Unit 10

Preparing for Progression

For my higher education research I have been exploring the different routes that I would be interested in and could take such as acting, directing and script writing. In my Unit 10 I will be going over each of these options. I will also look at the pros and cons of higher education, my opinion and my CV.

Research for Higher Education

For my research I have looked at different drama schools, conservatoires and universities that interest me. In terms of acting my top three choices are; RADA, LIPA and The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. RADA offers a three year Bachelors degree in Dramatic Arts with an Honers course costing £9,000 per year. Auditions start in November of 2019 and finish in May of 2020. There are four stages to the audition progress; The preliminary audition, the recall audition, a short workshop and a full workshop. The cost to audition for RADA is £46. LIPA offers a three year Bachelors degree in Dramatic Arts course costing £9,250 per year. Their auditions start after the 15th of January because this being done through UCAS unlike RADA who audition separately. LIPA's audition process is only one day with an individual audition and an afternoon callback. The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama also offers a three year Bachelors degree in Dramatic Arts with the course costing £9,250 per year. The audition process is similar to LIPA's with individual auditions with an afternoon callback though after that there is another final callback. 

The Pros of Higher Education

The main two reasons, for me, to go to higher eduction are the contacts and the knowledge that I would obtain there. 

• The possibilities to network and make contacts are greater when you attend drama school as you are usually being taught by industry professionals. Usually, agencies come to watch performances to see if there are actors that they want to represent. This means that if you are good enough, you can go from your final show at drama school straight in to a West End role. A perfect example of this is Tarinn Callender who left Arts Ed in 2017 and instantly went into the role of herules Mulligan/ James Madison in the hit musical Hamilton. This is one of the examples that shows that it's easier to get a job if you have attended drama school.

• The knowledge side is something that drama schools have been refining for years to create the best programs to train upcoming actors in all areas of the dramatic arts industry. To have this knowledge is very valuable especially considering that it has helped actors become some of the best of their trade for example Robin Williams, Alan Rickman, and Kit Harrington. 

The Cons of Higher Education

The three main reasons, for me, to not go into higher education are; the cost, the ability to get an agent without going to drama school and the three year duration of the courses.

• The cost of going to drama school for the full  three years that the course offers on average is £27,750. This is more than the average person in the UK makes in a year, which is £25,314. There are student loans, bursaries and scholarships that can cut the cost of this. However, over 48% of the population is unable to pay the subsidizes price and still be able to afford house, food, transport and other additional costs. 

• The ability to get an agent without drama school is a key point for me as drama school tend to make a point by saying that you are less likely to progress into the industry without them, though agents are still likely to represent you without having a formal education in the dramatic arts as long as you have previous experience.

• For some, a three year course is a lot of time, especially if you are older already because you have already taken a gap year or even if you are coming internationally where they might have different education systems in which you graduate at a later age. For example, there is a person in a my class who will be 21 at the start of the next educational year, this would make her 24 when she finishes drama school. This is still a good age to get started in the industry, however this time could be spent by auditioning and networking and getting a job through that.

My Opinion 

In my opinion, going to drama school is subject to the individual for example; A student who excels at written work might be more likely to take the further education route instead of a student who is more practical. For them it might be better to try and go straight into the industry after they finish college. Alongside this, is the individuals financial situation as some are able to afford drama school more easily though others are less capable to do so.
After all the research I have decided that I will not be going to drama school this upcoming year due to my difficulties with written work and other interests.

CV

Monologue