The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland is Glasgow’s star factory, a performing arts school with a history that stretches back to the mid-19th century and a global reputation that ranks it consistently among the world’s top .
The story of the Royal Conservatoire begins in 1847, when it was founded as the Glasgow Athenaeum on Buchanan Street. The Athenaeum was established with a broad educational mission: to provide “mental cultivation, moral improvement and delightful recreation to all classes.” Initially, its focus was primarily on music education, but it rapidly became a vital cultural and educational hub in the city. Notably, the author Charles Dickens delivered the inaugural address at its opening, underscoring its early cultural significance.
By 1886, drama had been introduced into the curriculum, expanding the Athenaeum’s artistic remit. In 1929, its music programme was reorganised as the Scottish National Academy of Music, a turning point that marked its rise in national prominence. The institution received royal recognition in 1944 when King George VI granted it permission to become the Royal Scottish Academy of Music.
A formal College of Dramatic Art was established in 1950, cementing drama training as a core part of its mission. Over the ensuing decades, the Academy continued to grow, winning degree-awarding powers in 1993, the first conservatoire in the UK to do so, and later broadening its degree offerings to encompass research and postgraduate study.
In 2011, the institution adopted its current name, the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, to better reflect its interdisciplinary breadth - now covering music, drama, dance, production, and film.
The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland is one of the world's top ten institutions for performing arts education according to the QS World University Rankings.
Have a look at some of the famous faces who laid the foundations for their success while studying in Glasgow.
1. James McAvoy
James McAvoy was brought up in Drumchapel. He won a place to study acting at RSAMD, graduating in 2000 before embarking on a career that has included four Laurence Olivier Award nominations for stage productions and film roles in The Last King of Scotland, Atonement, Wanted, M Night Shyamalan’s Split and portraying Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men movies. Photo: Contributed
2. Krysty Wilson Cairns
She’s the Oscar-nominated Shawlands screenwriter with Hollywood at her feet. Royal Conservatoire graduate Krysty Wilson-Cairns is one of the most-talked about new voices in film. She co-wrote World War I war epic 1917 with director Sam Mendes and Last Night in Soho with Edgar Wright. She is writing a Star Wars movie to be directed by Taika Waititi. | Robert-McFadzean-RCS
3. Alan Cumming
The BAFTA, Emmy and Tony Award winning actor studied at RSAMD, making early appearances in Take the High Road and Taggart before building a successful career in America, acting in films including GoldenEye and Circle of Friends, performing on Broadway in a revival of Cabaret and appearing in CBS show The Good Wife. Photo: contributed
4. Kate Dickie
Kate won a place at RSAMD in 1990 and has pursued a film career while living in the West End. She was cast by Ridley Scott in Prometheus and appeared in The Witch, Filth and Red Road. She played Lysa Arryn in HBO series Game of Thrones. Photo: Tommy Ga-Ken Wan