Let's talk about... A Different kind of University

Hi guys!

So today I am posting my next instalment of Let's talk about... series! As I mentioned in my last post, I am doing a few longer interviews with people around me that have taken a different path in life.

I'm really excited for you to read today's, I did a lovely interview with my best friend, Zaynah. I have known her since I was 6 and watched her grow into such an amazing, beautiful person. As she explains, Zaynah dropped out of sixth form in year 12, going from studying maths, chemistry and biology, to studying tap dance, vocals and drama. Her story is really nice to read, showing that you can pursue your passions, even if it might be a riskier path! I thought it would also be really useful for anyone thinking to go into performing arts, understanding how to get started.

I'm going to stop chatting now and let you read what Zaynah had to say...


So Zaynah, just to give a few more details, can you just explain what position were you in year 12?

I went into year 12 doing the subjects I vaguely enjoyed and got the best grades for at GCSE level. These subjects were maths, chemistry and music and collectively gave me a wide variety of potentially secure career options. I had been fed a lot of information about how money is what will make me successful and to an extent I knew this was true. Performing Arts can be a very hit or miss career as many jobs are based on cutthroat, short auditions and can come down to how you perform on the day, so a stable financial status is not guaranteed. My mood massively deteriorated in year 12 which worried my teachers, family and friends but I felt I couldn’t just drop out because I didn’t have a clue where I heading and I didn’t have the courage to drop out purely for my happiness. I did a few dance classes on the side of school but nothing intense enough to push me and advise me on how to progress into this field.

A friend of mine asked me to accompany her to an open day for a musical theatre weekend school called Emil Dale Academy and I went along soon to realise they did a full time sixth form equivalent course, which they asked me to audition for when they saw me dance. I went to the audition, had such an amazing time, absolutely fell in love with the college and its ethos and for the first time ever I came out of a test, thinking I had done well. On receiving my acceptance package, it was a no brainer to accept the offer. I had a conversation with my parents and although they were uneasy about me pursuing it, they soon realised that I was clearly not happy at sixth form so moving and restarting year 12 was not an awful idea. I paid the deposit for the course but still gave my AS’s my best shot now I had a ray of light for my fresh start in September.

2    Jumping back to sixth form,  how did you feel about dropping out? It must've been nerve wracking, how were you feeling?

Yes, I was extremely nervous! I’m not naïve to the fact that the performing arts industry is brutal so leaving a supposedly stable life plan was a bit daunting. However, I was overwhelmed with excitement and was prepared to work endlessly to succeed.

3    For those that may not know, how do you go about researching/entering a field that is fairly unique and not talked about at school normally?

I was quite lucky to stumble across Emil Dale Academy which then informed me a lot about potential ways forward for higher education and career plans. I feel it’s a shame they don’t talk about it at all in schools but I think the best way to increase your knowledge and understanding is to speak to people who are in drama schools already and if you can then contact people in the business who have jobs that you aspire to have. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and although I didn’t, I would encourage going to open days of any places that specialise in the field you want to go into to get a vibe of whether it’s somewhere you would want to train. Also, look at alumni of places. For example, Urdang have many graduates who are successful in the tv/film and musical theatre.

4    How did you find the process of applying to Urdang with/without the help of sixth form? Was there much support? What did you do?

If I had stayed in school I would not have even known any major drama schools to apply to. Even if I applied for a dance school, it would have been at a normal university and would not have aided my career anywhere near as much as Urdang is. I got so much information about the most successful drama schools from my college course so I could research into them. I took a real liking to Urdang Academy so applied to audition there as well as Arts Educational Schools and Bird College. My college course at Emil Dale Academy ensured I knew how to approach the audition and made sure I was prepared mentally and physically.

     Looking back on it, how do you feel about your position to drop out of university?

It was possibly one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life and I wish I’d done it earlier. My first year of sixth form was not beneficial to me or what I wanted to do in any way and it’s a real shame to think I could have spent it training and educating myself on my passion. I’m just glad I’m well on my way now! The training I’ve been through has taught me so many lessons not just to do with performing but about life.

6    Finally, what advice would you give to someone that is passionate about dance/wants to pursue a career in performing arts?

Determination, will power and passion will overcome everything. Whatever knowledge or skill set you have currently does not matter, everybody must start somewhere. What matters is where you’re heading and what you want to accomplish and having that motivation to do so. For example, a lot of the people around me have done ballet since they were 2 and have sung all their lives. I learnt that ballet is a fundamental skill quite late and that singing was going to help me get to my dream school but as soon as I learnt this, I took up ballet (at about the age of 16) and started singing in amateur productions to gain confidence. Since then I’ve just worked incredibly hard to catch up with other more experienced people and am still aware of the level I’m working towards.

Also, be open and honest with yourself and others. If you have concerns and worries just ask people, it’s the only way you’ll learn. Everyone is on a journey and there are misconceptions that this industry is ‘bitchy’ but personally I just feel it’s competitive and whether that’s in a healthy way or not is down to you. Basically, be hardworking, grateful and kind to everyone you encounter especially during any training because you never know where life could take you and someone you may have been nasty to in the past might be hiring you one day and will determine whether you’ll pay your bills that month.