Brighton campus graduates awarded Pebble Trust bursary for Brighton Fringe show
Our Brighton campus is celebrating the success of Acting for 21st Century graduates Faith McNeill and Saskia Monteiro, who have been awarded a bursary to help them perform at Brighton Fringe.
Faith and Saskia’s company Oblique Theatre are performing their show Cowpokes in a Bunkhouse at this year’s fringe, with funding help from their college’s graduate scheme and a newly awarded bursary from Pebble Trust, a young people’s trust that funds various youth projects for 18-25-year-old creatives. Beyond funding, they’re also providing mentorship, helping Faith and Saskia navigate the process.
“We initially wanted to participate in the fringe last year but felt too rushed. This year, we went through the BM1 Arts graduate scheme, as we knew people there from our college days. Through this scheme, they paid for us to submit our show to the fringe and allowed us to use their venue for free, which was a crucial kickstart for our company.
We were applying for bursaries before securing the graduate scheme, and most didn’t respond, but then Pebble Trust came through just days after we got the graduate scheme. Beyond money, they provide mentoring, which complements what we get from the graduate scheme. Now we can invest in advertising, costumes, and props for a more well-rounded show.”
The show examines how storytelling has been a part of human nature, through the lens of authentic cowboy life tending to cattle, rather than the Hollywood gunslinging stereotypes. Oblique Theatre were alerted to the Pebble Trust by Brighton campus course leader Barney Warrington:
“When we’ve had questions about applying for bursaries, Barney has helped us. He originally told us about the bursary, if it wasn’t for him we wouldn’t have known about it. Acting Lecturer Alex Watson reviewed our scripts immediately. It feels nice not to be forgotten and to know they still believe in us, which I’ve heard isn’t necessarily common in many drama schools – our lecturers didn’t just say “you’ve graduated, you’re on your own.”
Cowpokes in a Bunkhouse by Oblique Theatre is playing on 3-4 May 2025 at BN1 Arts Studio Theatre. Tickets are £8 and £6 (concession) and are available at brightonfringe.org/events/cowpokes-in-a-bunkhouse
You can also follow Faith and Saskia on Instagram at @obliquetheatre.
To discover more about Performers College, including auditions and how to apply, contact us at [email protected] or you can Apply Now, or book an Open Day on our Events page.
