Trinity Class of 2024 Hall of Fame – Solomon Horta

At just 10 years old, Solomon Horta is already the star of a Disney short film. He spoke to us about being added to the Trinity College Hall of Fame for his amazing work as a dramatic performer.

Trinity Class of 2024 Hall of Fame – Solomon Horta

What does it mean to you to be included in the Trinity Hall of Fame?

It means a lot to me. I am so proud of my achievements and delighted that my story in pursuing my study in performance art is being captured in Trinity Hall of Fame. For my Grade 4 Speech and Drama exam last year, I challenged myself to perform big pieces that covered various themes and moods. I decided to perform a play from William Shakespeare (Henry IV, Part I, Act V, Scene 2), a motivational poem called Before I by Insiya Patanwala, a speech, and a prose extract. 

My exam result was a total mark of 94. Plus, the Examiner noted on the marking sheet that my William Shakespeare performance was excellent. I am so grateful for my parents and my teachers in Shelley Lowry School, who are always supporting and encouraging me to continue to do what I love, performing arts.

Could you explain a little about what first drew you to the arts?

My mother told me that since I was five years old, I was a chatterbox. I loved talking in front of the mirror, impersonating news reporters, and I was always excited when asked to do stage performances in the nursery. So when I was six or seven years old, my parents decided to enrol me to Shelley Lowry Speech and Drama School to learn and to have more fun in doing what I love. I always feel like I am in my element whenever I’m on a big stage doing performances, especially poems. I feel so happy.

How has Trinity helped you to achieve your goals in the arts?

Solomon Horta holds his Trinity College certificateAs we all know, Trinity College London is a leading, internationally recognised exam board, and also can lead to a place at university. Therefore, it is really beneficial for me to have Trinity qualifications to develop my skills to achieve my goals to be a successful performer and actor in the future.

What are your hopes for your future in the arts? Do you want to make it into a career?

By using my knowledge and skills in performing art, I have won gold medals in some of the speech and drama festivals across Northern Ireland in 2024. In addition to this, I was selected as a hero boy in the Disney holiday short film The Boy and The Octopus, which was aired on Disney YouTube and Disney+ from November 2024. 

I also have gained experiences in auditions for feature films and commercials for these past years. I hope by obtaining Trinity College London qualification through Shelley Lowry School, it will help me to explore more and get more opportunities in the future to be an actor and a performer. 

Do you have any advice for other young people who want to pursue the arts?

Discipline and never give up. Things might be hard for you to deliver your pieces, but do not stop learning and giving your best. Trust your heart as, if you deliver your performance from your heart, it will deliver straight to the audience’s hearts. Oh yes and one more, explore more classic pieces to improve your literacy, vocabulary and expressions. I love reading William Shakespeare poems and plays, as well as Maya Angelou’s poems. I think they all are first class pieces. 

Find out more about the Trinity Hall of Fame here or learn more about speech and drama exams.

Author

Trinity Talent

Trinity Talent

TrinityTalent celebrates talented young people achieving Trinity’s music, drama and Arts Award qualifications in the UK.

Teachers and students can nominate young artists aged 13-25 who have shown excellence in one of the following categories during 2021: CREATIVE FLAIR | PROGRESS | LEADERSHIP

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