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!

I read somewhere that the average A level grades at drama school are As and Bs so plenty of academic kids go to them. Someone has to be the director, producer, teacher, writer, lawyer etc. They have many paths open to them hopefully

Thanks for the insights everyone! @Paddlinglikehellwas the job through an agency? How did she get this role?

It was at a job fair this time last year, she went to find out about performing on Disney Cruises, was told she needed experience and to be 21, she had been doing character work at a theme park during holidays and Christmas so the agency asked if she was busy in the summer as they recruit for a resort company too. She had a couple of on line interviews, one involved presenting with an outline script and got the job!

It involved hosting events like Bingo and quizzes, a bit of dance, puppetry etc. It was tough for her to be away and the accommodation was a lot to be desired, but it meant she started Uni with a nice amount of money and gained a huge amount of experience performing to a variety of audiences.

A quick Google will find most of the Companies looking for summer staff. As I said, she’s driven!

Me too I am a vet and DH is an engineer.
I look back a remember DD who with a 90% hearing loss at a year old was instructing nursery nurses in the correct words and actions to twinkle twinkle little star I should have seen the writing on the wall.
My one requirement has been to do the degree course as it is more straight forward to get into teaching if you can’t or don’t want to perform any more. I know you can do the degree too up to the diploma, but that is another year.

Thanks @Paddlinglikehell and @Needanadultgapyear❤️ . These days a degree is a degree. Unless vocational, most degrees don’t qualify you to get into a certain profession without further training.

Hi there, my DS applied to drama schools quite late (by cut off 29th Jan), he's gained places at Bristol school of Acting and Birmingham Conservatoire, and some foundation offers elsewhere, he has an idea that Bristol has attracted some excellent tutors, knows v little about Birmingham. Does anyone have experience of either, where does Birmingham sit compared to other conservatoires, similar, or if different - in what ways?

We know someone that went to Birmingham a few years ago and he really loved it. Was super happy and very well supported. Went on to an MA in MT at RAM and now getting regular work.

Thanks, great info. The in depth course notes for Birmingham really only goes into the course in a rather bland way, would love to speak to this person, I think only thing to do is drive up and see if he can spend a day there as he hasn't been to an open day..hard decision!

def go and spend a day up there - if you email them they might get a student to quickly show you round as he’s an offer holder.

Hi is there anyone that has been offered a place for GSA acting foundation this year? We have a group and trying to find our fellow students.

Bit of a worry. LIPA looking at redundancies

www.thestage.co.uk/news/lipa-enters-redundancy-consultations-with-staff?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR60lFtXXDe0Zq0XkafIYCjLHVhslgOVDhCLhBt4_A2_Q4lS6yujwDVztZserg_aem_bHTrlsU9uESGcCvGpV8P7Q#Echobox=1748016208

I don’t have access to whole article - is it more support team rather than teaching?

See screenshots (hopefully!)

The 6th form - which is separate from the Uni - was graded ‘inadequate’ in their last Ofsted a few months ago too.

Such a shame, but things were starting to go wrong when DD was there. After she left, there was an investigation by an independent company into some complaints. One of the Mums I knew was one of the complainants.

Ah interesting - so won’t impact the BAs hopefully

The redundancies aren’t at the 6th form, the article states that’s a separate entity. So it will be at the college where they do degrees.

Oh I read it wrong then

My DD will be applying for 2026 entry. In case she is not successful if securing a degree course, what should her plan B be for a gap yeat (she wants to do MY)

She could apply for NYT, BYMT? Join local theatre classes. And I guess work as going to drama school can be £££ - good luck to her

@Truetoselfour Plan B was to try to get a foundation course, but not at DC’s top BA choices. Then if they didn’t get a foundation place to try and get work in one of our local theatres, do some chaperoning over panto season, and continue with dance/voice/music lessons privately. Also some audition prep and other short courses in acting somewhere like Central, BOVTS and RSC.

DD is doing the International Baccalaureate, and it is so challenging, the workload is massive. I just don't know how she will do her final year of IB alongside preparing for auditions and even attending auditions. I think she is going to have to cut back on her dance and theatre extra curriculars,which I know will be really hard on her, already we are worried about burn out. ,

Is the auditioning for foundation courses as time consuming and rigorous as applying for a BA? I was thinking we could suggest she does a foundation course and then really give the auditioning 100% for entry 2027, rather than 2026. Hopefully with a good IB result,

Otherwise a gap year doing all the things she loves to do.

its a minefield, as a parent, when you don't understand the process.

That sounds super tough @lamada. I’m not sure if the process differs or not as we didn’t end up applying for foundation courses. But I expect the audition processes are pretty similar. In your shoes I’d spend the summer zoning in on a small number of options- maybe some aspirational and some safer options. Then try and figure out their requirements and try to narrow down to those with similar requirements so you can minimise audition materials / self tape requirements. Think about any coursework deadlines and timing of mocks and try to submit on a timeline to avoid clashes (this may not be possible as once you press submit on an application it’s generally pretty hard to predict when next steps will be!).

November to March was basically hideous in terms of stress levels for all of us. But DC did find incredible resilience from somewhere! And now exam season feels like a breeze….

Thank you for the tips @doesanybodyhaveamapand @Newgirls
@lamada my DS did IB. I say I have PTSD from that time. It was extremely tough for him.

you can help your DD by doing the research into her top choices and figuring out if the application process is viable UCAS, QCAT (I think), direct applications or UCAS and direct etc. and if you can find the deadlines that would be useful too. She can prepare her personal statement in the summer.
Then it’s a matter of identifying the audition process for each. It’s a self tape for many. Attending an audition couese over the summer would be useful.

I wouldn’t worry about having to give up the extracurriculars but maybe do some private specific classes?

And if she knows people already in performing arts schools, talk to them to get further information.

i think Acting BA is probably the toughest to get into straight after sixth form? Not sure what others think?

Acting BA is tough straight from sixth form as the courses are open to any age so older candidates can be more mature and experienced so schools are very happy to take people 2-3 years out of school and even post university. To get in straight from school I think student would have to be exceptional or an unusual casting type so most have to think of it as a 2-3 year process

@lamada It's definitely difficult auditioning in Y13 alongside schoolwork. My DS also did IB and it was an intense year. It's doable though, if you're organised - @Truetoself has good suggestions above. I'm not sure the auditions for Foundation courses require any less admin and preparation, though, so unless you think your DD really needs a Foundation first I'd honestly just bite the bullet for a degree course, or decide now to have a gap year. I thought you said your DD wants MT but I'm confused by people talking about Acting degrees. I think if your DD wants to do MT she could plan a gap year which involved taking some classes, auditioning for NYMT, being in some local am dram productions (all really valuable experience) and earning some money. Or just go for the auditions and see what happens. You can stagger your applications and the sending off of self tapes so you're not doing everything at one. Audition season is long and you can stagger audition dates from about December through to about April/May. But if you end up doing a gap year do make sure your DD keeps her singing and dance up during that time.
If it's Acting she wants, I do agree it's probably true that it's harder to get in straight from 6th form, but plenty do, including my own DS - but it wouldn't hurt at all to have a gap year (or two!) if need be.