UW–Madison’s Baron Kelly, a Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor in the School of Education’s Department of Theatre and Drama, has been awarded the inaugural Colin Cook International Fellowship at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) for the 2024-25 academic year.
This prestigious endowed award was named in honor of Colin Cook, renowned director and former head of LAMDA’s world-leading drama school. The award enables a distinguished artist or scholar to join LAMDA to undertake a defined project, offering students and staff the opportunity to collaborate and learn from a globally renowned industry figure.
The fellowship at LAMDA comes with the title of visiting professor of acting and directing, which Kelly may hold for a period of three years.
For this academic year, Kelly will deliver a lecture at LAMDA in October for the U.K.’s Black History Month, speaking about the legacy of Black actors in classical theatre. Then in May-June 2025 after UW–Madison’s spring semester wraps up, he will direct LAMDA’s final year BA and MFA Professional Acting students in an August Wilson play, the title of which is to be determined.
“I’m absolutely humbled to have this opportunity,” says Kelly, who at UW–Madison also holds a concurrent appointment with the Odyssey Project in the Division of Continuing Studies. “I’m excited to work with LAMDA’s talented students, and also showcase my work internationally.”