Firass Dirani ACTT $35,000 Scholarship Winner Announced
The Actors College of Theatre and Television (ACTT) is pleased to announce the winner of the Firass Dirani ACTT Scholarship is 26-year-old Taddeh Vartanians.
The full scholarship, worth over $35,000 will enable Taddeh to study for up to three years full-time in the Advanced Diploma of Arts in Stage & Screen Acting, known as the ‘Professional Actor Program’ at ACTT.
Sydney born, with an Armenian background, Taddeh will now join ACTT and learn the craft of professional acting, a step towards making his dream of a career in film and television a reality. Taddeh was thrilled to win the ACTT scholarship.
“Winning the scholarship is a dream come true and I truly believe this is my time. I’ve studied acting before but I wasn’t ready for the commitment I know is required. I know this is going to be a challenging year that will push me through all kinds of personal boundaries and I can’t wait to work with the teachers at ACTT to develop my acting skills,” says Taddeh.
The scholarship is designed to give an aspiring actor the opportunity to undertake professional acting training and spend time developing their skills, explains Firass Dirani, ACTT Graduate and celebrity actor, who worked closely with ACTT in designing the criteria and sat on the panel for the final auditions.
Firass Dirani graduated from the ACTT Professional Actor Program in 2004 and quickly shot to stardom. Widely recognised for his role as John Ibrahim in the TV series ‘Underbelly: The Golden Mile’, Firass is now appearing on the big screen with feature film Killer Elite alongside Robert De Niro, Clive Owen and Jason Statham, and in the mini-series drama, The Straits by Matchbox Pictures (airing on ABC this week).
“I’m proud to put my name behind this scholarship. It’s a great opportunity and the recipient has clearly demonstrated that they have the ability to excel in the competitive acting world. I can see myself in Taddeh, I know he is just as hungry for the opportunity as I was and I can’t wait to see what he can achieve at the end of the three years.” says Firass Dirani.
The Firass Dirani ACTT Scholarship aims to unearth another great Australian acting talent. The first year award value is $12,500 and the total value of the scholarship could be in excess of $35,000 to an individual student. Entry into ACTT is by audition and is competitive.
“The ACTT audition process is challenging. This year’s scholarship winner proved to the panel that he has more than just raw talent but is also driven and focussed. Taddeh demonstrated very similar attributes to those we saw in Firass Dirani at the start of his training with ACTT and like Firass, we hope he will continue to be an ambassador for ACTT throughout his career.” says Lesley Watson, Head of ACTT.
Taddeh will have the opportunity to train with a team of professional tutors, all experts in their fields, and experience a learning experience that transforms people into highly proficient, physically capable and emotionally confident actors.
Image: Firass Dirani + Taddeh Vartanians
