Central School of Speech & Drama - Robert Tunstall Memorial Award

What the Tunstall Award gives you

You will receive a one-off payment of about 585 EUR (£500) to cover your living expenses for one year. The Central School of Speech and Drama (CSSD), which is part of the University of London, awards this prize to a drama student every year. The prize honours Robert Tunstall, an actor and former student of the Central School who was renowned for his oratory skills; it is therefore awarded to the student deemed to be the most promising public speaker.

Who can apply

• Course: You are studying acting on the Bachelor’s (Hons) degree programme at the CSSD.
• Year: You’re in your second year.
• What is judged: Your ability to recite poetry, i.e. to recite poems by, for example, Shakespeare. The most promising reciter wins.
• Nationality: Open to all. Students from the UK, the EU and other countries are welcome to apply.

How to apply

Applications are made via a single online form, which the CSSD sends to current students by email. By submitting a single application, you are applying for all the funding for which you are eligible; a separate application for this prize is therefore not required. The staff will select the best performance poet.

How realistic are your chances?

Only one prize is awarded each year, and it goes exclusively to a second-year BA Acting student at Central who has demonstrated outstanding ability in reciting poetry. The pool of candidates is small, but the bar is set high. If you are already enrolled on this degree programme and your performances in the field of poetry recitation rank among the best in your year group, you have a real chance of winning. The decision is based on your performance and not on a written submission, so you will be competing against one another as part of your drama classes.