NWRC - a college that's worth shouting about

Carly Weir will complete her Higher National Diploma in Performing Arts at NWRC this month.

The 21 year-old has just finished a sell out run of Romeo and Juliet at the college’s Foyle Theatre in which she played Lady Capulet.

Carly originally studied Performing Arts at Northern Regional College and went on to NWRC to study the university level Performing Arts course at the Strand Road Campus on the acting pathway.

Living in Coleraine, Carly travelled to Strand Road Campus each day. She said studying locally was “a lot handier than trying to find accommodation.”

She said: “I think doing a Higher Education course at NWRC is a great way to explore things you're interested in without committing to a university course right away. It’s a great way to make friends, spend your time doing something you're interested in and have great experiences.”


Name?

Carly Weir

Age?

21

Where are you from?

Coleraine

Courses studied at NWRC.

Performing Arts (acting pathway)

Why performing arts?

I began Performing Arts at the NRC in Ballymoney after considering just doing music, I really enjoyed it and felt I had made the right decision. I've always loved music but found a love for acting and dancing through doing performing arts, it built my confidence greatly then and continued to throughout the course of doing HNC and HND in the NWRC

What was the course like – it looks like so much fun?

It was loads of fun, the course is very versatile in regards to showing an aspiring actor every aspect of the industry from backstage work to constructing a set to acting in front of a camera. You're encouraged to know your strengths and play to them as well as branch out into trying to develop new skills.

Did you make friends?

I made lots of great friends, this kind of course makes it quite necessary that you become close with your classmates as you're constantly letting yourself be vulnerable in different ways and putting your trust in them physically and emotionally.

What shows were you in?

I have been involved in Shenanigans for the last two years, I was Satine in last year’s production of Moulin Rouge and I was Lady Capulet this year in Romeo and Juliet

Why is it different from school?

You're focused intensely on one subject that you've chosen because you have an interest in it, this means you have to take into consideration how you use your time and the resources given to you. No one is forcing you to be there so, therefore, your time is your responsibility, I think this allows a lot more creative freedom and a chance to own your own life more than you can in school.

Did it make a huge difference because you could study locally and didn’t have to move away?

Although I had to travel from Coleraine day to day it was a lot handier than trying to find accommodation or a new job like I would if I had gone abroad.

Would you recommend NWRC?

Yes, I think doing a course here is a great way to explore things you're interested in without committing to a university course right away. It’s a great way to make friends, spend your time doing something you're interested in, and have great experiences.