Newsletter Date Performing Arts
Newsletter ELEVENTH
May 2016
Issue 11
Burnmill Road
Market Harborough
Leicestershire
LE16 7JG
T: 01858 440770
F: 01858 440771
W: www.rsacademy.co.uk
ROBERT SMYTH
ACADEMY
Contributors Mrs Petersen
Mrs Routledge
Mr Hughes
Mrs Parsons
Keith Allott
Shannon Bedford
Layout Mr Wells
Editor Mr Atkins
“If people knew how hard I had to work to gain my mastery, it would not seem
so wonderful at all.” - Michelangelo Students in the faculty will know exactly what Michelangelo was talking about because
they have been putting the finishing touches to their wonderful compositions,
performances, devised pieces, recordings and choreography for GCSE, AS and A2 level
work. There’s been an incredible creative buzz around the faculty as students have
been completing outstanding pieces of work that some have been working on for 9
months. A massive thank you to all Performing Arts teaching staff for helping students
realise their creativity this past term.
Amongst all of this hard work there has been the usual array of concerts, competitions,
performances inside and outside of the academy, showcases and successes that you
will read about within the pages of our crammed eleventh newsletter.
We are lucky at Robert Smyth that we have a leadership team who fully support both
curricular and extra-curricular activities in the creative arts. Other schools however, are
not so fortunate. You may be aware of the government’s determination to push through
legislation which means that schools will also now be graded on results in just the
Ebacc subjects, as well as attainment and Progress 8 measures. The creative subjects
are not included in the Ebacc list and therefore creative subjects are at risk in our
schools. The Ebacc measure will again be debated in parliament on 4th July 2016, so
please write to your local MP to ensure he gets involved in keeping creative subjects in
our schools. Please visit www.baccforthefuture.com for more information.
It’s also the end of an era for this Performing Arts Newsletter. Our proud sponsors
‘The deal Marketing Company’ will no longer be sponsoring this newsletter and the
faculty from the end of this academic year. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank
Mr and Mrs Campbell and everyone at ‘The Ideal Marketing Company’ for their kind
sponsorship and help throughout the three years they have sponsored us. We are
therefore on the look-out for a new sponsor to help ensure this newsletter can be
printed every term. If any company is interested or would like to know more about
sponsoring us, then please email me directly on [email protected] I look
forward to hearing from you.
Jess wins ‘Young Person of
the Year’ award
Year 10 drama student, Jess O’Brien, has been
making films for a few years and you can read
about her latest success at BAFTA in this
newsletter. Last month however saw Jess nominat-
ed by local filmmaker, Keith Allott, for Leicester’s
Lord Lieutenant’s award. Jess had already won the
category for ‘Young Artist of the Year’ after her film
‘Coping’ reduced the judging panel to tears, but she
was then named as the overall winner as ‘Young
Person of the Year’! A fantastic and well deserved
achievement. Well done, Jess!
Page 2 Performing Arts Newsletter ELEVENTH EDITION 2016
Gold for the Big Band in Nationals Mr and Mrs Nicholson, parents of Year 13 drummer Jonny Nicholson, came as parent helpers on the Big Band trip
to the NCBF in the Easter holidays. Mr Nicholson has written this article about the event. We are very grateful for
his contribution to this newsletter and hope more parents will be encouraged to come on trips and write articles for
future newsletters:
Young people and teachers: both seem to get a bad press these days.
So, early one Saturday morning, I began to wonder how I’d managed
to allow myself to volunteer, as a parent helper, for a school trip.
Surely there are better ways to spend the first full day of a weekend,
especially one still in the school Easter holidays. And what was the
teacher thinking? Could this be more important than a well-earned
rest before term got underway again?
The National Concert Band Festival (NCBF) has been running for over 30 years and has grown to
include 120 bands representing 5,000 players, who all start their journey in five Regional Festivals in
England and Scotland. From there the best bands go forward to the two-day National Festival with al-
most 2,500 participants and 1,000 supporters in attendance – the
largest gathering of wind musicians in the UK. The Robert Smyth Academy
Big Band had reached the 2016 final at the Royal Northern College of
Music in Manchester through the Midlands qualifying Festival in
November last year. With such stiff competition from more than 20
schools on the Saturday alone, how would the 17 young musicians fare?
After the three-hour coach journey the band had time to settle in, grab
some food and get set up in their practice room. Mind you, snaking our
way along corridors, up and down stairs, across food halls with
instruments aloft, somehow the line got broken and the two halves of the
band ended up in different places! But this band had spirit, grit,
determination and high expectations. Directed by the able Helle Petersen,
they soon settled into their stride as they worked through their three
numbers ahead of their main stage appearance in the early afternoon.
In jazz music, so I learnt, the rhythm section is particularly important, providing the rhythmic reference
for the rest of the band. So, no pressure then for Taylor Burton on keyboard, Jacob Bentley on bass,
Jake Cartwright on electric guitar and Lyle Burton and Jonny Nicholson on drums / percussion. The
question was how well they ably accompanied the rest of the instrumentalists – with their trumpets,
saxophones, trombones and flutes. What made the Festival different this year was the way feedback
was provided. After their performances before an
appreciative audience, one of the two
adjudicators, both distinguished personalities
from the world of jazz, got onto the stage. He
provided what can only be described as a
masterclass, getting the band to re-run one of
their numbers and highlighting areas for
improvement. At times it bordered on the cruel,
but this Festival was about people moving to the
top of their musical game, so standards were
high. By late afternoon the drama moved to the
presentation of awards on the Upper Concourse where hordes of students gathered to hear their fate.
It was with a mixture of relief and delight that Taylor Burton and Jacob Cartwright collected the Gold
Award on behalf of The Robert Smyth Academy Big Band. Throughout the day the students were a
credit to their school, their teacher and their parents. They are clearly a talented bunch who will go on
to greater things in the field of music – whether as a hobby, to study or a career. If you are a parent
reading this, then I’d highly recommend you take time out of your busy schedule to go as a parent
helper on any one of the many academy music trips run from the school. You won’t be disappointed.
Mr Nicholson
Page 3 Performing Arts Newsletter ELEVENTH EDITION 2016
Lord of the Flies On Thursday 11th February the AS and A2 drama classes went en masse to the Curve Theatre,
Leicester to see William Golding's classic (adapted for the stage by Nigel Williams) Lord of the
Flie’s. Produced by Regent Park Theatre Company, this show has been touring since 2015 to sell out
audiences in theatres across the country. This was truly an impressive production with a strong male
cast and superb design elements. The show featured parts of a plane, violence and real fire. A really
impressive performance that gives our AS and A2 classes LOTS to write about for their Live Theatre
Review exam in May.
Spring Concert 2016 On Wednesday 23rd March we staged our annual Spring Concert to a packed hall. The concert
featured A level Music soloists as well all the academy ensembles: String
Ensemble, Brass Ensemble, Year 10-12 Flute Ensemble, Year 13 Flute
Quartet, Saxophone Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, Versatile Voices
Choir, Folk Group, Big Band, Jazz Band and Soul Patrol. In addition year 13
violinist Emily Newlyn gave a mesmerizing performance from memory of
Josef Suk’s ‘Appassionato’ from ‘Four Pieces for Violin and Piano, Opus
17’. Our other 6th form soloist was year 12 vocalist Ellie Boxall, who
performed a cover of Adele’s ‘When We Were Young’ very
convincingly accompanied by rhythm section and strings in an arrangement
by AS Music student Madeleine Oakland.
In the second half the Versatile Voices Choir put on a memorable
performance of the traditional spiritual ‘Steel Away’, arranged by Mark
De-Lisser, featuring year 11 GCSE Music students Amirah Bobat, Lola Pap
and Bronwen Herman as soloists. At the end of the second half Soul Patrol
showcased three of their new and original songs written for the Music for
Youth Festival recently.
GCSE Dance Moderation Well done to all year 11 GCSE dance students for performing in their practical moderation on Monday
April 18th. All students performed work to a visiting AQA moderator and she was very pleased with the
standard of work being shown.
Some really outstanding results were achieved…..now onto the written paper!!!
Page 4 Performing Arts Newsletter ELEVENTH EDITION 2016
Piano Workshop with a Concert Pianist
Richard Meyrick, an internationally acclaimed virtuoso pianist, visited Robert Smyth Academy on
Wednesday 23rd February to give a two hour piano workshop to a group of GCSE and A level music
students. Richard studied at the Royal College of
Music and made his concert debut at the
Wigmore Hall while still a student. This was
followed by a live televised performance of
Brahms’ Piano Concerto No.2 conducted by Sir
Adrian Boult. Throughout his career he has
given many concerts with leading orchestras
throughout the world and also recorded
Beethoven’s five Piano Concerti and the
complete Chopin Nocturnes.
This piano workshop was part of a national
programme entitled Pianoman set up in 2004 to
encourage and nurture talented young pianists.
The programme, sponsored by Sir Harvey and Lady Allison McGrath, has enabled
Richard to visit over 400 schools in the UK over the past 12 years. This is the fifth time since 2004
that Robert Smyth has been lucky enough to benefit from one of Richard’s workshops.
Five pianists from years 10 to 13 performed in the workshop with many more GCSE and A level music
students watching. At the start Richard gave an impressive performance on the piano and then each
of the five players performed a short piece, with difficulty ranging from Grade V to VIII. After
each performance Richard gave feedback to the student pianist, providing advice on a range of
playing techniques.
Richard also posed challenging questions to the students about their interpretations of the music and
how they should approach playing every piece. He helped both those performing and those watching
to see that it is important to consider why the composer wrote the music in a certain way, why it’s im-
portant to remain faithful to the composer’s instructions and intentions whilst still showing your own
personal interpretation of the music. Richard gave the students invaluable advice and help which
made it an inspiring and unforgettable experience for everyone involved.
A-Level Musicians Put On Public Recital
On Monday 9th May three of the eighteen students studying A level Music at RSA gave a lunchtime
recital open to the general public at the Methodist Church in Northampton Road. The three
performers were: Emily Newlyn (violin), Joe Horspool
(trombone), and Georgia Whittle (soprano) accompanied by
our peripatetic piano teacher Nicholas Scott-Burt.
Emily and Joe both performed their full A level recital
programme, lasting 12-15 minutes and consisting of four
contrasting pieces with a theme. Emily’s violin recital
focused on music by Eastern European composers whilst
Joe’s trombone recital featured Romantic music. Vocalist
Georgia Whittle had already recorded her A level recital at the
academy the previous month, the theme of which was
musical theatre songs through time, so she performed just
the final song from her recital. The recital constitutes the
performance coursework element of the A level music course
and counts for 30% of the A2 year and 15% of the overall A
level. All three students performed exceptionally well and to a
very high standard reaching the top A*/A grade band for the A level performance unit. The concert
was very well attended by family, friends, students, staff, governors as well as people from the
general public.
Page 5 Performing Arts Newsletter ELEVENTH EDITION 2016
GCSE Concert VIII The Max staging was up in its familiar pattern, the chairs were all laid out, the lighting was simple yet
effective and the sound equipment was all working to begin with; it could only mean one thing. The
second GCSE Music Concert of the year was about to happen and, oh boy, was it eventful!
We had 21 different acts performing on the evening and we crammed it all in to under two hours!
The quality of the performances, as always, was superb and we had styles ranging from Britpop, and
acoustic, to musical songs, jazzy flute pieces to Cello concertos.
Notable stand out performances were:
Mae Dudley was on top form producing two stunning vocal performances.
Adam Pugh also delivered another tenor masterclass by blasting out a Billy Joel classic
accompanied by our very own Mrs Petersen.
Sejal Assan once again wowed everyone with a lovely flute piece.
We had two class performances from the same year 10 AQA class. The class was split in half
with one half performing ‘Don’t look back in anger’ and the other half performing ‘Wonderwall’
giving the evening an Oasis sandwich as one group started the concert and the other group
ended it. Considering we gave them only ten days to get this together, it was a really great
performance.
Lola Pap, Bronwen Herdman and Amirah Bobat all produced their usual high standard of
exquisite vocal solos.
Bronwen and Lola even teamed up
with Daryanne Scott to produce a
superb three part harmony
performance of ‘Wherever you will go’,
much to the crowd’s delight!
Daryanne performed ‘Fast Car’
accompanied by Charles Witcombe,
and it was a great interpretation of the
classic by Tracy Chapman.
Z o e B a t e s
performed her very
first public solo performance on her flute.
Lachlan Lindsay left the crowd wanting more after Mrs Petersen had finally
persuaded him to perform a ‘cello solo in a GCSE Concert. Lachlan’s touch, into-
nation, use of vibrato and allround excellent musicianship was on display as he
played an ‘Andantino’ movement from a Romantic period ‘cello Concerto,
accompanied by his mother, Jane Parker.
The night was full of technical faults, which we’ve never had on such a scale in
over twelve years of doing concerts at Robert Smyth, so unfortunately some acts
weren’t quite as confident as they could have been, as mics, amps and cables
all broke seemingly at random. But that’s the nature of the GCSE Music Concert
and live music in general; it does and can happen like that at times, but our
students coped with it all admirably and with professionalism.
Of Mice & Men On Friday 4th March, AS and A2 students took a trip to the Nottingham Theatre Royal to watch the
play Of Mice and Men. The actors who played George and Lenny were absolutely mesmerising and
the use of live music contributed to the tension and narrative of the play. The set design was
particularly impressive, with a large crack across the stage representing the river and the cracks in
Lenny's mental state. The addition of an adorable dog on stage helped engage our students.
Page 6 Performing Arts Newsletter ELEVENTH EDITION 2016
Where is Shannon now? Ex-student Shannon Bedford has sent us this update on what she’s been up to since finishing her A
levels at RSA in 2010:
In 2010 I was lucky enough to be accepted onto the
Vocal Performance Higher Diploma Course at The
Academy of Contemporary Music in Guildford. I packed
my bags and headed down but in all honesty I had no
idea what was awaiting me. I was very nervous, wasn’t
sure if people would like me, nor if I was actually any
good at this singing thing. So on my first day I told
myself to “man up” and make the 45-minute walk into
Guildford for my first lecture. As the year progressed I
made some lifetime friends in fellow students and
lecturers and learnt so much about vocal performance,
health and technique. Then my first exam came. I forgot
all my scales and cried in my exam because although I was finally feeling confident in myself, I’d
forgotten it all under pressure. I was thinking about giving it all up, but I didn’t. I thought “Shannon,
you are here for a reason, and you would not have got through the audition process if ACM didn’t
think there was some potential in you”. I then took it upon myself to practise for at least five hours a
day, studying sight reading, theory, vocal technique, performance and learning repertoire.
At the end of my Higher Diploma Course I left with a Distinction in my final exam and a Merit for the
course over all. I also left with the “Most Outstanding Vocalist” Award. With this Merit I successfully
gained a place on the two year vocal degree course. This was a huge step up from the higher diploma
with exams every three weeks in vocal performance and theory and I had also got myself a Saturday
job teaching four students. On the degree we looked into music business, theory, technique and
performance in much more detail. Half way through the degree I ended up with three full days of
teaching. Having 30 students a week and writing a dissertation and a specialised project, with a few
backing vocal gigs scattered here and there, was a lot of work. My dissertation was about “Tool,
Techniques and Temperament of a Backing Vocalist” and for this I had to interview some of the
industry’s top backing vocalists and session fixers. I’d also successfully auditioned for the ACM
Gospel Choir; some of these vocalists are at the top of the game in the session industry working with
Jess Glynn, Seal and Peter Andre. The choir themselves were the runners-up in the 2008 BBC 1 TV
series ‘Last Choir Standing’, which then led onto numbers of artist sessions and TV appearances, not
to mention the choir for ‘Coronation Street The Musical’. With ACMGC I have worked with Mavrick
Sabre at The O2 Arena, performed at The Olympics and Paralympics, The Natural History Museum,
and The Royal Albert Hall working with the likes of Jimmy Carr and Billy Connolly. In 2013 I had the
privilege of doing Backing Vocals for Pixie Lott at a private event, which was good fun. I learnt a lot
about how to work with an artist and it basically boils down to: don’t ask questions but just smile and
do your job, know your parts and record everything!
Since I left ACM in 2013 with my First Class Honours degree in vocal performance I have gone on to
run a successful function band call “The Beat Freaks” (check us out on Youtube!). We have played at
weddings, parties and corporate events across the country and Europe, even playing at Wembley
Stadium for the England vs Estonia game. I teach singing to 40 students a week in a number of
Wipers The final AS/A2 Drama trip took place on Friday 15th April 2016 to the Curve Theatre. This was to
see a new piece of writing by Ishy Din called ‘Wipers’. The production was based around the true sto-
ry of Asian soldier Khudadad Khan. Set in a barn, the narrative followed four soldiers coming togeth-
er in World War One to survive the night. The set was very impressive with lots of lights and sounds to
bring us into the warfare setting. Fancy tricks included live cooking of dhal on stage and cued drip-
ping water. This was a well written, naturalistic piece of theatre with some lovely comedy moments.
Page 7 Performing Arts Newsletter ELEVENTH EDITION 2016
Soul Patrol Headlining School Games National Finals Following submission of an audition DVD of three original songs written by Year 13 students Taylor
Burton, Jake Cartwright and Georgia Whittle, Soul Patrol have been selected by the YST (Youth Sports
Trust) Factor to perform at the Closing Ceremony of the 2016 School Games National Finals. This will
take place on Sunday 4 September at 3.45 pm at Loughborough University in front of 2,500 specta-
tors. On the panel of judges were Youth Sport Trust ambassador and former Pussycat Doll Kimberly
Wyatt, Bounce from Flawless and Lizzie Gough from Alesha Dixon’s Street Stars.
The School Games National Finals brings together 1,600 of the UK's best young athletes for four days
of sporting competition. Many Olympians and Paralympians hoping to head to Rio this year have com-
peted in previous School Games including Dina Asher-Smith, Jonnie Peacock, Adam Peaty, Ellie Sim-
monds and Hannah Cockroft. The School Games National Finals are supported by a range of partners
including the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Sport England, the Youth Sport Trust, Depart-
ment of Health and the British Paralympic Association.
Youth Sport Trust Director of External Relations, Phil Chamberlain, said: "The School Games National
Finals are a huge event that gives a true taste of high-level multi-sport competition to the UK's best
school-aged competitors. It has the feel of a mini-Olympic and Paralympic Games and as such the YST
Factor offers an excellent opportunity for young talented performance artists to realise their dreams
in front of a large audience.”
Many congratulations to all members of Soul Patrol on being selected to headline at this event!
schools across Surrey and Hampshire and lead two school choirs. I am
still a vocalist with The ACM Gospel Choir and love performing with them.
I am growing both the teaching and function band businesses as well as
working with different bands and vocalists all the time.
I think it is important never to stop trying to improve yourself as a
musician because as soon as you stop learning someone else who has
the drive will take the job from you. It is also important to know that if you
don’t get the job/audition then that job wasn’t the right one for you and if
you keep practising and honing your skills the right one will come along
and be better than the one you originally went for. I don’t know if I will be
doing music in 10 years’ time but I do know that I will look back and
think how lucky I was to have the opportunities given to me. From being
Jesus in the Year 4 school play, to being in competitions with school choirs, to meeting Debbie Smith,
my singing teacher for about 10 years and having the RSA music department and the RSA soul band
‘Soul Patrol’…without those stepping stones I would not be the vocalist I am today.
Shannon Bedford
Where is Shannon now? (continued)
RSA awarded ISM Bronze Music certificate RSA has been awarded the Incorporated Society of Musicians’ Bronze certificate in GCSE music in
recognition of its high percentage of students taking GCSE Music and achieving
A*-C grades in the summer of 2015. Across England, 3066 schools (including
private and state schools) entered students for GCSE Music in 2015 and RSA
were in the top 20% of these schools in that more than 10% of our entire Year
11 cohort were entered for GCSE Music and achieved an A*- C.
RSA are very proud to have been awarded this accolade. Music students at
Robert Smyth have long achieved the highest grades with over 90% A*-C pass
rate year on year. Our high uptake of more than 10% of the cohort in this subject
at GCSE, compared to the national average of 6.8 %, has enabled us to gain na-
tional recognition for this. Hundreds of students across the school are involved
in musical clubs, ensembles and concerts on a regular basis, and we look for-
ward to even more of them furthering their learning in music through taking GCSE and A Level in the
future.
Page 8 Performing Arts Newsletter ELEVENTH EDITION 2016
Awards for Young Musicians Applications are now invited for awards of up to £2,000. AYM believe that all talented young people
deserve the chance to progress in their music making. That’s why they’re awarding up to £100,000 in
grants in 2016 to exceptional young instrumentalists aged 5-17 in need of support, as well as
receiving flexible funding towards the costs of their musical development. Award winners will benefit
from individually tailored support, which may comprise mentoring, workshops and master classes
with professional musicians, the chance to observe rehearsals with professional orchestras and other
musical partners, and performance opportunities.
For info and to apply for a 2016 Award visit http://www.a-y-m.org/how-wehelp/awards
The Odyssey On Thursday 10th March, the AS and A2 classes went to Nottingham Arts Theatre to watch Splendid
Productions version of The Odyssey. Entering the theatre, we were greeted by the three old men of
the sea, kitted out with knitted beards and walking sticks. During the pre-show they spoke with the
audience, greeted arrivals and gave out jobs. Evangeline (re-named Angel by the performers) was
given the title of Map Reader and was asked to follow the map throughout the performance. The
performance began and everyone was super impressed by the talent of the cast especially when
multi-rolling. The three women transitioned seamlessly from one role to another and everyone was
overwhelmed by Kerry Frampton's transitions, particularly that of Penelope. Joe was then called up
on stage to take part in an obstacle course. He was kitted out in googles, a sparkly shower cap and
poncho ready to take on the obstacles. The show was very funny and embedded with Brechtian
techniques. This show had it all and was a classic Splendid production.
Showcase Sixteen Well done to all dancers who were involved in the annual RSA Dance show “Showcase Sixteen”. The
evening of dance was held on Tuesday April 12th at 7pm in the Max Studio. Parents, teachers and
friends attended to support our talented students who were performing their exam pieces and
classwork. Year 10 dancers showcased their own solo and duet work and Year 11 dancers had the
opportunity to perform their practical dance pieces to a live audience before their moderation on
Monday 18th April. Arts Award students were also able to show their dance pieces while Megan
Ferguson performed a stunning solo. All dancers shone on the night so congratulations!! Check out
more photos on the RSA and Performing Arts Websites.
Page 9 Performing Arts Newsletter ELEVENTH EDITION 2016
Piano Flute
Hannah Appleton Grade 6 Distinction Hannah Mance Grade 6 Merit
Vicky Yarnold Grade 4 Distinction Drum kit
Kim Jeffs Grade 3 Merit Matt Hicks Grade 4 Pass
Practical & Theory Grade Exam Passes
Congratulations to the following students who passed their grade exams last term. This information has been
provided by peripatetic teachers, parents and students. For inclusion in future newsletters details of exam passes can be
emailed to [email protected].
An Inspector Calls On Friday 18th March, the AS and A2 drama classes went to the Curve Theatre to see The National
Theatre's critically acclaimed production of ‘An Inspector Calls’. It was a visually spectacular
production with first class performances from all of the actors, including the young boy who featured
as a younger version of the Inspector himself. The design elements were fantastic with smoke, rain
and a moving house, all of which added to the theatricality of the show. They captured the essence of
the play beautifully with lots of references to film noir. Another great show to write about in the final
exam!
RSA Dance Company performing at Curve The Robert Smyth Academy student dance company was selected to perform at Curve Theatre as part
of U. Dance 2016 on Sunday 7th February.
There are five county platforms that present
high quality exceptional dance and the RSA
Dance Company was successful in their
audition and was chosen to perform at “Mass
Movement” in the Leicestershire and Rutland
platform. Dance4 are working in partnership
with DanceXchange and Youth Dance England
to support young people to progress in dance.
The company was thrilled to be chosen to per-
form as the selection process is very selective
with only 12 places available. The piece per-
formed was called Yan Tu – In a State of Mo-
tion and it explored movement as a
continuous state of motion, as fluid and continuous as breathing. The company dancers investigated
duet work and they assisted in devising the piece. The beautiful music was composed by the very
talented A level student Taylor Burton and really enhanced the dancers’ actions and the mood of the
piece. It was an amazing opportunity for the students to perform at Curve as it developed both
performance skills as well as confidence. Well done to Charlie Tatman, Izzy Blount, Beth Lucyszyn,
Helen Spacie, Lottie Edwards, Alice Benstead, Lydia Smith and Anna Cadwallader.
Upper Sixth Leavers’ Concert The annual Upper Sixth Leavers’ Concert will take place on Friday 20th May at 7.00 pm in The Max. It
will feature many Year 13s student performing solos, duets and group items in a range of styles from
the pop, rock, jazz and classical genres. Emily Newlyn will also be performing a movement from
Mozart’s Violin Concert No.3 with the RSA Orchestra. Soul Patrol, the RSA Big Band and Yr 13 Flute
Quartet will also feature as these groups have a lot of Year 13 members. The concert is for anyone to
come and watch. Tickets are available from Student Services and are priced at £5 adults and £3
Under 19s. They are limited to 120 so please purchase in advance to avoid disappointment.
Page 10 Performing Arts Newsletter ELEVENTH EDITION 2016
Jess Receives National ‘INTO FILM’ Award Robert Smyth drama student Jess O’Brien has been named as one of national film organisation Into
Film’s ‘Ones to Watch 2016’ for her
excellence in film production. Jess
attended BAFTA, the Odeon Cinema in
Leicester Square and Planet Hollywood as
part of the honour given to only three
young filmmakers in the country. Into Film
is an organisation established by leading
film education charities First Light and
FILMCLUB to inspire young people aged
5-19 across the UK to learn through and
about film, working with the education
sector and film industry. The glittering
award ceremony will shine a spotlight on
the achievements of young filmmakers
from across the UK. During the March 15th awards, Jess was invited to a special careers session at BAFTA led by their
Director of Learning, Tim Hunter, after which she accepted her award at the Odeon Cinema in
Leicester Square, delivering an acceptance speech to the full house before photographs with the
celebrity presenters and interviews with news and films crews. The day concluded with an aftershow
party at Planet Hollywood. Upon receiving the award Jess said “I was speechless when I heard. A few years ago if someone had
told me I would be going to meet BAFTA executives and accept an award for filmmaking I would never
have believed them!” Jess, who also attends the Pauline Quirke Performing Arts Academy, has been
awarded in particular for the work on her film ‘Coping’. Written, acted and directed when she was
thirteen, the film features three of her friends Yasmin Allen, April Hancox and David Knight and looks
at how a young girl recovers from the death of her two best friends. After completing ‘Coping’ Jess showed great initiative by organising a premiere screening at the
Phoenix Cinema attended by 100 guests. She then entered the film into festivals across the world. To
this point, ‘Coping’ has been selected for five film festivals including the Olympia Film Festival in
Greece and the Adelaide Kids Film Festival in Australia. Talking about her passion for filmmaking Jess said, “I love to make films that make people think, that
leave them working things out and maybe even create their own
ending. The idea of stories being metaphorical interests me as it leaves
people to have their own view on what the film is about.” Jess was nominated by her film teacher at PQA and filmmaker at
Badshoes Film, Keith Allott who said, “Jess is an exceptional talent in
all areas of film. She is a gifted filmmaker and actor and
combines that with great determination and a desire to learn. She is
currently discovering film editing and showing a real flair for that too.
This is a thoroughly well-deserved award for a bright talent.” Jess has
just completed production on her latest film ‘Hinterland’ featuring
young actors Jacq Ardron and Tyler Dunnan and will be organising
another screening in Leicester later this year, “This film looks at the
consequences of people’s decisions and how we take responsibility for
them. It’s quite an experimental film and definitely something different
to ‘Coping’ but I like to challenge myself while exploring different aspects of film and trying my hand at different types of film and
genres.” Coping can be viewed online on Vimeo via the following link: https://
vimeo.com/133246319
Page 11 Performing Arts Newsletter ELEVENTH EDITION 2016
Performing Arts Clubs - Spring Term 2016 Monday
GCSE DANCE DROP-IN
10.25-10.45 The Max Mrs Routledge
FLUTE QUARTET 1.00-1.30 Music Block Kate Cartwright
STRING
ENSEMBLE 1.00 – 1.30 Music Block Mike Shaw
RSA DANCE COMPANY
1.00 – 1.30 The Max Mrs Routledge
Tuesday SAX
ENSEMBLE 10.30 – 11.00 Music Block Francine Warner
COMEDY CLUB 12.45 – 1.30 Hammond Studio Chris Wells
ORCHESTRA 1.00 – 1.30 Music Block Mrs Petersen
JAZZ BAND 3.15 – 5.00 Music Block Mrs Petersen
Wednesday VERSATILE
VOICES (choir) 1.00 – 1.30 Music Block Debbie Smith
Thursday FLUTE CHOIR (Years 10 - 12)
10.30 – 11.00 Music Block Kate Cartwright
GCSE MUSIC
DROP-IN 1.00 – 1.30 Music Block Mr Hughes
BIG BAND 1.00 – 1.30 Music Block Mrs Petersen
FOLK GROUP 1.00 – 1.30 Music Block 6th form student led
Friday PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE
10.30 – 11.00 Music Block Darron McHarg
BRASS ENSEMBLE 1.00 – 1.30 Music Block John Gornall
GRADE 5 MUSIC
THEORY 1.00 – 1.30 Music Block Mrs Petersen
SOUL PATROL 3.15 – 5.00 Music Block Mrs Petersen
COMEDY CLUB 3.15 – 4.20 Hammond Studio Chris Wells
Audition/selection is only for Soul Patrol, Big Band, and The Dance Company. To join any of the other groups simply turn up at the next rehearsal.
VAT off Instruments Students who wish to purchase a new musical instrument for use with their musical studies in the
academy can take advantage of the scheme offered where the cost of purchasing the instrument will
not include VAT. Students have to purchase the instrument through the academy and a form must be completed and
signed by authorised Academy staff before purchasing the instrument. No VAT refunds can be given
retrospectively. Further details and an application form can be downloaded from the academy web-
site under ‘Parents’ -> ‘Letters home’ or contact Mrs Petersen for more details.
Burnmill Road
Market Harborough
Leicestershire
LE16 7JG
T: 01858 440770
F: 01858 440771
W: www.rsacademy.co.uk
ROBERT SMYTH
ACADEMY
Performing Arts Events Calendar 2016
SUMMER TERM
Friday 20th May – 7.00 pm
RSA Year 13 Leavers’ Concert
Venue: The Max, Robert Smyth Academy
Saturday 21st May – 7.30 pm
Trip to see Leicester Symphony Orchestra
Venue: De Montfort Hall, Leicester
Saturday 25th June
DO-GOODERY
Venue: The Max, Robert Smyth Academy
Friday 1st July to Thursday 7th July
Music Tour to Barcelona for
RSA Jazz Band, Big Band & Soul Patrol
Friday 8th July
Big Band in Music for Youth National Festival
Venue: Town Hall, Birmingham
Visit us online: http://www.rsacademy.co.uk
Our Proud Sponsors
Grants for musical instrument purchase The EMI Music Soundfoundation offer grants to students in full time education
to fund musical instrument/equipment purchase. In the past several RSA
students have been successful in applying for funding. The foundation accept
applications twice a year and the deadline for the next round is at the
beginning of September 2016. For full details of the scheme and to download
an application form please visit www.emimusicsoundfoundation.com.
Addendum In the January newsletter Emily Newlyn had written an article about the Leices-
ter Schools’ Symphony orchestra performance at the Schools’ Proms at the
Royal Albert Hall back in November 2015. We would just like to acknowledge
the names of all the RSA students who took part in this performance, as there
were four violinists: Emily Newlyn, James Hammond, Mark Shuttleworth and
Madeleine Oakland.