Performing Arts students and professional actors?

Question

So i have done GCSE Drama for 2 years, and have developed so much love for this subject and acting overall that i want to continue doing it in my future.

However, everyone in my family has top careers (mum is an arcitect and dad owns electricity firm, aunty is a prosecuter, etc etc)

So they expect me to do as well as them, like journalism which i concidered too.

I mentioned that i wanted to act, and everyone was immediatly against it, saying things such as that acting wont be good enough for me and all off that c**p.

I have just managed to persuade them to let me study A Level performing Arts.

Now what else can i do in my free time, any good excellent Acting schools or theatres i can work in. It doesnt have to be acting, just being part of the environment?

Help please!

Answer 1

I'm a dancer in my first year out of uni after 4 years study in oz, i may have to carve a slightly different path in order to survive as an artist, but i love it! Being creative is your birth-right! Every living thing is a divine expression of creativity, and so are you, be, create and do whatever YOU want, not your families idea of what you SHOULD be create and do! If we think back before the time our society became obsessed with money and power, we find that creativity and expression was weaved into the very fabric of everyday life for tribal societies. Now days creativity is a side project, which is why its important for artists to be alive and enriching the rest of the worlds life, to remind them that they to are an expression of creativity. GOOD LUCK AND LOVE TO YOU, i hope you find whatever it is that your looking for...is it freedom?

Answer 2

I studied Performing Arts at college (National Diploma = equivalent of 3 A Levels) and thoroughly enjoyed it.

That was 2 years ago, and I haven't done it since for the simple fact that it is so difficult and costly to get into the industry.

My advice will be to join as many amateur theatre groups as you can to gain experience.

Once you have finished your education, I would recommend getting an agent, or go to www.spotlight.co.uk (extra work) for some auditions.

You will need to be extremely thick skinned, as you will probably go to 100s of auditions, and only get a couple of call backs. Then, out of those call backs, you'll only get 1 or 2 parts.

You need to be extremely driven, and don't forget to get some kind of part time job to fund your acting career!