Performing Arts 2025

[doesanybodyhaveamap]

Starting a thread re: performing arts applicants for 2025. If one already exists, happy to be redirected!!

Anyone pressed 'send' on their applications yet? Curious as to timelines for initial responses and to submit self tapes....

Buckling in for a long and nervous journey!

Surely she should go as she might love it! It’s quite pricey though in case that’s a factor in deciding

I posted on last years thread in error!

so have screenshot

it would appear others who are already on a Foundation have been offered a Foundation, all very strange.

Same here. My DD is on Foundation at ArtsEd and has been offered Foundation at other schools. Just shows they don't read the application. I find the whole audition process to be very slack. One wonders if they actually look at all the self-tapes, especially if they are running behind with a backlog. Considering what you pay for an audition and what the DC's go through when they receive a rejection, I find it a cruel, lazy and uncaring way to conduct auditions. Now that the CV emergency is over, they should revert back to in-person auditions and show the kids the respect they deserve.

Yes it’s definitely a spendy one 🫣 though it’s cheaper than Laine, so that’s great. I wonder if there’s a market for ‘broke performing arts mums’ on Only Fans. 😜😜 (joking obviously!!)

You’re absolutely right though - we have to go. I was just having a wobble as she’s so indecisive and worried about adding to the load. She actually loved the open day, it was just the audition she felt a bit ‘meh’ about.

I’m curious if anyone knows anyone who’s at MV now who are strongest at dance as TT’s and feel their needs are met? I know 2 recent graduates but both went as strong singer/actors and they are absolutely incredible now, but I don’t think either would cope well in a strong dance musicals like Newsies/Hamilton/WSS etc.
On the one hand it’s very sensible to pursue a course that’s going to develop your weakest skills to make you evenly balanced, but this kid LOVES her dance so it’d be a shame to see it take the back seat. I suppose at least she’s close enough to take classes at BASE if she felt MV wasn’t pushing her enough.

Waaaah … I reckon I’m struggling with this one more than she is! It’s all down to her but I want her to have 3 joyful years of training rather than 3 underwhelming years. x

lol at only fans - not a bad idea 😉

Foundations - maybe the schools think each foundation is different so why not offer it? One at a straight acting school is very different from a musical theatre one?

but yes who has the money to do more than one!

Also foundations are a nice way for the schools to make money. They aren’t always in the main venue and they can offer far more of them. I’ve heard excellent things about the teaching at some so worthwhile doing for sure.

Absolutely, DD has just done a Foundation having turned down two other BA offers last year, and she has progressed incredibly, her dance especially is now up there with the rest, so definitely worth doing.

I do however feel that it’s laziness on these colleges to offer a Foundation to students already on them because they haven’t read their CV, or noted what the student says at interview.

No harm in doing the audition. Has she been to the MV building yet? For my DC the area it was in immediately ruled it out. Sometimes they just have these visceral reactions to a place (good and bad) so always worth taking a chance.

Yes, she didn’t love the walk from the station to the building (lots of fishmongers if I recall) but really liked the actual building and studios.
She and I both loved the location and vibe of Bird … it feels like a cross between a primary school and a small uni campus, with a lovely outdoor grassed quad with picnic benches.
I suspect that’s where she’ll choose, but such a tricky one. I really didn’t get a nice vibe from Laine but DD liked it. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Central (if you mean RCSSD) does offer Musical Theatre. My DD graduated from that course two years ago. Not aware it has been discontinued.

DD went to Brit on the MT strand. It’s a few years back now as she graduated from drama school two years ago, but hopefully not too much has changed.

She absolutely loved her time there and the whole experience was top class. Their preparation for auditions and industry links are second to none. She was working with a hugely talented cohort from many different backgrounds, the vast majority of which went on to gain places at the top drama schools. Most of those who didn’t go this route had chosen a different path. Several went to university on mainstream degree programmes. At that time they did the level 3 extended BTEC diploma which was the equivalent of 3 A levels. There was also the option of taking an extra A level in a limited range of subjects, if they had at least an A at GCSE. DD took English Literature on top and got an A. She had the most wonderful, inspiring teacher for it and the whole class got high grades. She applied for a couple of mainstream degree programmes on UCAS in addition to drama schools and got offers from both. One was Bristol Uni for English Literature, can’t remember the other. I remember one classmate who went to Uni to study geography was offered a drama scholarship there on the strength of having attended Brit.

@OnGoldenPond Thank you. That’s a really helpful insight.

You’re very welcome. Congratulations to your DC on being offered a place, it’s so competitive they must be hugely talented. If they decide to go the performance training route there is no better place to go. All the best to you both

I am fast loosing hope, daughter has done auditions at GSA, rejected, EDA, rejected, Conti, recall then rejected, Performers recall in April, PPA, waitlisted, MPAA, waitlisted, Bird, offered foundation but self pay only! She has been super strong but I feel they don’t even look at half the first round self tapes as most won’t offer feedback which is poor considering how much you have to pay for it, on some of the audition days she said they watch maybe 30 seconds of you and then write notes and again offer no feedback, my question is as we are waitlisted for 2 schools and have one recall left what are the chances of coming off a waitlist to be offered a space? she said if she has no luck she will try again next year?! I feel like it’s so brutal and she’s been dancing and performing for years so understands auditions but I feel like it’s a bit of a money making scam when they audition thousands of kids for often less than 50 places?! The amount it costs for this whole process feels like maybe just something for those who are able to pay and it saddens me that only a very small amount get an opportunity to train x

The numbers are insane and we can only assume that everyone who applies is good.

there must be other ways to move forward eg private singing lessons etc and make your own career in bands etc as the hard fact is most applicants won’t get in to MT drama school. Im sure applying later stands a better chance as they get so many 18-9 year old women applying so v hard to stand out.

Yes she is sadly a tall, slim, brown haired girl, she has been dancing all her life and is a good dancer, singer, actor but just good at all 3 rather than standing out at one thing, she also looks like most other brunette girls with her build so again does not stand out, she said she will continue with her dance classes, singing and acting if she has to wait another year to audition again but as a bystander it’s not just expensive but mentally draining!

This process sounds brutal, I am dreading it. I really hope all these amazing talented young people get the places they are dreaming of.

It’s hard, but don’t be discouraged if she takes a year out, as it can make a huge difference. Also having gone through the process, my DD said second time she felt comfortable in the audition room and more confident.

DD did get two offers first time, one IC theatre now Performers, and Chichester MT she accepted Chichester and then decided it wasn’t what she wanted and took a year out. I think this was one of the best things she could do. She spent it wisely, she got involved with local theatre performing in a really good play, she helped with a local drama group on a Saturday morning and worked in the local theatre as a barista, so could see all the show! Keeping up dancing and singing lessons.

When she applied second year she was offered 3 BA courses and one acting course; at the time she was not sure whether she wanted to go down the acting route in the end she took a foundation at GSA MT much to my horror thinking we’re going have to go through this for a third year!

The year out really helped her mature and I believe that’s why she got better offers that time. she’s just completed a foundation at GSA and re-auditioned mainly to acting colleges.

She going through the process again now. It’s not uncommon for students to apply theee times before getting what they want.

@

Please don’t lose hope. I know it’s really tough and impossibly draining for you both, but I suspect that wait lists move suddenly, fast and late in the season.
DD has been very lucky to have several BA offers on the table, and is still waiting on Mountview as she has recalls next month. Because of this, along with waiting for news on DADA funding which affect where she can afford to go (Laine is £22k per year 🤯 without DADA), she hasn’t really been able to turn many of her offers down yet, which means that when she does decide where she’s going to go there will suddenly be several spaces to be reallocated to wait lists, and that’s just from my DD so I’m sure lots are in the same boat.
DD has been incredibly fortunate that she has had offers in her first year of auditioning, but we know multiple incredibly talented performers who got in on their 2nd, 3rd and 4th attempts, so I was sort of prepared for that and still don’t know quite how she’s managed to pull this off but I’m sure it’s partly down to luck.
One of her dance school ’alumni’ got no offers for 2 years of auditioning, got a foundation in the third year, and is now a main cast member in Hamilton and is simply INSANE, so not being ‘seen’ at first is definitely not a reflection on talent or potential.

Best of luck to your DD, and I really do hope those waiting lists are kind. xx

Amazing place for your daughter to be in. My daughter’s friend has an offer from Laine, Bird with a talent scholarship & Performers. Laine is his dream school but without a DADA it would be unachievable.

my daughter would love to go to arts ed and a few of her class mates have offers there but with the dada rules we would end up contributing 4-5k towards fees each year with no maintenance money and you cant apply for a student loan there so we have unfortunately decided she cant audition there, as her living costs in london would be too much to fund.

it is what is it, she is on waitlist for GSA MT and TL and has degree offers at PPA & Bird so far, and recalls at Urdang, Conti and Emil Dale in the next 2 weeks so hopefully she will get one good offer from the remaining 3. Just a shame that the really expensive schools are out of reach for the middle earners.

if you don’t take the dada funding you can get the student loans? You need to top the fees up as it’s a lower level of tuition fee loan but you get the maintenance loan too. Might work out better than the dada.

arts ed is around 16-17k per year. Student finance only covers £6k of it. So we would need £10k top up feed and she she would need to use her maintenance loan for rent. We live in Scotland so she isnt able to commute. Helping her with food etc plus paying £10k each year for fees just isnt feasible for us, hence why we have ruled arts ed out

Hi I'm new here

My DD is 18, doing A levels and going through the process of applying to drama school for acting. I am doing my best to support her!

After first round auditions and recalls this is the current state of play
GSA - rejected
RADA - rejected
CSSD - rejected
Arts Ed - rejected
RB - 3rd round recall
E15 - offer on foundation

We've had 3 family bereavements in the last 4 months so to say it has been a tough few months doesn't quite cut it. I am beyond proud of her for following her passion and dreams as life is really too precious and too short not to!

Wishing everyone's DC the best of luck as they navigate these next few weeks, months and years!