According to the Federation of Drama Schools, drama schools operate as non-profit organisations, which is why audition fees exist despite students paying to attend drama school each year, as this money goes towards the running of the school i.e. keeping the building safe and equipped with all the necessities, and paying teachers etc.
But we’re not here to talk about audition costs, we’re here to tell you about which drama schools offer free auditions.
As a way of making drama school more accessible for everyone, a large number of drama schools across the country have put a stop to audition fees and now offer auditions at no cost.
The following colleges are included in the Conservatoires for Dance and Drama (colleges for the study of classical music or other arts) and their key aim is “to increase and secure access to training for the most talented students regardless of their background.” They provide an audition and interview waiver scheme that was designed to ensure that financial barriers do not limit the ability of talented students applying to their schools.
Other drama schools who have abolished or reduced audition fees include…
Fourth Monkey made the decision to abolish audition fees in September 2019. This applies to all audition dates for 2020 intake across both courses offered by the school, consisting of their BA (Hons) Acting Two Year Accelerated Degree and the Year of the Monkey one year intensive training programme.
See all Fourth Monkey courses here.
Sarah Frankcom recently became the new Director of London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) and her first act as Director was to create a new audition process and audition fee structure, which saw the cost of first round auditions slashed for all applicants by 75%.
RCSSD offers free auditions for a large number of applicants. Applicants must meet the criteria to be eligible for a free audition. See if you meet the criteria here.
See all Central School courses here.
Rose Bruford doesn’t charge audition fees if your household income is under £25,000 per year, you are a recipient of benefits including disability benefits, you have care responsibilities or you can offer evidence of financial hardship. There are a number of other requirements that would make you eligible for a free audition which you can find here.
See all courses at Rose Bruford here.
RWCMD offers audition fee waivers for applicants from low-income backgrounds. However, they are not able to refund accommodation or travel costs. Applicants for an audition fee waiver must be a current UK resident and meet one or more of the criteria which you can find here.
See all courses at RWCMD here.
If you apply via the UCAS Conservatoires application there is a fee of £25, whereas the usual audition administration fee is £55 per course. Audition fee waivers are also available and offered to applicants who may face financial hardship. See if you meet the criteria here.
See all courses at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland here.
RADA has an application process for those from low-income households to apply for a free audition. Applicants must complete an application form specifying they are applying for a free audition.
Audition fees stand at £45, however Mountview offers a number of free auditions for students unable to afford the cost. Also, if you live in Southwark you are eligible to apply for one free audition for one of the Foundation, BA or MA Performance courses. See all information here.
See all Mountview courses here.
The audition fee for ArtsEd is £45, however there is an Audition Fee Waiver Scheme in place as a means of encouraging applications from talented applicants who face financial barriers. Find out more about this here.
Guildhall is the latest performing arts school to slash their audition fees. They have reduced the audition fees for their acting courses by almost 50% in a move aimed at levelling the playing field for aspiring Performers and boosting diversity. They also offers fee waivers through a Supported Application Scheme.
See all courses at Guildhall here.
Not only do The MTA offer free auditions but they only audition 15 people each day providing every individual with written feedback and a same day decision which will save them on the costs to return for a recall.
https://www.federationofdramaschools.co.uk/articles/why-do-we-charge-audition-fees
http://www.cdd.ac.uk/students/how-to-apply/audition-and-interview-fee-waiver-scheme/
https://www.oxforddrama.ac.uk/funding-and-fees
https://www.rcs.ac.uk/apply/how-to-apply/dramaanddance/
http://resources.rwcmd.ac.uk/pdf/RWCMD-Audition-Fee-Waivers.pdf
https://ww2.lamda.ac.uk/all-courses/fund-your-training/fee-waivers-and-travel-bursaries
https://www.cssd.ac.uk/freeauditions
https://www.bruford.ac.uk/study/starting-here/interview-auditions/
https://www.mountview.org.uk/courses/auditions-and-interviews/
https://artsed.co.uk/courses/auditions/
Published: 17 February 2020
Photo: Shutterstock
Do you love being creative? Love designing or building sets? Love making things happen?
Fancy training for a job in film, TV or theatre? Then Open Door is here to help you get there.
Open Door is an 8-month part time and flexible intensive course designed to help young people take the next step in their career. Open Door works with people between the ages of 18-26 (Actors) and aged 17-26 (Behind the Scenes) who wish to pursue a career in theatre.
Open Door is a registered charity which has received multiple awards including being named as one of the top 100 change makers by The Big Issue (newspaper) and as ‘School of the Year’ by The Stage Awards.
Open Door know how difficult and expensive the process of applying for drama school can be. Open Door help young people by giving them the support they need to go to auditions feeling prepared, confident and without any worry of financial strain. And it’s all free!
Successful acting applicants will receive:
- RADA
- LAMDA
- Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama
- Royal Central School of Speech & Drama
- The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
Successful behind the scenes applicants will receive:
- RADA
- Guildhall
- Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama
- LAMDA
- Royal Central School of Speech & Drama
- The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
Including interview fee exemption whenever required
During their 2018/19 cycle, Open Door worked with 40 new participants and 11 returning participants from the previous year. The group of 51 achieved:
If you’re serious about a career in acting, behind the scenes or in production and you’d like to apply for Open Door, you must meet the following criteria.
Applicant criteria
If this seems like something you’d like to participate in and you meet the criteria, apply below.
Acting: Apply here
Behind the scenes: Apply here
“I honestly felt like a career in acting is hopeless where I live, but then I came to Open Door and I feel so motivated”-
Open Door participant 2018/19
“If not for Open Door I would not have been able to apply for any. It is so expensive I just wouldn’t be able to do it” -
Open Door participant 2018/19
“It made us feel like we belong in what we are going to do. We can go to these amazing places and see shows we like and we don’t like, it is inspiring and makes me think yeah I can do that”-
Open Door participant 2018/19
“Getting the free theatre tickets was amazing because it was for things I couldn’t normally afford to go to, with good seats. The quality of the work, seeing stuff you do and don’t like, it is so inspiring to be there”-
Open Door applicant 2018/19
Good Luck.
The visual and performing arts are one of nine sectors within the creative industries. The below links are great places to look for more general careers info for all the creative industries and not just theatre.
Search all theatre opportunities here
DISCOVER! Creative Careers brings together careers information and opportunities from creative organisations in one explorable directory.
Masterclass offers workshops online and in person for young people, with those well known and working in the industry.
Find more theatre careers advice here
Upstart Projects creates opportunities for young people to develop as the arts professionals of the future. They support young people to lead and manage projects, act as ambassadors, find their voice in the arts and train other people. In short, they offer real experiences which build skills and can lead into arts and media careers.
Find more theatre careers advice here.
Work experience is a short term placement in an organisation which gives you a feel for the role. It also helps you see what a day in the life looks like for someone who has that particular job. As part of your work experience you’ll likely carry out only a few important tasks, and will mainly complete other tasks such as assisting, making tea and coffee and photocopying etc. It will give you a chance to observe and see what you could be doing in the future.
Some work experience placements are paid and some are not. It is up to the organisation and depends on what tasks they will get you to do. Generally, work experience is usually unpaid because it’s over a short period of time, however your travel and/or lunch costs will often be covered or reimbursed.
Find work experience opportunities here.
Nothing impresses an employer more than seeing that you’ve gone out of your way (especially during your free time) to gain work experience and improve on your skills. This shows enthusiasm and dedication to your future career. There are many benefits of work experience such as:
For more info about work experience in the creative industries, you can also take a look at our blog 'Where can I find general careers information about the creative industries?'
Work experience is great for all the reasons above, but we must highlight concerns around the exploitation of young people. When you get involved in these experience opportunities you must be aware of the impact of low or unpaid work and also ensure you know your rights beforehand.
Find theatre vacancies with The Stage Jobs here
Photo: Alex Brenner
Published: 16 May 2019
The main thing to know is that the term 'volunteering' stands for 'a person who works for an organisation without being paid.' If you complete volunteer work, you'll be working completely for free and you will not have a contract of employment like interns. However, there are certain policies in place to protect you and the organisation. These policies state that both you and the organisation are aware of the expectations of both of you. Volunteers are not eligible for National Minimum Wage as you’re participating by choice, but you'll have more flexibility with your working hours and this can be great.
Search all theatre opportunities here
You don't need any qualifications or experience to apply. You just need to be willing to participate and get involved. This will show your determination and passion for theatre because you want to learn new things and get involved in different aspects of theatre despite not being paid.
Find more theatre careers advice here
Volunteering is great for all the reasons above, but we must highlight concerns around the exploitation of young people. When you get involved in these experience opportunities you must be aware of the impact of low or unpaid work and also ensure you know your rights beforehand.
You can find volunteering opportunities here.
Find theatre vacancies with The Stage Jobs here
Photo: Alex Brenner
Published: 16 May 2019
There are many different types of internships within the theatre industry, so we’re going to tell you about them in general and also make sure you know your rights.
Internships are similar to work experience but they are fixed-term placements and are often referred to as a 'traineeship'. They aim to give you a better understanding of employment and the day-to-day tasks of the job you’ve chosen. Interns are normally set a number of different tasks to complete during their placement. Read our blog 'Where can I find general careers information about the creative industries?' for more information.
Search all theatre opportunities here
Employers must pay interns at least the National Minimum Wage - unless the company is a registered charity. You’ll be completing tasks a member of staff would do and it's only fair that you should be paid for your work.
Find more theatre careers advice here
Be sure to know your rights within the theatre industry, especially when gaining experience. Internships are great for all the reasons above, but we must highlight concerns around the exploitation of young people. When you get involved in these experience opportunities you must be aware of the impact of low or unpaid work and also ensure you know your rights beforehand.
You can find internship opportunities here with The Stage Jobs.
Photo: Alex Brenner
Published: 16 May 2019
Gaining work experience or on the job training is a great way to give yourself a better chance of getting into theatre. When applying for a job in theatre, employers will want to see your determination and your passion for wanting a career in the theatre industry.
There are different kinds of theatre experience you can gain and any type of experience will benefit you in a number of different ways and look great on your CV. These are listed below.
Click on each type of experience for more information.
It is important that we highlight and make you aware of instances where young people are exploited. You must be cautious of low and unpaid work and you must know your rights when applying for these experience opportunities.
Find more theatre careers advice here
Photo: Royal Opera House
Published: 16 May 2019
There are a number musical theatre training opportunities to choose from at a number of different drama schools all over the country. Follow these easy steps to ensure you are as prepared as you can be and increase your changes of getting into the drama school of your choice.
Search all theatre opportunities here
If you're applying for a musical theatre course you must be able to act, dance and sing on the day of your audition. There's a lot to think about but if you follow the tips below, you'll smash the audition.
Find more theatre careers advice here
The best way to have confidence on the day is to make sure that you are well prepared. Fail to prepare, prepare to fail. Know what is in your control on the day and what is not. You want to be able to walk away from your audition or interview and know that you have done everything you can in your power to be the best you can be. The best way to do this is think about the things you can control:
If you have all of these things in your control, then you can relax a bit more on the day and concentrate on being yourself, having a big smile and being friendly. If you are busy worrying about if you have forgotten a line, then this can block your personality from shining through and really this is the most important part of any audition/interview.
Find theatre vacancies with The Stage Jobs here
https://www.coursflorent.education/news/how-to-get-into-drama-school
https://www.spotlight.com/news-and-advice/tips-and-advice/how-to-nail-your-drama-school-audition/
https://www.spotlight.com/news-and-advice/tips-and-advice/how-to-nail-your-drama-school-audition/
https://www.thestage.co.uk/advice/2017/a-beginners-guide-to-applying-for-drama-school/
Photo: Shutterstock
Published: 04 March 2019
Coming from a working class or low-income background can be challenging, especially in an industry that is highly competitive and in which many workers are employed on a freelance basis.
Working as a freelancer means that you will be working on contracts and there may be periods of time where you have gaps in between those contracts. For someone from a working class background, this can be a more challenging time compared to others as you may not have the financial support from family to help you through to your next contract. However, there are plenty of other jobs that many theatre industry professionals do in between their contracted theatre work to help pay their rent and bills.
Take a look at both blogs How to be a freelancer and What jobs do successful theatre industry professionals do in between theatre jobs to earn? to help understand how to financially support yourself through a career in theatre.
For many jobs in theatre, you do not need a degree and can work your way up the career ladder instead. However, if you want to study and learn new skills then there are plenty of funding and scholarships available for those from a low income household. Take a look at our list of funding opportunities here.
More recently there has been a rise in opportunities for cheaper theatre tickets. For example, Mousetrap Theatre Projects offers highly discounted tickets and the National Theatre has plenty of £15 tickets available for each show.
One organisation whose work you might want to follow is COMMON, the leading national arts organisation supporting the UK theatre industry to achieve greater intersectional class diversity. They aim to make theatre widely accessible to those from working and under-class backgrounds, whether they’re artists, audiences or communities, and strive for greater equality, inclusion and representation across the industry.
There is also Open Door, which offer the opportunity for mentoring advice and pay for audition fees for the top drama schools for those from low income backgrounds. Audition fees for drama schools are around £40 - £50 each, so it can become expensive if you apply for a few different schools. Open Door can take away that expense for successful applicants.
There are opportunities out there to help you get your foot in the door if you are from a working class background. It shouldn’t be something that hinders you from pursuing your dream career, it’s just knowing where to look to gain that support and Get into Theatre is the first stepping stone for letting you know about those opportunities.
Find theatre vacancies with The Stage Jobs here
https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2018/jun/05/arts-working-class-people-britain-theatre
https://www.ft.com/content/bd4736aa-6d6d-11e8-852d-d8b934ff5ffa
Photo: Tristram Kenton
Published: 04 March 2019
Drama schools offer a variety of offstage training opportunities for people of all abilities, including theatre design, stage management and theatre directing. Following these easy steps will ensure you are as prepared as you can be to get into the drama school of your choice.
Search all theatre opportunities here
Find more theatre careers advice here
The best way to have confidence on the day is to make sure that you are well prepared. Know what is in your control on the day and what is not. You want to be able to walk away from your interview and know that you have done everything you can in your power to be the best you can be. The best way to do this is think about the things you can control:
If you have all of these factors in control then you can relax a bit more on the day and concentrate on being yourself, having a big smile and being friendly.
Find theatre vacancies with The Stage Jobs here
https://www.coursflorent.education/news/how-to-get-into-drama-school
https://www.spotlight.com/news-and-advice/tips-and-advice/how-to-nail-your-drama-school-audition/
https://www.spotlight.com/news-and-advice/tips-and-advice/how-to-nail-your-drama-school-audition/
https://www.thestage.co.uk/advice/2017/a-beginners-guide-to-applying-for-drama-school/
Photo: Royal Opera House
Published: 04 March 2019
