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.
9. Katie Leung
After going to school at Hamilton College. Her dad saw an advert for a casting call for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, encouraging her to go along. She cas cast as Cho Chang, joining the film franchise. She was inspired to continue with her acting career after attending a drama course at the Royal Conservatoire. Photo: John Phillips
10. Elaine C Smith
She studied at RSAMD when it was still on Buchanan Street, working as a drama teacher before making her television debut. City Lights and Rab C Nesbitt roles were followed by a prolific acting and performing career in Glasgow. Recent work includes Two Doors Down, for which she won a BAFTA Scotland Award. | Contributed
11. David Tennant
The tenth incarnation of The Doctor on Doctor Who, he appeared in the Harry Potter franchise before television roles in Jessica Jones, Broadchurch and Good Omens. He attended Saturday classes at RCS before starting his studies when he was 17 years old. Photo: Third Party
12. Jack Lowden
After performing in youth theatre, Jack enrolled in RSAMD and graduated in 2011. “I do that reminiscing thing of looking down St Vincent Street and then seeing Bath Street and remembering waiting in queues to get into bars” he said, remembering his time in the city. He starred in Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk and shared the role of Siegfried Sassoon with Peter Capaldi in Benediction. Photo: Jane Barlow