The Mills Williams Junior Fellowship is only available to students on the Artist Diploma (ArtDip) in Performance programme and cannot be held for more than one year.
All fellows are expected to develop musical and communication skills by undertaking further intensive study, working with students internally and doing all they can to raise the profile of the RCM externally. They play a full and active part in the musical life of the RCM as well as functioning as RCM ambassadors. They have full use of the RCM Library with its wealth of material and work in close contact with the Creative Careers Centre, the RCM’s centre for professional skills and publicity services.
Applications for 2020-21 fellowships will open later in the year.
Dutch cellist Jobine Siekman is currently finishing her Masters of Performance degree as Irene Hanson Scholar at the Royal College of Music with professor Richard Lester. She was previously at the Junior Department of the Royal Conservatory in The Hague where she learned with Lucia Swarts and Dmitri Ferschtman and for one year with Harro Ruijsenaars in Gothenburg. In 2017 she graduated from the Royal College of Music with first class honours with professor Melissa Phelps.
In 2016 Jobine won the third prize in the finals of the National Cello Competition of Cellobiennale Amsterdam. Prior to that she was awarded second prize in the National Competition of the foundation Young Music Talent of the Year (2011) and the Anna Shutlleworth Prize in the RCM cello competition (2016). In July 2017 she played the second Bach Suite in Wigmore Hall as part of the RCM String Showcase concert.
Jobine is a passionate chamber musician and a member of several successful ensembles with which she performs regularly in the UK and the Netherlands. She participated in masterclasses with Gary Hoffman, Johannes Goritzki, Frans Helmerson, Anner Bijlsma and Jean-Guihen Queyras. Jobine is sponsored by the Hendrik Muller Fonds and Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds.
The funding for the junior fellowships includes a substantial sum to be put towards the course fees, usually the full Home/EU fees, plus a bursary in the region of £7,600. These figures should be taken into account when planning your budget.
Applicants from outside the EU should note that they are required to indicate on their application what evidence they can show to prove their right to be in the UK for 2019/20.
The programme of study for junior fellows is determined by the structure of the Artist Diploma in Performance course, which is based on one-to-one provision and practical project work, tailored to your particular career aspirations.
Final examination for the Artist Diploma in Performance takes the form of a concert, recital engagement or concerto performance.
Junior fellowship funds may also be used for tuition in related areas of study, such as coaching on other areas of repertoire, language study, related instruments and costs associated with starting out in the profession.
As a junior fellow working with other RCM students you will be required to:
Applicants should already have successfully completed formal studies at a level equivalent to a postgraduate diploma or degree or be completing these studies in the academic year in which the application is made. Applications will be considered from those with equivalent experience.
Applicants need to be able to demonstrate substantial successful experience in their specialism, the motivation and determination to continue intensive studies, and the desire to develop their skills by working regularly with other musicians within and outside the RCM.
If you are not an EU resident, you must obtain permission to be in the UK from the UK Border Agency in order to hold a fellowship. Students on the Artist Diploma programme at the Royal College of Music are eligible for Tier 4 (General) Student Visas.
Find out more about visa applications
These conditions are set by the UK Government and can change. Please ensure you visit their website for the most up-to-date information.
The deadline for applications was Monday 4 February 2019.
Applicants are required to submit a portfolio supported by a letter of application, which should indicate your suitability for the fellowship and your readiness to present yourself as an emerging professional.
Your application should contain:
Find out more about portfolio contents
Applicants interested in this junior fellowship must complete a two-part application process, which consists of:
Plus:
Applicants who have not applied for both components by the closing date will not be considered for this junior fellowship.
Full-time students going into their second year of study may also apply, and will need to specify in their application that they are applying for their second year of the programme.
Please note that the junior fellowships for students on the Artist Diploma in Performance programme are not renewable, and may be held for one year only.
You should submit your portfolio online through the RCM submission portal. The information you upload to the portal does not constitute your entire application, but does form an integral part of it. You should ensure you have provided everything that is required. Incomplete applications may not be considered.
When using the submission portal you will be asked to create a user name and password, and to provide an email address. You should select 'junior fellow' from the list of programmes and the appropriate principal study instrument. There are no restrictions to the file size or type.
If you experience any problems uploading your portfolio please contact Lizzie Sambrook.
Assistant to the Artistic Director & Events Coordinator
020 7591 4370
Shortlisting for junior fellowships will take place once the RCM’s audition process is complete, which is usually in February. Only students offered a place on the Artist Diploma in Performance will be considered.
Interviews for the Mills Williams Junior Fellowship will be held on Friday 15 March 2019.
Should you be invited to interview, you will be required to bring original documentation (visa, passport or leave to remain in the UK) confirming that you have permission to be in the UK.
In your interview you will be required to:
Results will be conveyed as soon as possible after the interviews have taken place.
If you are expected to perform on the day of the interview, you will be notified in advance.
Please note that interviews will be held at the office of the Mills Williams Trustees.
Monro Wright & Wasbrough LLP
7-8 Great James Street
London WC1N 3DF
As Mills Williams Junior Fellow you will be expected to:
Royal College of Music
Prince Consort Road
London SW7 2BS
United Kingdom
