Ella's reflection on her recent travel experience completing a short course in scriptwriting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA) in London, funded through a Liveris Academy travel support grant.
Ella Proberts
Ravago Group Scholar
Bachelor of Journalism/Arts (Honours)
I am incredibly grateful for the Ravago Group Scholarship and Liveris Academy travel funding support, which enabled me to fly to London and complete a short course in scriptwriting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA).
RADA is an institution I have dreamed of attending for a very long time, but as a journalist, creative scriptwriting felt out of my depth. When I learned our course director was a well-established playwright, I can’t deny I felt I was swimming in even deeper waters. I had heard horror stories about the ‘all-knowing’ and ever patronising writing teacher, so I began to prepare for something similar. To put it simply, I was nervous.
However, I am thrilled to report that I was surprised by the openness and pure passion of our teacher, who supported us at whatever level we came in, and in whatever our strengths and interests were. I feel I have taken as much value from our course leaders teaching style as I have the content he taught us.
He was in no way prescriptive or condescending. He viewed any gap in our knowledge as an opportunity to teach. This instilled in us students a real and raw excitement to learn. Rather than being driven to do the work by fear or necessity, we were encouraged to experiment and explore - because he really believed we all had something to say.
As a result of this encouragement, everyone in the class grew to trust each other – despite our wildly different ages, cultures, and experiences with writing – and we developed at a rapid pace. This trust allowed us to share our work, fail in front of each other, and get back up again. A week-long course had begun to feel like a year, with the speed at which we were learning and beginning to understand one another.
I’ve maintained contact with my teacher, who has continued to give me support and guidance in my writing. It’s an act of generosity I never expected to come from the course, but something that has given me a newfound confidence, and a refreshing new outlook on the world of writing.
I would like to walk through my life with the same patience and passion as our teacher, but I would also like to apply this to my learning. Rather than seeing a gap in my knowledge as something to fear or feel ashamed about, I can perceive it as an opportunity to learn, experience, and grow.
Another lesson from our teacher that I will take with me is that everyone can tell a story, and similarly, there’s a story in everyone. Everyone is worth your time, and your words are worth someone else’s. I’ve taken this into my studies and work as a journalist and have found myself intrigued in the perspectives of those that may not typically be heard in mainstream media. It’s energising and exciting to see stories and opportunities everywhere.
I had hoped I would come away from the course with some new story-telling skills under my belt, but the experience left me with far more than that. I came away with a new understanding of the meaning of leadership and a renewed perspective on stories and who gets to tell them.
