Applications open for Sir Ian McKellen Bursary

Today we are delighted to open applications for the Sir Ian McKellen Bursary which will be awarded by the Edinburgh International Festival and Scottish Drama Training Network.

Five bursaries of £2000 each will be awarded to students who are going to study in any discipline of the Performing Arts. These one-off bursaries have been made possible by Sir Ian McKellen’s wish that proceeds generated by his performances at the Edinburgh International Festival be used to support local drama provision to benefit the community.

In order to apply for the bursary you must:

• Be a resident of Edinburgh for the past 4 years or more.
• Be over 16 years of age. There is no upper age limit to application.
• Have been accepted onto an academically accredited course for Dance, Drama, Music, Vocal or Technical and Theatre Production Arts. (This just means that you get an employer recognised qualification at the end of the course. If you are not sure you can ask the place you are going to study, or just have a look on their website.)
• Must be eligible to study in the UK and be able to provide evidence through the presentation of a valid passport or VISA.

The bursaries will be awarded following an application and selection process as follows.

Each Bursary will be selected by a panel comprising of senior Edinburgh International Festival and Scottish Drama Training Network Staff. Sir Ian McKellen will not be involved in the selection process.

The panel are looking for individuals to whom the bursary will make the greatest positive impact to their studies and as a consequence their future career. To ensure it is a fair process they will accept both written and filmed applications.

The bursaries will be made on clear proof of need. Please be clear in your application why the bursary we are awarding would make a difference to you and your studies. The panel also need two supporting statements one of which must be an academic referee and know you well.

Download an application form here

Download an Equalities Monitoring Form here

Please send your application and the Equalities Monitoring Form by email to Edinburgh International Festival Head of Learning & Engagement Caroline Donald [email protected] by Friday 5 July.

Your application can be submitted in written, audio or video format. If this is not accessible to you please contact Caroline by email, by phone on 0131 473 2057 or through SignLive, our online BSL interpretation service, and we can consider alternative means of application.

All submissions must be in English or BSL.