A
drama school is a higher education
college which specialises in the vocational teaching
of
drama (i.e.
acting,
musical theatre and
technical theatre). Students at such a
college are normally awarded a
Bachelor of Arts Degree (BA) at the
end of their studies.
Entry and application process
Entry to drama school is usually through an
audition. Some schools make this a two-stage
process. Places on an acting course are limited (usually well below
100) so those who fare best at the audition are selected. Most
academies state that applicants must be over 18 years of age.
Auditions usually involve the performance of
monologues and group workshops, and may also
include a
singing activity. This varies from
academy to academy. If this is the case for an
acting degree, the school looks more at how an
applicant can put character into the song rather than how well they
can sing. For a
musical theatre
degree, the emphasis is on showing one's talent as a
singer. Most colleges offer recall auditions, often
in several stages, in which students being considered for entry
onto a course are brought back to audition again, demonstrating
their talents further.
Course content
The courses offered by drama schools are heavily based on practical
work, after all, their aim is to train students as professional
actors for stage and camera work. Students are
required to be enthusiastic and motivated in order to meet the
demands offered by the course.
At the end of the final year (usually the third) most drama schools
stage a series of performances throughout the academic year to
which
agents and
casting directors are invited. This helps
to build the future of the graduates and serves as a showcase of
what the students can do.
Funding
United Kingdom
In the UK The
Conference of
Drama Schools comprises Britain’s 22 leading Drama Schools. CDS
exists in order to strengthen the voice of the member schools, to
set and maintain the highest standards of training within the
vocational drama sector, and to make it easier for prospective
students to understand the range of courses on offer and the
application process.
Founded in 1969, the 22 member schools offer courses in Acting,
Musical Theatre, Directing and Technical Theatre training.
Graduates of CDS courses are currently working on stage, in front
of the camera and behind the scenes in theatres and studios across
Britain.
In the UK, funding varies from drama school to drama school.
Historically drama schools were not part of the mainstream academic
system, and therefore were not funded on the same basis as
universities. Some drama schools are now part of a university, such
as the
Central School
of Speech and Drama, which is part of the
University of London, and these tend to
charge similar tuition fees to universities.
Some drama schools
however, such as the Mountview Academy of Theatre
Arts
, are private schools, and may charge up to four
times as much as other academies. Student loans, drama
awards and scholarships may help to provide students with their
funding.
Ireland
A number
of third level institiutions provide courses in Drama and Theatre
Studies, including Trinity College, Dublin
, NUI Maynooth, and Dublin City University, as well
as a private school, The
Gaiety School of Acting, A decision by Trinity in Jan 2007 to
drop its BA in Acting Studies for cost reasons met with
disappointment from the theatre sector. A Forum for Acting
Training was convened with leading professionals from the industry
who recommended in a report published 27 May 2008, that an Academy
for Dramatic Arts, independent of a University, but with third
level accreditation should be created. The report was submitted to
the Irish Government. On 1 August 2008,
The Irish Times reported that a
RADA graduate,
Danielle
Ryan, granddaughter of the late
Tony
Ryan who founded
Ryanair, had announced
plans to develop an Irish Academy of Dramatic Arts part-funded from
a Trust created by her late father, Captain Cathal Ryan.
Drama / Acting Schools
British Schools
For
more on British
drama schools see the
Conference Of Drama Schools Website below;
Canadian Schools
American (U.S.) Schools
Australian Schools
South African Schools
Indonesian Schools
Indian Schools
References
- Prospectus from TCD Drama Dept,
TCD
- Prospectus from NUIM English Dept Dramatherapy Course
- Trinity News report
http://www.trinitynews.ie/articles.php?tn=1&issue=2&id=215
website
- Forum on Acting Training Report, May 2008, Forum Report
- Gerry Smyth, Irish Times, 1 August 2008 Acting academy to include theatre
External links
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