During the final year of RBC’s BA (Hons) Acting degree, all actors have the chance to represent the school in any of the industry competitions that run throughout the year.
What is the Alan Bates Awards?
Now in its fifteenth year, The Alan Bates Award has established itself as one of the most prestigious awards for graduating actors. Every year, one winner will be the recipient of a prize package worth over £5,000 comprising of everything they need to launch their career after drama school. There are four rounds to the Alan Bates Award, each judged by a panel of established industry professionals. The award is named for Sir Alan Bates, patron of the Actors Centre from 1994 until his death in 2004.
How to be considered for the Alana Bates Award – Katie Roche
Katie Roche, Third year BA (Hons) Acting:
The first round was a self-tape round, anyone could submit as long as you were from a drama school, and graduating this year. I Thought I'd just go for it as I didn't want such an amazing opportunity to pass me by, but I didn't expect anything from it!
Myself, Josh, Eric and Timo got through to the second round which was a two-hour workshop at The Actors Centre. We did a bit of warming up and then performed a minute of a contemporary piece. There were 50 students in each group of four sessions, everyone blew me away, their pieces were so good! We had some feedback and worked in partners towards that feedback and then showed back at the end. Again, every piece was so watchable and everyone has changed their pieces to make them better!
I couldn't believe that I'd gotten through to the semi-finals, there were 22 of us all from different schools. We had a movement session in the morning with Polly Bennett, an amazing movement director, I felt so lucky to learn with her. We also had a Shakespeare session and an acting for film session. It was so good, everyone was so talented and it was really useful having feedback on our pieces as well as learning more.
I didn't get through to the final, but I wasn’t too disappointed as I didn't even expect anything after the self-tape round. I am so pleased for the actors I met that did get through, everyone was fabulous and I'd have had a hard time choosing too!
