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Whether it
is yourself or a child wishing to join a drama school in Hertfordshire
– where do you begin?
The easiest
way to 'dip your toes' would be by contacting your local council
and/or library for informal courses. At least you can try them out
before giving up your day job.
If you are
very serious and would like to invest time and money in vocational
courses such as acting, musical theatre and stage management /technical
production etc you might want to check that the 'school' is accredited
by the National Council for Drama Training (NCDT) or The
Council For Dance Educational and Training (CDET).
Alternatively
you could spend £40 or so on a fake drama diploma and get laughed
at when you present it at your first audition.
Dancing courses
offered by CDET’s accredited schools vary widely in style, content
and aims and they cover the disciplines of classical ballet, musical
theatre and contemporary dance.
Students are
advised to obtain prospectuses for more than one course and to ensure
that the course aims and graduate destinations match their requirements.
Most courses are three years in length. NCDT Drama school courses
vary from three-year degree or diploma courses to one-year postgraduate
courses for those who have already attended university or have comparable
prior experience. Entry is by audition or interview- talent rather
than academic ability is the principal requirement for securing
a place - and highly competitive, with some acting courses offering
places on a ratio of 1:50.
For three-year
courses applicants must be 18, many acting courses prefer to take
students who are older, they are looking for people with the maturity
to cope with the demands of actor training. For postgraduate courses
the minimum age is 21. Some applicants have a lot of prior experience
of performing, others very little, but all must demonstrate a genuine
commitment. Acting / Musical Theatre While there are no formal entry
requirements for becoming an actor and it is possible for untrained
people to enter the profession, in such a highly competitive industry
it makes sense to have as many advantages as possible. Vocational
training on a course accredited by the National Council for Drama
Training is enormous advantage.
A study carried
out by the Institute of Manpower Studies on behalf of the Arts Council
of England found that 86% of actors working in the profession had
received formal vocational training. Acting and musical theatre
students develop the discipline, practical skills and intellectual
understanding necessary for building a lasting career, with accredited
courses providing opportunities to be seen by agents, casting directors,
theatres and television companies, so vital in securing that all
important first job. Graduates of accredited courses also qualify
for full Equity membership on completion of their course. Nine hundred
acting and musical theatre students each year graduate from courses
accredited by the Council.
For those graduates
entering the profession the opportunities for work are very varied.
Traditionally actors have gained experience by working in regional
repertory theatres, though these days they are just as likely to
secure their first job in television. An actor's career may also
involve work in film, corporate training videos, radio, commercials,
voice-overs, small-scale theatre touring, theatre-in-education,
and West End productions. An actor's life will usually involve employment
at some time in nearly all of these areas.
Acting training
can also help prepare graduates for many other jobs related to the
performing arts industries (including directing, play and scriptwriting
and producing) and those occupations requiring presentation and
communications skills such as training and teaching, personnel,
sales, arts administration, youth work, or jobs that require creativity
such as web design, event management etc. Stage Management / Technical
Production All accredited courses provide a thorough grounding in
all technical areas involved in production such as : electrics and
lighting design, sound, wardrobe, scenic construction, scenic painting,
prop making and stage management. Most of them offer experience
in technical drawing, music score reading, and an introduction to
theatre history, research techniques, budgeting, television production
and scenic design. There is usually an opportunity to work with
professional designers and directors amongst a wide variety of practitioners
and to undertake a work placement to a theatre, television production
company, or other related professional organisation. Employment
rates for graduates of accredited courses are high.
There are a
wide variety of places where those with stage management experience
and technical production skills are employed. Aside from working
in the theatre or in film and television, they provide the lighting
and sound production support for concerts. They can be found setting
up equipment and organising crews to provide technical services
for theme parks, trade fairs, exhibitions, international trade shows
and exhibitions. NCDT The National Council for Drama Training is
the body charged by the industry with overseeing and safeguarding
professional training standards for actors, stage managers and technicians
in the UK. For the past 25 years, the Council has brought together
representatives from the employers (theatre and production managers
and television companies) the union (actors and stage managers)
and the training providers (through the Conference of Drama Schools)
to discuss issues relating to training.
Panels composed
of industry professionals inspect courses on a five-yearly basis
to bestow accreditation on courses in the performing arts which
the Council considers offer a high level of professional relevance
and quality. Each course is assigned an appropriate representative
from the industry as an "Attached Course Monitor", which allows
the Council to ensure that the quality is monitored in the years
between visits. NCDT produces a weekly schedule of drama school
performances for monitors, agents and casting directors. NCDT provides
a list of accredited courses in acting, musical theatre, stage management
and technical production and a leaflet entitled A Practical Guide
to Vocational Training in Dance and Drama offering comprehensive
guidance on different types of training and how it is funded. The
NCDT website (www.ncdt.co.uk)
contains both the list and guide as well as useful links to the
drama schools, related organisations and the graduate performance
schedule.
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