AIBU to think that if I pay around £50 for each audition, my DD should get feedback?

[kweggie]

DD2 is about to finish her 'A' levels and has applied to well-known drama schools. HUGE numbers apply so she was thrilled to be invited to audition- the first one cost £55, the next one £45.

Some days later, she gets the 'thanks but no thanks' email. She is obviously gutted. I'm annoyed. They fill in assessment sheets on each task. Why can't they pass this information on? Why no feedback?

Have her phone up and ask. Feedback is usually available if you ask.

Didnt know you paid for auditions? Phone them up

Yes we had that.
Spent about £300 on auditions.
She got feedback from some not others.

They charge to audition? What a scam.

Phone, or even better email and ask for feedback. If you get an email it will be easier to keep all the details instead of a phone call half-remembered.
Don't hope for too much if my experience of going for a job and being turned down is anything to go by. The "we don't want you" letter said to phone for feedback. I phoned and the person in HR had a few limited notes from the interview and frankly was no help.
If you ask for feedback you may got useful stuff, or you may get nothing useful but ask.

They have to audition for schools??? Talk about pricing people out of their desired careers.

The auditions are for drama schools / acting schools, including those that are part of universities.

My dd has only done one so far has another soon, we paid £50 and got lots of feedback and a brief consultation with hod, came away with no doubt as to what was required for the next audition.
This was specialist music school though, not Uni level.

It's normal for performing arts schools and colleges to charge an audition fee. They don't give feedback unless you contact them and request it.

Unfortunately not. If your daughter has just finished her A-Levels, unless she is exceptional, it is unlikely that she will be experienced enough to get into these schools. This really does come across in the audition, and the feedback (if any) would just be something like "not ready yet" (which isn't helpful I know). With regards to the price, this is absolutely normal for performance schools, and unfortunately this means that sometimes the quota for the year is filled ahead of time.

If she is set on drama, I would recommend she takes the year out, gets some travel and work experience in, and reapply next year.

Best of luck!

If she doesn't get in this year, I'd suggest she does one of the summer schools if she can, LAMDA and Mountview and Central do them among others.

Getting in to drama school is HARD. Often even the people who've come out of very specialist A level places, who audition for five or six schools, will end up with one or no offers first time round. Auditioning at all is good practise; if she doesn't get in, short courses and just immersing herself in it all as much as possible is the best thing (and WORK- because she'll need the money when she does get to drama school!) and then go back next year.

There are lots of different ways to become an actor. There's no one 'right way'. The thing I'd say is determination is the key because you really have to want it. A (very talented actress) friend of mine got through to the second audition at RADA 3 times before getting a place. Really good luck to her though, not an easy job to go for but it's great!

I went to drama school and wAtching the millions of people running out crying cos they hadn't the first round was awful twice a week for about 20weeks so many people audition it's crazy so they probably aren't able to offer feedback as they'll make minimal notes and bin them for data or confidentially reasons

It's not a "scam" it's to keep away those who aren't serious...as that would waste time. I attended one of the best in the UK at age 20 and never gave the fees I paid for auditions a 2nd thought.

If your DD wants to keep on trying then don't fuss about feedback. It's HER job to work out where she went wrong.

Get her a tutor to help her hone her auditions pieces.

Sorry I still think it is crazy. It may be accepted practice, but in no other industry would you effectively pay to do an interview.

But then again after seeing the aspiring actor chap on Benefits Britain last week - I maybe do see your point about time wasters.

I didn't know there were fees for auditions. That's terrible. It's the colleges' problem to manage time wasters. Everyone who runs recruitment will have to deal with this and wouldn't dream of charging. Shocking. I run a small firm and we get hundreds of applications when we advertise. We sift them properly and organise tens of interviews. It takes work but you don't demand cash

It is frustrating, I agree, vocational dance courses do the same and it usually says on the application form that no feedback will be given.

There is an audition fee waiver available from CDET as part of the DaDa (Dance and Drama Awards) funding scheme which you can apply for if you are on a very low income.

Some places get over a thousand applicants - if they gave feedback to everyone it would cost so much in admin they would probably have to increase the audition fee.

Well we were happy paying our £50.
We got good feedback from first audition and the second audition they are providing lunch, tour, bursar meeting and meeting with HT, Head f house etc.
We will be there from 11.30 until about 4/5pm so fine by me.

Meant to add, I do think they should provide written feedback though, they must write notes during the audition. Its not like they would have to spend time afterwards doing this and if they did, you are paying for this surely.

My daughter spent several hundred on auditions. I'm not sure why they are so expensive though. The first round auditions for musical theatre are a dance that a group have to learn then out of 30-40 they may only let half a dozen get through to the afternoon. Even if they just charged £10 admin fees it would be better. The schools are very expensive even if you are lucky enough to get a DaDa. The school my daughter goes to had 2000 auditionees when she went. Of that number more girls than boys auditioned but more boys than girls got in. Only about 48 in total get through and the training is really hard.

DD starts auditioning again this half-term only 5 this year but 11 last time

It isn't just the cost of the audition but accommodation, train fares, meals out extra lessons to prepare it all adds up

DD got 2 places last year but no funding so we are trying again for funding

Thank god dd got in eventually.

If she is that keen on acting, encourage her to join the local drama group. If they think she is any good with potential then they will nuture her. Many of the top producers go local shows just to see if they can talent spot.
I work in an industry that employs lots of 'resting' actors. Unless she is exceptional, then three years of a drama degree is not going to help her.
Sorry to piss on her parade, but maybe one in 5 thousand kids who goes through drama school gets little more than a bit part, or a part as swing/dance company in a top london show.
Unless she has absolute impeccable acting skills, in 3 years time she will be working in a call centre/box office/cafe, with a mountain of debt to pay off. No matter how much ambition or desire to be the best actor/actress in the world, you have it or you haven't.
Brutal maybe, but honest reality
Maybe try and steer her towards another career and pursue her acting dreams as a serious hobby.

It's often not what she did or didn't do, it's whether they have a spot for her type.

DD is currently doing the audition rounds - some give feedback, some explicitly state they won't.
I would research thoroughly each school - there's lots that student loans don't apply to so you're looking at fees of up to £16k a year (Oxford sch of drama) The bursaries only go so far.

My concern is if she is thrilled to get an audition she doesn't understand the process. They'll audition anyone who applies and pays.