Verity Campbell
In 2020 I was given an unconditional offer to study MLitt Playwriting and Screenwriting at the University of St Andrews. It was one of the happiest moments of my life and in an uncharacteristically wise move, I decided to defer my place until September 2021 in the hopes that I would be able to live the full St Andrews experience!
To say that this course has helped me would, in all fairness, be a bit of an understatement. I am the writer I am today because of it. It was a challenge, watching my work get dissected week-after-week, but the skills I have learned are absolutely invaluable. I know how to translate written storytelling into visual and aural mediums. I can also write plot points in my sleep!
Unfortunately, there did come a point where it felt like I was treading water. St Andrews is by no means a cheap little town and the rent prices there rival London itself. At one point, I was working nearly 35 hours a week alongside studying for my degree just to pay for food. That is where Ymddiried came to the rescue.
Their beyond generous £2,500 grant gave me the security of a roof over my head, food on my plate and the proper equipment to study and write with. It allowed me to focus solely on my writing – a luxury all my other course mates didn’t have to think about – and put me on an equal footing with everyone else.
In November 2022, I graduated from The University of St Andrews with an MLitt Playwriting and Screenwriting with Distinction and the only one of my class to do so. I was even placed on the Dean’s List for Academic Excellence.
I am beyond grateful that Ymddiried saw in me an artist worth supporting.
