The latest Made in Bristol company arrive

Each September, for the last 15 years, BOV has welcomed a new influx of hot young talent through the Made in Bristol scheme. This is just one way of harnessing young people's creativity and seeing where it leads. We met three of the new participants - Wilden, Faye, Gabriel and Beck - to find out a little about how they got here.

• Wilden Egenti

Hello Everyone, I am Wilden, I’ve just turned twenty-two and I’m quite chuffed to tell you that I am due to begin Bristol Old Vic’s incredible Made In Bristol program for 2024/25!

My journey to becoming a part of this wonderful creative community initially began way back  in 2016. My mother encouraged me to take up drama classes after school, since my school was nearby, but in all honesty I was much too shy back then so this simply did not happen.        

However I’ve always been deeply passionate about storytelling; from creative writing and draft work to bellowing out lines out on stage, the entire process has always captivated me; in fact I somewhat view it as my purpose, so earlier this year I decided to take the leap and sign up for  Young Company’s spring term and I did not look back.        

Since then I’ve met some great people, and learned about the programme which I knew would be perfect to kick start my creative journey. To say that I’m looking forward to beginning MIB this september is understatement, I think it’s going to be great!        

Tell us one surprising thing about you..
One interesting fact about me is that during the terrible COVID-19 pandemic, I managed to put together a working computer as a task to kill boredom.

• Faye Benians

Having just finished full time education I thought this year would be perfect to apply for Made in Bristol. 

It intrigued me as I’d heard it was an opportunity to work in a small group exploring different aspects of theatre, so I’m hoping by the end of the course I’ll have more detailed experience of theatre making as opposed to just performing.

I’ve known about Bristol Old Vic for a long time as I’ve lived in Bristol all my life and went to see shows throughout my childhood. I only joined young company in 2022 but I have been involved ever since.

Creativity has always been part of how I express myself and theatre has played an important role in channeling it. I love collaborating with others and witnessing the process of a performance being made. 

Tell us one surprising thing about you..
A weird fact about myself is that as a toddler I had to go to hospital for putting a raisin up my nose….

• Gabriel Kelly

I’m very excited for the Made In Bristol programme and the opportunity to stretch my theatrical muscles with a group of like-minded creatives.

I’ve been involved with the Bristol Old Vic theatre for over a decade through their Young Company, which has encouraged my ever growing passion for theatre and storytelling.

As highly communicative creatures, I think that humans find innate satisfaction in the experience of art and stories, as they can convey emotions and messages in ways that contrast or mirror reality. This can provide a form escapism and catharsis to viewers or simply brighten their day and make them laugh. Creating these narratives and presenting them to a willing audience brings me immense joy and I can’t wait to see what comes from this years programme.

Tell us one surprising thing about you..
Something slightly curious about myself is that I have a collection of nearly 100 owl statues, paintings and figurines and recently had the pleasure of holding an owl named Hazel.