Staged at the Castle (ages 15-17)

This course is strictly for students aged 15-17. Booking is by application only. Please complete this additional booking form that needs to be completed upon submission of your application.

Applicants should prepare a video recording of themselves performing one Shakespearean monologue no more than 2 mins in length, Please include a 1 minute introduction to yourself and why you want to do the course to upload when applying.

This must be submitted no later than 20 May, 2026.

Please be advised, if we have any queries about your application, we may request a zoom meeting.

If you have any problems attaching files please email – summerschools@rcs.ac.uk

Students should come to the course expecting to work hard, be challenged and enjoy contributing to the creative process.

Your course fee includes the following:

• Accommodation for 1 week at Dean Castle Country Park
• Transportation from the Royal Conservatoire to and from Dean Castle
• Food (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner)
• Evening Activities

On Sunday, 12 July, students will arrive at Dean Castle for their residential accommodation to begin rehearsals on Monday morning. 

The accommodation at Dean Castle Country Park consists of shared rooms, with two students to each room. Students will also share a shower and toilet blocks – one block at either end of the corridor, and a door in the corridor separating the male and female identifying dorms, toilets, and showers. 

There are limited options in the immediate vicinity of Dean Castle, so we recommend bringing everything you need to site. 

While at Dean Castle, all meals will be served within the residential space by caterers. As part of the additional booking form, you can detail any dietary requirements. 

We are committed to our Safe Space policy and will be inclusive in our accommodation assignments. We ask that all students read through the Safe Space policy and email summerschools@rcs.ac.uk if you have any concerns. 

As part of the Summer School, there will be some planned activities one site. 

We recommend students bring: 

• warm and comfortable clothing 

• waterproof shoes or boots 

• some clothes they don’t mind getting dirty/wet 

• waterproof jackets (for the Scottish summers) 

• warm layers, as you’ll be working in and around a drafty, old castle. 

A full list of what to bring will be sent out with your welcome pack. 

After the performances on the evening of Friday 17 July, students will have the chance to celebrate their experience before departing on Saturday 18 July.

Dean Castle sits within the stunning 200 acre grounds of Dean Castle Country Park. The recently renovated 14^th century castle is situated in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. The castle was the home of the Boyd family for over 400 years. It was inherited by the 8^th Lord Howard de Walden in 1899 who restored the buildings which had lain in ruins since a fire in 1735. The Keep, dating to around 1350, houses outstanding displays that tell the story of the Boyd family and medieval life. From the exquisite craftsmanship and rarity of the musical instrument collection to the Viking sword that fires the imagination, the Dean Castle and the collections represent over 1000 years of the history of Ayrshire, its people and the story of Scotland.

Within Dean Castle Country Park, you will find the residential accommodation block attached to a public café. Then a short walk through the grounds, you’ll find the castle, woodlands, forest walks and Rural Life centre. The public will have access to the castle from 11am to 4pm, and you’ll be working in rooms within and around the castle, and rehearsal spaces on the grounds.

If you’re a fan of the hit show Outlander, Dean Castle was used as Beaufort Castle in Series 2.