Music > Interviews

Ed Sheeran Goes Back to His Old College

EPIC Studios

14/12/18

Ed Sheeran’s secret event with students
 
Ed Sheeran travelled back to his home town to surprise the students at his old college, Access Creative, and gave them a once in a lifetime opportunity to ask him anything!
 
Judge Rinder viewers were left in hysterics after an Ed Sheeran look alike appeared on the show to take back £1k from his brother-in-law.
 
Access Creative College (ACC) can confirm that it was definitely not him as he was sitting on a sofa in Epic studios (Norwich) answering student questions in a secret workshop!
 
ACC (formerly Access to Music) is a national college currently in it’s 26th year of education and has a pretty impressive set of alumni. These include Rita Ora and Jess Glynne, but ACC are most acclaimed for kick-starting the career of Ed Sheeran who is now their patron.
 
Secret Speakeris ACC’s series of exclusive events, which gives their students the opportunity to meet and ask questions to those who have excelled in their field, from world famous musicians to actors and directors.
 
The events kicked off with Ed Sheeran, who studied the Artist Development course. He is still grounded and thankful for the opportunities ACC gave to him and was excited to be back. He said, ‘I’m really looking forward to it. I do talks every now and again but usually in other countries. I haven't really done one in the UK’.

 
All the Artist Development students from across their seven campuses in the UK, were taken by bus, train and plane to EPIC studios in Norwich, for the once in a lifetime opportunity. The audience was also made up of ex-students, including people from Ed’s class back in his ACC days. The day was made even more special by the fact that no one knew who it was until he walked out! The screams and round of applause said it all.
 
On his arrival to the studios, Ed was greeted by the ACC team and his favourite Nandos order. During lunch, he spoke about his career and his concerns about the decrease in funding for creative education. Ed said, ‘It’s super important to give kids a wide range of things they can do. I’m terrible at Maths and English but I was able to forge my own career because I had a really good music teacher’.
 
Ed was announced into the room to an incredibly surprised and excited bunch of students. The first part of the workshop was an interview conducted by Sophie Little from BBC Norfolk, who focussed on his equipment and career to date. The second part gave the aspiring musicians the chance to ask him anything, which they certainly did! The students asked everything from how to calm their nerves to how to deal with writer's block. Ed really enjoyed the opportunity to talk to people who are in the position he was in and said ‘I’m not in any rush so will answer all your questions’.
 
Jordan Phillips, a Manchester student and singer/songwriter said, ‘absolutely the best highlight in my music career. You could tell that none of his answers were ‘textbook’ and he was just a nice genuine human being. He cared a lot about what he was saying and who he was saying it to. His passion just shines through’.

The two hour session ended with Ed presenting signed vinyls and cards for two students celebrating their birthday this week. Each campus was then given the chance to have a photograph with the superstar, as well as getting autographs.
 
Ian Johnson, Partnerships Manager and Head of Artist Development at Access Creative College, and person responsible for discovering the superstar said ‘I first saw Ed when he was 16 at a local gig I helped curate in Norwich. It was clear he had something special so I emailed a contact at a management company who put him on their roster. Ed then decided to move to London and leave his school studies so I encouraged him to attend our Artist Development scheme in London, where he won the Island Records emerging talent search that Access participated in. Since then he's inspired so many of our students and we know he will carry on that legacy’.
 
To find out more or to check out our AD4 course, head to our website accesscreative.ac.uk.
 
 
Images
 
Credit:Geena Sharma-Singh