her coordination skills are excellent, enabling her to put hands together easier than most of the other children at her age. Her concentration is exceedingly good, and she is confident in her performance and presence in lessons. She is not only picking up new materials rapidly on the piano, but also has a wonderful clear voice and she loves singing along with the music.

In addition to Melek’s musical qualities, she also has a positive and open personality, she is a fantastic listener and responds creatively to my ideas and suggestions. She is a self-motivated and enthusiastic child, and she is a student with high musical potential who will be able to take her talents to the next level with the support of Dewar Awards”

Melek Ipek has great promise as a pianist and aims to become a very successful musician who encourages others to get into music.

How the Award Helped

Melek Ipek’s Award supported her studies in piano at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

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"Melek Ipek's award will help her learning environment and developing her piano skills. She thinks that without the support of the award, she would not have been able to attend this life-changing and beautiful experience."

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