Future Development Plan


My future development plan begins with completing my current course level technical extended diploma in performing arts with a grade of at least a pass.

To make sure that I am fully prepared for my future career, I will be partaking in the following things, and do already:

Co-op Juniors Theatre Academy – Yearly re-audition into the company – Paid membership for the company – X2 shows a year (12 shows for the Christmas one, 6 for summer). Rehearsals take part on Thursday (3hrs), Friday (3.5hrs) and Sunday (6hrs). These are accompanied by technical classes that are 1hr on a Thursday. When it comes to the shows these happen over a couple of weeks at a time: for summer it is Tuesday – Sunday of tech + dress + shows. When it comes to Christmas it includes 2 weeks of tech + dress + shows. I plan to continue to do this.

When it comes to the Co-op Juniors, they give classes in ballet, tap, jazz, acro and commercial and even more, and I plan to take time to do these so that I can make sure that I have a wide range of styles that I am trained in and can use. When it comes to the shows that they do, these already feature a lot of these dance styles even things like Irish dance – which I will plan to partake in when it comes to the shows.

Along with this, I will make sure to participate in their technical classes in which they focus of body strength and stamina along with memory through small dances each lesson. By doing this it will help improve my body and overall performance.

 

RAD Ballet – When it comes to RAD ballet, I am currently on Grade 5 – I have done grade 4 in RAD and grades 1,2,3 in ISTD. I Will be doing my Grade 5 exam as of this year and will be going onto grade six in this coming year as well. I plan to continue with this and further improve on my ballet and get more into pointe work so that I have a further set of dance skills that I can display and put on a portfolio.

 

CDC street dance – I am an ex-member of CDC street dance, having had taken classes and done competitions with them since that age of 6 and finishing at the age of 10. I plan to go back to them and continue to do competitions with them and general classes, along with workshops.

 

Along with all these Core skills that I will be working on, I will be getting a part time job so that I can work on my soft skills. These include;

-        Time management

-        Teamwork

-        Communication

-        Patience

-        Independence

-        Trust-worthy

-        Reliable

The part time job that I plan to get into would be waitressing in a Pub. By doing this it will show my clear execution of the skills above. By doing this part time job it will allow me to develop skills that will help me function in the working world and society as a whole. Along with this, it will get me used to the lifestyle that people in the industry typically must live to keep themselves financially stable due to the performance industry being slightly unstable in some areas.

On top of all the thing listed above, it is important that I make sure to give myself some time to make sure that I am taking care of myself and living a healthy lifestyle. I plan to do this by eating healthy, keeping a regular sleep schedule and taking time go to the gym to keep my body physically healthy.

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My Future development plan begins with completing my current Level 3 Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma in Performing Arts with a grade of D/D/D.

I plan to continue with my current line of voluntary work both inside and outside of my Cambridge Technical Course so that I can develop and learn new skills that will aid me in become a good well-rounded performer. When it comes to this work it includes continuing my current years membership at the Co-op Juniors Theatre Academy, in which I partake in a range of shows that help me develop my skill set in a range of dance styles ranging from Irish to ballet. By continuing this commitment, it will help me develop my time management skills and teamwork skills through the rehearsals that they include. Along side this, I will also be continuing my training in RAD ballet that I am currently partaking in. I will do this so I can further improve my skill set in this dance style and this is the same for the commercial dance classes that I also currently do once a week.  Something that I plan to do, is help more on the technical side of the theatre academy like I have being doing this past year, and this will be through things that I have already helped with like props, set and lighting (spotlight-spotter).

However, I will be making sure to also do other work outside of this all that is more related to the working industry. This will be by taking up a part time job as a waitress at a pub. I will be doing this to allow myself to work on my soft skill set – teamwork, time management, communication etc. – and get a feel for what it is like to work in the industry professionally, as many performers must take on jobs along side their performance work in order to keep financially stable when working in the industry. Something else that I will be doing, which is more for myself, is making sure to maintain a healthy diet and start to go to the gym to keep my body and mind healthy alongside this workload that I am putting onto myself.

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Equity Union: They provide a student membership if you are on a higher/ further education course lasting at least one year that is preparing you for work as a performer or creative practitioner, The student membership that they provide costs £24 a year.

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Bird College

Name of course: Diploma in Professional Musical Theatre (3 years)

Reason for course + institution: The reason why I have selected this institution as an option for my further development plan is because in my area it is spoken well of and has a good reputation on the courses that they provide. Along with this, some of the people that I have danced with at my current main company have gone to Bird college and have so far enjoyed the course they chose. When it comes to why I have chosen this course in particular, this is as Musical theatre is a career that I wish to go into, and I believe that this course will really help me into getting into that industry. On their website, under this specific course, A first year said, “I have been determined to make a career in performance since I was seven – this course is going to turn that dream into a reality”.

Reputation of course + institution: Bird College has quite a good reputation among colleges and unis with it being highly recommended by undergraduates + postgraduates. Bird College has seen many of its students go into the industry and especially into the west end. For example, one of their students (Jonny Labey) Graduated from bird in 2014 and has already become highly successful in his career, being well known for his role in EastEnders playing Paul Coker. Along with this, De Abreu has said that “across the degree there might be slightly more dance, singing or acting. Offering this bespoke training focuses on students’ strengths and their future career pathways”. Personally, the fact that the training that they provide focuses on students’ strengths and future career pathways is something that interests me as I want training that will really help me go down the exact pathway I want. (https://www.thestage.co.uk/promoted-content/inspiring-dance-and-musical-theatre-training-why-everybodys-talking-about-bird-college) When it comes to the course itself it is quite like the other courses that they offer in that it has a very good reputation when it comes to the high quality training that it provides along with how successful the ex- students that have taken that course have been over the years. This is further proven by the positive reviews that past students have given the course and the college itself.

Factual evidence of progression routes of alumni: When it comes to Bird college, one of their ex-students, Jonny Labey is a prime example of the progression routes that become available after training at Bird college. When it comes to Jonny Labey, who graduated in 2014, He has already shared a number of success; Playing Paul Coker in East Enders, success in Baz Luhrmann’s critically acclaimed musical Strictly Ballroom, appeared in; X Factor: celebrity and Top Hat. (https://birdcollege.co.uk/he-fe/graduate-profiles/graduate-success/)

Anecdotal evidence from alumni: From reviews written by students who were once at Bird, it seems that Bird college has a very welcoming environment with easy accessibility to nearby areas. Along with this, the college itself has a wide variety of resources that can be accessed by students all around the college. On https://universitycompare.com/universities/bird-college/reviews , you can see a list of reviews that have been left by students about their time at the college, One of the reads;

1st year- good experience, Bird held a fantastic BBQ with drinks and a big party for all. Such a great time! Student body organised all freshers activities, great place to be though 2nd year - coronavirus... Accommodation available at the Greenwich University Campus. However most accommodation is done privately , through landlords. However students pass houses down over years, and the college are great at helping people find accommodation. Host families available for under 18's It's a dance and musical theatre college, so no shortage of space. There is a library with specific resources and access to greenwich library too. Some parts could be renovated though. However they're always making improvements It's one of the top musical theatre conservatoires in the country. Great staff with experience in the field . Some improvements could be made however It's nice to live slightly out of central - only 25 minutes in to Charing Cross station . So easy to get around and experience the city . SE London needs a slight improvement to TFL networks though”.

This review focuses more on the living side of the college, and what life is like mainly outside the course itself, and by the review it seems that the college is one of the top colleges when it comes to the quality of life that the students can live while being there. Along with this, the review states that the college has access to great staff with experience in the field, which is very important to have when it comes to making sure that the courses themselves are effective and successful. For me, the more living side of the college is something that I focus on, as to allow your studies to go well, the environment you work in is important!!

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Trinity Laban

Name of course: Ba (hons) musical theatre performance (3 years)

Reason for course + institution: When it comes to why I have chosen the specific course =, it is as this is a course that perfectly leads into what I would like to pursue in my future career, that being musical theatre and stuff that may involve working on the west end. When it comes to why I chose this specific Uni as one that I would like to look in and possibly attend is not only due to its very high reputations as a Uni that provides training in the performance industry but also due to its feel of community that it provides whilst keeping up a high-quality level of professional training.

Reputation of course + institution: When it comes to trinity Laban’s reputations as a Uni, it has been named as one of the world’s top universities according to the latest edition of the world’s most-consulted university ranking. Along with this the conservatoire has risen to 26th for Performing Arts globally, scoring high in both Academic Reputation and Employer Reputation and is ranked 51st in the world overall. There is a lot more on their overall reputation if you look on their website: https://www.trinitylaban.ac.uk/tl-ranked-26th-in-the-qs-world-university-rankings-by-subject-2022/. However, from all the information on their website, it is seen that the Uni is very successful and has made quite a name for itself overtime. When it comes to the reputation of the course itself, there is not much information written on it directly, But due to the overall success of past students, it can be assumed that the course that they provide in terms of performing arts in a very high level course and trains and a very high and professional level, making students ready for the professional industry.

Factual evidence of progression routes of alumni: When it comes to the Alumni of this specific course at Trinity Laban, on their website they say, “Our graduates perform in musical theatre productions in the West End, in international and UK touring productions, on film and TV, as well as within the wider entertainment industry. Many successful musical theatre artists, musical directors and pit musicians received their first experiences of Musical Theatre at Trinity Laban.”. As clearly stated, Trinity Laban has seen a number of their students really benefit from this course that they provide, and it has given them greater successes once they had completed the course. Along with this, in recent times, their most recent graduates have performed in a number of productions, and they are as followed;

-        Wicked

-        42nd Street

-        Thriller Live

-        Ghost

-        Amount The musical

-        The Lion King

-        Fiddler on the Roof

https://www.trinitylaban.ac.uk/course/ba-hons-musical-theatre-performance/ - reference

 

Anecdotal evidence from alumni: On the Trinity Laban website, they display a number of their Alumni and their own personal Biographies, which allows us to be able to get a good look at their own experiences along with where they are now. This can all be accessed on: https://www.trinitylaban.ac.uk/alumni/alumni-profiles/nazerene-williams-2/.

 

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