Gold Medal winners for Acting and Production Arts 2022 announced

Guildhall School of Music & Drama is delighted to announce the winners of the School’s most prestigious prize, the Gold Medal, in both Acting and Production Arts.

The winner of the Acting Gold Medal is Lois Pearson who has just completed the BA (Hons) Acting programme. The award is given to the student who, in the opinion of the Acting staff, has most embraced the spirit and ethos of the training. In her final year at Guildhall School, Lois played the role of William Shakespeare in Emilia and Princess Sherbatsky in Anna Karenina. She also wrote and directed The Hug Service as part of Routes, a collection of short solo performance works, written, directed and performed by Guildhall’s final-year Acting students. Most recently, she played the role of Jacinta in Dennis of Penge. 

On being awarded the Gold Medal, Pearson said: “I am chuffed to bits to win the Gold Medal for Acting. Home is not the place you are, but the people in it, and Guildhall School truly is home for me. This place has made me a better version of myself, as an actor and a person, and I will always return to what I have learnt here. I owe everything to my ensemble, their courage, resilience and kindness has taught me more than they’ll ever know, and each and every one of them is GOLDEN.”

The Production Arts Gold Medal goes to Em Reeve who has just completed the BA Production Arts (Stage Management) programme. The award is given to a student who, in the opinion of the Production Arts staff, has consistently surpassed all expectations in whatever role they have undertaken, demonstrating exceptional interpersonal skills and making a significant contribution to the department.

Em has recently undertaken the role of Assistant Stage Manager on Gone Too Far! and Production Manager on Dennis of Penge at Guildhall and undertook work experience as Assistant Production Manager as part of Guildhall Live Events’ work on Love Light Norwich, a festival featuring installations, projections and performances. After graduation Em aims to pursue working in events as part of a production management team.

On receiving the Production Arts Gold Medal, Reeve said: “I am very humbled and grateful for Guildhall awarding me with the Gold Medal in Production Arts. My time at Guildhall has been extraordinary, for all the opportunities and to all the people that have made up my experience here, I would like to say thank you. To being able to explore my interests with Guildhall Live Events and the continuous effort put in by staff during lockdown the last three years have been something special and unique. Guildhall has prepared me for my future which I can't wait to get started.”

Find out more about studying Production Arts or Acting at Guildhall School.