Retraining as a young adult after attempting a career in the performing arts

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DD (year 10) wants to go to a performing arts college for sixth form. She is strong academically and is likely to do well in her GCSEs. If she goes down this path but then at, say, 23 she decides it’s not for her for whatever reason, what are her options for picking up where she left off? Obviously she can’t go back to school and do A levels, but would the same courses at the same universities be available to her with foundation courses/access courses, or A levels at some adult education centre?

I’m aware she’s very unlikely want to do this, but I’m after some reassurance that making this decision at 16 isn’t going to be something she regrets later on. She is currently injured and it’s making me even more nervous about the precariousness of the whole thing.

And I agree with everything @MrsAvocet says.

I did my A Levels at a performing art college and then did a drama degree at a RG university (one of the best) Did not become a performer but never intended to. I've worked in (mostly) high earning jobs in the media/arts for past 25 years. My fellow students have had a variety of decent careers. Some are actors/musicians (you might know one or two of them). Others went into law / finance / consultancy / journalism / teaching / marketing / production etc.

I would let her do performing arts but probably best to do it as A-levels to keep options open.

Performing arts and production gives you invaluable skills - presentation, communication, public speaking, resilience, confidence, customer and audience awareness and competitiveness.

The majority of those who do a BTEC level 3 use it as a stepping-stone to audition for a further three years at one of the top MT colleges.

Thanks all, and particularly @dodobookends and @MrsAvocet. Makes sense to talk her CAT teachers. I had it as this totally separate thing but of course they will have plenty of insight into the whole area.
DD is pretty academic. She is targeting 8/9s in all subjects, though how realistic that is with her extracurricular load I don’t know.

NC for this. I did similar, and ended up doing A levels and going to a standard uni for theatre studies.

i found that you have to be very, very good - or very unusual. There were dozens and dozens of us wanting the same thing but without the special ingredient or secret in road.

Some people are genuinely amazing and some others get lucky. I’d say have a back up plan.

Looking back, I was very average but my sweet and supportive parents encouraged me to peruse my dream. It wasn’t realistic. I wish I’d known to have a plan B back then.

I think with PA it's crucial to think about portfolio careers. So not just one job but how you can constantly pivot your skills into different areas. Could be stage acting but also less obvious, vocal coaching, presenting skills training. A friend of mine gets most of their income playing murder mystery weekend characters.

Maybe they mean a DSM?

How many hours' training a week does she do at present and in which genres?

My dd was training hard throughout her GCSE's and how she managed it all I don't know, so I do sympathise.

My DD went to CAPA college and is now at a highly regarded drama school on degree in her second year.
She is also academic, scored 9’s and 8’s at GCSE and we also had the same conversations you are having now.
We decided, like others have said that at 16, let her follow her heart and if things don’t go well she is young enough, with good GCSE’s under her belt to think again. As things stand at the moment that was a good decision.
CAPA offer UAL’s in either MT, Drama or dance pathway alongside Drama Alevel. So there is the potential to come out with the equivalent of 4 A Levels. They also offer a Production pathway. Some people don’t go on into the industry and have been successful getting on degree courses for other subjects such as Law, so it is not as limiting as you might think.
It is top notch teaching but it is a lot, its not like regular college with free periods, its 8.45 - 4pm Mon - Fri with an earlier finish on Fridays. During show periods they could be doing 12 hour days and attendance is expected to be prioritised over anything else. If your DD does pursue this she needs to get used to being tired!!

My DD did a performing arts extended diploma course in years 12/13 and got a distinction, so worth a lot of UCAS points. She is NOT particularly academic but is great at acting and worked really hard on her portfolio. However, considering we don’t have a family pied a terre in London or a wealth of industry contacts, we’re quite realistic about chances of making the big time. I was terrified by the ambitious drama parents we encountered at the conservatoire open days!
She’s chosen to study drama at a university and is learning other transferable skills such as stage management etc, having switched from the acting course. She’s also able to get involved with the sport she loves and is having a great time.
I think she may eventually end up doing something along the lines of social work, MH nursing or paramedic science, although I did meet a drama therapist the other day (qualified to do this with a specialist masters degree), which seems interesting.
I’m not sure my other children would benefit from ‘the university experience’ just for the sake of it but in her case, it has been absolutely the right thing. There are plenty of entry level jobs that can be done to gain worthwhile experience - or failing that, an access course - and she has a great work ethic, with a lot of responsibility on her summer job.

Yes, I did wonder that! Think call- boys went out in the 1950s!