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Students and Scholarships

Graduate Scholar Spotlight: Charlotte

Charlotte, BA (Hons) Media and Performance graduate, was awarded the Performance Graduate Scholarship in the summer of 2021, in recognition of the exceptional promise they demonstrated as a student at the University of Salford.

The Performance Graduate Scholarship was designed to support our recent graduates during their transition into employment, through a non-repayable award which is generously funded by the donor community of the University.

We caught up with Charlotte to find out how she’s found her first year as a graduate:

How have you found the first year post-graduation?

My first year being out of university has flown by. It was difficult at first to find time to be creative, as I felt stuck in a demanding, intensive job: I got a promotion and began working long hours, cutting off the opportunity to gig or get into a routine of writing every day. I realised, after a couple of months, that my creative productivity had decline, and I was missing exercising those muscles.

I made conscious efforts to work on creative projects and began writing, presenting, and performing again. In February 2022, I left my job to start an internship at the University of Salford’s New Adelphi Theatre, where I have fully thrown myself into learning about the production of live events, as well as audience development and marketing.

I have been working on my first long-form stand up show, Good Girl Gond Rad, which I plan to perform in Autumn/Winter this year and, hopefully, also perform as part of the Women in Comedy Festival 2022.

How did you feel when you learnt the Scholarship had been awarded to you?

I felt, and still feel, so grateful to receive the Scholarship. It makes me feel valued as a graduate and a creative and empowered to continue my training and development. So many people in the industry leave early in their careers due to financial and emotional reasons. I am so lucky that the Scholarship has allowed me to completely focus on improving myself as a comedian and not needing to worry about the financial side.

What have you been able to do because of the Scholarship?

Thanks to the Scholarship, I have been able to fund a comedy writing class where I have learnt about the theory side of performing and writing comedy, which has upskilled me and made me a more confident writer for Good Girl Gone Rad.

I have been able to afford to drive up and down the country to perform at gigs and take part in creative projects; I have been able to access resources such as NextUp Comedy and Equity, and attend comedy events that I have otherwise would have struggled to afford, which again have heavily supported my development as a comedian and creative.

Have there been any particular milestones over the last year?

Over the past year, I:

  • Was the recipient of The Dean’s Award at the 2021 CREATE Awards
  • Became a Chortle Student Comedy Award Finalist 2021-22
  • Was Shortlisted as a Future Presenter at the Edinburgh TV Festival New Voice Awards 2022 (and attended the awards ceremony in London!)
  • Got my first job in television as a Runner on 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown and have since been invited back to work future dates

I’m currently participating in a Graduate Scheme as a Business Associate in Arts Admin, Digital Engagement, Backstage Support, and FOH at the New Adelphi Theatre, Salford. I am assisting the development and production of live shows across the arts, theatre, comedy, music, and dance, which is helping me to navigate my own projects.

I am also the Co-Producer of the University of Salford’s Edinburgh Fringe comedy project, ‘SalFUNNI 2022’, a project that, in 2019, I was one of the stand-ups for; a regular presenter for the Student Beans YouTube Channel, and recently filmed for them at Madame Tussaud’s London (watch here) and for a NatWest advert; and the presenter of the Dig Media Archive social content, a National Lottery Heritage Fund project digitising the film collections of Jack Henry Moore (watch here).

What are your plans for the future?

I hope to continue gigging 10-15 spots and new material nights to hone the material of Good Girl Gone Rad and work towards a full show in the Autumn/Winter. I am applying to the Women in Comedy Festival 2022, and if my show gets through, then I will be performing there too!

I am working towards having a tight 15 and then tight 20 which will allow me to apply to paid gigs and work towards becoming a professional comedian. I am determined to continue my presenting and media work to give myself as many strings to my bow as possible. There is a comedy sketch writing course in November that I also plan to book, to further my development.

Is there anything you would like to say to the donors?

Thank you from the bottom of my heart, for supporting my creative endeavours. If it wasn’t for the Performance Graduate Scholarship, I’m almost certain I would still be climbing up the rungs of a ladder that was not meant for me.

 To find out more about the ways you can support vital scholarships at the University of Salford, visit Giving To Salford.