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HERE
There are four main options for acquiring some drama
'training' after your BTEC National/A Levels:
1) Do a Drama Degree (3 years) at university, followed
by a postgraduate diploma course (1 year) at a drama
school to fill in the gaps & enhance your experience
2) Combine training & academic study through
an Acting Degree (3 years) at University or Drama
School
3) Do an HND (2 years) at university or college,
followed by a further 2 years study on a degree course,
or a postgraduate course at Drama School ... or both
4) Train at Drama School through an Acting Diploma
(NCDT accredited) 2-3 years, then go out & get
work.
The Issues
Which drama degree is for you? In general degrees
tend to be broad ranging and academic rather than
practical, but be careful when choosing as some 'practical'
courses, while providing a lot of productions to work
on, may not give much training - i.e. work on the
voice, the body and study of the art of acting. The
situation is complicated by some drama schools now
offering 'acting' degree courses rather than (or in
addition to) the usual 'acting diploma,' in general
most of these offer a larger amount of training mixed
with some academic work.
NB In most 'Performing Arts' degrees it is possible
to combine Drama, Music & Dance, but note that
this is not Music Theatre and in general the more
individual subjects you combine at degree level the
more academic the experience gets, especially in combined
subject degrees.
2) Drama School Acting Diploma (NCDT accredited)
2-3 years - This, historically, has been the way that
most actors get their training; acting technique,
dialect, voice control, study of theatre genres etc.
NB Funding - until January 1999 it has been difficult
to get grants for these courses, now 820 accredited
places per year are funded via the DfEE (Department
for Education & Employment) on the basis of talent,
assessed at audition. Places on courses that are not
accredited, are funded by a combination of discretionary
awards where available, trust funds, donations and
self help - see the leaflet 'BRIT School Guide To
Getting Funded' for more details. Some schools offer
scholarships (Arts Educational & Mountview have
more than most) while RADA will, if you are offered
a place, do their best to get you funded one way or
another, although this could change. While Acting
Diplomas provide useful training they do not have
the academic prestige of a degree and, unlike a degree,
are not generally recognised as acceptable for other
graduate careers.
3) BTEC Higher National Diplomas - 2 years long,
are not quite as high in academic terms as a degree,
nor as flexible in terms of your career, however they
do offer a mainly practical experience and some training.
The HND in Performing Arts is still a fairly new qualification
and is still developing, a lot of new courses have
sprung up in the last few years; some are very good,
others less so. Some have found a niche in providing
a background, or training, for a career in Community
Arts or Theatre In Education. See the HND Performing
Arts Courses listed in the BRIT Guide To Higher Education
Applications for details. The HND on its own is not
as flexible, in career terms, as a degree nor does
it offer enough 'training' to compete with acting
diplomas. However it is possible in most cases to
go on to a linked degree course on completion of the
HND, or a postgraduate drama school course.
Time Out: in all of the above options it is worth
taking a year or two out to gain experience of life
and the theatre; note that drama schools generally
prefer to take people who have had some time out,
as the life skills you are able to bring to the course
are an important part of understanding social interaction,
character and yourself.
Some Drama School Acting & Music Theatre
Degrees To Check:
· Rose
Bruford College: BA Acting, or BA Actor/Musician
· Guildhall School of Speech & Drama: BA
Acting
· Guildford School of Acting BA (Hons) Acting/Music
Theatre
· Arden Theatre School: BA Acting Studies
· Central School of Speech & Drama: BA
Acting
· Italia Conti: BA Acting
· Queen Margaret's College: BA Acting
· East
15 Acting School: BA in Acting
· Royal Scottish Academy Of Music & Drama:
BA in Acting
· Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama:
BA Theatre Studies (Acting)
· London Studio: BA in Music Theatre
Some University Acting, Drama & Performing
Arts Degrees To Check:
· Manchester Met. University: BA Theatre Arts
(Acting)
· Middlesex University: BA Acting, or Performance
Arts
· De Montfort University: BA Performing Arts
· Leeds University (formerly at Bretton Hall):BA
Theatre and Performance
· Sunderland University: BA In Expressive And
Performing Arts
· Dartington College Of Arts: BA In Performing
Arts
Other Degree Combinations Worth Checking:
· Warrington Collegiate: BA in Performing Arts
& Business Management
· Roehampton University: BA (Combined) Drama,
Dance & Music - Other combinations are possible
Some HNDs To Check
· De Montfort University: HND in Drama
· Clarendon College, Nottingham: HND in
Community Performance
· Newcastle College: HND in Music Theatre
or Drama
· Buckinghamshire Chilterns College of
HE: HND in Music Theatre
· Blackpool & Fylde College: HND in
Performing Arts (CommunityTheatre)
The Big Question... is do you need any of the above
to become a professional actor? The answer is no,
not necessarily, it depends of your level of confidence
in your skills and what experience you already have.
In any case most training schools acknowledge that
it takes far longer than 2/3 years to train as an
actor and, although drama school training will give
you a background for certain types of drama, and some
strategies for dealing with the mental and physical
torture you will experience in trying to carve out
a career for yourself as an actor, at the end of your
training you will still have to find work....... so
A BRIEF GUIDE TO DRAMA TRAINING & GETTING
WORK
GETTING WORK
Getting an agent is one of several stepping stones
to professional work, however it is unlikely to be
the first. Most reputable agents will only be interested
in you if you have professional experience to offer.
For most would-be actors the real question is how
to get enough professional experience to interest
an agent.
Here are some starting points: Pantomime, Holiday
Camp Entertainers, Theme Park Characters and Small/Fringe
Theatre groups. The Stage & TV Today advertise
some of these, and other performing opportunities.
A contacts list of general performance opportunities
is available from Tim Goodall. Also consider placing
an advert in Spotlight - the casting directory.
To approach agents you will need a CV/Resume with
photographs and details of height, colour of hair/eyes,
previous performance experience etc., (see Performers
- CVs Examples) a brief showreel (10 minute video)
of some of your work can also be useful. Never pay
to join an agents books, they get their commission
from finding you work - see the leaflets Dance &
Drama Agencies - Things You Need to Check and the
Equity Leaflet Signing With An Agent. Also The Actors'
Handbook gives some guidance on which agents cover
what type of work; use Contacts (the directory, available
in the library) for an up-to- date list.
Networking
Networking' is an often used phrase in the entertainment
and media industries and is essentially the art of
promoting yourself; to do this you need to have a
good understanding of social skills, be confident,
assertive and motivated. Networking involves getting
to know people who can help you, rather then just
knowing who they are e.g. get to know the arts funding
officers in different areas, get to know different
theatre companies and organisations, get to know agents,
directors, producers and venues.
Networking involves being pro-active i.e. not sitting
by the phone waiting for your agent to ring. Good
networkers are the ones that get the work, they are
self starters, they call others and look beyond the
work that may be available to create their own job
opportunities. For more information on networking
refer to the leaflet Dance Performance - The Reality.
Getting An Equity Card
Although you do not necessarily need an Equity card
to work as a performer these days many of the agents
and employers offering work, both live and recorded,
prefer you to be a member. There are also many other
benefits and support to be gained by being a member.
So, how do you get your Equity Card? Various ways
are possible:
1)By completing an accredited Drama School or Dance
School course (you can have student membership whilst
you are on one of these courses)
2) By obtaining proof of professional engagements
in the following categories of work Theatre - Performer
or Stage Management; Opera & Ballet - Singer,
Dancer or Stage Manager; Other Categories; Directors,
Designers, Choreographers, Variety or Circus - e.g.
Circus Artist or Dancer; Professional Broadcasting
- Concert or Session Singing.
3) By working for a company that has a 'newcomers
agreement' with Equity.
FURTHER INFORMATION
TRAINING
- Drama Training UK by Sarah Duncan - Has not been
updated since 2000, so read with caution, but it
still has some useful advice.
- The Guide to Careers & Training In The Performing
Arts, Film, TV, Theatre by Sarah Duncan - an update
of Working Actor and Drama Training UK - This has
not been updated since 1998 so treat with caution.
Useful as a starter list of courses as long as you
also check on websites like
UCAS
- The Conference
Of Drama School's 'Guide To Courses' - The website
is the easiest way but copies also available from
the Conference Of Drama Schools, c/o Central School
Of Speech & Drama, Embassy Theatre, Eton Avenue,
London NW3 3HY
- National Council
For Drama Training This website contains information
on drama training, preparing and applying and also
funding.
GENERAL READING
- Performing Arts Uncovered by Dee Pilgrim (2004)
- UCAS Performing Arts Courses (2005)
- Careers In the Theatre - Jean Richardson - pub.
Kogan Page
- The Job Of Acting - by Clive Swift
GETTING WORK
- Working Actor by Sarah Duncan
- Working In Commercials - A source book for Adult
& Child Actors - Elaine Beardsley - American,
but very applicable to the UK.
- The Stage & TV Today - the trade newspaper
for performers - copies available in the Library.
- Equity Guild House, Upper St Martins Lane, London
WC2H 9EG Tel: 0207 379 7001.
- Contacts for Stage, Television, Screen & Radio
(the theatre industry directory) copies in the Library
- The Spotlight - a directory of actors used by
agents and casting directors, not available to the
public. Copies for reference in the Library - all
6 volumes of it!
- Contacts For General Entertainers - list of agencies/companies
employing Dancers, Actors and Musicians - copies
available from Tim Goodall
- Dance & Drama Agencies - Things You Need to
Check - details how you should approach agents &
what to avoid - copies available from Tim Goodall
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