A FROME performer is trying to raise funds to pay her tuition fees after earning a place at one of the most prestigious performing art schools in the country.
Lottie Ball has earned a place on a three-year diploma course in dance and musical theatre at Laine Theatre Arts following an audition which over 2,000 hopefuls attended. The school is renown for producing talented artists that go on to have successful careers in the West End, on television and in film but costs £16,000 for tuition fees. Stars such as former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham, Emrhys Cooper from US television series Desperate Housewives and Sarah Hadland from BBC series Miranda as well as many more have attended Laine Theatre Arts before going on to have successful careers.
Lottie has just completed a one-year foundation course at Laine Theatre Arts having come through an audition stage that saw only 21 people make the cut out of thousands. Following that course and another audition, she has now made it onto the three-year diploma but needs to raise the tuition fees.
She has been handed a massive boost having already been awarded a prestigious Betty Laine Scholarship of £8,000, which pays half her fees, leaving Lottie to raise the remaining £8,000.
Lottie said, “I feel incredibly blessed to have been offered a place at such a prestigious college and I’m delighted to say that I have also been offered funding of the most prestigious kind, a Betty Laine Scholarship. This means that Betty Laine pays the money for my fees herself, so I feel absolutely honoured to have been offered such a high status award. My scholarship covers 50% of the course fees, meaning that I still have £8,000 to find for the other half of my course fees.
“I have loved musical theatre ever since I was little when I started training at Danceworks in Frome run by Debbie Haines. At Danceworks I took classes in classical ballet, tap, modern, jazz, pointe work and musical theatre. I loved being able to put all the skills that I have learnt together and therefore took part in many of FMTC’s productions throughout the years. This was the foundations for my love of musical theatre and having the chance to perform to an audience, made me realise that I wanted to go in to the industry professionally.
“I am so excited to start my training in September at such a prestigious college. Over 90% of the Laine Theatre Arts graduates go straight into employment on either cruise ships, West End shows or touring shows, in the first year after graduation. To have that many graduates be employed straight away is absolutely amazing and another reason why I am so excited to start my training in September.
“Any donation, no matter how big or small, would be hugely appreciated and I would like to send out a huge thank you to everyone who has already donated. I can’t explain how thankful I am and I really appreciate it as it is helping me towards going to my dream college.”
Lottie is currently in the process of setting up a series of fundraising events but is also asking for local people’s help.
Details of how to fund Lottie can be found at www.gofundme.com/3hei3c
