RWCMD’s 2026 Honorary Fellows: A cohort shaped by Wales, creativity and the future
The Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama has unveiled its 2026 Honorary Fellows, and this year’s cohort feels like a love letter to Wales’ creative spirit — bold, generous, future‑facing, and proudly rooted in the communities that make our arts sector what it is. Announced under the College’s refreshed strategic banner, here for the arts, Wales and the future, the Fellows represent the kind of leadership, imagination and graft that keep the cultural landscape moving forward.
They’ll receive their honours at graduation ceremonies on 9–10 July, joining students at the moment they step into their own creative futures — a symbolic passing of the torch from those shaping the sector today to those who’ll shape it tomorrow.
The 2026 Fellows: A celebration of impact
Sara Beer — Champion of inclusive arts practice
As Director for Change at Craidd, Sara Beer has spent her career pushing the sector to be braver, more accessible and more accountable. Her Fellowship recognises decades of work supporting Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent artists — not as an add‑on, but as a fundamental part of Wales’ creative identity. Sara’s leadership continues to reshape how organisations think about access, representation and the structures that hold artists back.
Sarah Crabtree & Adele Thomas — Reimagining opera for everyone
Welsh National Opera’s Co‑CEOs, Sarah Crabtree and Adele Thomas, are rewriting the rulebook on what opera can be. Their joint Fellowship celebrates a partnership built on collaboration, experimentation and a commitment to opening the doors of opera wider than ever before. From community engagement to bold programming, their work signals a new era for one of Wales’ most important cultural institutions.
Toks Dada — Innovator, curator, changemaker
An RWCMD graduate now leading classical music at Southbank Centre, Toks Dada has become one of the UK’s most exciting cultural voices. His Fellowship honours a career defined by innovation — from audience development to championing new approaches to classical programming. He’s proof of what Welsh training can do on the world stage.
Ben Goldscheider — The horn soloist redefining his instrument
Still early in his career yet already internationally acclaimed, Ben Goldscheider has premiered more than 50 new works and become a leading voice in contemporary classical performance. His Fellowship recognises both his artistry and his commitment to inspiring the next generation of musicians.
Hayley Grindle — Designer with imagination and heart
From award‑winning theatre design to her leadership in accessible stagecraft, Hayley Grindle’s work is rooted in storytelling, collaboration and care. As an RWCMD graduate, her Fellowship feels like a homecoming — celebrating a designer whose work is seen across the UK’s stages.
Pino Palladino — A Welsh legend with global reach
Few musicians have shaped modern music like Pino Palladino. From The Who to Adele, from D’Angelo to Elton John, his basslines have defined eras. His Fellowship honours not just a remarkable career, but a Welsh musician whose influence spans genres, continents and generations.
A strategy rooted in Wales, reaching into the future
The announcement sits within RWCMD’s new strategic framework, which centres on:
Arts leadership — nurturing the people who shape creative industries.
Wales — celebrating national identity and strengthening the cultural ecosystem.
The future — preparing graduates for sustainable, imaginative careers.
This year’s Fellows embody those values — not just through their achievements, but through the ways they’ve lifted others, challenged norms and expanded what’s possible.
Why this matters for Wales
By choosing artists, leaders and innovators who champion inclusion, push boundaries and amplify Welsh creativity on the world stage, RWCMD is signalling the kind of sector it wants to help build — one that is open, ambitious and deeply connected to its communities.
For students graduating this summer, these Fellows offer a roadmap: be bold, be generous, be rooted, be future‑minded.