Year 12 one week work experience

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My DD needs to sort out a weeks work experience in July. She mentioned if vaguely a while back, but today has announced that everyone else has arranged something and she needs to do it now! She wants something in the theatre or tv but it looks like she has left it too late. Does anyone have any advice on where to look? She wants to do drama at Uni so that is the area she would like. TIA

I'm responsible for work experience placements at the company I work at and all our placements are offered at the start of the acedemic year for November to July. Other companies may work differently, but most have to plan in advance due to managing workloads.

I have seen ones offered at the BBC in Salford in the past, but again they are advertised a year in advance.

I would try local theatres maybe, but please get her to mail or phone herself. I get sick of parents phoning me on behalf of their teenagers. Help her get a list together of places to contact and give her advice on what to put in an e-mail.

Based on my experience, please advise her not to start an e-mail with 'Hey' or 'Yo'. Not to assume it's a man she is writing to. Not to use text speak and no kisses at the end of the mail.

At this stage getting anything will be good. H had his 3 slots in July filled back before Christmas. Try local theatres etc, you could get lucky

you could try calling up the maltings theatre. as its a smaller place, it might be able to accommodate her. do let us know how you get on as it would be helpful for the future! x

you could also try beck theatre who advertise about work experience placements, however they may already be full. the radlett centre link might be able to offer her something

Thanks for your suggestions. Unfortunately we are in SE London and not easily near the places mentioned. She apparently was told at the beginning of the school year but didn't share it with us so it looks like she has left it far too late. I will keep trying local theatres though.

It is exceptionally hard for under 16s to get work experience in theatres due to the nature of them. If they have touring productions then there are “strangers” coming and going all the time. Plus at showtimes you have the added risk of the general public on the premises.

You maybe better off contacting a production company or agency but places are highly competitive - as you say, she has probably left it far too late.

I will keep trying local theatres though

She needs to keep trying, not you. Mummy ringing potential placements on kid’s behalf is not a good sign from their point of view. She would do better calling (or better still visiting in person with a copy of her CV) and dazzling them with her enthusiasm.

Have you looked at Fremantle Media? They welcome work experience applications from students. A friend's daughter was very well looked after and enjoyed her stint so much that she has gone on to a career in TV.

fremantle.co.uk/careers/work-experience-fremantle/

It might be too late now but worth a phonecall?

It is really important that the student themselves organises the work experience. I won't even enter into discussion with parents it has to be the student.

She’s obviously not that bothered. Just take her to work with you or DH. It will make 0 difference to getting work in the future. Also 0 difference to her getting into a drama course where auditions mean so much. I doubt if theatre or tv is going to have anything and it’s very competitive! Very. Just do anything for a week. Volunteer at the local care home and sing to the residents!

Yes, I have to say, I am not usually of the "let them tough it out school" that one can find on Mumsnet, but I have to say that here, it really seems appropriate. She didn't get her act together when everybody else did, she missed the application deadlines, and that means she doesn't have a place in the theatre, where she would like to be. The area she wants to be in is extremely competitive, and she won't have a hope if she doesn't learn to be proactive. So this will be a reoccuring theme if she doesn't learn to be on top of these things now, and wasting a week would seem a not too heavy penalty if it helps her learn. Charity shops might be willing to take someone at short notice (there is often a job sorting the clothes) or something similar. Taking her in to your or your husband's work is also bailing her out, so I would suggest you don't do that unless there really are no charity shop/volunteering type options.

My year 12 daughter has arranged a placement at her old primary school. She wants to study maths and likes teaching younger children, so although this might seem like a relatively easy option it actually works quite well for her.

We often have year 12 WEX students at my office, which is the local Town Hall. We have quite a structured scheme for them. It might be worth her contacting your local Council to see if they have similar.

And if she hates that idea, point out to her that she needs to take a bit more initiative if she wants to get into something insanely competitive like drama!

She needs to get on the phone to all local theatres and theatre companies ASAP. That's her, not you. My friend did work experience at a theatre company and had an amazing week.

you are only around a 50 minute train ride from st albans, where the maltings theatre is located. you will most likely have more luck looking outside of london so i do think that its still worth a phone call x

How about her contacting some children's drama classes and seeing if she can be a helper.
I think she's probably left it a bit late for anything TV related or a theatre, but a drama teacher may be a bit more flexible.

As it's been left I'd suggest secondary schools drama departments. If her sixth form is attached to a school I'd try different schools. It's usually a very easy quick win if not very imaginative.

See if that week coincides with the preparation of a local primary's Year 6 production. I had a post GCSE student helping us last year and he was brilliant - running band rehearsals, painting scenery, finishing bits of costume. He even came back for the shows to operate sound effects!

Private schools with Drama/ LAMDA departments worth looking at although they break up end of 1St Week of July usually so may not be loads going on

Just take her to work with you or DH.

Due to the nature of DH's work and my own employer's strict no under18s rule, that would not have been an option for any of ours.

My DD emailed her CV out to a few people, one of whom offered to send it to her contacts. To my amazement, one of the contacts offered her work experience. It was not that much effort to be honest, but I think she got lucky.