With Our Thanks_booklet_digital2

gsmd.ac.uk
With Our Thanks
2023

Professor Jonathan Vaughan FGS,
Principal
Photo credit: Paul Cochrane.
As I reach the end of my first full year as
Principal of Guildhall School, I am
immensely proud of the extraordinary
successes achieved by the talented students
and staff who study and work here. For the
second year running, we have been ranked
as the UK’s number one university for Arts,
Drama & Music by the Complete
University Guide; we also sit within the
top ten global performing arts institutions
in the QS World University Ranking 2023,
and are currently the UK’s number one
conservatoire for research in the Research
Excellence Framework.
These accolades, amongst so much more,
are not possible without your wonderfully
generous donations. Thank you for
believing in the power of performing
arts training and for supporting this
world-leading institution.
As many of you know, I am passionately
committed to artistic education for children
and young people. Your support this academic
year has been crucial in enabling us to launch
our Guildhall Young Artists network, a project
close to my heart. This national network of
music centres provides thousands of under-18’s
with access to the arts and is part of our wider
vision to become one of the UK’s leading
providers of lifelong learning in the
performing arts: we now offer inspiring
training to adult learners, creative and business
professionals, as well as children and young
people. You can read more about this
pioneering network overleaf.
2023 is a particularly special year as we celebrate
the 10th anniversary of the opening of our
second site, Milton Court. With over 200,000
hours of performances, events and rehearsals
since the building opened, it truly is a hub of
creative energy and activity. It is thanks to you
that our students continue to benefit from
world-class facilities, providing a professionalstandard
backdrop to their training.
We are delighted to share our anniversary with
the Worshipful Company of Vintners who are
recognising their 660th year. To mark this
significant milestone, The Vintners’ Company
kindly hosted our Annual Gala in their
stunning hall. We are grateful to them for
their dedication to the School and its students.
With so much to celebrate, it goes without
saying how significant your contribution is
to our successes. I hope you enjoy this year’s
edition of With Our Thanks. Our supporter
community is the backbone of everything we
achieve and on behalf of the School, our staff
and students, may I say an enormous, heartfelt
and personal thank you.

Lifelong learning: Guildhall Young Artists
With your generous support this academic
year, Guildhall School has launched a
new and inspiring initiative in under-18s
arts education. Guildhall Young Artists
(GYA) is a network of six centres across the
country which provides performing and
productions arts training for children and
young people. With classes and performance
opportunities in music, drama and
production arts, students are encouraged
to develop their talents and enrich their
experiences as creative individuals.
GYA’s work could not be more opportune.
Many industry leaders are now expressing
grave concern about a lack of investment
and prioritisation of performing arts and
creative subjects in state education, both
within and beyond school. Thanks to you,
Guildhall School continues to be one of the
largest providers of specialist individualised
performing arts education for under-18s in
the UK - giving thousands more children
and young people the life-changing
opportunity to experience arts schooling.
We are working hard to ensure children
from all backgrounds can access GYA
training and fulfil their artistic potential.
We are deeply grateful to our donor
community who are enabling us to provide
scholarships to students who otherwise
would not be able to attend. Finty Woolf
has studied at GYA Norwich since she
was 10 years old and throughout her time
with us, has been supported by a Guildhall
School scholarship. She is now 17 and has
recently been offered a place to study Film
Composition at Guildhall School from
September 2023.
“ Receiving a scholarship from
Guildhall School to attend
GYA Norwich has enabled me
to progress with my learning
and to meet regularly with
other young musicians and
play together. The tutors at
GYA are all so knowledgeable,
enthusiastic and encouraging.
Meeting each week and taking
part in such a variety of
activities has been an amazing
opportunity and without the
help of a GYA scholarship it
wouldn’t be possible.’’
Photo courtesy of Finty Woolf.
Finty Woolf

Edward Selwyn’s gift in his will
Edward in the foreground. Photo courtesy of George and Tom Selwyn.
The Edward Selwyn Memorial Fund was
initially set up in 1983 in memory of
Edward Selwyn. Edward was a professional
oboist who performed in orchestras and
ensembles his whole life, including as the
principal oboist of the BBC Symphony
Orchestra. He taught at Guildhall School
for many years. By leaving us a gift in his
will, he continues to play his part in the
industry he loved so dearly.
“ Each year our father’s legacy alternates between supporting a gifted
Music Therapy or Oboe student. Our mother Jean Selwyn worked for
the Westminster Society helping children with learning difficulties.
She realised the beneficial effect that Music Therapy could have on
their wellbeing, so it is lovely to recognise her through the award too.
This year, it is the oboist’s turn and we recently met with our current
scholar, who plays in the Guildhall Symphony Orchestra. Supporting
such a talented young oboe player and knowing my father’s legacy
is helping the next generation of musicians fulfil their ambitions is
hugely rewarding for the whole family.”
George and Tom Selwyn, Edward’s sons

Supporting students’ welfare & wellbeing
Photo credit: Paul Cochrane.
At the start of this academic year, we asked
for your help to provide Guildhall students
with the welfare support they need to truly
excel in their studies. Your response was
extraordinary with over 100 individuals
and trusts donating to our appeal. From
one-to-one counselling sessions, to group
exploratory conversations, to lessons about
managing performance anxiety – our
students can access a plethora of services,
thanks to you.
We know how important good mental
health is to enabling our students to fulfil
their educational aspirations. Artistic
pursuits demand much of the self and
psychological awareness is pronounced
amongst arts and performing arts
communities. It is vital that we provide
comprehensive psychoeducational support
to accompany our teaching if our students
are to develop into the world-class, resilient
artistic citizens of tomorrow.
As a result of the appeal, we are able to
extend these important services to those who
need them most. We can ensure they make
the most of their time at Guildhall and go
on to enter the industry with the ability and
knowledge of how to care for their mental
health. Thank you for making a donation
towards this crucial cause and helping
to ensure that our wellbeing services are
available to those who most need them.
“ Excellent quality of care…
the counselling service had a
life-changing effect on me and
has helped me rise to challenges
on my course that I wouldn’t
have previously felt stable
enough to tackle.”
Anonymous student testimonial

Thanks to the generous support
of our donors:
Over
900
students and young people
supported by scholarships
Celebrating
10
years
of Milton Court and
200,000+ hours of
artistic creativity
Guildhall
School
ranked
No.1
in the Arts, Drama and Music
2023 & 2024 Complete
University Guide

Over
£2.4m
raised
for world-class training
at the School
100
professional masterclasses
Over
held for Music students of
all disciplines
Hundreds
of partners and supporters believing
in the power of Guildhall’s performing
arts education
Photo credit: Sophie Harbinson. Front cover photo credit: Paul Cochrane.

The power of scholarships at Guildhall
Em’s story:
After six long years of auditioning for
drama schools in my home country of
Sweden, I was starting to lose hope. But I
was determined to pursue my passion and
after the sixth year, I applied for drama
schools in the UK and was offered a place
at Guildhall. Receiving an acceptance letter
was brilliant, but receiving an acceptance
letter from one of the best performing arts
institutions in the world was a dream
come true.
I was so excited about moving to London
and starting my degree but I was really
concerned about how I would afford to
study abroad. When I was awarded
scholarship support, I felt unbelievably
grateful. It made me even more determined
to follow my dreams and motivated me to
demonstrate to my sponsors that their
belief in me and the training at Guildhall
was well-founded.
Leaving my country and coming to study
in a new language was difficult, but I knew
it was a challenge I had to take on to become
the best actor I could be. The encouragement
I have received from my wonderful
teachers, classmates, staff, crew and
scholarship donors has made it all worth it
and has been truly life-changing. My goal is
to become a professional, multifaceted and
outstanding actor. Thanks to my scholarship
support, I know I am on the road to
achieving this.
Emelie Dahlskog
Emelie Dahlskog is supported by The Alfred
Molina Scholarship and The Herbert &
Theresie Lowit Memorial Scholarship.
Photo credit: Linus Lindgren.