The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama is a conservatoire based in the heart of Cardiff – Wales. The acting department has an extremely good reputation within the world of acting with many casting directors and agents knowing the high level of its teaching. For this article we are only going to deal with the acting department and whether drama school applicants should consider RWCMD.
Strengths of Royal Welsh
Much like LAMDA, Royal Welsh only recently had a fantastic new building installed. In 2011 a £22m building was opened to much fanfare but I can attest to the fact that the facilities are second to none. I’ve personally been there to see shows in the Richard Burton theatre and saw many of the studios that the actors train in.
Cardiff offers students a good mix between a city and a peaceful patch of countryside. The problem that students often find with studying in London is that it is extremely expensive. For most people, that can become prohibitive and affect the enjoyment of your studying years.
The great thing about studying in Cardiff is that you’re still in a thriving student city with lots of people to interact with but it’s cheaper and friendlier.
Things to consider
If you are going to consider studying at Royal Welsh then I recommend that you spend some time around Cardiff. It’s important to get a feel of the place and figure out if you’re the type of person that would enjoy it there. The Welsh people are extremely welcoming and friendly but some city folk might not like the laid-back pace.
If you want advice on how to make your decision on which school is right for you then have a look at our article “best drama schools in UK.”
Where to apply
For the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama there are only two courses to consider if you’re interested in acting courses:
Of course, there are some fantastic musical theatre courses which you can check out but regardless the application process is quite different to examples like LAMDA, RADA and Rose Bruford.
Conservatoires UK (formerly CUCAS)
Conservatoires have a different educational model than drama schools that are “independent.” In order to apply to the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, you have to go through UCAS.
To start applying to Royal Welsh here is the link: https://www.ucas.com/conservatoires
This is the link you’ll need if you’re applying to any of the conservatoires for acting, musical theatre or music.
Conclusion
Like everything I say on this website it is critical that you do your own research. However, I always say to applicants that if you manage to get accepted into one of the Conservatoire UK members then you’d be silly to turn it down.
Royal Welsh is one of the premier members of Conservatoire UK and has a great reputation. The only thing you have to consider is its location and whether studying in Cardiff is an option you would want to entertain.
