To work as a freelancer or on a freelance basis means working on a contract basis for a variety of companies rather than being an employee of a single company. Freelancers are often self-employed.
There are many roles in theatre which you may do as a freelancer rather than on a permanent contract. There are lots of benefits that come with being a freelancer including the flexibility to take on the work that inspires you. Before you set yourself up to work as a freelancer these are the four key things you need to know.
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Think of yourself as a business; the product that you are selling is yourself and your craft. Recognise what your strengths are so you know how to upsell yourself, and also understand where your weaknesses lie so you can work on these.
Having the confidence to approach people and discuss opportunities is important as a freelancer. Have a business card with your contact details and a short description of what you do is a good starting point and gives you a reason to approach somebody.
Networking can be daunting, but remember that people are just people and sometimes just having a short conversation and introducing yourself can make a huge difference. If you watch a piece of theatre that you enjoyed and have the opportunity to see the Director, Producer or Artistic Director afterwards then it’s okay to approach them and compliment them on the show. For example, if you are aspiring to be a Lighting Designer, have in mind a section of the lighting that impressed you and why.
Make sure you are professional and don’t gush too much or overstay your welcome when you start up a conversation. Go over with the intention of just saying a quick comment, if they instigate they'd like to continue the conversation then that’s great, but also don’t be offended if they don’t. Your quick conversation can still have a big impact and lasting impression.
Promote yourself on social media. Use Twitter, Facebook, Tik Tok, LinkedIn and Instagram to follow industry professionals and comment on performances you have seen or workshops you have been to etc. If you have met an industry professional and then follow up later with a quick tweet, this can remind them of who you are and what you do.
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In between work as a freelancer is where self-motivation is required. Surrounding yourself with like-minded people and others in the same industry as you can really help. Continue learning and growing with your craft, go to classes or workshops.
When you aren’t working, give yourself a reason to get up out of bed. If you are spending this time adding to your portfolio, practising a song, or sending applications then the idea of doing this from your bed is tempting, however can become a habit which is hard to shift. Set your alarm, get showered and dressed as though you are going to work as this will help shift your mindset into ‘work mode’ and you may feel more productive.
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You will need to register yourself up as self-employed with HMRC in order to pay your taxes. You can do this here. This is compulsory for any freelancer or business. Each year you will submit your earnings to HMRC and they will work out how much tax you owe, or if you need a tax rebate. If you are a PAYE employee then tax will automatically be deducted from your payslip, however when you invoice a company for your time the tax will not be taken into consideration so you need to declare this to pay the right tax. A new website and app has been set up called Sans Drama, this has been created by a Performer and an Accountant to help those working in theatre understand how to file your taxes. Find out more about Sans Drama here.
You can claim for expenses that you have purchased to do with your trade. For example, keep receipts of classes, workshops or any travel you have needed to take in order to complete your job as a freelancer. When you are inputting your taxes into HMRC you can also add in these receipts and claim against your taxes. Some people employ an Accountant to help them input their taxes and expenses into HMRC.
It's ok to have a second job to support yourself, alongside your theatre work. View our 'Misconception Series: If you were good enough you wouldn’t need a day job' blog.
https://www.gov.uk/working-for-yourself
Photo: Arts Educational Schools London
Updated: 12th June 2024
Your mental health is just as important as your physical health. Here are some companies, charities and websites that offer support around mental health aimed at those working in the theatre and performing arts industry.
ArtsMinds is a collaborative initiative from British Association of Performing Arts Medicine (BAPAM), Equity, Spotlight and The Stage to bring together into one place a raft of resources for Performers and creative practitioners facing mental health issues.
https://wellbeinginthearts.org.uk
Wellbeing in the Arts is an organisation that provides resources such as counselling and coaching for individuals as well as services for employers and businesses including workshops, talks, seminars, events, and mental health first aid training.
Be Extra is a resource hub of intersting, fun and easy-to-digest digital resources to help support the mental health and wellbeing of creative minds.
https://www.industryminds.co.uk
Industry Minds was founded in 2018 by Actors Scarlett Maltman and Cathy Read with a goal to better mental health support to those in the creative arts industry. This organistaion offers free one-to-one counselling sessions who need it in the industry.
https://applauseforthought.co.uk
Applause for thought offers one-to-one support, talks, workshops and accredited mental health training courses with the aim to empower individuals and organisations within the industry and equip them with the knowledge and tools surrounding mental health.
Most jobs in theatre are on a freelance basis and you will be contracted for a specific job. There may be times in between contracts, when you want to get another job to earn while you are applying/waiting for the next theatre job to come through. This is perfectly normal and a part of the vast majority of theatre professionals’ careers.
Whatever job you go for, be honest from the beginning about your situation, employers will appreciate that and can also support you. It’s difficult to be in a situation where you are having to lie or keep things quiet to your place of work in order to pursue your theatre career.
Leading workshops and sharing your experience/skills is a good way to earn some extra money and can pay well for your time too (eg. £80 - £150 for a two-hour workshop). Contact local schools, universities, drama schools, drama clubs etc and offer your services. If you are planning on approaching a school, take a look at their curriculum and, if you see that you can create a workshop based off something they are currently learning, then this is a good starting place. Universities sometimes hold workshops/panel discussions for third year students who want to know what it’s like working in the industry and you can offer your first-hand experience. Once you secure and deliver a workshop or masterclass, be sure to ask for some written feedback –this is a great way to book the next workshop as you build up your reputation. This line of work would also be on a freelance basis and may not be very regular.
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Picking up a regular teaching job is another great way to earn and also continue within your field of work. Teaching a weekly class gives you security of regular pay, however this often means that you will need to commit to at least a term at a time, if not longer. You might also be required to have a DBS certificate which allows you to work with children.
Working for companies such as restaurants, bars or gyms that offer shift work can be useful for in-between theatre jobs, as you have guaranteed regular work as well as the opportunity for over-time. You could potentially swap shifts with co-workers if you need a day off for an interview/audition. Many companies enjoy employing those who work in the theatre industry due to the natural confidence and persona you can bring to the role, especially if it is customer facing.
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There are a few temping agencies where you can join who will help find you work. This is on a temporary basis, being placed in a company to deliver certain tasks for a short period of time (eg. one week) to help them out. These can be well paid between £10 - £15 per hour and you don’t have to commit for a long period of time.
Call-centres often have a very large team of employees. This means that if you do need to have a day off for an interview or audition this won’t have a huge impact on the company and they can often be flexible with you. Many of these companies also enjoy employing those who work in the theatre industry due to the natural confidence and persona you can bring to the role.
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There are other companies who like to hire those in the theatre industry and offer flexible work and support your career in the theatre industry. These companies advertise their vacancies on Facebook in groups such as The Hustle, British Actors Network, Actors UK and Bossy. These Facebook groups also provide a network with other industry professionals and emerging companies often put calls out for theatre jobs.
Photo: Shutterstock
Published: 04 March 2019
There are many roles in theatre where you can use your maths and/or science skills in your career.
Many of the roles within the administration teams require a certain level of maths skill – especially within the finance department. Some examples include:
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Maths is often used within the customer services team too, especially with the handling of products and money:
There are also opportunities as a Producer or Artistic Director to use your maths skills, as these roles deal with tight budgets and fundraising.
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Science:
There are roles in theatre that use science skills especially within the creative and production teams. These include:
The study of light and sound is often taught in science subjects and can be a useful skill in these listed roles.
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Photo: Royal Opera House
Published: 04 March 2019
There are plenty of drama schools and theatre training courses to choose from, some accredited and some non-accredited, but it can be hard to know which one is right for you, which course to apply for, or what it means when a school is accredited. This blog will delve into what accreditation actually means and look at the pros and cons, so that you can make an informed decision about what is best for you.
There are four principal awarding bodies that offer accreditation and quality assurance of an organisation as a whole:
These awarding bodies offer validation for a specific course within an organisation:
Some schools are part of membership organisations, alliances or groups:
These schools are not accredited or validated by the member organisation, but they have grouped together to agree on certain values and to share best teaching methods. These include:
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Accreditation sets the standard for high quality training of an institution as a whole. It looks at the general standard of training across the whole organisation rather than specific courses.
The Council for Dance, Drama & Musical Theatre – known as CDMT, or previously CDET – is the main awarding body for accreditation for performing arts training organisations. Before CDMT, there was an organisation called Drama UK but CDMT replaced Drama UK’s place when it dissolved in 2017. CDMT took the existing Drama UK schools and also added dance and musical theatre organisations to become CDMT as it exists today. CDMT is a private institution that awards accreditation to those who apply and meet its standards.
CDMT look into various areas to decide whether or not the school that has applied holds the highest standards of professional training. The inspection process consists of a self-evaluation submission by the applicant and a two-day visit to the organisation by three industry consultants.
When you see a school is accredited by CDMT, you know that the organisation will have undertaken full inspection and programme scrutiny by CDMT, to confirm that they meet the highest industry and institutional standards for performing arts training.
QAA claims to ‘safeguard standards and improve the quality of UK higher education wherever it is delivered around the world. They check that students get the higher education they are entitled to expect.’
The process for accreditation by QAA is in the form of a self-assessment from the institution, as well as meetings and an inspection from a review manager. Institutions have to apply annually to keep the accreditation award from QAA.
Ofsted is well known as the government body that inspects the standards of schools. You may have seen them at your primary or secondary school. They are also known to inspect the quality of some drama schools, they will give them a score out of Inadequate, Requires Improvement, Good or Outstanding.
Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), assesses colleges and universities on their teaching and how well they ensure excellent outcomes for their students in terms of graduate level employment or further study. They will award an institution with either Provisional, Bronze, Silver or Gold awards.
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Validation is different to accreditation and looks into individual courses within an institution. It ensures that a course itself is of a high quality.
Trinity College London is the awarding body which validates Level 6 Diplomas in acting, dance, and musical theatre.
It will look at courses from an institution individually and award each course separately from the next; therefore in one institution one course may be validated by Trinity and another may not have passed the benchmark. It recognises those courses that are the same level as a degree but for a vocational qualification. Trinity College London also provides awards for graded exams (for example; Grade 8 singing exams). Institutions pay a fee for an external examiner to attend a one-off exam for the student/s to be levelled at a certain grade. You may therefore find that an institution includes a logo from Trinity College London even though it does not offer the Level 6 Diploma course.
Ofqual is the government body for regulating qualifications. It publishes guidance that organisations have to follow if they award qualifications to those under 18 that have to abide by the Education and Skills Act 2008.
University partners are another way for a course to be validated. The university will carry out its own assessment to ensure that a course is qualified for the level of degree the institution is offering. There are also some institutions that have been given TDAP (Taught Degree Awarding Powers) so that they can in effect become their own university.
These are organisations who have agreed to come together and share best practice and values.
The Federation of Drama Schools was founded in 2017. It is a group of drama schools that have come together to adhere to certain guidelines and core principles. To be a part of this group institutions must:
Conservatoires UK consists of a range of institutions that deliver a high number of contact hours between staff and students, focus on individual development, and have courses that teach a combination of intellectual and social skills. They encourage students to create and develop their own work for succeeding in the professional world.
Alliance of Musical Theatre Conservatoires (AMTC) is a newly formed group, launched in November 2018. It consists of five drama schools (Arts Educational Schools London, Mountview, Guildford School of Acting, Urdang Academy and Bird College), which say they have clubbed together to share best practice and work together to increase diversity and participation in musical theatre.
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The importance behind your decision on which drama school to choose lies in what is the best place for you. Not only the institution that you will best fit into, but also the right course that will allow you to thrive and succeed within the path you have chosen. Take a look at other areas of the Get Into Theatre site to help guide your research further.
http://www.federationofdramaschools.co.uk/hallmarks/4593630902
https://cdmt.org.uk/
http://www.qaa.ac.uk/
QAA Handbook: Higher Education Review (Alternative Providers)
http://www.conservatoiresuk.ac.uk/
https://www.trinitycollege.com/site/?id=268
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofqual
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted
Photo: Graeae
Published: 04 March 2019
There are many roles in theatre that don’t require any qualifications, where you can work your way up. However, if you are pursuing a career in theatre that requires a certain level of skill or safety qualifications – such as working with electrics or at height – this might mean you need qualifications, although not necessarily at degree level.
Take a look at the Careers in theatre blog for a full list of all jobs that are available in theatre. They are split into four sections; Creative Team, Production Team, Customer Service and Administration.
Here are some examples of roles in theatre that you can go straight into without a degree. You can use these as a starting point to gain that vital experience for you to pursue your chosen career.
You can start yourself up straight away as a freelance Writer, Director or Performer and can approach small scale/fringe theatres to gain and build up your experience. This can then lead to further work or open up your opportunities to approach larger scale theatres or productions.
Alternatively, there can be opportunities to be an assistant for these roles. This will also give you great experience and also the chance to work alongside other professionals and learn from them.
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Starting as Stage Crew is great experience to gain knowledge and understanding of backstage roles to pursue a career in stage management, lighting or sound.
To pursue a career in the wardrobe department you can look at becoming a Wardrobe Assistant or Wigs Assistant.
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Front of house, Ushers and Box Office Assistants are perfect roles at entry level. You’ll gain strong experience in customer service for you to pursue a career in this side of the theatre.
Sometimes Writers, Directors and Performers take on these roles as work in between their contracts.
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Starting off in an Assistant or administration role for these departments will allow you to work alongside managers and give you the experience in an office environment to pursue those careers further.
Photo: LAMDA
Published: 04 March 2019
