Five art students have received $25,000 in bursaries from the Bermuda Musical and Dramatic Society’s Charitable Trust.

The recipients, who will be attending university in the fall, were each awarded $5,000 in scholarships on Saturday for their commitment, talent and contributions towards the performing and technical arts.

Ryan Day, 18, will be attending the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London for his bachelor’s in Sound Engineering.

Shona, 18, is returning for her second year at the Guildford School of Acting in Surrey, England where she will be studying actor musicianship.

Shanna Henry, 22, is going into her senior year at Montclair State University in New Jersey where she will finish up her degree in dance.

Kioshi Burgess, 23, will be finishing up his last year at the Musician’s Institute in Los Angeles for vocal performance.

Ebonae Pringle, 25, will enter her third year at Point Blank Music School in London to finish her degree in sound engineering and music production.

“As a theatre company we would encourage young people to continue with their talents and help develop Bermudian performances,” said Kevin Blee, a spokesperson for the BMDS.

“It sometimes gives a young performer the opportunity to do something that they didn’t have before.”

Ms Henry, who hopes to work as a dancer in Los Angeles, supported this statement by saying: “I am going into my final year of university, and I thought this would be the year to give my parents a break. They’ve been working hard over the past few years to not only pay for my school tuition but for my sister’s as well.”

The Charitable Trust was established in 2001 after 28-year-old Kate Huntington, an active member in the BMDS community, was killed in a bike accident in India one year earlier. At her parents’ request, BMDS created their trust to raise donations towards “promoting theatre among Bermuda’s youth”, according to Mr Blee.

Mr Burgess, a third-time bursary winner, recognised this commitment to the arts when he noticed how few scholarships there were for the arts. “It’s unfortunate that, four years later, we still have to say this, but there aren’t many scholarships for those in the arts,” said Mr Burgess.

“If there are, it’s a very strict process or so many different guidelines — it’s a lot and sometimes you just want someone to support you.”

Ms Pringle was also appreciative of the Trust’s support, saying that she thought her age and degree choice would make the getting the bursary unlikely.

“I find that, for my specific degree, the support isn’t very broad, but this one stuck out because they actually contribute to not only the performing arts but the technical and that’s what I do,” she said.

Alongside the scholarship, the BMDS Trust supports the Bermudian arts through donations towards the Bermuda School of Music Bursary Programme, the Chewstick Restoration Fund, theatre promotions and workshops for drama, dance and music.

Ryan, who has worked with BMDS since he was 11, felt honoured to have been recognised because backstage work isn’t always noticed.

“I think that a lot of roles, especially behind the scenes, are not really appreciated,” he said, going on to express his appreciation for the fund shining a light on their importance.

Each applicant hopes to find themselves on stage at some point in their lives. Shona told The Royal Gazette: “I feel like in this industry it’s hard to be specific because there’s so much competition, so my personal ambition is to be a professional working actress and just represent the country well.”

The BMDS Fund makes most of their money through the “Famous for Fifteen Minutes” playwright competition, where local writers submit 15-minute plays for a chance to win the Golden Inkwell trophy.

Each play is sent to a professional reading committee that chooses six finalists, which are all sent back to be directed and performed by an amateur crew.

• Donations accepted at The BMDS Charitable Trust, PO Box DV 631, Devonshire DV BX. Details about Famous for Fifteen Minutes are at the BMDS website at www.bmds.bm. All bursary applications received only through Bermuda Scholarships at http://www.bermudascholarships.com.