Work prospects brighten for drama graduates

Drama school graduates are beginning to benefit from the economic recovery, according to a new study of graduate destinations. Analysis by Drama UK of graduate employment among drama school students has found a small shift away from work in live performance towards recorded media, where work is more likely to be paid, and fewer ex-students are working in the fringe, where graduates are most likely to work for no pay/low pay. More graduates are working in the West End, as theatres gain confidence to run shows with larger casts, and the number of commercial opportunities available has grown.

A comparison of employment in the first and second years after graduation shows a gradual move towards more secure or significant acting roles: graduates were appearing in multiple episodes of TV series rather than a single episode, or were in more significant roles with major theatre companies. Of the 13% who reported undertaking no acting jobs in their second year after graduation, many were working in other roles within the cultural industries, including as casting directors or agents, and were still using the skills obtained at drama school. The study also found students becoming more entrepreneurial, creating opportunities for themselves. One group of students created a Shakespeare performance for a pub garden, and were then contracted by the brewery to tour the performance around different pubs.

The findings of the study were presented to professionals from drama schools and theatres, agents, casting directors and actors at Birkbeck, University of London, last month. The study was based on findings from the second year of Drama UK’s Graduate Destination Project, which tracks the employment of graduates from three-year acting courses at Drama UK-accredited drama schools and conservatoires. Casting Director Jane Deitch, who supervised and co-ordinated the research, said: “What’s exciting about the results is that they show a generation of graduates who are entering the profession with a pragmatic sense of its demands and many show a willingness to create opportunities within a fluid and challenging economic climate. These graduates have come out of Drama School prepared for the real world.”