Hello, I'm Paul and I have been offered an amazing opportunity to attend the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts' Scenic Art Postgraduate course. Unfortunately I am ineligible for further student loans and, because of being postgraduate, I need to pay the full annual fees (£8,000 per annum on an 18-month course).

I consider myself incredibly fortunate to be given a place on the RADA course, however as a financially struggling artist I simply do not have the funds to cover all the fees. While I work at several jobs, which I will continue to hold down while studying at RADA to defray the course fees and my living expenses, the money I raise here would help to ease the pressure this causes.

A little bit about myself: I am a practicing artist, originally from Inverness in the Scottish Highlands. Last year I received Scottish Arts Council funding to undertake different art projects, one of which was to attend RADA's summer scenic course – I had been wanting to do this for years but had never previously been financially able to do so. I enjoyed it immensely and the moment was an epiphany; I immediately applied for the Scenic Art course at RADA and luckily I got a place!

Recently I have been very privileged to gain work experience with the Royal Opera House scenic department who have been hugely supportive, the experience here was another pivotal moment which helped to cement in my mind that this was the career for me. I found it a fantastic experience, easily the best creative project I've been involved in and one which has  helped nurture a great love for the theatre.

While at the ROH I met a great many incredibly talented scenic artists, quite a few of whom went through RADA. I also got to see my first opera, Krol Roger, which I was delighted to do a little work on. It was wonderful seeing all the departments working together towards the goal of the final show, putting the scenic work into context. This has spurred my enthusiasm, helped me develop my journey to Scenic Art, and brought me to the realisation that this is the ideal career to sit alongside my own artistic practice. I can't believe how lucky I have been thus far.

I have studied at the Royal College of Art for my MA in Painting, and at Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen for a BA (Hons) in Fine Art where I gained a 1st. I have since exhibited widely throughout the UK and abroad including: Nottingham Contemporary 2015, the Paper exhibition at the Saatchi gallery 2013, the London Open at the Whitechapel gallery, Jerwood space solo project, New Contemporaries the Liverpool Biennial and the Royal Scottish Academy, and I painted a mural for NATO in Brussels. 

I have also developed my presentation and teaching skills, giving artist talks and teaching on a casual basis at various universities, including stints as a visiting lecturer at Farnham and Chichester Universities. In addition I was recently asked to participate in a panel discussion at the Saatchi gallery, and have also run workshops at the Blyth gallery in Imperial College for a number of years as well as at the Whitechapel and Saatchi gallery with local teenagers. 

However with my background I have incredibly limited funds and have always struggled financially. On previous courses I was lucky to be assisted with funding because of my low income; however there are currently no postgraduate funds available to me from student finance. As a result any donation to assist me to reach my goals is welcome. No matter how small or large, it all helps and is hugely appreciated. In return I can offer my artwork and my greatest appreciation as follows:

- Any advertising that I can do for the donor

- Any donation of:

- £50 and over: I will send a postcard with a doodle drawing on it (drawn in indelible pen).

- £150: a small paper till receipt (drawn with ink and painted in watercolour and coloured pencil)   www.paulwestcombe.com/4_paper_till_receipts.html

- £175: a used battery (painted with gesso and watercolour and ink)

  www.paulwestcombe.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/drawings-on-used-batteries.html 

- £200: used travel card receipt (painted with watercolour and ink)

www.paulwestcombe.com/3_london_underground_travelcards.html

- £250: a small used Vaseline tin (painted with gesso and watercolour and ink)

www.paulwestcombe.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/blog-post.html

 

- £275: a paper till receipt, medium size (painted with watercolour and ink)  

www.paulwestcombe.com/4_paper_till_receipts.html

- £300: a used paper coffee cup, espresso size (painted with watercolour and ink)

www.paulwestcombe.com/1_used_paper_coffee_cups.html

- £900: a used paper coffee cup, medium size (painted with watercolour and ink)

www.paulwestcombe.com/1_used_paper_coffee_cups.html

- All large donations will receive progress reports and I shall credit donors where possible on all the relevant RADA publications and will include free tickets to RADA student shows. 

- Invitations, if desired, to my artist exhibition openings and RADA events.

- Larger donations could come for a studio visit if desired.

I have included my artist website, with some links of my other projects with images of my artwork.

Please give generously and thank you to everyone taking the time to read this and helping to provide this life changing experience.  

Links 

-  www.paulwestcombe.com  - (personal website)

- www.saatchigallery.com/artists/paul_westcombe.htm   (Saatchi website) 

- www.recreativeuk.com/projectarticle/day-1-paul-westcombe

( Contemporary Art bootcamp- project with teenagers 16-19 at the Whitechapel Gallery in London)

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