As part of Central’s Keep Creating Appeal, we’re speaking to students who have received Scholarships and Bursaries whilst studying at Central, to showcase the impact that these have on them, and their future careers.
Fannie Coles is a second year BA (Hons) Writing for Performance student, she spoke with us about working on her Writing for Solo Performance pieces and what she wants to explore in her work.
What are you currently working on?
We recently finished working on our Writing for Solo Performance pieces. We wrote 5 minutes pieces of theatre which we performed, all of our pieces were very different and I think they all captured us as individual writers and artists extremely well. They ranged from stand-up comedy to monologues, poetry to audio-visual performances, and lecture performance.
When I started this project, I wanted to challenge myself and do something I had never done before. We had workshops with a variety of guest lecturers, and I felt particularly inspired by our lecture-performance lecture with Clio Unger. I am on the autistic spectrum and have a strong interest in Shakespeare and his contemporaries (particularly Emilia Bassano), so being able to use a medium of performance that allowed to me talk about and explore that work felt like something I could achieve. It would allow me to experiment with a new form of performance while discussing something I am already passionate about.
You received a Scholarship or Bursary, what impact has this had on you and your studies?
My scholarship has meant that I am able to work less and focus on my studies and my social life more. I currently work at a theatre on the weekends, however, having a scholarship has meant I don’t have to work weekdays and I can take some time off to see theatre myself, so I can remain in touch with the current theatre scene in London. When I was having periods of ill mental health, I had to take some time away from work and studies. Having a scholarship meant that I could focus on getting better, rather than worrying about money, which meant I could return to studying as quickly as possible.
What would you say to those thinking of donating funds to help create Scholarships and Bursaries for Central’s students?
The funding is incredibly key to giving students from different backgrounds access to arts training. Students, like myself, from disadvantaged backgrounds, have vital, unique voices that need to be seen, heard, and appreciated. By donating funds, you are helping those students get a platform for their art.
What are you currently planning on doing after graduation?
I’m planning on continuing to write plays about psychotic illness, women’s history, and how women’s generational trauma affects the mental illness of modern women. I am developing a Shakespearean theatre company for disabled actors and creatives to explore their identity through those plays, which I plan on developing further after graduation. I am considering my options for further education, as I would like to be the first person in my family to get a MA or PhD.
What advice would you have for anyone looking to follow in your footsteps?
When I first started writing plays around 5 years ago, I really struggled to tell if my writing was good. I was very self-conscious about my writing, however, the best piece of advice I got was to write everything, even if it’s bad, and let the bad writing out. Because how are you going to know what’s good or bad if you never let yourself write it, and grow from it. Don’t hide your writing because you think it’s bad, because you’ll never learn and grow. People will always connect with your ideas and your thoughts, even if they don’t like the way you say them, don’t be scared of that.
Central’s Keep Creating Appeal raises vital funds for Scholarships and Bursaries to support our students.
