News

Leading London Conservatoire Trinity Laban has launched a new award celebrating creative entrepreneurship. The Dragon’s Den-style competition sees students pitch artistic and business projects to an expert panel and win professional mentoring and seed funding. The award confirms that innovation is at the heart of Trinity Laban training.

The Innovation Award provides a unique opportunity for final-year undergraduates to access professional development support and forms part of Trinity Laban’s strategy to help emerging artists find their voice and innovate in the cultural industries, one of the fastest growing sectors of the UK economy.

In March, shortlisted applicants had their chance to pitch to internationally renowned movement director Kate Flatt, creative producer and former Associate Director of Serious Martel Ollerenshaw, and Trinity Laban Principal Anthony Bowne in a bid to win one of six awards.

Trinity Laban is delighted to announce that the 2019 winners are:

• Matthew Crisp
• Rhys Davies and Toby Carswell
• Sahra Gure
• Mass Hysteria (dance collective)
• James Layton
• Megan Storer

The diverse and innovative proposals span female artistic expression, boundary-pushing genre development, and the power of the arts for positive change in the community.

Trinity Laban’s Head of CoLab and co-founder of the Innovation Award, Joe Townsend commented –

“The Innovation Award winners are just a few of the incredibly talented Music and Dance students that graduate from Trinity Laban every year and are contributing to the UK’s rich cultural landscape.We want to continue to support students with the transition between life at Conservatoire and launching a sustainable career in the performing arts. The Innovation Award has been specifically designed with this in mind.”

Funded by Trinity Laban’s Higher Education Innovation Fund allocation, each winning project receives an award of £1,700 to use on development and will benefit from a specially tailored mentorship programme delivered by acclaimed Trinity Laban alumni:

• Cimeon Ellerton – Chief Operating Officer at mission-led charity The Audience Agency
• Edward Henderson – Composer and part of composition collective Bastard Assignments
• Max de Lucia – Founding Partner and Client Director at sonic branding agency DLMDD
• Richard Meads – Orchestra and Music Department Director at English National Opera
• Jennifer Raven – Co-founder FairBeats and Deputy Director Sound Connection
• Gitta Wigro – Co-director of Independent Dance

Communications and Alumni Relations Manager and co-founder of the Innovation Award Lucy Nicholson commented –

“Trinity Laban alumni have hugely successful careers across the creative arts industry. We are honoured that these experienced and influential individuals will be involved with the award, supporting the winners by sharing their insight and expertise.”

Principal Anthony Bowne commented –

“As London’s Creative Conservatoire Trinity Laban champions innovation and looks to create resourceful, enterprising and adaptable artistic leaders with the multiplicity of skills needed to flourish. Our selection of 2019 Innovation Award winners encapsulate this in their creativity, ambition and scope.”

To find out more about the winning proposals, visit our Innovation Award page 

If you’re interested in studying at Trinity Laban visit our study pages

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Image credit: Juno Snowdon Photography