Royal Television Society bursaries recognise BU talent

Four BU students have received undergraduate bursaries from the national television body.

BU undergraduate students, Lucy Thomas, Josh Stevenson, Rhys Stacey and Joseph Cassidy were among the 25 recipients, each of whom will receive £1,000 a year while studying. The awards also include free membership of the RTS and The Hospital Club, a members only club for the creative industries, as well as the opportunity to be mentored by industry professionals.

Every year the Royal Television Society (RTS) award bursaries to television production and broadcast journalism students from across the UK with the aim of widening participation and supporting young talent in the media and related industries. The RTS are an educational society dedicated to supporting and celebrating the art and science of the television industry in the UK.

The bursary recipients, announced in a ceremony last week, were selected by a panel of industry professionals following an open call to UK students applying for courses at accredited universities.

Theresa Wise, the CEO of RTS, commented on the importance of the bursary awards: “The RTS is proud to be providing crucial support to talented individuals seeking to work in television and its related fields. We are committed to increasing diversity in the industry and safeguarding its future by giving a helping hand to the next generation of rising stars, some of whom might not have otherwise considered a career in TV.

“The response we’ve had to our two schemes has been fantastic but following an exacting selection process I’m excited to say we have 25 beneficiaries – all of whom stood-out and demonstrated real ambition and commitment to learning. We wish them all the best for the next three years and look forward to following their progress.”

Lucy Thomas, was one of the bursary recipients, and has just begun her BA (Hons) Multimedia Journalism course at BU, she said: “It means a lot to me to be awarded the bursary. Coming from a small town in Wales it's given me so much more confidence to become a journalist and work hard to achieve the best job possible!

“I believe that the journalism bursary will open so many doors for my future career and offer me the chance to collaborate with the other creative minds of my generation and above. It has enabled me to study further into various aspects of media and broadcast journalism whilst enjoying every opportunity presented to me. I am extremely excited to represent Bournemouth University through the RTS and am honoured to have been awarded such a prestigious bursary!”

BA (Hons) Television Production student, Josh Stevenson, also commented on his award, he said: “I'd have to say that receiving the RTS bursary removes so many of the strains that come with being a university student. Not only do I have the opportunity to study at a great institution like Bournemouth, but I now also have a really strong industry support network that enables me push forward in my creative endeavours with confidence.

I'm absolutely overjoyed at being chosen as a recipient and plan to use the bursary to invest in equipment to allow me to further myself as a media creator. It will enable me to hone my practical skills both during and outside of my three years at Bournemouth University.”