22 Oct Interview with Jeffrey Sharkey, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Scotland
Founded in 1847, the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland is one of the few institutions worldwide to offer degrees across the full range of performing and production arts. In March 2025, RCS was ranked the sixth-best performing arts school in the world, for the ninth time. Could you describe how the Conservatoire sets itself apart in the nation’s academic landscape?
Eleven years ago I came from the US where I worked in higher education, to join the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS) because of its outstanding reputation. I felt it needed a stronger voice to share its message and since then we have gained greater recognition which delights me.
What makes RCS unique is its breadth across the performing arts. We bring together three schools: music, which covers classical, traditional, folk, opera and jazz; stage and screen, which trains actors, musical theatre, production design, lighting, stage management and filmmaking; and dance, including modern ballet and commercial dance. These schools don’t exist in silos. The students collaborate, create joint projects and learn from each other. A dancer might work with a musician or an actor may be inspired by how a dancer moves across the stage. This cross-pollination helps them grow as more complete artists.
Another big strength is Scotland itself, with its rich Celtic traditions of music, storytelling and sharing. From Scottish cèilidhs — where poems, songs and dances are passed around — to blending influences from Ireland, Iceland or even Appalachia, that collaborative spirit runs through our music, acting and dance programmes. We are also unique in our strong research and community engagement. We offer degrees up to PhD level and we nurture a pipeline of Scottish talent, we also welcome students from around 60 countries worldwide.
RCS has invested heavily in modernising its spaces and expanding the creative toolkit available to students. What major infrastructure upgrades are underway and how do they support your long-term vision for the campus?
Our campus is always evolving. In 2012, we converted warehouses just 10 minutes from our main site into purpose-built dance studios, production workshops and rehearsal spaces. This freed us from relying solely on the main stage and gave actors, musicians and designers room to develop their work. We also added a residence hall, helping first-year and international students live together and build community. Next, we are creating an innovation space to showcase new work and opportunities across Scotland.
RCS is highly entrepreneurial — we launched more small businesses last year than any other Scottish university. We teach artists not just to wait for agents, but to generate their own work, make an impact and build sustainable careers.
In 2024, RCS launched its Creative Enterprise Development Office and its Innovation Studio seed fund recently supported 12 projects with more than $40,000 in funding. How does RCS differentiate itself within Scotland’s innovation and research ecosystem?
As Scotland’s national conservatoire, our competition is international, but at home we collaborate with all the major companies: the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Scottish Opera, Scottish Ballet, the National Theatre of Scotland and the Edinburgh International Festival. For example, we are launching a new opera program with Scottish Opera where top students will perform on professional stages in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Glasgow itself is a creative super-cluster. Along one axis, we have one of the highest concentrations of arts institutions outside Lincoln Center — RCS, the Glasgow School of Art, the Theatre Royal, the Glasgow Film Theatre, the National Piping Centre and more within a few blocks of one another. On the other hand, we connect with BBC Scotland and all the national companies. This ecosystem fuels both artistic excellence and research, whether using dance to support people with Parkinson’s, music to aid dementia or data to inform cultural policy. The creative industries are a vital driver of Scotland’s economy.
Our alumni appear in global productions like Outlander or Department Q, while films like Avengers and Spider-Man shoot in Glasgow, bringing worldwide attention. At the same time, our students and graduates are creating original work for theatres across Scotland and shaping the next generation of musicians and performers. Our jazz and traditional musicians perform nightly in pubs and clubs, drawing audiences and contributing to the local economy. Unlike industries such as fishing or engineering, the performing arts don’t always promote themselves as strongly, yet they are vital, not just economically, but socially. Post-COVID and in the age of AI, it’s the creative arts that bring people together. A concert, play or dance performance offers a shared emotional experience you won’t find on a screen and Scotland deeply values that.
The rise of augmented reality, immersive sound and creative AI is reshaping art education. How is RCS adapting its curriculum to emerging technologies, and what digital pathways are students engaging with most enthusiastically?
We have long embraced digital tools — electroacoustic music, synthesizers, samplers and film technology — alongside our traditional instruments. AI, however, is a potential game changer. It can quickly generate copies, whether a script, a tune for a commercial, or even a voice for an advert, which risks replacing actors, composers or writers. Our challenge is to acknowledge AI, perhaps use it as a support, but push beyond the predictable. What matters is individuality — the human craft, time and emotion that audiences can feel. We need to help people discern the difference between quick replication and real artistry. That discernment, nurtured through creating and engaging with the arts, is what will keep the human element alive in an AI age.
We’re spearheading a project called Split Screen with our cultural neighbors, local technology companies and entrepreneurs to jointly explore how the arts can use AI to aid creativity and performance. We don’t know where that will go and what the results will be – but that’s exciting. AI isn’t going to go away and it’s important we embrace its possibilities in a constructive and entrepreneurial way.
As a signatory of the UN’s Race to Zero campaign, RCS has accelerated its green transition. How central is sustainability to RCS’s education, and what role do arts institutions play in Scotland’s green agenda?
My view has evolved. Fifteen years ago, I thought sustainability was mainly for engineers, but the arts play a key role too. At RCS, our designers lead the way, asking what can be reused instead of starting from scratch. We are working with companies to catalog and share sets and costumes, with the vision of regional depots across Scotland so materials aren’t wasted after one show. The arts also shape habits through persuasion. Just as Hollywood once made smoking seem glamorous and its decline on screen reduced smoking in real life, we can influence everyday choices. Whether it’s showing someone cycling or simply putting on a jumper when it’s cold, subtle images matter. Paired with the innovations of engineers, the arts help change hearts, minds and behaviors.
How is the university improving access for underrepresented communities through outreach and college pathways?
We work hard to reach young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and give them access to quality training with real pathways forward. Like football, the arts need a wide grassroots base to develop talent, but in forms like string instruments or ballet, you have to start young, which can be costly and exclusionary.
Our Fair Access program identifies young people from disadvantaged communities and makes training free, removing barriers such as instruments, lessons and travel. Without this, the arts risk becoming a middle-class pursuit. Alumni like James McAvoy, who grew up in a working-class part of Glasgow, often speak about how acting changed his life. He has helped us expand opportunities so more young people can experience the same transformation.
Despite enrolment headwinds across the UK, RCS has remained globally engaged, building relationships with international universities and arts networks. In April 2025, RCS took to the streets of New York to promote its brand and celebrate Scotland’s cultural impact abroad. How is RCS strengthening its international appeal especially in the US?
There are about nine million people of Scottish descent in the U.S., second only to the Irish diaspora, and they are proud to celebrate their roots. Through the American-Scottish Foundation and our own non-profit board, we connect with them, showing how RCS is training the next generation of bagpipers, composers, actors, filmmakers, musicians and dancers. It’s about saying if you love Scottish culture, this is where its future is being created.
Beyond North America, we are strengthening ties across Europe, especially after Brexit, and I serve as vice president of the Association of European Conservatoires to keep those links alive. We also have strong partnerships in Asia, from Singapore and China to Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia. This cross-fertilization enriches Scotland’s arts and ensures we stay connected globally.
What are some of your biggest personal objectives as principal, and what kind of legacy do you hope to leave as RCS continues to evolve in the years ahead?
To every incoming student, I say we want to give you the tools to stay curious for life. We can’t predict exactly where the arts are going, but we can help you ask the right questions, collaborate with peers, navigate challenges and celebrate successes. I would like my time here to be remembered for the people and the work. Inside our building, some of the most innovative, warm and thoughtful work happens anywhere in the world.
What’s your final message for the readers of USA Today?
If you are a young artist, come study here — there is space to breathe. Scotland offers world-class cultural institutions in Edinburgh and Glasgow and a thriving experimental arts scene, while also being just a short trip from the Highlands, the Ayrshire coast or the Borders. If you are of Scottish descent, be proud of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Despite being a small country of five million, Scotland consistently produces world-class artists and our institution ranks among the global top 10 places to study.