BU students awarded bursaries from Royal Television Society

Two Media School students from Bournemouth University (BU) have been awarded bursaries by the Royal Television Society (RTS). 

Rachel Brown and Tom Stone are both studying BA (Hons) Television Production at Bournemouth University and were awarded the bursary as part of the RTS Undergraduate Bursary Scheme. 

The Royal Television Society is Britain’s leading forum for television and related media and the bursary scheme aims to widen participation in the industry and assist talented people at the start of their careers.  This year is the first year of the scheme with the fund pot totalling over £60,000, shared between 20 undergraduate students at UK universities.  The award recipients were selected by a panel of industry professionals following an open call to students applying for UK undergraduate courses in television and related media.

Theresa Wise, Chief Executive Officer of the RTS, explained the reasoning behind the bursary awards, saying, “Great talent can be lost without the right support. We’re committed to finding, funding and nurturing the next generation and through the RTS Undergraduate Bursary Scheme I am convinced that we can make a critical contribution. 

“The response to our inaugural bursary scheme has been fantastic and following an exacting selection process I’m excited to announce the first beneficiaries – all of whom stood-out and demonstrated ambition and commitment to learning. We look forward to following their future career achievements.”

Both Tom and Rachel will receive a £3,000 towards their studies over their three year course. They will also gain access to mentoring and free membership of the RTS during their studies and for one year after graduation. The award includes three year’s access to The Hospital Club, a member’s only club catering exclusively to the creative industries. 

Christa Van Raalte, Associate Dean for Media Production at Bournemouth University added, “We are delighted to see the quality of our students work being recognised in this way. Congratulations to both Tom and Rachel.’’

One of the recipients, Tom Stone, described being overjoyed at receiving the bursary. He went on to say,  "In such a collaborative industry I believe it is vital to make contacts and I hope the award can help me achieve this. The money I was awarded will be invested into some decent camera equipment so I can continue to improve my practical skills over the next three years."

Rachel Brown also commented on her reaction to receiving the RTS bursary and the opportunities it will bring. 
She said, “When I was told that I had been selected as one of the recipients for the bursary I was overwhelmed. As a mature student, it gave me confidence to believe that I was making the right move into an industry I am passionate to be a part of.

“Being a member of RTS means that it will help me to network with industry experts outside of Bournemouth University, as well as having opportunities to attend workshops to develop more skills.

“Personally, I have a young family and  I am doing a 100 mile round trip each day to attend BU, therefore, the bursary will contribute towards the travel costs!”