University

[techie18]

Hi,

 

Is it really vital to go off to university to be able to get into the theatre industry? Is it no longer possible to be able to walk into a theatre or just apply for a job in theatre such as an appreticeship?

 

Thanks

James

[gareth]

It's not vital, no. There are plenty of people who get their first jobs in the industry without an undergraduate qualification. Having said that, I think it'll be of far more benefit to you these days than it would've been when I started in the business. There are so many people taking technical theatre courses at undergraduate level these days that it's almost getting to the point that there are more graduates than there are jobs - as such, if you don't have a degree and you're up for a job against someone who does, it's going to put you at a disadvantage.

 

Regarding apprenticeships, there are very few opportunities like this these days - theatres simply don't have the resources to be able to take people on in that sort of capacity any more.

[Big Jay]

I agree with Gareth, It is not vital, but from experience, you can get alot of contacts through uni. Alot of uni's have outside pro's coming in to work on productions with the students and alot of students can get work from the pro's that is how I got my first job through college. So it can work both ways.

[Frag_Me]

From what I've seen and experienced a good uni course won't only give you the technical knowledge to do your job, it'll also give you the interpersonal skills to deal with whatever your first few jobs are much better than you would have done without the training. It's dealing with situations well and doing a good job that gets your name in people's good books, not just the bit of paper with your degree on it.

 

If you get a chance to work on shows at uni then you do so in a "safe" environment, where if you make a mistake or something doesn't turn out the way you wanted it to then you aren't going to be fed to the lions and your reputation isn't on the line. Spending some time at university experimenting and making discoveries about the way you work saves you from having to do it out there in the real world and potentially causing problems when you do.

 

And as ToshiBoy says, contacts. If you play your cards right then you should make a fair few at university and they might just be the people who give you the job that kickstarts your career.

[sparkzxx]

This is a situation I'm currently in. I've opted for going straight into employment due to knowing people a few years ahead of me having gone to uni and dropping out due to apparently just re-doing what they had done for two years at college for the first 2 years of uni. I can understand that this might be needed to get those who may not have done a college course up to the same level, but it all seems a bit pointless for those who have done it at college. Either way, I'm taking a year, or 2 to get into theatre through employment, but, if it does work out that I still need a uni qualification somehow, I wont be that much older than most at uni. Just thought I'd let you know my thoughts on this subject.

 

Adam

[Simon Lewis]

Is it really vital to go off to university to be able to get into the theatre industry?

 

No... But as others have stated, a suitable degree course could give you not just a strong grounding in the theory and practice of your chosen subject, but also develop your academic, cognitive and transferable skills. Having a degree will be the norm in the future market place.

 

Having said that, just because someone has been on a degree level course doesn't make them employable (whether it's in the entertainment industry or not). You will need to have a passion for the subject and have the right attitude - to learn, to work well with others, to understand how the industry works and to get yourself noticed (for all the right reasons!). OK, most of this can be done whilst working, but I believe that this attitude combined with a good degree programme is an excellent way forward...

 

Simon

[peternewman]

I've opted for going straight into employment due to knowing people a few years ahead of me having gone to uni and dropping out due to apparently just re-doing what they had done for two years at college for the first 2 years of uni.

Not trying to prove anything Adam has said as wrong, merely providing an alternative view, but a friend of mine is spending a year in America not doing an exclusively industry course, just a few modules as part of a wider degree, and he was saying he's picked up loads of stuff doing it that he hadn't before, both in terms of techniques and ways of working.

 

Finally an alternative suggestion; go and do an unrelated degree, but get involved in student drama/your union club/local venues, giving you a degree to fall back on, as well as lots of experience and contacts in the industry, and the opportunities to experiment etc. I'm not saying this will necessarily work, as my job (which isn't directly in this bit of the industry), requires a reasonable amount of what I did for my degree. But anyway something to ponder over, so you've got alternative prospects when they ban incandescents or theatre or something. ;)

[Tomo]

This is purely a personal opinion, based on very limited data, but...

 

Many of the best people I've worked with either have no degree, or have an unrelated degree.

Several of the really bad people to work with had a 'theatre' degree.

 

Given the current climate, it does appear that it is increasingly important to have a bit of paper saying BSc, BEng, BA or similar.

However, it is less important exactly what the degree is in - as long as it's not a 'mickey-mouse' degree, most employers just like to see something that shows "Yes, this guy/gal can think."

[Big Jay]

Many of the best people I've worked with either have no degree, or have an unrelated degree.

Several of the really bad people to work with had a 'theatre' degree.

 

Given the current climate, it does appear that it is increasingly important to have a bit of paper saying BSc, BEng, BA or similar.

However, it is less important exactly what the degree is in - as long as it's not a 'mickey-mouse' degree, most employers just like to see something that shows "Yes, this guy/gal can think."

 

I would just like to add, that in a few years time, I think that qualifications will be everything, mostly due to H & S, yes you can have the best practical skills in the world, but in a few years people are going to say that does not matter as you are not qualified, I could go into a job having the best skills for that job but they can turn to me and say you are not qualified so no.