2019 Awardee: Jennifer Bruce

"Receiving this award has allowed me to study at my dream school Bird College...This truly does mean the world to me"

YEAR OF AWARD: 2019
AGE AT AWARD: 19
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

Jennifer became interested in the performing arts from a young age and began dance lessons when she was 5.  While at high school, she sought out additional opportunities to build her dance/performance skill set, and in 2014 successfully auditioned for the Scottish Ballet Youth Exchange with Singapore School of the Arts.

Continuing to improve her skills, Jennifer gained a place in the National Youth Dance Company of Scotland. This  allowed her to find her own artistry and confidence with improvisation, as well as performing internationally. Jennifer performed in India for the International Dance Bridges Festival, Australia with Yellowwheel Dance Company, and Groupe Grenade in Marseille, France.

Jennifer also expressed an interest in musical theatre, and in 2013 she had chance to perform as part of the Tom Daniels Musicals ensemble in Scotland’s Young Variety Show, followed by their annual musical production and Christmas show. She continued with singing lessons and annual showcases.

In June 2019, Jennifer completed her HND Dance Artists from Glasgow Clyde College. She went on to gain a place on the BA (Hons) in Professional Dance and Musical Theatre at Bird College, one of the top schools in the UK to study the performing arts. This brought her another step closer to her dream of being a professional performer.

Jennifer loves the freedom of expression and escapism that performance provides, allowing her ‘to be anyone, anywhere at any time’ and share this with an audience.

How the Award Helped

Jennifer received a Dewar Arts Award to support her studies at Bird College, as well as helping her to buy necessary equipment including character shoes for singing and musical theatre classes, pointe shoes for ballet, and additional uniform and study materials.

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"Receiving this award has allowed me to study at my dream school Bird College...This truly does mean the world to me"

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2019 Awardee: Irina Vartopeanu

"For this award you offered me, which gives me great support, I am very grateful. My studying has helped me to develop my learning, commitment and ambition in theatre and film and has also encouraged me in developing my own ideas for making work in the future."

YEAR OF AWARD: 2019
AGE AT AWARD: 29
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
TWITTER: https://www.twitter.com/vartopeanuirina

Biography

Irina is a performer from Romania who moved to Glasgow to study a BA Performance in BSL and English at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

In her home country, Irina toured and appeared on television as part of No Limits dance group. The group reached the 2012 final of Romania’s Got Talent.  Irina also worked with Catalin Baicus on a production of ‘Dance or Die’.  Hungry for opportunity, Irina felt frustrated by a lack of support for deaf performers.

When taking part in the Solar Bear’s Connect and Collaborate initiative with the Beethoven School in Craiova, Irina met Mark Stevenson, a lecturer at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. He was impressed by her capacity as a performer and encouraged her to apply for a place to study at the Conservatoire in Glasgow.

Irina’s theatre credits include ‘Glory on Earth’ (RCS), ‘August: Osage County’ (RCS), ‘Sonder’ (RCS), ‘The Gashtlycrumb Tinies’ (RCS), and ‘Heartsore’ (Macrobert Art Centre).  She has also performed in film, including the RCS short film ‘Anger Management’.

How the Award Helped

Irina received a Dewar Arts Award to support her studies at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, on a specialist course for deaf performers .

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"For this award you offered me, which gives me great support, I am very grateful. My studying has helped me to develop my learning, commitment and ambition in theatre and film and has also encouraged me in developing my own ideas for making work in the future."

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2019 Awardee: Alyth Ross

“The Dewar Arts award has provided me and so many other young people with a life-changing opportunity...I’ve been able to continue my training at this exceptional institution, which is without a doubt everything I’d anticipated and more. I am extremely grateful. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.”

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

Biography

Growing up on a family farm in South West Scotland, Alyth’s introduction to acting came not from exposure to theatre, but from her granddad’s love of poetry. Aged 8, she entered into her first competition armed with Roald Dahl’s ‘The Pig’, and at that point she ‘caught the storytelling bug’. She began singing and acting classes in her local area, and in search of further opportunity she applied to join the Royal Conservaoire of Scotland’s Junior Musical Theatre course in 2014.

Whilst at RCS, Alyth heard about the Dance School of Scotland’s Musical Theatre course at Knightswood. She auditioned to study there full-time during her final two years at high school, and was successful in gaining a place. At 15, Alyth showed great maturity whilst living away from home and completing her Highers alongside a full vocational training.  She also demonstrated great promise as a drama student, and took part in public performances including two shows at the Citizens Theatre (‘9 to 5’ and ‘Legally Blonde’).

Alyth enjoyed all elements of her musical theatre training, but afer winning the Drama Award in 2016 decided to focus solely on acting at drama school.  Her passion for acting alongside the skills she had developed enabled her to gain a place at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama – a prestigious institution that she’d previously only dreamed of attending.

Alyth’s goal is to continue to improve her craft and develop her passion for performing in theatre and film.

How the Award Helped

Alyth received a Dewar Arts Award to support her studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.  She writes;

“The Dewar Arts award has provided me and so many other young people with a life-changing opportunity; to achieve things I never dreamt I would. As a Scottish student from a rural background, I had never anticipated that I’d have to pay for my higher education, and so when I was first offered my place at Guildhall I almost had to turn it down due to funding. However, thanks to the incredibly generous support from Dewar Arts, I’ve been able to continue my training at this exceptional institution, which is without a doubt everything I’d anticipated and more. I am extremely grateful. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.”

Since the Award

Since graduating from Guildhall in 2021, Alyth has appeared in various TV and radio productions, including Traces, Dalgliesh, and Bad Sisters. In 2022, she landed her first major TV role in Last Light, appearing in five episodes.

In 2024, Alyth makes her professional stage debut in Rona Munro’s James V: Katherine.

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“The Dewar Arts award has provided me and so many other young people with a life-changing opportunity...I’ve been able to continue my training at this exceptional institution, which is without a doubt everything I’d anticipated and more. I am extremely grateful. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.”

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