Annual funding awards back inclusive creative projects for RCS students and staff
Five projects from Royal Conservatoire of Scotland students and staff will take flight with support from an annual fund that champions inclusive arts practice.
Spanning theatre, film, photography, music and performance, this year’s recipients of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Creative Fund have been granted between £500 and £1,000 for work that explores mental health, neurodivergence, gender identity, women’s histories and arts access.
Amadu Khan, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Officer at RCS, said: “The EDI Creative Fund exists to support projects that centre inclusion and representation within the arts.
“This year’s awards show how students and staff are engaging with those questions through their creative practice and we look forward to seeing their projects evolve.”
The 2025/26 recipients are:
Sonia Allori
Research student
Amount: £500
Project: When Captions Perform: Access as Creative Practice
Funding will support a film resource that treats captioning as a creative and critical part of performance. Through three to four short demonstration videos, made for the RCS community, it will explore how captioning systems shape meaning, authorship and audience experience, directly comparing AI‑generated captions with professionally produced human captions.
Sonia said: “This project explores how captioning functions not just as access provision, but as a creative force that shapes how performance is experienced and understood.
“Using the same short performance material, the videos explore how different captioning systems create different meanings, rhythms, emphases, and mistranslations. Rather than seeing captions as neutral accessibility tools, the project treats them as active performers within the work.
“One video will use AI auto-captions in real time. A second version of the same material will be captioned by a professional human captioner, supported by this award. A reflective commentary will consider how these approaches shape tone, authority, clarity and creative impact.”
The final resource will be available to staff and students across disciplines and accompanied by a short written guide outlining practical considerations for inclusive performance-making.
Image © Julian Maunder
Freya Edington
MMus Performance student
Amount: £800
Project: Motifs of Sisterhood (Women Blazing a Trail, from Glasgow to the World)
An interdisciplinary performance to highlight the lives and contributions of Glaswegian women at the beginning of the 20th century.
Freya said: “By knitting together the works of some key female historical figures from Glasgow with contemporary women composers who existed alongside them, and having these works be performed by female musicians at Glasgow Women’s Library, I hope to establish that brilliant Scottish women have been here making important impacts for a long time.
“Though major positive strides are being taken in gender equality across the arts, many people who do not fit the stereotypes that have existed for centuries still face discrimination, and I hope this can be a project to uplift the women of Glasgow with the knowledge that they follow in the footsteps of the incredible and diverse women who came before them.”
Clare Hibberd
Lecturer in Sound, Production Technology and Management
Amount: £500
Project: Neurodivergent Perspectives: Working practices in theatre production
Clare and colleague Barry McCall will develop a short documentary that captures how neurodivergent theatre professionals navigate their working environments.
Clare said: “The project will involve visiting people within their working environments to film and record them as they undertake their roles. Each participant will also take part in an interview exploring the practical adaptations and strategies they use to support their success within the industry.
“We aim to feature five professionals at different stages of their careers, representing a range of cognitive styles and approaches to learning and information processing.
“The film will serve as a training resource for RCS Production staff, enhancing understanding of reasonable adjustments and inclusive practices that can support students.”
Christian Longstaff
MA Classical and Contemporary Text student
Amount: £1,000
Project: Silent Disco
Christian will develop Silent Disco, a two-hander play which will also serve as an audio performance installation.
Christian said: “Silent Disco features two actors (our company’s casting process heavily centring disabled and neurodivergent performers, of which I identify) in a non-linear sequence of scenes across our two characters’ lives.
“Concurrent with this narrative is our presentation of the thought processes of those going through trauma-related therapy, and psychiatric treatment for schizophrenia.”
Christian said the writing of the two ‘inner monologue’ narratives has involved outreach to mental health and survivors’ charities, including Living with Schizophrenia UK, for sensitive depictions of the conditions and experiences, and to further the reach of the charitable institutions and their work.
Iona Rose Wheeler
MA Creative Arts Practice student
Amount: £500
Project: Realising Euphoria
A project created by and for transgender, non‑binary and gender‑diverse RCS staff, students and alumni. It begins with interviews exploring what brings participants a sense of gender euphoria that will inform the creation of film photographs.
The process will be documented on video, resulting in a short documentary alongside a final photographic image for each participant.
Iona said: “The project will include conversations on gender, self-image, and dreams, culminating in a series of photographs. Realising Euphoria will be a collaborative process, including costume and set designers, lighting and movement directors, who will work together to create euphoria for the transgender participants.
“In preparation for approaching sensitive topics with those with protected characteristics, I have received training in oral history collecting from the LGBTQ+ charity, OurStory Scotland, and mental health first aid training.If you are interested in collaborating or participating, please get in touch!”
