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DRAMA CAREER GUIDE 2020/2021 Drama2 Success at School is a national careers website for students aged 11-19, as well as their teachers, careers advisors, parents and other influencers. Young people can learn about their future career options through no-nonsense careers advice related to their own experiences. As well as covering topics such as career paths, industries, apprenticeships, university and employability skills, we connect schools and students to employers and universities through opportunities on our site and our interactive forums. Millions of young people and their influencers have visited our site for advice and information to help them plan for the future. Go to successatschool.org for more information. Copyright Success at School Ltd 2020 AboutSuccess at School3 DRAMA CAREER GUIDE 05 What is drama? 06 How will drama prepare me for work? 10 Should I choose drama? Contents 12 T-levels 15 Why work experience matters 18 How to future-proof your career 14 Job roles 30 Everything you need to know about gap years 20 Spotlight job 32 University 22 Interviews 26 Apprenticeships 34 Your action plan4 Drama – one of the most fun-filled school subjects? Most would agree that drama is a highlight on the timetable – a desk-free space where you can work with your classmates to create some jaw-dropping, heart-wrenching and hilarious moments. So why do students sometimes face opposition when choosing drama as an option? “You can only be an actor” is a familiar refrain from peers and family-members. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Of course, if you have a passion for performance it’s a no brainer – drama will prepare you for an exciting career in the theatre, TV or film industry. This includes all the behind-the-scenes roles such design, producing and theatre management. There are many university courses that now specialise in all of these roles – and keep in mind that there are more jobs off-stage than on-stage. There are also options if you love drama but know that a career in the performing arts isn’t for you. If you’d like a job that involves working with other people, drama is a perfect option. You will develop skills in communication, teamwork, problem solving, negotiating, listening, evaluating and working under pressure. These skills apply to a wide range of jobs, from lawyer to car salesperson! In today’s world where things are changing quickly and technology is growing at a rapid speed, the job you end up doing may not even exist yet. Another way drama prepares you for the world of work is the focus on creativity. Who will develop concepts for the next iPhone? Who will come up with new ways to watch videos online? Employers need creative people. What are you waiting for? Siobhan Walsh Outreach leader Society of London Theatre Foreword5 Whether you love watching Stranger Things, are always at the cinema with your mates, or enjoy seeing live productions at local theatres, you’re engaging with drama. It provides entertainment in many forms. Nowadays, you’re just as likely to be talking about a new series released on Netflix as you are about the latest superhero blockbuster. Drama is the subject that teaches you how to entertain and communicate. Don’t be fooled into thinking it’s all about acting though. You’ll also explore the essential behind-the-scenes roles that make films, TV shows, plays and other performances a success. When you think of drama, your first thought is probably about actors. But the likes of set designers, theatre stage managers and directors also need a good understanding of the subject. The skills and knowledge you cover in your drama lessons will be directly applicable in a range of roles in TV, film, radio and theatre. However, the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown has had a negative impact on the performing arts sector. It is likely that the TV, film and theatre industries will take years to recover. But while there may be fewer opportunities in performing arts, the skills you develop in drama will be useful in many careers. Remember that drama is all about communicating. It will equip you with useful transferable skills, particularly presentation and communication, and give you the confidence to share your ideas at work. A PR specialist will need to deliver press briefings and talk to groups of journalists. A business development manager will need to speak confidently about how to improve a business and will lead discussions both internally and with new clients. What is drama?6 5 workplace skills you’ll learn in drama Communication In class: As part of your course you’ll create a live theatre performance with your classmates. As well as communicating with one another to bring your artistic vision to life, you’ll need to explore how best to communicate with the audience. That might be as a performer, through your set design, your choice of costumes or your directorial decisions. At work: Communication is important for every job. If you work as an environmental consultant you’ll need to explain the findings in your reports to businesses to help them understand how they can improve their processes. A doctor needs to explain medical conditions clearly and concisely. They also need to be empathetic when they talk to patients. How will drama prepare me for work? Creativity In class: You’ll learn creative skills across a range of disciplines to bring performances to life. You’ll be encouraged to think about how you can interpret well-known plays and scripts in a new way and use your creativity to put your own spin on the texts you study. At work: There are lots of jobs where thinking outside the box can be useful. An advertising executive will need to find new and attention-grabbing ways to sell products or services to people. A photographer will always be looking for alternative and creative ways to shoot familiar subjects. Problem solving In class: You’ll learn about various processes and practices of theatre that are used in live performances. When you’re creating your own performances, you may need to overcome problems relating to the set, your costume or technical difficulties. If something goes wrong during a performance, you need to find a solution quickly. At work: Many jobs involve solving problems. Engineers will look for the most efficient and effective way to carry out a specific task and will often need to solve problems along the way. HR managers will manage relationships between people and ensure that personal problems are dealt with. A theatre technician may need to fix a problem with the sound or lighting at a venue. Teamwork In class: As well as working with other students to create performances, drama involves a lot of teamwork. You’ll read scripts in groups, listening to how other people are reading their lines and responding appropriately. You’ll also discuss how to approach different scenes or characters and evaluate your performances as a group. At work: Listening is an important aspect of working as part of a wider team. If you’re a graphic designer, you’ll need to listen closely to briefs from clients and discuss requirements with the rest of your creative team. If you’re a research scientist, you’ll need to talk about your work with your peers and carry out research as part of a team. Presentation In class: When you perform, you’ll practice a range of useful presenting skills. You’ll learn to project your voice, develop your range of vocal expression and use body language to help get your point across. You’ll also develop your skills performing as part of a group. At work: Politicians need to speak clearly and deliver speeches to large groups of people. Motivational speakers will also talk to large audiences at conferences. Project managers may need to give presentations in meetings to update different teams about how a project is progressing. Drama will give you the confidence to speak in front of an audience of any size.7 DRAMA CAREER GUIDE ...and 2 you may not have thought of Adaptability In class: You’ll need to play different characters as you explore different plays. You may also need to take on different roles in productions, including working behind the scenes as well as on stage. Things can go wrong in live performances and you’ll have to react and adapt quickly. At work: Being adaptable and willing to learn new things is very useful in modern workplaces. IT technicians need to keep on top of the latest developments in technology. Business consultants work with a range of organisations and therefore need to adapt to different environments and working styles. Analysis In class: When you’re creating your own performances, you need to analyse each text that you’re working with. You will also have to analyse your own work, both during the creative process and after the performance. You’ll reflect on what went well and what could be improved. At work: An intelligence analyst will read and analyse information from a host of sources to identify potential threats. They need to be able to take a view of the bigger picture. A solicitor needs to use analytical skills when examining case law or looking at contracts to find the right solution for their client.8 Understand how performance texts are constructed differently to other pieces of writing, such as novels. Identify the different ways in which they communicate meaning to the audience. This could be through structure, language, stage direction, the style of the text or character construction. Explore how the social, cultural and historic contexts of a performance text might affect its interpretation by performers and the audience. Performance texts are written to be performed. That means they use different techniques to other written texts. A playwright will need to know how to use these techniques to create original pieces for theatre productions. A screenwriter, meanwhile, may use this knowledge to adapt a novel into a film script. KnowledgeHow will it help me at work? Learn about how different artistic and creative skills are applied in theatre productions, such as through puppet design or makeup and hair design. Within puppet design you’ll learn how to create a puppet with a defined character. You’ll also learn about the materials you can use to create a durable puppet. In makeup and hair design, you’ll explore different types of makeup, including prosthetics. You’ll also develop an understanding about how to use your skills to create different characters. These theatrical skills can transfer to a range of jobs outside of performing arts. Therapists who specialise in child trauma might use a puppet to help children talk about their experiences. A prosthetist works in the health service. Their job is to create and fit artificial limbs for people who need them either following an accident or as a result of a birth defect. Develop the ability to evaluate theatre productions as a member of the audience. Discuss how the performers, director and designers communicated meaning to the audience. Evaluate how these elements contributed to the overall performance and assess how effective they were. You’ll learn to draw on all your knowledge about acting and directing methods, as well as set, costume, lighting and sound design. Knowing how to critically evaluate a situation in an objective manner is useful in many jobs. A business strategist will need to evaluate all the elements of a company and make suggestions as to how it can be improved or made more efficient. An events organiser needs to be able to evaluate how successful an event was and ensure they learn from any mistakes. 5 ways your drama know-how will help you at work9 DRAMA CAREER GUIDE Explore different directorial strategies and how these can make a positive contribution to a performance. Develop knowledge of a variety of rehearsal techniques and explore what tools you can use to communicate meaning to an audience. Learn about concepts such as pace, tempo, climax and rhythm, and how to use them in an appropriate way during a performance. A choreographer will find it useful to be able to direct dancers using some of the techniques you’ll learn in your drama lessons. These techniques can also be useful in other professions. A wedding planner needs to be able to assess a space and visualise how a ceremony will look there. A user experience (UX) researcher has to set up test scenarios and manage groups of testers. KnowledgeHow will it help me at work? Learn about design fundamentals including scale, shape, colour and texture. Explore the ways in which you can introduce these to a performance and how your artistic choices will help to communicate meaning to the audience. Discover how you can introduce these concepts through lighting, sound, set design, costume and makeup. A basic knowledge of design fundamentals will serve you well in jobs such as product designer, where you need to create prototypes of new products and think about how all these elements fit together to make products that work and appeal to consumers. A special effects technician needs to understand how to design physical, pyrotechnic and virtual special effects to enhance a live performance or broadcast show.Next >