A talented young actor from Warrington Collegiate will continue on the road to success after securing a place at a prestigious drama school, with a £1,000 scholarship from the College.
Louis Allan, who has just finished the Performing Arts (Acting) BTEC Extended Diploma Level 3 at the Winwick Road campus, will join Academy of Live & Recorded Arts (ALRA) North later this month after a successful audition earlier this year.
The 18-year-old was also accepted by Blackpool and The Fylde College University Centre to study Performing Arts but decided to continue honing his craft at ALRA – based in Wigan – where he will follow in the footsteps of stars including Miranda Hart, Sarah Parish and Tom Craig.
Louis has worked extremely hard during his time at Warrington Collegiate and has performed alongside his peers at the Pyramid Theatre, Crewe Lyceum and the Lowry.
In recognition of his efforts, Louis has been successful in achieving the Charles Middleton Trust scholarship, set up to support students in their arts education. The purpose of the scholarship is to help the Collegiate’s talented students reach their potential, with the money intended to help with equipment, tuition and trips.
Louis said: “Everyone has been so encouraging – my family, my tutors at the College – and it’s amazing to see how many people are putting effort in to help me.
“I was absolutely lost for words when I found out about the £1,000 Charles Middleton Trust scholarship – this just keeps getting better and better for me and it has given me the passion and the confidence to get represented.”
Louis has recently been accepted by the EKA agency, which has helped actors including former Coronation Street star Michelle Keegan. EKA actors are often recruited into the television and film industry.
“I can’t wait to start my training at ALRA and also can’t wait to see what EKA can offer me,” added Louis, who recently completed work experience at his former high school, Beamont Collegiate Academy, where he helped with their performance of Oliver and inspired students to think about careers in the industry.
While at Beamont, Louis gave the students excellent pointers on their acting skills and helped them to reach their full potential.
Henrietta Curwen, Head of Performing Arts at Beamont Collegiate Academy, said: “I am delighted that Louis has secured a place at drama school. He has always been very talented and a pleasure to teach when he studied GCSE Drama at Beamont. He has been an inspiration to our student and since coming back to help during his free time at College, he has become a role model to our students. I’m sure our students would like to follow in his footsteps on his journey to becoming a professional actor.”
Michael Smith, Head of Creative and Digital Industries at the Collegiate, said: “Louis has been a committed and conscientious student all year. He has had ambitions to go to drama school and has been driven in this goal. He auditioned for ALRA in February and was offered a place on the Foundation Diploma in Acting.
“This will be an amazing platform for developing his skills and this is a high profile training. He commences his training in September and has an exciting and intense year ahead. The Charles Middleton Trust donation will assist Louis in paying for his fees for drama school while he continues to fundraise for the rest. He is a truly deserving student.”
After completing his one-year Foundation course at ALRA, Louis will have a greater chance of securing a place on their three-year course. He will spend his spare time helping at both Beamont Collegiate Academy and Warrington Collegiate.
Louis is just one Performing Arts student to go on to amazing things since studying at the College. Fellow Acting students Nathan Clearly and Scot Marshall are progressing to Blackpool and the Fylde College to continue their acting studies, while Jessica Scotson is going to Liverpool Media Academy.
Dancers Hannah Pinnington and Daniel Appleton have gone on to study Professional and Commercial Dance at Shockout Dance Academy, while Leah Croft is studying the Performing Arts HNC at Warrington Collegiate, specialising in Dance.
To find out more about the exciting range of Performing Arts at Warrington Collegiate, visit warrington.ac.uk
