The end or the start - who knows

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islandofsodor
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The end or the start - who knows

Post by islandofsodor »

So, yesterday dd left full time training. After a lot of training was lost at her first college and her agent showcase was cancelled due to covid she decided to do a postgraduate course. Unfortunately funding/finances means that she only completed the Core part of that course where she performed in a cabaret to an audience of friends/family but she is unable to do the 2nd part of the course where she would have got an agent showcase.

So the future is uncertain but I'm not sure she would have done anything differently.
Marissa
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Re: The end or the start - who knows

Post by Marissa »

It’s scary times for them x DD lost all that too but luckily got an agent she is very happy with. However although she has had a few small contracts she feels she missed a lot of training and so has decided after a year out in the world to do a masters. Luckily her agent is happy to keep her while training. I just hope she actually gets to be part of a musical this time! I wish your daughter all the best xxxx
lawn
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Re: The end or the start - who knows

Post by lawn »

Congrats to your DD on finishing her training. Oh gosh though, Covid and lockdowns messed up a lot of education, PA and otherwise. I still feel we're playing catch up with my DD, as she only got 6 months adequate training on her 2 year sixth form course - not helped by a staff change either! So mine has done a private foundation at a well known drama school for 6 months and has another also at a (different) drama school which is fortunately funded via student loans to start in the Autumn. Not ideal situation having to do a second foundation but so few from her course have actually been offered a degree, she is fortunate to have something, the majority from her foundation course have been left with no outcome.

What are the options open to your DD now? Wasn't there an agent showcase at the previous place she studied at or did that also get affected by covid?
Can she do the last year at a later date or not if she gets the funds together eg by taking a year out and working and saving first? What about open auditions?
islandofsodor
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Re: The end or the start - who knows

Post by islandofsodor »

The agent showcase at her previous college was cancelled when approx 70% of the cast caught covid in the summer of 2021. They did do an online one and she was approached by two smaller agents back then but she had already decided to do further study and in hindsight made a bad decision.

She was hoping after the self funded core year to go on to the masters year but was not accepted to that year as they felt she was still too young/not ready etc. She did very well in her assessments and they wanted her to do their self funded advanced diploma which is not possible.

So it's a case of see if any open auditions are advertised and see what happens.
lawn
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Re: The end or the start - who knows

Post by lawn »

I do remember when I was noseying around some drama schools websites last year, noticing that a few places don't accept students onto their masters until they are 21. I believe Arts Ed was one I looked at. If she spends the next year working, looking at open auditions, is able to do some travelling if possible, I'm guessing they'd all be things that would help should she apply for a masters next year. Mine was able to get acting tourist attraction work (part time, seasonal and commutable) off the back of having completed her foundation course, so fingers crossed for your DD.
lotsolaffs
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Re: The end or the start - who knows

Post by lotsolaffs »

I remember you making this decision - how can they offer a course and a student not be able to get the benefit of an agent showcase - that doesn't seem fair - or is that common?
She can apply herself for representation - maybe contact the agents she got offers from before.
Wishing her the best
islandofsodor
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Re: The end or the start - who knows

Post by islandofsodor »

It’s essentially because although each year can be standalone it is meant as a two year thing. So the agent showcase is at the end of next year.
lawn
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Re: The end or the start - who knows

Post by lawn »

I suppose they don't usually move students from the 1 year core to their masters as there is an additional year that can be taken after the core (even if the 2 separate years can be stand alone).At the same time I suppose they don't get usually get students like your daughter who have already done a 3 year diploma. I hope they made it clear to her from the start that this was a possibility that she'd need to do their 2nd year rather than getting moved to MA

My daughter's cohort have had a similar situation. Daughter was auditioned by someone different to the others who told her that their foundation wasn't aimed at getting them into drama school but at making them a better actor (which in turn might help). I do wonder if the others were told the same. The course was only 20 weeks long so didn't take them over anything other than their first auditions (which are now all self tapes). DD got a 2nd round audition at a very well known school, still a self tape and filmed it on her last day at the school. For the rest and subsequent auditions they had already left the school, so there wasn't the support or use of facilities. Out of almost 20 on her course, only 2 have got onto BA Acting and only 6 in total with any outcome at all. Those without outcomes include a few that already have degrees and did the course hoping it would be a stepping stone to a Masters and hasn't been.

Mine turned down a 3 year Acting degree at a lesser known school to do the above and I've questioned myself if she made the right decision but like yours not sure if she could go back if she'd have done things any differently. Just have to hope it all works out for them in the long run.
Ditzi
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Re: The end or the start - who knows

Post by Ditzi »

lawn wrote: Fri Jul 01, 2022 7:20 am I suppose they don't usually move students from the 1 year core to their masters as there is an additional year that can be taken after the core (even if the 2 separate years can be stand alone).At the same time I suppose they don't get usually get students like your daughter who have already done a 3 year diploma. I hope they made it clear to her from the start that this was a possibility that she'd need to do their 2nd year rather than getting moved to MA

My daughter's cohort have had a similar situation. Daughter was auditioned by someone different to the others who told her that their foundation wasn't aimed at getting them into drama school but at making them a better actor (which in turn might help). I do wonder if the others were told the same. The course was only 20 weeks long so didn't take them over anything other than their first auditions (which are now all self tapes). DD got a 2nd round audition at a very well known school, still a self tape and filmed it on her last day at the school. For the rest and subsequent auditions they had already left the school, so there wasn't the support or use of facilities. Out of almost 20 on her course, only 2 have got onto BA Acting and only 6 in total with any outcome at all. Those without outcomes include a few that already have degrees and did the course hoping it would be a stepping stone to a Masters and hasn't been.

Mine turned down a 3 year Acting degree at a lesser known school to do the above and I've questioned myself if she made the right decision but like yours not sure if she could go back if she'd have done things any differently. Just have to hope it all works out for them in the long run.
For those that already had degrees, do you know what subjects they were?
lawn
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Re: The end or the start - who knows

Post by lawn »

Ditzi wrote: Fri Jul 01, 2022 7:52 am
lawn wrote: Fri Jul 01, 2022 7:20 am I suppose they don't usually move students from the 1 year core to their masters as there is an additional year that can be taken after the core (even if the 2 separate years can be stand alone).At the same time I suppose they don't get usually get students like your daughter who have already done a 3 year diploma. I hope they made it clear to her from the start that this was a possibility that she'd need to do their 2nd year rather than getting moved to MA

My daughter's cohort have had a similar situation. Daughter was auditioned by someone different to the others who told her that their foundation wasn't aimed at getting them into drama school but at making them a better actor (which in turn might help). I do wonder if the others were told the same. The course was only 20 weeks long so didn't take them over anything other than their first auditions (which are now all self tapes). DD got a 2nd round audition at a very well known school, still a self tape and filmed it on her last day at the school. For the rest and subsequent auditions they had already left the school, so there wasn't the support or use of facilities. Out of almost 20 on her course, only 2 have got onto BA Acting and only 6 in total with any outcome at all. Those without outcomes include a few that already have degrees and did the course hoping it would be a stepping stone to a Masters and hasn't been.

Mine turned down a 3 year Acting degree at a lesser known school to do the above and I've questioned myself if she made the right decision but like yours not sure if she could go back if she'd have done things any differently. Just have to hope it all works out for them in the long run.
For those that already had degrees, do you know what subjects they were?
1 was in music, wasn't from a drama school (ie it wasn't an Actor Musician degree) but I believe it was from a London Uni (possibly Royal Holloway???) . The others I'm unsure what their degrees were in, but included an International student a lot older who had previously taught drama themselves
islandofsodor
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Re: The end or the start - who knows

Post by islandofsodor »

It wasn't really clear unfortunately.

The MA and the Advanced Diploma are the exact same course just the MA is accredited and the students get extra academic requirements in a similar way that at somewhere like Bird College the Diploma and BA course are exactly the same, just with extra academics for the BA.

Out of her cohort of 14, 4 decided not to continue, 4 were accepted onto the MA and the other 6 onto the Diploma.
Ditzi
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Re: The end or the start - who knows

Post by Ditzi »

lawn wrote: Fri Jul 01, 2022 8:38 am
Ditzi wrote: Fri Jul 01, 2022 7:52 am
lawn wrote: Fri Jul 01, 2022 7:20 am I suppose they don't usually move students from the 1 year core to their masters as there is an additional year that can be taken after the core (even if the 2 separate years can be stand alone).At the same time I suppose they don't get usually get students like your daughter who have already done a 3 year diploma. I hope they made it clear to her from the start that this was a possibility that she'd need to do their 2nd year rather than getting moved to MA

My daughter's cohort have had a similar situation. Daughter was auditioned by someone different to the others who told her that their foundation wasn't aimed at getting them into drama school but at making them a better actor (which in turn might help). I do wonder if the others were told the same. The course was only 20 weeks long so didn't take them over anything other than their first auditions (which are now all self tapes). DD got a 2nd round audition at a very well known school, still a self tape and filmed it on her last day at the school. For the rest and subsequent auditions they had already left the school, so there wasn't the support or use of facilities. Out of almost 20 on her course, only 2 have got onto BA Acting and only 6 in total with any outcome at all. Those without outcomes include a few that already have degrees and did the course hoping it would be a stepping stone to a Masters and hasn't been.

Mine turned down a 3 year Acting degree at a lesser known school to do the above and I've questioned myself if she made the right decision but like yours not sure if she could go back if she'd have done things any differently. Just have to hope it all works out for them in the long run.
For those that already had degrees, do you know what subjects they were?
1 was in music, wasn't from a drama school (ie it wasn't an Actor Musician degree) but I believe it was from a London Uni (possibly Royal Holloway???) . The others I'm unsure what their degrees were in, but included an International student a lot older who had previously taught drama themselves
Thanks lawn, I was just curious as I presumed those doing a foundation was to prepare them for entry to degree courses. I was surprised to hear that people who already dead degrees were doing a foundation as a stepping stone to MA courses
Ditzi
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Re: The end or the start - who knows

Post by Ditzi »

islandofsodor wrote: Thu Jun 30, 2022 12:19 pm So, yesterday dd left full time training. After a lot of training was lost at her first college and her agent showcase was cancelled due to covid she decided to do a postgraduate course. Unfortunately funding/finances means that she only completed the Core part of that course where she performed in a cabaret to an audience of friends/family but she is unable to do the 2nd part of the course where she would have got an agent showcase.

So the future is uncertain but I'm not sure she would have done anything differently.
That sounds very disheartening, I feel for your dd. Aren’t there any external funding charities that she could apply to for financial support so she could finish the course?
lawn
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Re: The end or the start - who knows

Post by lawn »

Ditzi wrote: Fri Jul 01, 2022 12:53 pm
lawn wrote: Fri Jul 01, 2022 8:38 am
Ditzi wrote: Fri Jul 01, 2022 7:52 am

For those that already had degrees, do you know what subjects they were?
1 was in music, wasn't from a drama school (ie it wasn't an Actor Musician degree) but I believe it was from a London Uni (possibly Royal Holloway???) . The others I'm unsure what their degrees were in, but included an International student a lot older who had previously taught drama themselves
Thanks lawn, I was just curious as I presumed those doing a foundation was to prepare them for entry to degree courses. I was surprised to hear that people who already dead degrees were doing a foundation as a stepping stone to MA courses
I was surprised too, though this is an Acting foundation not MT and for straight acting courses they prefer them older, with with life experience, so perhaps it's not common but not extraordinary either.
jaybeeyellow
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Re: The end or the start - who knows

Post by jaybeeyellow »

lotsolaffs wrote: Thu Jun 30, 2022 5:19 pm I remember you making this decision - how can they offer a course and a student not be able to get the benefit of an agent showcase - that doesn't seem fair - or is that common?
She can apply herself for representation - maybe contact the agents she got offers from before.
Wishing her the best
Hi.
My daughter has just graduated in straight acting. Her school was well outside London, and therefore traditionally they have two showcases, one being London. Fortunately my D had agent interest from the first showcase, but was looking forward to the London one too. Unfortunately none of the London agents attended, which I thought was a pretty poor show considering that the students had all had to pay for travel and hotels etc.
As I say, my D has been fortunate to secure representation and has just been cast in her first professional role. I do feel for some of her year though, who have not managed to find agents. It’s very tough.
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