After hundreds of enquiries from young talented people via my website, at stage doors and in the street. I have teamed up with industry insider and my wonderful P.A Alysonne Collins to bring you this article to round up what you have to think about. its tougher than its ever been out the in the showbiz world I hope this helps and answers some of your questions.
Ben Forster & Alysonne Collins
A career in showbusiness! It’s the ultimate dream for so many but reality for a lucky few. How do they get there? Where do you begin? How do you know if you’re good enough? And what’s it really like trying to earn a living in the most competitive market place ever?
Most people start somewhere close to home. It might be a local dancing school……….or a drama club……………………or a school production. Lots of “normal” schools now have performing arts status, which means they receive extra government money to fund performing arts programmes. If you go to a local dance school, you might be able to take recognized dance exams which can help you gain entry into professional schools later on. A few 11-16 year olds take the plunge of going to a full-time professional school, but there is very little funding available for this age group and with fees averaging 3000 per term it’s not a cheap option. More private local schools have now expanded their classes from just dance to include acting and singing classes, but if you’re looking for specialised singing tuition you will probably need to find an ex-professional for solo coaching – and that can also be expensive.
So what if you’ve reached 14 or 15 and decided you really want to push for a career in the business? Firstly, you need to be very aware that this is the most over-crowded profession in the world. The brutal truth is that there are relatively few paid jobs in the business and each one is being chased by a big group of talented hopefuls. You will be lucky to get paid work at all……………………and becoming well-known and well-paid only happens for a handful of the people who train. Casting directors can afford to be very, very fussy as they know they have literally dozens to choose from for every role.
If you are still determined, you must be realistic. Being honest about your strengths and weaknesses can help you pinpoint where you are likely to get work and not waste time trying to be something you are not. If you can’t dance very well you don’t audition for Cats!! Nowadays, if you audition in musical theatre, you will be expected to be what is known in the business as a “triple threat” – in other words, someone who can sing, dance and act. This is a big ask, and while most people are strongest in one thing, you will need to be really versatile and competent across the board.
Some colleges offer BTEC courses in Performing Arts or Dance, at Levels 1-5. These can be a useful starting point, although many BTEC students then opt for additional training at one of the specialist professional schools. For those who are 18+, some universities offer a variety of performing/theatre arts courses. These are three year degree courses which vary widely in content, and some are more practical than others but you need to remember two things. Firstly, most of these are heavy on the theory side of things, and if you need to take out a student loan to cover the cost (and most people do), you will leave university with a large debt that has to be repaid.
If you have the talent and the determination, a better option may be to try for one of the specialist professional schools. There are nineteen of them across the country, the list can be found on the Government website below. Again, their courses vary, with some specialising in dance, others in acting or musical theatre. Some schools offer a variety of different courses under one college “umbrella”. Here you are likely to get a more practical course which focuses on learning your craft – although all courses nowadays require you to do some theory work. The one great advantage of the professional schools is that they offer a limited amount of funded scholarships in the form of DaDA awards. If you get an award, you can do your course with financial help from the Government and you don’t have to pay the money back. Scholarships are awarded by the schools and are means tested – in other words, the less income your family has, the higher the amount of money you get. A total family income of less than 21,000 per year entitles you to full funding. And with average course fees now standing at about 14,000 a year, that’s a lot of money over the three year course!
Sounds good? Here’s the down side. Competition for DaDAs (Dance and Drama Awards) is cut-throat. There is a limited pot of money, and the schools can afford to be fussy………they audition thousands and thousands of hopefuls each year. You will need to be outstanding among the crowd. But the funding is there for a lucky few! It might be you!
Finally, be aware that some students manage to squeeze money for training from charities/trusts/local businesses, although very rarely the substantial amounts needed. And if you have chosen a particular professional school, it’s always worth asking if they have any kind of internal funding/scholarship scheme – many do. Look on the websites below for further funding information.
If you are completely determined to get into training, by whichever route, you will need to do some serious research. Below are some links which can help you to work your way through the maze of options out there.
For details about the Dance and Drama Awards and a full list of schools that offer them: www.education.gov.uk
For information relating to dance courses and training: www.cdet.org.uk
For information relating to drama course and training: www.dramauk.co.uk
For information relating to BTEC Performing Arts courses: www.edexcel.com/subjects/BTEC-Performing-Arts
