A new scholarship at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland will support Black British students as they pursue their passion for the performing arts.

Scotland’s national conservatoire is the first arts institution to partner with the Cowrie Scholarship Foundation (CSF), which aims to fund up to 100 disadvantaged Black British students through university in the next decade.

The scholarship, which starts next year, will see the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland cover tuition fees for three students over the next ten years, enabling them to study at a world top three institution for performing and production arts education.*

The Cowrie Scholarship Foundation will provide additional funding to cover maintenance and living costs through business and individual donors. The scholarship will also include mentorship and resilience programmes.

The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and the Cowrie Scholarship Foundation are united in their mission to ensure higher education is accessible to all.

The Cowrie Scholarship Foundation was established in 2020 by Professor Richard OC Oreffo, who holds the chair of Musculoskeletal Science and is co-founder of the Centre for Human Development, Stem Cells & Regeneration at the University of Southampton.

Professor Richard Oreffo, Founder of the Cowrie Scholarship Foundation, said: “We are extremely proud to be partnering with the world-renowned Royal Conservatoire of Scotland to provide scholarships for socio-economically disadvantaged Black British students.

“The Cowrie Scholarship Foundation provides an opportunity to harness education for positive change and we are delighted to have RCS onboard as our first performing arts university.”

Professor Jeffrey Sharkey, Principal of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, said: “Education is power and opens up a world of opportunity and insight. It can be life-changing and that’s why it must be accessible for everyone.

“Inclusion and diversity are embedded in our culture at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and we believe in nurturing the creative potential of every student. Something very special happens when different voices and backgrounds come together.

“We realise that there is still more to do to collectively break down barriers to higher education and we’re looking forward to working with in partnership with the Cowrie Scholarship Foundation.”

*QS World University Rankings 2021

Visit the Cowrie Scholarship Foundation