Actors: The Real Employment Landscape
Birkbeck Centre for Contemporary Theatre and Drama UK host event about graduate employment
On Friday 28 June professionals from drama schools and theatres, agents, casting directors and actors gathered at Birkbeck, University of London to hear and discuss the results of a Drama UK study into the reality of graduate employment for drama school students. The event was organised by Drama UK and Birkbeck’s Centre for Contemporary Theatre.
The Graduate Destination Project tracked the employment of graduates from the three year Acting courses at 19 Drama UK accredited drama schools during their first year after graduation, taking the 2012 graduating class as the first cohort. The project used graduates’ Spotlight (the UK's leading casting database) profiles to register the number and type of jobs that graduates had during the year. 1697 jobs undertaken by 474 graduates were recorded. The methodology provided more detail than any previous studies as jobs were not simply recorded numerically, but a record was also made of whether a student secured a one-episode part in Doctors or a job as a returning character in two series of Downton Abbey, for example. Jane Deitch, Casting Director and Graduate Destination Project Leader, also studied CVs in detail and spoke directly to many graduates in order to contextualise the data and develop a clearer picture of the employment landscape.
Some of the key findings in the report included:
- A large number of jobs (424) were in Fringe or Off-West-End theatre; and Workshop or Rehearsed Reading (164). These range from no-pay upwards and are often in collaboration with major companies and/or producers with projects in development. This is a significant finding but understandable considering where the graduates are in their fledgling careers and they are gaining valuable experience, building industry contacts and honing their skills. The motivation for undertaking (mostly) unpaid screen work is exactly the same – the actors gain crucial camera experience and networking opportunities for the future.
- A large number of jobs (70) fell into the Entertainment category where one can clearly see a trend towards cabaret and comedy, reflecting the current popularity of comedians and the emergence of many satellite channels showcasing young comedic talent.
- Another reaction to the decline of commercial opportunities in the West End and nationwide has been the creation of small-scale touring companies. Local communities, priced out of the London theatre scene, welcome an affordable entry-point into professional theatre and many of these companies are formed by actors grasping opportunity and creating their own working environment. There were 40 jobs in small scale theatre companies and 34 in small scale schools tours.
- The 66 jobs from within the major theatres/companies area (RSC, NT, Royal Court, Donmar etc) and the 71 jobs in Regional Theatres (ranging from major theatres such as Manchester Royal Exchange to much smaller, more community-based venues) is an encouraging sign that here, at least, trained actors are given the chance to flex their theatrical muscles.
- The number of Television jobs stands out as a positive and quantifiable banner of success for the graduates of 2012. Jobs in Drama, Comedy, Documentaries and Entertainment within BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Sky and other channels covered many popular and well-known series such as EastEnders, Casualty, Emmerdale, Hollyoaks, Game of Thrones and The White Queen. 195 contracts within transparent and regulated pay structures indicates that perhaps the majority of paid opportunities come from this sector.
- The opportunities within the Internet sector (Dramas, Virals, APPS etc) are growing exponentially with evidence within this year group of the naissance of new channels such as Google and Netflix with ambitions to equal the reach of the mainstream terrestrial and satellite broadcasters in the future.
- Add to these statistics the jobs recorded in voiceovers, commercials, music videos etc and the Recorded Media sector emerges as perhaps the more reliable source of income-based employment.
The group discussion was led by a panel consisting of Professor Rob Swain ( of Birkbeck’s Centre for Contemporary Theatre and Board member of Drama UK), Hannah Miller (Head of Casting, Royal Shakespeare Company), Brian Attwood (Editorial Director, The Stage) and Emma Dyson (Spotlight), chaired by Ian Kellgren (Chief Executive, Drama UK).
The discussion centred on whether drama schools are currently providing graduates with the skills that they require, with the feeling being that theatre is still seen as the ‘holy grail’, when in reality it is not the first destination for most acting graduates.
Many in the audience looked to the US system, where continuing professional development (CPD) is common, and there was strong agreement across the room that the UK needs to make CPD more easily accessible and affordable.
Ian Kellgren, said: "This detailed research is the start of a major project in establishing a keen understanding of the employment landscape for actors. This is very important in helping to protect our world class industry by providing it with the skilled workforce it needs. It also gives an understanding of the range of opportunities for performers and the challenges in equipping and supporting them for these.”
Rob Swain said: “This research is not only an essential tool in understanding the patterns of employment for recently graduated actors, it also provides a detailed and illuminating picture of how the ecology of our industry is changing - and changing rapidly - and will be of interest and value to many individuals and organisations in the wider live and recorded media sectors."
The results of the Graduate Destination Project will be available on the Drama UK website.
Further information:
See details of Birkbeck’s theatre courses:
- MFA Theatre Directing
- MA Creative Producing (for theatre and live performance)
- BA Theatre Studies and English
- BA Theatre Studies and Drama
- Theatre studies short courses and certificates