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Extra-curricular activities

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Original poster

PERFORMING ARTS career route advice. Any good classes near BRIGHTON?

34 replies

PorridgePot · 09/03/2017 10:02

Dd is 12 ( a young Year 8) and has heart set on a career in the performing arts. She is interested in EVERYTHING! theatre, musical theatre, TV, film, you name it!

The thing is, i'm the opposite of a pushy parent and she certainly isn't the sort that has been doing ballet and acting since the age of 2!

So, how can i help equip her with the basic skills that she might need if she wants to pursue an adult career? is it too late already? so many 'stage school' types already have honed skilled by 12, don't they?

This is what we are doing:
-She goes to a rather low key Saturday musical theatre school already
-She is trying out Italia Conti Saturday school in Brighton soon
she has started doing LAMDA
-she has just resumed ballet (she did it for one year when she was 8yo and got a distinction at grade one)

I think that she has a reasonable amount of talent for singing, dance and acting but is no child prodigy! How do i ensure that my 'all rounder' has the best chance of pursuing her chosen career?

Do children like dd has any chance of getting into a decent performing arts sixth form? or do you have to be really polished by that stage? (if she is still very keen, she could board for sixth form.)

Can anyone advise me about any good classes in the Brighton area?
Or any schools (nationally) that we could consider further down the line (sixth form)? Or any general advice, for that matter.

TIA for any advice!

OP posts:
Original poster
PorridgePot · 09/03/2017 16:36

gosh Katy, that sounds an incredible amount! is your dd doing only dance, or acting and singing too? sorry if thats an ignorant question- i don't know anything about the schemes you mention. what level is intermediate grade? we are too far to even attempt going into london on a regular basis,but maybe thats a blessing! may well pm you when dd1's birthday cake is baked- am multi tasking!

OP posts:
katymac · 09/03/2017 16:11

The sort of colleges DD looked at would be expecting/hoping for about imtermediate garde either at 16 or 18 & several dance styles (Ballet/Tap/Jazz - commercial/street isn't really an exam subject although there are some boards that do it and contem[orary she would only be starting yr9ish anyway)

katymac · 09/03/2017 16:09

Yes the extra classes - 4-10 4 nights a week plus leaving home 6:45 to get the 7:30 train to London on a Sat am doing an associate scheme all day Sat plus a different asscoaiate scheme on Sunday arriving home from London about 8:30 Sunday night.

Plus about 13 auditions!

The first year she got 2 places no funding so my parents paid for a foundation course; second year she did 8 auditions, got 7 places & 6 were with funding (iirc)

DD decided about 3 months later than your DD around Easter in yr8 & started ballet in Sept yr9

You may want to look in to a CAT scheme - they are very good

If you want to chat, just PM me

Original poster
PorridgePot · 09/03/2017 15:58

Thanks everyone! We are fortunate in that we will be able to afford fees for sixth form. Croydon is too far. Hurst and Brighton college are very much on my radar as good local independents with a national reputation, but i wasn't aware that they excelled in performing arts. i will look into the others that you suggest, LIZ. thanks.

katy, she is a conscientious girl and will do what it takes! thanks for the warning, though. what made her GCSE year so hard if she specialised at 16. Im a bit confused, sorry... was it all the extra curric classes?

OP posts:
LIZS · 09/03/2017 13:48

And there is always Brit School in Croydon which intakes at 14 and 16, not boarding though.

katymac · 09/03/2017 13:43

You can study for Dance/MT at 16, 18 or post degree

Deciding which you want is the first hurdle

My DD went at 16 as there were no classes locally at the level she was approaching

She is studying a level 6 diploma in MT

We didn't look very hard at sixth forms as the MT is alongside A levels & DD wasn't going to do them

Do you know how expensive it is & how hard she will need to work? I had literally no idea she has in excess of 40 contact hours a week at college & the year she did her GCSEs was manic

LIZS · 09/03/2017 13:35

Depending on her interest and your finances you could look at Bedes nr Eastbourne, Hurtwood House (6th form), Hurst College or Brighton College which all offer a performing arts programme relatively near you. Look out for local amateur youth theatre productions which often take place in the holidays on a workshop basis. Also if she can participate at the Brighton Festival it would be good experience and you may find local opportunities advertised in its programme.

Original poster
PorridgePot · 09/03/2017 13:24

Anta, what useful advice! i have looked up YMT and NYMT and both have holiday workshop, which we will seriously consider. thanks :)

OP posts:
Antaresisastar · 09/03/2017 12:23

Hi, I don't know Brighton I'm afraid but I would suggest you look at NYMT, YMT UK or NYT. You've missed the auditions for this year but could try for 2018.