Contemporary Theatre and Performance Degree at Crewe (MMU)

[bop2thetop]

Please help!

Does anyone know anything about The Contemporary Theatre and Performance Degree at Crewe which is part of Manchester Met University?

My friends son auditioned this year for a BA in Acting but unfortunately did not have any offers from the acting schools he wanted to go to apart from being offered a recall to the above course and being offered a place. The problem is that it wasn't what he set out to audition for and he doesn't know whether to accept the place or to audition again next year. I think we all know that a lot of people don't get in first time around so very common to audition again. But this course may be amazing and a great opportunity. But we don't know anybody who has already done it to ask.

Has anybody got any advice? Honest opinions please.

Thanks so much!

[bop2thetop]

I'm guessing no ones heard of it?

[carriecrafts]

We live only a few miles from Crewe but I've never heard about this course.

[pg]

I would suggest asking whether it is recognised by Spotlight - by checking with Spotlight, not with the course. I know that's not the be all and end all - but I do know people who have done courses and then found that they can't get into Spotlight at the end of them. Not being in Spotlight can be a real hurdle at the start of a career.

As an adult actor, the rules are different. You don't have to have an agent to be in Spotlight but you do have to have trained and/or have paid professional experience.

https://www.spotlight.com/DramaUK

Spotlight does state that graduate entry is also possible for those who have completed a full-time BA/MA performance degree - but I'm not sure that graduate entry is possible if it's not an accredited course. Checking directly with Spotlight might be a good idea.

I would suggest that it's best to stick to accredited courses www.dramauk.co.uk - it's important to note that it's the course that gets accredited, not the institution.

[bop2thetop]

Thanks Carriecrafts and PG

PG - We hadn't even considered Spotlight or agents after the course. What you have said is very useful. Thank you so much. We will look in to it.

[amanda]

But PG, Have you seen how short the accredited list is for undergraduate MT? GSA, Arts Ed, Mountview and Central! That's it! Not even Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. There are many other fabulous schools out there who have brilliant teachers, long contact hours and a great record of getting students representation and employment. Look at schools like MTA who were The Stage school of the year without being part of Drama uk and might just be breaking the mould.

[pg]

It's quite possible (likely?) that those will be a) accredited very soon - they have to have been running for set amount of time before they can apply I think and/or b) already accepted for Spotlight entry. It may be that if they are accepted by Spotlight they won't be in too much of a hurry to apply for accreditation. Worth checking.

If they have a great industry reputation already then that's terrific. Everyone needs to make the choice they are happy with.

I do know of someone who thought they would be eligible for Spotlight after doing a course and found they were not. It came as a surprise and has been a hurdle.

I would definitely recommend checking - because getting an agent without being eligible for Spotlight could be quite tricky. You can get Spotlight eligibility if you already have paid professional experience, but of course getting that paid work can also be tricky without an agent and Spotlight entry...

Do you know what the criteria The Stage used to judge the schools in the "School of the Year"? It would be interesting to know.

[amanda]

It is clearly very broad, and I think that they like to reward an ethical approach as well as quality of training. This year Arts Ed were runners up to Chicken Shed - Both fabulous schools in very different ways!

[francescasmum]

Do the professional credits have to be as an adult to gain adult spotlight entry without thwe training?

[pg]

No, I don't think so. But the work does (I think) have to have been paid work whenever it was done.

https://www.spotlight.com/join/eligibility.asp?book=2

This is from the Spotlight website:
2. Do you have experience of paid, professional acting work? (speaking parts).
Please note: as a professional casting database our entry criteria do not include work in Short Films, Commercials, Idents, Corporates, as an Extra / Supporting Artist / Walk-on, or Promotional work.

From anecdotal evidence (i.e. not from Spotlight, but from actors I have heard from/about) it does seem to depend a bit on who at Spotlight views the application and how strict they are at checking the credits. I know people who have admitted to passing off some unpaid work as paid work for example and being accepted by Spotlight. I also know plenty of adult performers who have had applications turned down.

Checking with Spotlight is probably the best bet - although there's always the chance that they could change the criteria.

[pg]

I've just had a look at MTA - and realise that I know a couple of people who know the Principal very well.

I understand it has an excellent reputation already and has clearly achieved a lot in its short history - but it doesn't have any government funded places at all (and according to the website has decided against applying for accreditation). It's a lot of money for someone to find to train for such an uncertain profession - and no possibility of student loans. The career development loan is quite a financial commitment which you have to start paying back a year after training (unlike the student loan).

There are other independent schools that are accredited and currently do have DaDA funded training - though how long that will go on for is unclear.

It is all tremendously confusing I agree.

There are no guarantees wherever you go. I know actors in work who have never been to drama school and I know actors out of work who have attended "top" drama schools. I know those who have gone from non drama courses at Uni straight in to promising careers with great representation.

I'm pretty sure that if you want a career in MT that you do need training - though it doesn't have to be full time at a drama school. If you want to work as an actor - and you want to train as opposed to having a go without training - then I would still recommend concentrating on one of the accredited courses. They have been independently assessed as providing good training for the profession. It doesn't mean that other courses (like MTA for Musical Theatre or actor training elsewhere) won't provide good training - but if you are starting from a position of not knowing which are well-regarded by casting professionals, then having the independent view of Drama UK accreditation gives at least some reassurance.

I had a look at The Stage School of the Year - and it looks as though schools are nominated by individuals and then judged by a panel? I'm not sure whether I have that right. I don't know how many schools were nominated (nor which they were) so it is hard to assess the significance of the award - at least when it comes to judging where to go for training. That is not to disparage MTA one iota - I have heard really excellent things about it. Its early successes for graduates are tremendous (especially as it hasn't been going for long) - but I'm not sure whether it was being judged against all schools. The award obviously isn't something that compares like with like if it has Chicken Shed, NYT and Arts Ed all in the shortlist for 2014. All excellent in their own way - but all with very different missions/aspirations

I know lots of drama school graduates - and lots of non-graduate actors too. One thing that is common to most is that they couldn't grasp just how overcrowded and difficult the profession is until they entered it. No matter how much people warn you, there is always the hope that it won't apply to you. Someone has to get the parts after all. However, it really is staggeringly difficult for any one individual to make a living out of it. It's difficult to get in to a good drama school because they are so spoiled for choice, but that really is only the start of the difficulties... Good fortune and good contacts play a huge part - as well as talent of course.

[bop2thetop]

Thank you very much for all your advice. Reading this makes me realise how little I know and I thought I had done quite a lot of research. Haha

[oscar]

I saw this thread and was very concerned that sine if the schools may not be represented by spotlight . Mta and lsmt are both excellent schools and spotlight confirmed with me today that students who complete the training at these establishments can go in spotlight . Phew !

[oscar]

Oops !! Should have said some of .