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About Us

The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS) is a place like nowhere else, powered by performance, its people and their passion.

Founded in 1847, Scotland’s national conservatoire is a global leader in performing arts education, consistently ranked in the top ten of the QS World University Rankings.

Specialist tuition across music, drama, dance, production, film and education under one roof creates an environment where artists move between disciplines, immersed in a culture of creativity and collaboration that sparks bold new work and ways of thinking.

Students learn from the best at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, where they work alongside award-winning teaching staff, industry experts and internationally acclaimed guest artists.

And as the only conservatoire in the country, RCS is uniquely placed to partner with the nation’s leading artistic companies to provide one-of-a-kind learning experiences.

Here, students grow into the artists they want to be, where they’re encouraged to develop not just their art but their power to use it.

A range of dance, acting, music RCS students posing on set.

Our vision:

To create and maintain a sustainable community that nurtures, supports and celebrates inclusive art making from grassroots to world-leading performance and production.

Find out more about RCS on our pages below:

Our History

Our Policy

Our Governance

 

Why RCS?

We are the only place in Europe where you can study all of the performing arts on the one campus. There is a distinctive creative energy at RCS and you’ll be made to feel part of our inclusive and diverse environment from the very beginning of your studies.

Our graduates are resourceful, highly employable and members of a dynamic community of artists who make a significant impact across the globe.

At RCS, students develop not just their art but their power to use it.

Why RCS

A ballerina wearing a teal dress jumps over the Kelpies monuments in Scotland during a grey day.

World Top Ten


We were voted one of the world’s Top Ten destinations to study the performing arts (QS Rankings) in 2024, the eighth time we have been placed in the top ten since the ranking was established in 2016.

Our People

 

A Lecturer of Movement provides feedback to students during a class. He is smiling, hands out in front of him, and three women watch him as he speaks.

Staff A-Z


More than 1000 lecturers, tutors, artists, technicians, co-ordinators and support staff work at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland across all of the many art forms. As a student here, you will be working with some of the finest educators and performing and production artists in the country. Update in Progress (March 2024)

Get Involved

Sustainability

At the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, we are committed to ensuring our practices, performances and policies are carried out in the most sustainable way possible.

We have a responsibility to reduce our impact on the environment and continue to seek new and innovative ways to improve the sustainability of our operations.

You can find out more about our sustainability practices and news on the Green Room

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Equality and Diversity are of central importance to our working ethos. Performance is our purpose at the Royal Conservatoire and the nurturing and development of the individual creative potential inherent in each and every member of our community, staff and students alike, lies at the very heart of our efforts. In turn, this means that the unique identity of every single individual who works or studies here is valid and is valued and respected.

You can find out more about our EDI work and read our Dignity & Equality policies by following the links below:

Our Royal Patronage

Our Royal Patron is His Majesty King Charles III, formerly The Duke of Rothesay, who was first appointed Patron of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 2003 and retained his patronage in 2024.

The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland received its royal prefix in 1944 from King George V. The then-Queen Elizabeth assumed the role of Patron, a role in which she continued as Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother until her death in 2002. Following in his grandmother’s footsteps, His Majesty King Charles, as Duke of Rothesay at that time, became Patron in 2003.

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