Rob Aramayo, a second year A level Drama student at Wyke has successfully auditioned for one of only 18 places at the prestigious Juilliard School in New York.

The audition process is intensive; from the original 4,000 applicants only half are given the opportunity to audition. Rob visited during December 2010 and his initial audition took place in January in New York. His last call back was in March when, having spent days being assessed, from the original group of over 2,000 who auditioned, he became one of the successful final 18 students who will enrol in September. Previous Juilliard students include Kevin Spacey and Robin Williams.

Rob said ‘I decided to apply for Juilliard as it is a prestigious, practical and diverse course.’ The Drama Division offers a four-year professional actor training programme. Rob has previously worked extensively with Hull Truck Youth and shown great commitment throughout his time at Wyke; it is this focus from such an early age which is now paying dividends.

Chris Gruca, Head of Performing Arts at Wyke, said, ‘This is an incredible achievement, due to Rob’s self-discipline and motivation. He has not only been accepted at Juilliard but also PACE University in New York City as well as drama schools in the UK. The competition for places at Juilliard involves a range of international students and the standard is incredibly high. Rob’s potential to pursue a career in the performing arts has been clearly recognised. It is an amazing opportunity as Juilliard has an international reputation on a par with RADA.’