Awards and recognition

As one of the UK's leading acting schools, East 15 has a number of students and graduates who have won awards and competitive scholarships over the last few years.

For more information on news and success at East 15, please visit our News and Events pages on the website.

Alan Bates Bursary
This prestigious and competitive bursary is worth £2,000 and was won by East 15's Anniwaa Buachie (2007).

Student performance, photo by Andrew H WilliamsThe Laurence Olivier Bursary
This is worth £7,500 for a student entering the third year of BA Acting and is presented by the Society of London Theatres. For seven years this outstanding prize has gone to East 15 students and was this year awarded to Frances McNamee. In addition Thomas Nelson, also on the second-year of his BA Acting, was awarded £2,500. Other East 15 winners of this include Arsher Ali (2005), Gary McErlane (2003), Stephen Gill (second prize, 2003), Jody Osterland (2002), Kieran Garland (2001) and Peter O'Connor (1999). In addition, in 2006 Emma Garret was awarded the EM Behrens Bursary worth £1,800, one of the Laurence Olivier Bursaries.

The Spotlight Bursary
This is worth £1,250 and was won by East 15 students Edward Mitchell (2007) and Tanja Pilcher (2004).

Lilian Baylis Award
This is worth £1,400 and has been won by the following students from East 15, Maria Gray (2007), Steven Helliwell (2006), Lucy Thackeray (2005), Rose Romain (2004) and Sarah Louise Evetts (£1,600, 2003).

The John Gielgud Bursary
East 15's Daniel Jenkins was recently awarded £4,000. This bursary has also been won by the following students from East 15, Andrew Lingfield (2006), Conrad Sharp (2005), Ben Wigzell (2004), Christopher Rees (2003) and Jamie MacLachlan (2002).

The Stanley Picker Scholarship
This was won by BA Contemporary Theatre's Zoe Hinks (2007).

Student performance, photo by Nigel LuckhurstEpping Forest District Council's Leisure Bursary Award
This award is worth £750 and was won by BA Contemporary Theatre's Somalia Seaton (2008). Somalia was the first East 15 student to win this prize.

Carleton Hobbs Award
East 15 student Paul Richard Biggin (2006) was one of four winners of this prestigious prize, which gave him a short contract with BBC Radio. It was also won by Trevor Cuthbertson (2005), while a special commendation was handed to Arsher Ali (2006).

Henry Cotton Memorial Award
This is worth £5,000 and has been won by East 15's John Mitton (2004), Louise Lee (2003) and Bryony Afferson (£1,500, 2003).

The Mackintosh Foundation Scholarship
This is worth £10,000 for three years to a new BA Acting student. This was won by East 15's Lucy Govan (2000) and Sam Cocozza (1999).

The New York International Fringe Festival Excellence Award for Outstanding Direction.
This was won in 2007 by BA Contemporary Theatre graduate Jessica Beck, now Artistic Director of Bad Penny Theatre and Education Director at Theatre 503.

The first annual Stage Scholarship
This is worth £10,000 for three years and was won by Caroline Kerr (1999).