The WHY behind the Roger Coupe In2Drama Scholarship

At In2Drama, we are all about supporting the next generation of aspiring young performers and fostering the future of UK talent. Our expert-led 5 day Summer Academy teaches students the skills that will set them apart in the industry; acting, singing and audition skills, dance, film production, music production and technical theatre.

"This year is looking to be exceptionally exciting regarding the new Music Production course. We will be making short films and learning the art of Film Production with those in the industry. It is an amazing opportunity. The Dance, Singing and Audition skills gives us a breadth and variety hard to find elsewhere, especially as the Academy is bespoke and very low staff to pupil ratio and in age related groups. We have incredibly exciting news that Edward Bennett will be running the Audition Masterclass on 28th July and is joining the In2Drama team! The confidence that the students get from the presentation and speaking skills they are taught is invaluable. Please sign up today!" - Phil Waller, In2drama Founder/Artistic Director

In 2023, we are excited to be able to offer our first scholarship to a gifted performer (aged 11-21) from the local area, so that a talented young person doesn’t miss out on the opportunity.

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The funded Roger Coupe In2Drama Scholarship is of course made possible by the generosity of our sponsor, Roger Coupe Estate Agents. We caught up with James Britton, Director, to ask him why this initiative is so important:

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·      What motivated you to sponsor a young performers place at the In2Drama Summer Academy? What impact do you hope your sponsorship will have on the young person attending who otherwise wouldn’t be able to?

Roger Coupe Estate Agents have been established in Cranleigh for over 30 years, and the whole team live locally.  We have always felt it’s so important to be part of the village and community and to be involved in local causes, this ranges from supporting local sports clubs to contributing to the Christmas Lights.

We have been involved in supporting Cranleigh Arts centre before as both customers and in other ways around certain events.  When the opportunity arose to sponsor a young person to be able to attend the In2Drama Summer Academy we were keen to be involved.  In the past our support to the young people in the community has been mainly focused on sport, whereas this sponsorship will allow us to support those who are interested in the performing arts.

Having the opportunity to work with such a great team of professionals means someone who wouldn’t have necessarily had that chance can learn more about a range of skills both on stage and behind the scenes.

We really hope it will make a difference to helping promote the arts in general and the career possibilities within it.

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·      Why you are wanting to support the Performing Arts? What are your thoughts on the importance of access to arts education for young people?

We consider ourselves lucky enough to have our own Arts Centre in the village and the local area has long been a favourite with many actors and musicians!  There are a range of theatre arts groups, dance classes, and specialist schools that provide great opportunities for young people locally but we think the In2Drama academy really takes this all a step further! The Performing Arts provide young people with a creative outlet and  although not everyone might tread the boards as their career, the skills that can be gained in public speaking, working as a team and being creative are no doubt lifelong attributes.

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·      With so many wonderful drama schools to choose from, why did you choose to partner with In2Drama in particular? What have you enjoyed about collaborating with In2Drama over the years?

We felt that In2Drama offered a much broader spectrum of opportunity both for a range of performing skills but also in terms of backstage experience, and the links with the industry currently.  This provides access that young people simply might not get being based in Surrey.  The professionalism of the team and also the connection locally with the teachers was important for us too.

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·      How does your sponsorship align with the values and mission of your estate agency? Have you sponsored other educational initiatives or any charitable causes in the past?

We provide ourselves on being experts in our field and that expertise has come from many (many!) years of experience, gained from learning and also listening to our clients, everything we do has them at the front and centre.  Much like the performers will bethinking about the audience and the impact their performance will have.

When we feel there is a club, charity or good cause we can support locally that aligns with our values we do what we can to support.  This has previously involved supporting an art competition, raising funds for a local village hall to fund a green initiative as well as having supported local schools over the years too.

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·      What advice would you give to other businesses or individuals in the local community who are considering becoming a sponsor?

A business is so much more than just a logo or a set of written values! Perhaps because we have been established in the village for so long, and because we don’t just head in for work and leave again, instead we are all heading home to local villages, this means we truly are part of the thriving local community.  

People recognise our team and the company because of what we’re involved in, and the feeling when something you have contributed to comes to fruition is brilliant. We often receive thank you letters letting us know how the money we have provided has made such a difference, and this makes it so worthwhile.  We would definitely encourage any local business who are interested in supporting local causes and charities, who, without extra funding, simply couldn’t exist, not to sit on the fence but to get involved.  They really won’t regret it.

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·      A final message for those aspiring young performers who wish to/have applied for The Roger Coupe In2Drama Scholarship…

We would like to wish all the applicants the very best of luck with their application, we can’t wait to see what people have to share with us.  We really do understand that it’s a real leap to put yourself out there and apply for something like this, and there might be young performers out there who aren’t sure whether they have enough experience or not to apply.  But we really want to say that please do, if you are passionate about performing or being involved in the performing arts please do apply we’d love to hear from you.

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We'd love to take this opportunity to call upon our Surrey-based community to spread the message far and wide. Please share this article to Schools & Youth Groups not just near Cranleigh, but beyond, to ensure that talented young people are aware of this incredible opportunity- a FREE week working with some of the best in the industry 🎭

Please email phil@in2drama.com for any questions and to offer your support in getting this opportunity to the right people.