Gaia's Story

Gaia's Story

In 2019, Gaia Ahuja from London was awarded the Reuben Scholarship of £9,250 to support her studies for the BA in Acting at the Liverpool Institute For Performing Arts (LIPA).  Due to the Covid-19 pandemic Gaia was unable to meet her mentor Maxine Peake in person, but BAFTA was able to arrange their first meeting over Zoom with great success. 

It was so great to talk to Maxine, especially during this time. I felt we share a lot of similar views regarding the current climate, so it was effortless chatting away about films and series we are both loving at the moment, 'This Country' seems to be both of our favourite! We spoke at lengths about the effects the pandemic will have on our industry, but with a positive outline - that we both hope that a lot of us will come out of this time stronger and kinder with a more avid social and moral conscience.

Maxine was able to tell me all about her memories of drama school, her first jobs, her shift in the ownership and celebration of her class, accent and individuality as an actress which is something I resonate with massively! 

BAFTA have provided me with numerous brilliant networking opportunities, one of which being able to attend a Q&A with Reinaldo Marcus Green, director of my favourite series 'Top Boy'. I even got a chance to meet and chat to him after which was brilliant as 'Top Boy' is exactly the kind of work I’d love to be involved in in the near future: contemporary, unapologetically rich with London culture and colloquialisms which commentates on sociopolitical issues.

Attending the EE British Academy Film Awards 2020 also felt like some what of a dream, and being able to be part of that audience which sat some of my all time favourite actors was electric!