Cost of studying in Londo

[amanda]

Hi everyone,
I am a bit nervous about offending anyone with this topic but please know that I am posting in a genuinely concerned way.

I am currently investigating drama schools with my dd who wants to apply for 2013.
"Facts" that I have read so far include:
1. It is best to be in London
2. Fees will be £9000 - £13,500 per year (Up to £9000 loan available)
3. Living expenses in London are likely to be between £10000 and £12000 per year (Maybe maintenance loan available, but probably for less than £4000 in my case)
4. The courses are too "full on" to contemplate a part time job.

So ---How does anyone except the stonkingly rich go to Drama school in London?

And ---- Does this limit the overall quality of applicants? Are hugely talented performers being lost because of the vast expense?

I am really interested in stories of how your children have made ends meet because the numbers are just not adding up in our house!

[Welsh Mum]

My Dd is in her 2nd year studying on an acting course in London and we are certainly NOT "stonkingly rich" - though I wish we were

She is on a course which makes her eligible for student loans so that has helped. We pay her rent but she pays for everything else. She works every holiday to get extra money, the course is too "full on" for a regular part time job those she has bene lucky to get several modelling jobs in wedding fayres on Sundays throughout her terms. She also got a bit of money from a local charitable trust which has helped. My DD also lives quite frugally which helps - for example she always makes luch and takes it with her rather than buying it in college cafe, she doesn't buy ready meals but cooks herself, no takeways etc. She doesn't drink much anyway, and in term time they dont have much time for a lot of boozy nights out. She buys monthly travel passes, has a student railcard and doesnt come home during term time as its too expensive from where we live.

So it is possible, but I wont deny it is tough. We have less money to apen as we pay her rent as well as my other DDs in uni. My DH is retired, so its only me working but we get by, again mainly by not being very extravagant. My DD loves her course and it is all worth it to hear her talking about it. There are also bursaries available in the college (she applied but did not get it) and I think there will be more of these as fees go up.

Hope this helps

[Genevieve]

The most welknown drama schools are in London for vocational practical training, but they are not necessarily the best !!!
All of the 22 Conference of Drama Schools (CDS) member schools (many are outside of London) have courses which are set to the highest standard of vocational training 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 (according to the CDS website!).
However, its important to take into account that those students wanting the 'UNI life experience', study acting at CDS member schools like Manchester Met, LIPA (Liverpool),do have the best of both worlds,.and go on to do very very well in the industry !
Choosing where you study is not just influenced by the reputation of the school, but by the current staff list to see who's teaching and see the end of year showcases, and look at their alumni.
Training in London isn't the be all and end all ! But it is a point though, that where you train though can potentially shape/influence your career and is important factor.
As for funding ; as WelshMum mentioned...since fees increase for 2012..there are lots of scholarships/bursaries/awards, just have a look at the schools website -which can be given as reduction in course fees. The fees are £9,000, same as the new University fees.
As for students finding time to work while on drama courses in London - my dd has met many drama students who do work, in bars and as staff in theatres for example, where they sort their work rotas around their training - this doesn't suit everyone, but its not that dissimilar to students on Uni courses trying to find time to have a little job who are studying courses like Medicine, Law, Engineering, which also have longer lecture hours per week than most coures!

[pg]

It's always worth finding out whether there are any charitable trusts local to you (town/parish council websites sometimes have signposting to them). It's usually more profitable to apply to the local ones rather than the national ones, even though the pots of money may be smaller (though we were very lucky to able to apply to The Actors Charitable Trust).
DS did lots of fundraising before he went (though he was fortunate to have studied before the increase in fees) and RADA gave quite a lot of advice/support for this.

There's no doubt that London is a very expensive place to live, but I think many poorer students do manage - it's good practice for after they graduate .

[Coco]

I understand exactly where you are coming from Amanda. We recently went to the open day at Guildhall in London and we were told that aside from the fees, which of course have had the massive hike recently, we would also need to allow £900 to £1200 for living expenses. My dd would love to have the whole living away experience, but I don't see how that it would be do able for us.

[Genevieve]

There's no doubt that London is a very expensive place to live, but I think many poorer students do manage - it's good practice for after they graduate .

I agree - I had to make my own sarnies , rather than trapsing up and down Victoria Street at lunchtime spending money I didn't have, when I was a long suffering commuter coming up to London to work !!! And my dd makes her own lunch for school every day, and that's not going to change come the day she goes to a three year Uni course I can tell you

[Genevieve]

We recently went to the open day at Guildhall in London and we were told that aside from the fees, which of course have had the massive hike recently, we would also need to allow £900 to £1200 for living expenses

not surprised, with Barbican area,, it will be higher end rental prices - but for those schools in London linked to Universities, accommodation in Halls is about £90 a week, not dissimilar to the weekly cost of rent in Halls at Unis in other cities. Rental outside of Halls depends on how many sharing, size of accommodation etc, some areas in London are more expensive than others. My dd would only be able to go to Uni/drama school in London as a home student, or couldn't do it

[riverdancefan]

a bit of flexible cash.....
join a babysitting agency, I know of two 18 year olds at uni in London and I also did it myself as a student nurse, I couldn't live on £80 per month!!
You can fit it in around your hours very easily, work when you wan to, it's easier money than bar work and they ususally have to give you money for a taxi home at the end of the night .
It tends to be high-flying exec-types that are maybe seconded to this country and dont have a support network ( I certainly wouldnt leave my child EVER ) - they way they do - but they do
As long as you have good references, a CRB and maybe a day's child first aid course, it's well worth doing !

If they are asleep it's great,otherwise remember lots of games, the odd nappy change and eating alot of biscuits ....

worth a look...




RDF

[songbird]

dd is on a one year intensive course in London the course takes people 18 to 30 many have already had work experience or been to uni for 3 years and the calibre of students is stunning - its industry linked and very full on similar to post graduate - even though the hours are full on many of the students have jobs either bars or theatre front of house - they do have to arrange time of regularly because they have shows and rehearsals that go into the evenings but they are given notice on the dates - dd had the offer of a 3 year course funded at GSA which worked out she would only have to the uni portion which at the time was only the 3K contribution but we calculated that with living costs over the 3 years who costs would be about 30K but by doing the 1 year course the costs came out at 18k she has funded the course through a career development loan which she has to pay back over 5years living costs in london can be managed for around 600per month in a shared house - she works the whole weekend in a bar to pay to feed herself and pay for utilities etc so its straight from college to work and very little time for froliking but to be honest you need that sort of commitment if you are ever lucky to get into a show and do 8 shows a week there little time for anything else. Some of the people on her course worked for a couple of years to find the money to fund theirselves there is a way if you have the commitment but you do have to be prepared to give up other things ..... as someone else said its good training for the life of a jobbing actor we are by no means wealthy the portion of help we give her really is just using the money that used to go towards dance and singing lesssons which for us has meant no holidays for a few years but we have had so much pleasure from watching her grow its worth the few sacrifices

[Caroline A-C]

My ds is studying in London. A lot of students have part time evening jobs but the college says that it is not recommended that they work more than three nights a week as any more has an effect on their performance at college. The college hours are 8am to 6pm so it is intense. His rent is £450 per month which includes utility bills (there are five of them sharing a really nice house around Chiswick) and he does not have the added cost of transport as he walks to college. His student loan for maintenance is around £4,900 which covers three quarters of the annual rent. He does come home most weekends as we are not too far from London and I do give him loads of food to go back to college with which helps him. He has to work through the holidays to earn money to contribute towards the costs. I was told that those starting in September 2012 would be eligible for the student tuition loan but that this would only be £6000 odd and not £9000. We are also not stonkingly rich and it is hard but the standard those on the course and the quality of the tuition are outstanding. One boy who was accepted at the same time as my ds has deferred his place for a year in order to work and save which is another way of affording things.

One bonus is that whereas when he was living at home his constant singing would drive us all mad, now when he is around it is lovely to hear again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[amanda]

Thanks for replying everyone.
It is all such a minefied. We are trying to develop a spread sheet of the courses dd wants to apply to with estimated living costs, number of years, fees, funding available etc. It is scaring me silly!
I think that earning money for a year would be a good move but we live in an area where work is hard to find and dd is keen to apply this year.

I understand that there are advantages to being in London, but we have been to a couple of LIPA productions which were great. Liverpool would be a more affordable option. Does anyone have any experience of Drama schools outside of the capital? Bristol Old Vic sounds wonderful but I have never come across anyone who has studied there!

All of your London based dc sound great btw. You must all be very proud of their talent and resourcefulness

[Welsh Mum]

BOV is a fanstic course. DD got to second round there and would have gone in aheartbeat. Very well respected in the industry.

Dont know much about LIPA.

A good idea is to look at alumni on the websites. It should tell you who studied there, what they are doing etc

DD had to have a gap year as she didnt get in first time round. Turned out well in the end as she started with a very healthy bank balance compared to a year earlier!! She worked in a shop and theatre school for a year

Dont write off London!!

[pg]

I went to Oxford School of Drama and think the standard there is high (with decent employment record - statistically speaking - for graduates). However, I don't think the living costs ae necessarily much cheaper than London. Birmingham and Manchester are probably worth looking at (accredited courses and decent industry reputation) as well as the Welsh and Scottish colleges.

Most of schools do their showcases in London as far as I know and Oxford does its final year production in London too.

I do think London is expensive, but I also think it's good to be in (or near) London when you are looking for work after graduation - so that's another thing to think about.

I second Welshmum's view that BOV has a fantastic industry reputation - I would say it is right up there at the top with RADA, LAMDA, Guildhall etc.

[Welsh Mum]

I do think London is expensive, but I also think it's good to be in (or near) London when you are looking for work after graduation - so that's another thing to think about.

.

I agree. My Dd will have to live in London realistically anyway after graduating. They are already making plans about flats etc. At least she will know London well and be confident living there. This is important as we live in a very small village, and her getting used to living in London was something i was concerned about.

[nextinline]

Caroline A-C you made me laugh when you said about when he comes home you like to hear him sing. My 15 year old ds constantly sings around the house and so I am still at the stage of listening all day everyday He is the noisiest of my 3 so I will definitely find it quiet when he eventually leaves.

My ds is thinking of either musical theatre or a Music or drama course. It is hard to know where to go as there are so many good courses and of course it often takes a few goes to get in. I agree with all of you that living frugally is a great way of training yourself for an acting life and as I think our kids are doing what they want to do they won't mind so much. I was a History student in London over 20 years ago, I didn't have much money, but I had the best three years ever. Any spare money went on books and standby theatre tickets.

Will look forward to hearing more on this thread as ds will be thinking about sixth form next. Any advice greatly received.