Here’s an interesting collaboration, especially given the breakdown of an earlier partnership between Stagecoach and Guildford School of Acting. Stagecoach is now working with RADA.
Stagecoach and RADA have created a new “vocational training preparation course” to start this September for 32 students. Intended for young people aged 16-19, it aims to help aspiring performers wanting to do vocational training in professional drama schools, musical theatre academies and universities.
It’s certainly an enticing idea — a part-time course which allows students to continue their academic studies or employment while gaining “triple threat” expertise in acting, singing and dancing. And the involvement of an elite conservatoire such as RADA gives it the kudos which part-time training for school students would not normally have.
The two-year course is to be taught by “experts in their fields” at weekends and via specialist workshops held at RADA and at Stagecoach’s head office at Walton-on-Thames. The idea is to enable young wannabes to keep their options open while they make up their minds what they really want to do in the future.
Each student is promised three hours of training per week, plus five intensive workshops during the holidays. The lesson time is to be dedicated to preparing students for examinations in teaching, and a final performance at a London theatre. Organisers seem to be confident that it will give these youngsters a real insight into professional training.
Of course the leaders of the two organisations are saying all the right things. Stephanie Manuel, joint MD of Stagecoach, said: “It has long been my ambition to offer a course that will extend students’ skills and prepare them to audition for drama school while they continue with their academic studies. The RADA Stagecoach course offers a solution to the FAQ of 16 year-olds and their parents ‘What now?’”
Edward Kemp, Director of RADA, added: “Every year more and more young people are applying to drama schools and drama courses. There is a growing number of training programmes and youth theatre opportunities for young people from the very earliest age to start to learn about performance and acting. RADA has joined together with Stagecoach, one of the leading providers of pre-vocational theatre teaching, to help to provide a more rigorous pathway for 16-18 year olds who may be considering applying for drama training or who just wish to take their interest in performance to a more advanced level.”
There are 22 schools in the Conference of Drama Schools and many good ones outside it. We also have several major, very successful providers of part-time training for children via franchised centres - although Stagecoach is the largest. Could this be the first of many such collaborations?
I think this certainly smacks of the 'TESCO' syndrome with 2 large branded companies getting together to make more and more money on the back of their name and most of us know some of the pitfalls with such capitalist commercialism! As an international franchise company, the Stagecoach quality control varies greatly depending on which "expert" is running the franchise (and that's from personal experience) and at the end of the day anyone creating a franchise model generally does it for money no matter what facade they create (not to say the franchisees necessarily feel the same but why wouldn't they start up on their own if their expertise allow?).
The business of show is hard, competitive, demoralising and all this with usually earning little money (I know because I've done it!).....is this something that will be part of their vocational course or will they continue to sell 'the dream' to make sure profits are high and will a few hours with RADA be enough? Just getting into most drama schools in the first place is harder than than anyone thinks so after 2 years part time will they really be at a standard to get in if that's what they've decided to do (of course they'll say yes) but there are full time foundation courses dedicated to just that; how will Stagecoach do this with 3 hours contact time per week plus some summer workshops?
Whilst there is a huge gap between academic schools and drama schools when it comes to students knowing about the business and what to do, where to go, I don't know how confident I am about a hugh franchised company giving this advice, RADA or not. My advice would be to look around before jumping to the obvious. For something as important as this I would definitely do my research.
As far as I was aware RADA has already aligned itself to another full time foundation course with great financial gain so it would be interesting to know how the course leaders feel about the collaboration!
I'm more interested to know why the relationship with GSA has broken down and so soon!!! Perhaps if the relationship with RADA doesn't work, they'll just make their way through all the other CDS schools? After all I suppose 'Money makes the world go around'!