Skip to main content

Acting (ages 12-14)

Summer School for Children and Young People

Overview

Be in your Element this Summer at the RCS!

Welcome to our Elementary Acting Summer School, an exciting and enriching program designed for aspiring actors aged 15-17!

This summer, we invite you to explore the captivating themes of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water, using these elements as inspiration for your craft. Each day, participants will dive into one element, uncovering its unique characteristics and how they can influence performance.

Through a variety of engaging workshops, including scene study, and character development, students will learn to harness the energy of each element, enhancing their emotional depth and creative expression.

The week will culminate in a sharing, where actors will present original pieces that reflect their understanding of the elemental themes.

This course is aimed at young people aged 12-14 who are interested in exploring acting in a fun, challenging and supportive environment. It is also suitable for students who may wish to pursue further study in acting in future years.

Join us for an unforgettable journey of self-discovery, collaboration, and artistic growth as we bring the elements to life on stage!

By the end of this course, students should have:

  • Explored the use of acting techniques in relation to contemporary text
  • Investigated characterisation through voice, movement and improvisation
  • Taken part is discussion and research activities in relation to text
  • Worked collaboratively with the group in creating an ensemble
  • Worked with the tutors and group to create an original piece of performance for family and friends

Working with the course leader, you will take part in discussions, research, script analysis and technical skill work in order to create and develop your characterisation.

The week will consist of workshops and a rehearsal process which culminates in an informal sharing for friends and family on the last day of the course in a Royal Conservatoire performance venue.

We have limited spaces available so don’t miss your chance to be in your Element at the RCS!

If you have any questions in advance of booking, please contact us at summerschools@rcs.ac.uk

You may also be interested in:

Musical Theatre (ages 12- 14)

Acting for Camera (ages 12-14)

The important details

Age:
12 - 14

Cost:
£315

Date:
28 July - 1 August 2025

Time:
Monday - Friday, 10am - 5pm

Venue:
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, 100 Renfrew Street, Glasgow, G2 3DB


Course Information

There are no entry requirements for this course and no previous acting experience is necessary.

Students should come to the course expecting to work hard, be challenged and enjoy contributing to the creative process.

Students should dress appropriately in loose and comfortable clothing and be prepared to work without shoes if required.

You should bring water as workshop activities in this short course will be physical. Students should also bring a pad and pen to make notes during classes.

The course runs Monday, 28 July – Friday, 1 August from 10am to 5pm.

There will be a short sharing of the work students have been engaging with on the Friday afternoon for invited family and friends.

Please note that although we aim to schedule the sharing times during the course hours, on some occasions they may be go beyond the course end times. All final sharing times will be confirmed at least 2 weeks before the course start date. 

Summer Accommodation

We are pleased to welcome students from across the world to our Summer Schools. Our course fees do not include accommodation or food, and these should be organised by the student. Our campus is located in Glasgow city centre, and you can find the addresses below.

We recommend Base Glasgow, as purpose-built accommodation for Conservatoire students, with Rehearsal Rooms, Practice spaces and Dance Studios. Base Glasgow is perfectly suited for our summer school students; both safe and secure, with 24/7 staff presence and only 3 mins walk from our main Renfrew Street building, keeping travel costs to a minimum.

Classic En-Suite rooms come with a 3/4 bed, en-suite bathroom, ample storage, mirror, study desk and chair. The shared area includes a spacious lounge and kitchen area.

Please note that Short Courses staff are not affiliated with BASE or on site outwith the summer school teaching hours, and therefore cannot take responsibility for students outside of these hours.

For more information about booking accommodation at BASE Glasgow you can contact them directly via website BASE – Student Accommodation in Glasgow or email baseglasgow@herestudents.com.

Alternatively, there are plenty of hotels, hostels, and b’n’b options available. We are located close to transport links should you wish to stay outside the city centre. If you are travelling to Glasgow for a course, we strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance that covers course fees, travel, accommodation, and cancellations due to COVID-19 – as RCS will not refund in this circumstance. You can view the Cancellations and Refund policy for full information.

For students under 18 years old, we strongly advise travelling with a responsible adult should any emergency situations arise during class. Students are only monitored by staff during class times.

Renfrew Street Campus: 100 Renfrew Street, Glasgow, G2 3DB
Wallace Studios Campus: 210 Garscube Road, Glasgow, G4 9RR


Further Information

We want to ensure as many children, young people and adult learners as possible can access the performing and production arts education that is offered through Short Courses at RCS. Financial support options available for Short Courses include:

Agnes Allan Bursary

Agnes Allan was a teacher, passionate about inclusion, and this bursary scheme exists to offer support to students to participate in the performing or production arts.

The Agnes Allan Bursary provides some support to students who may require financial assistance to take part in a short course in dance, drama, music, production or screen.

Anyone who wishes to take part in our Short Courses and faces a financial barrier can apply for bursary support to help meet the cost of tuition fees.

James McAvoy Drama Scholarships

BAFTA-winning and Golden Globe nominated actor James McAvoy is committed to nurturing the creative potential of young Scots who experience barriers to access and participate in drama at RCS Short Courses.

James is a graduate of the BA Acting programme at RCS and Patron of the Junior Conservatoire of Drama. The Glasgow-born actor has funded the new James McAvoy Drama Scholarships to enable young people to experience the world-class drama training at RCS as he did.

The scholarship aims to support applicants who would otherwise find meeting the cost of tuition fees at RCS a barrier to accessing pre-Higher Education drama training at the Royal Conservatoire.

You can find more information about these funds on our Financial Support page.

We run various promotional offers for our Short Courses and Summer Schools. You can view our current offers on our Promotional Offers page.

You should contact us at shortcourses@rcs.ac.uk to request your discount code before booking a course.

Please note, only one promotional offer can be applied per course and should be used at the time of booking as we are unable to apply a discounts retrospectively.

Please see our Short Course FAQs for more information about all aspects of choosing, booking and attending your course.

Please see our Short Courses – Terms and Conditions for more information about your contract with Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and Cancellation and Refund policies.

Sign up to our mailing list to receive the latest updates of courses, offers and news from Short Courses. You can do this by completing this short online form found here.

Short Courses
shortcourses@rcs.ac.uk

Summer Schools
summerschools@rcs.ac.uk

Credit-Rated
credit-rated@rcs.ac.uk

Bursary and Scholarship
bursaryscholarship@rcs.ac.uk