Drama schools vrs university training.

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Hi all,
After intensive research into the above I'm beginning to think the drama school is a better option. I'm concerned about the lack of hours in training I've read about in university's compared to drama school. Also people have said on different websites that if you want to be an actor then you should certainly go to a drama school over a uni as the uni's provide you with more of a business training, i.e working in admin in theatre company's or teaching after you graduate. My did wants to do a 3yr musical theatre BA and we thought that the same course offered my somewhere like central and a uni would be the same. Are we wrong? Incidentally her course she has applied for at chichester uni is a triple threat musical theatre BA. Has anybody got any experience with that course or just with the whole drama school vrs uni in general.

What If my dd doesn't get into a drama school,is a uni degree better than going nowhere or a waste of 3yrs and a lot of money. She wants to go onto the stage at the end of it,is it enough or will agents look down on it?
So confused!

[Welsh Mum]

This debate has been aired many times on here . Certainly a uni course and an accredited drama school course will be very different (is Chichester accredited?) In drama school it is all pracitcal work - no lectures as you will have in uni and almost no written work. It is viewed as a vocational course training you to work as an actor. Some uni courses have more prac than others, but would not have as many as vocational training.

As for what if you don't get in - many people don't get in first time they try. My DD didn't, but she was determined to train rather than study so she took a gap year, worked (making much needed money) and re-applied. On her course about 50 % had failed to get in previously.

Hope this helps. I think the crucial choice is what's right for your DD - what type of course does she want? If she is 100% she wants training, a uni course may not be suitable (and equally expensive). However, many actors succeed without training!! Its not easy is it? No black/white answer

[sapphire]

Lots of discussion about this issue on this other thread: viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17863

DD visited lots of unis to look at drama courses but rapidly realised this wasn't what she wanted and it was drama school or nothing for her. She was lucky and got in straight from school but the great majority of those on her course are older students who didn't get in first time round.

Good luck deciding what's right for you!

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The course at chichester isn't an accredited choice,will that hold her back somewhat? She likes the place and when she spoke to the first year students they said they had a lot of contact time and were in every day. That's also my concern, as I know some students at uni can be in as little as 8 hrs a week,admittedly I'm using a friends daughter who is doing maths as an example here. As dd wants to only do a musical theatre course(won't budge on that) she only had a limited place she could apply for.
I've looked online at loads of websites but can't find how long the pupils get in teaching hours. Even on the chichester website it doesn't tell you,just gives you a listed modules they complete. Maybe I should ring them,I don't want to interfere though and sound like a mad mother! I need to speak to an agent or something to find out the chance of work for her after she graduates too.

[Welsh Mum]

To put it in context my DD's normal hours in drama college have been 7.30 am to 6.30 pm with hour for lunch . Rehearsals take that later - often to 10.00 - and Saturday classes/rehearsals very common as well. She has certainly got her money's worth. Also drama colleges have agent/casting director contacts and their showcases will be well attended. They will also use external professionals as well - all my DDs directors of productions are/have been professionals not teachers. Those are the things you get at an accredited course

[Caroline A-C]

My ds is at Arts Ed and as Welshmum says, the drama schools are full on. Ds has more like a 10 hour DAY rather than the university 8 hour WEEK. He is always working on something after that, be it going over dance routines, rehearsing etc. From what he has said, it sounds as though most of the final year is devoted to showcasing to agents etc and getting maximum exposure. I have no idea what happens on the university courses but was told when ds was in this position that if you want to perform then go to drama school and if you want to teach then go to university. I am not saying that I necessarily agree with that statement - it was just something somebody told me.

[sapphire]

Would echo what the others have said ... DD is doing an acting course at LIPA and is in everyday from 8.30 until 5 or 6 and often later as they are given work to prepare in groups for classes so need to rehearse. She is also often in school working on things with other students over the weekend. During second and third year when performances kick in she is fully expecting to be there until 9 or 10 every night. It really is full on and VERY hard work. Not like a typical uni course at all. DD only wanted to consider accredited courses in her first year of applying. That said, there are several students who have recently graduated from the performing arts course at Salford who are doing very well for themselves ... it's a tough call!

[Welsh Mum]

List of accredited course here

http://www.drama.ac.uk/#school-page-links

There is alsoo a new quality assurance mark for some uni courses

http://www.drama.ac.uk/#latest-news

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List of accredited course here

http://www.drama.ac.uk/#school-page-links

There is alsoo a new quality assurance mark for some uni courses

http://www.drama.ac.uk/#latest-news

Thanks for that Welsh Mum, we did look at that list originally when deciding where to apply. There are only 5 on the list which do the musical theatre course that she wants to do, arts ed,central,GSA, mountiview and the royal conservatoire of Scotland. Dd applied for all but the one in Scotland as that's a 6hr train ride away so we thought it too far. Plus ideally she wants to be down south. She has had rejections from arts ed and central which leaves GSA and mountview still to audtion for. Plus manchester college (3yrs BA) and liverpool theatre school (which incidentally is a Diploma so not sure of funding for it,is it covered by a student loan?) And of course we are still waiting to hear from chichester. I have rang them this morning but their campus is closed due to the snow so I chttp://oxforddrama.ac.uk/applying-to-drama-courses.htmlan't ask anyone my questions of teaching hours etc. The first year student who showed her round on audtion day said they had loads of practical work and were in every day so just need to found out exactly how much.

Dd is dead set on the musical theatre BA course so no point in asking her to do another course and what attracted her to chichester was the "triple threat" musical theatre course. I just need to find someone who goes there now to ask them questions about it!

[sapphire]

Have you tried http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk. That's quite a good forum for finding out info about courses

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Have you tried http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk. That's quite a good forum for finding out info about courses

Yes I have been on there,nobody seems to be audtioning at chichester this year! I'm going to tweet some of the students on twitter who follow chichester on there and say they are doing musical theatre. Be nice to get their point of views. The length us mums go to

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Thank goodness for modern technology tweeted a couple of female students who are on the course my dd wants to do and bless them,they were very obliging in filling me in. They said they absolutely love their course,great tutors who are very knowledgeable and helpful. Working hours are a min of 25 hrs ( less i know than a drama school) but there are apparently loads of extra classes to take as well. It's some info to pass on to my daughter later on anyway.