:Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama

{{Short description|Music school and performance venue in Cardiff, Wales}}

{{Infobox university

| name = {{Nowrap|Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama}}

| native_name = {{langx|cy|Coleg Brenhinol Cerdd a Drama Cymru}}

| image_name = Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama.jpg

| image_size =

| motto =

| established = 1949

| type = Public

| staff =

| vice_chancellor =

| principal = Helena Gaunt

| students = 779 (2017/18){{cite book |title=Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 July2018 |publisher=Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama |page=3 |edition=2018 |url=https://www.rwcmd.ac.uk/PDF/Accounts-2018.pdf |access-date=29 September 2019}}

| undergrad = 514 (66%, 2017/18)

| postgrad = 265 (34%, 2017/18)

| city = Cardiff

| state =

| country = Wales

| coor = {{coord|51.4856|-3.1836|type:edu_region:GB|display=inline,title}}

| campus = Urban

| colours =

| affiliations = {{plainlist|

| parent = University of South Wales

| website = [http://www.rwcmd.ac.uk/ www.rwcmd.ac.uk]

}}

The Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama ({{langx|cy|Coleg Brenhinol Cerdd a Drama Cymru}}) is a conservatoire located in Cardiff, Wales. It has three theatres: the Richard Burton Theatre, the Bute Theatre, and the Caird Studio. It also includes one concert hall, the Dora Stoutzker Hall, and the Anthony Hopkins Centre, housed in the former Cardiff Castle Stables.

History and description

File:During construction of the RWCMD (Cardiff).jpg

The college was established in 1949 as Cardiff College of Music at Cardiff Castle, but in 1973 moved to purpose-built accommodation within the castle grounds of Bute Park near Cardiff University. In 1970 it changed its name to the Welsh College of Music & Drama before being awarded its royal title during Queen Elizabeth II's golden jubilee in 2002, making it the fifth conservatoire to be awarded this title.

From 1973, the college's degrees BA, BEd, MA, were awarded by the University of Wales and in 2004 the college became part of the federal university. In 2007, however, it left the university and agreed to a merger (referred to as a "strategic alliance") with the University of Glamorgan.{{cite web |url=http://profile.glam.ac.uk/glamgroup/colleges/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100308081312/http://profile.glam.ac.uk/glamgroup/colleges/ |archive-date=8 March 2010 |title=Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama |publisher=University of Glamorgan }}{{cite news |url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/merger-deal-signals-13m-windfall-2279573 |title=Merger deal signals £13m windfall |date=6 January 2007 |work=Wales Online }} The University of Glamorgan merged with the University of Wales, Newport, in 2013 to form the University of South Wales, so RWCMD is now part of the University of South Wales Group.{{cite web |url=http://www.rwcmd.ac.uk/about_us/corporate_information.aspx |title=Corporate Information |publisher=Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama |access-date=24 September 2016 }}

The college provides education and training in the performing arts and technical theatre, including music, acting, design, stage management and arts management. It was the first, and is one of only two All-Steinway conservatoires in the UK, along with Leeds College of Music. The College has approximately 800 students.

A £22.5m expansion of the college was opened in 2011, including two new performance venues (Richard Burton Theatre and Dora Stoutzker Hall), a new front of house area and rehearsal studios.{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-13724735 |title=Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama revamp unveiled |date=10 June 2011 |work=BBC News Online |access-date=23 May 2017 }} The Anthony Hopkins Centre, housed in the former Cardiff Castle Stables, was opened in 1999.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cardiffparks.org.uk/bute/info/castlemews.shtml|title=Bute Park - Castle Mews|publisher=Cardiff Parks|access-date=19 March 2025}}

In 2010, as part of the college's 60th anniversary celebrations, students from the college performed in a gala concert at Buckingham Palace, attended by the college's patron, the Prince of Wales.{{Cite news |url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/rwcmd-students-perform-buckingham-palace-1916565 |title=RWCMD students perform at Buckingham Palace |last=Evans |first=Gareth |date=5 May 2010 |work=Wales Online |access-date=23 May 2017 }} A second gala evening was presented at Buckingham Palace in 2016 to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the college's new facilities.{{Cite news |url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/arts-culture-news/gala-evening-hosted-prince-charles-10860853 |title=Gala evening celebrates Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama |last=Stubbs |first=Hannah |date=8 February 2016 |work=Wales Online |access-date=23 May 2017 }}

It is a member of the Federation of Drama Schools.{{cite web |last1=Granger |first1=Rachel |title=Rapid Scoping Study on Leicester Drama School |url=https://www.dora.dmu.ac.uk/xmlui/bitstream/handle/2086/17394/Scoping-Curve_FINAL_Dec2018..pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y |publisher=De Montfort University Leicester |access-date=7 September 2019}}

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