stage school or not ???

[letitshine]

Hi all looking for some advice, my dd is 12 in year 7 and attends a mainstream school where she is happy and goes to a theatre school (Mostly dance) every evening and saturday our dilema is now tha she is very serious about going in to acting (not musical theatre) and would like to attend a full time theatre school we have had a look and like arts ed, redroofs and the britt school but i know next to nothing about the credability that a theatre school gives you when applying for higher education dd wants to go to RADA or Central (shes a pretty determined little munchkin) I have heard that a theatre school can amost count against you unles your going in to the west end and also worried about how much compitition there is ....how many children tha go to a theatre school go on to work in the industry as it would be a massive money struggle for us and the britt school sounds great but we are out of area for it .....sorry if any of my comment are totally wrong please feel free to correct me any advise is welcome ....please help

[riverdancefan]

I think DS would love to attend stage school mostly for the socialising with like-minded kids, who understand how he ticks
However we are not going down that route for a few reasons including lack of funding, travelling and the fact we have another son who needs an equal share of support and input from us.
There are so many children on this board who attend stage school and love every second, and many who attend state schools who are also very happy.
As for employment as a child performer, estimates from an employee at Sylvia Young....25% employed out of the children attending.... Not brilliant odds, the same height, look, etc restrictions will apply for any child. If you are one of the lucky ones , you will be employed and maybe even cover your fees.... But the lady herself says this cannot be guaranteed.
Much more important to set the child up as an ADULT performer ready to take on gainful employment.
I guess if you can afford it and its right for you then I bet your DD will shine at a stage school, but she may not get lots of roles as a child performer( then again she might)
Some CDs come directly to full time stage schools to recruit, there may be opportunities there that wouldn't be open to children at state school.
My DS finds his training and exams are just as challenging from his part time performing arts, so he is happy enough
Of course if he were offered a scholarship he would be over the moon, but we are fairly content
I certainly wouldn't dream of uprooting selling my house etc like some parents!!
DS isn't the only member of this family! And this business is so fickle.. What if he decided at 18 he wanted to be a lawyer? .... I wouldn't be prepared to sacrifice to that extent... We already forgo holidays, treats and so much more to fund what he already does

[bruno2]

Well said Riverdanc, my thoughts entirely . Lets hope our lottery numbers come up soon !

[pg]

I think that if your child is looking ahead to working as an adult actor and wants to go to drama school then there is no need for stage school as preparation for this. That's not to say she wouldn't enjoy it/have a ball/learn lots of useful things! I agree with riverdancefan that being with like-minded peers can be one of the big plus points.

However, drama schools (18+) look for potential and are skilled at spotting it. I wasn't aware of anyone in my year at drama school who had attended a stage school and as far as I know there was no-one in my son's year at RADA who had attended a stage school either (though there was one who had worked professionally as a child - just one though, from 32 students in the year).

I had two performance-mad children (both now adults). One was very keen to look for professional work - though we were based in a small market town and there were very few opportunities for professional work - the other was happy just doing everything he could locally. Saturday morning drama group, school plays, local amateur group. He also worked with two friends to set up a theatre company as a young teenager and did lots of performing that way. He did scarcely any professional work before drama school: one brief appearance in a professional visiting theatre company's show and one corporate video - and we sort of "fell over" both those opportunities. The drama at his secondary school was quite weak while he was there (it's improved greatly since then) - so much so that the (teenage) theatre company he was part of took over the production of the school play because otherwise there wasn't going to be one...

My son is now a professional actor and my daughter (who was the one who wanted to chase professional work when she was younger) is now working in a sensible job!

The point of this rambling anecdote is to reassure you that stage school is not a prerequisite for chances later. I'm not knocking stage school - I think both my children would have loved to have gone , but there was never any chance of that for them financially. I think it's probably more important for her to have a really broad theatrical/performance education: going to plays (both amateur and professional), watching films. reading, performing whenever there's a chance - wherever that is, keeping fit, doing some improvising and devising with friends - and perhaps taking part in holiday courses where she would have the chance to mix with others who are really keen and where she would have the advantage of some different, possibly expert, tuition.

She (or you ) will need every penny she can save for drama school at 18 plus - especially with the way funding seems to be going...

[Robin64]

I agree with the previous posts. If your DD is aiming more for acting than say, musical theatre, then a good general education with lots of reading and going to see plays will see her through. There are excellent short courses to do in the holidays such as at the Globe Theatre or perhaps later try for National Youth Theatre, Young Vic etc I think these would impress at drama school interview more than stage school. You are right that stage schools can be seen as slightly "naff". Don't take that the wrong way..my DD would probably love stage school (but she is looking to do MT), and nothing against them as such but a lot of drama courses are looking for real life experience and authenticity, so being well read, seeing a range of plays and performance, school drama, maybe even a gap year of work or travel etc are an excellent route. If your DD is involved in lots of drama outside school too then I would not see stage school as essential and the financial support might be better at a later stage too.

[Welsh Mum]

No one in my DDs class at drama school (Central) has been to stage school. I can see why it may count against you, as they want people who have a broad range of life experiences (one of the reasons it is so hard to get in straight from school at 18). They may interpret being in a stage school rightly or wrongly as a rather elite existence, compared to a mainstream school. Whilst children at a stage school "may" get more professional acting opportunities, you may find that drama colleges would prefer someone who has worked in other areas - I remember them asking my DD about her job working in WHSmith

However, I realise that these are generalisations and that there are always exceptions. My Dd also would have liked stage school (she was fixed on the profession from about the age of 12) but it was never an option for us. Whilst it nice to be around other like minded people there is also the view that variety is the spice of life . My DD had friends who were equally ambitious about other fields such as medicine, law and sport. i think that was good for her.

Good luck whatever you choose

[letitshine]

Thank you so much for all you help, it has really clarified things. I worried that I was holding her back by not sending her to drama school but it really doesn't seem to make a difference to the drama schools they apply for and the ability to break through as a adult. I will continue to support my dd and hopes he can go on to achieve everything she wants to out of life.... It's scary in the acting world I'm just so thankful to have found napm to help me answer all the questions I have and help when i have the moments where i wish she would suddenly want to get a normal job lol x

[Mummyaud]

Hi, worth investigating BRIT school. They will take them at key stage 4 - year 10. There are twice as many places on the straight acting course as on the MT course so even if you are out of the area its worth a go. They stress they are not a fame school (any work that take them away from their studies is not encouraged, there is no agency). They make it clear the children are there to focus on their course. The academic results and ofsted report are excellent. The students come from all walks of life as its a state funded school so much more of a normal school enviroment than a stage school. Students study a variety of different strands including design and technical theatre so again good mix of different types of students. All will show a talent in their chosen strand so for those seeking a creative enviroment with like minded people should work well.

[Robin64]

Wish there was a Brit School near us, it looks great.

[Lucky mum]

My daughter is at full time stage school, so I just wanted to give a different perspective. She is at Sylvia Young Theatre School and we had a long hard think before we took up the place she was offered. I am now so pleased we did, Sylvias gives a lot more than just the vocational side. She is with like minded creative types who are fuelling her passion and drive. The academic side is excellent and on the vocational side they really do have some of the best teachers in the UK. She is very happy and that is the most important thing and if she doesn't end up as a performer (she is very interested in behind the scenes work) she will no doubt leave that school with an excellent work ethic and bags of confidence.
Every child is registered with The Sylvia Young Agency who bring them lots of opportunities, it also means that us as parents don't have to get to involved with auditions as they are chaperoned.

Even if her dream subsides of being a performer by the time she is an adult, I feel happy that we have made the right decision. They are turning them into tough little people with ambition!

Best of luck! x

[CatKat_0]

Great to see both sides of the discussion - I can see merits in both, and its really nice to see both points of view and still all be friends

[letitshine]

Hi lucky mum, thank you for your message it's great to see both sides and honestly if I had the money I probably would opt for a stage school for the many great reasons you said but I was feeling pressured that I was letting my daughter down by not having her go to a stage school, Everyone's opinions are different an inside view is fabulous to have,

[pinky3]

We thought about it long and hard too but have decided to stick with the local school and then to try to get into projects like NYMT (which fortunately she just has!).