Lily Renwick

"I loved my Leeds Conservatoire audition! Everyone made me feel very welcome and took an interest in me as an individual."

What made you choose Leeds Conservatoire?

I loved my Leeds Conservatoire audition! Everyone made me feel very welcome and took an interest in me as an individual. The passion and expertise of the teaching staff, who all currently work in the industry, greatly influenced my decision to study here as I felt really inspired by them. Also, I'm from Essex, so I wanted to branch out to the North and see how great the music and theatre scene is up in Leeds! (It's fantastic).

Has anything been totally different to what you expected when you started at Leeds Conservatoire?

Everything we've done so far has exceeded my expectations, and every exercise we do is entirely different from the last, just more funky!

What is the most mind-blowing thing you've learned so far at Leeds Conservatoire?

You have to push yourself because coming out of your comfort zone will help you develop into a better and more well-rounded. Our ensemble also gelled quite quickly together, and that was amazing to journey to go through in the rehearsal space.

Is there anything that has really made you push yourself as a musician and/or actor?

I bought a flute before starting the course, and I said to myself I would learn it. I brought it in every lesson, and especially in music lab, I pushed myself to create pieces of music and read notation, which was out of my comfort zone. Still, I wanted to push myself and indulge in my musicality more. 

What projects have you worked on so far in your first year?

We have performed the festival of Dionysus in the middle of a forest thanks to Slung Low. It was so exciting to see everyone's creations in a natural setting. This was such a heart-warming experience as it was the first time our class had performed together, and it was amazing! 

What sort of accommodation are you living in? What advice would you give to new students about accommodation?

I'm currently living in the Leeds conservatoire uni halls - Joseph stones house. I'm in a flat of five that has en-suite rooms with a shared kitchen. I would recommend living in halls if you want to meet a bunch of new people from different courses with a quick 5-minute walk to campus.

What do you get up to outside of studying?

I've started to skateboard, which is really new and exciting! It's something I hope to build and improve. I also teach musical instruments and theory to students.

What is the best thing about living and studying in Leeds?

Because I am from the South, I have to say the snow! But also Leeds is a student city filled with lots of different unis, so you have people all around! Although Leeds is a city but has a real homely feel to it.

What advice would you give to a new student about to start at Leeds Conservatoire in September?

Make friends, go to events, enjoy yourself and every moment! Be open and allow yourself to start the conversation.

How would you describe your experience at Leeds Conservatoire so far in three words? 

Mind-blowing, exciting, vibrant.

Find out more about the Actor Musician Programme at Leeds Conservatoire.