Young Actors Studio
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between our Acting Courses and
Theatre Workshop?
Our Acting Courses for 16 to 20 year olds are designed for young
people who are considering training for a career in acting or who
have already decided to apply to drama school. They will give you a
taste of professional actor training and help you prepare for the
drama school audition process. Acting Courses run on Sundays from
10am to 3.45pm for 10 weeks per academic term (30 weeks per year).
Entry is by audition only.
If you have a keen interest in drama and theatre but don’t
necessarily want to become a professional actor, our Theatre
Workshop might be best for you as this is for any young person aged
12 to 20 who wants to develop their creative skills and spend a bit
more time doing something they really enjoy. Theatre Workshop
groups meet for two and a half hours on Sundays (either 10am to
12.30pm or 1pm to 3.30pm). Students are assigned to a group
according to their age. There is no need to audition for Theatre
Workshop – places are allocated on a first-come, first-served
basis.
How is Young Actors Studio different from Youth
Theatre?
Youth Theatre provides an opportunity for young people to
develop their performance skills and experience the excitement of
rehearsals and live performance. The focus of YAS is not on
performance. In the only training of its kind in Wales, our Acting
Courses offer an opportunity to develop essential acting skills in
preparation for drama school and the audition process. Theatre
Workshop offers an opportunity for the group exploration and
individual development of creative skills. Some of our students are
also members of youth theatres and we consider these and other
performance activities to be complimentary to Young Actors
Studio.
Why are the fees so high?
All our tutors are professional theatre practitioners and
classes and workshops are delivered in small groups to ensure that
each student gets a high level of personal attention. The fees are
comparable with those charged by other leading drama schools
offering similar opportunities. Means-tested bursaries of up
to 100% are normally available to help with course fees. The amount
awarded to each individual student depends on their circumstances
and how much bursary money is available. We will send you a bursary
application form if you are successful at audition.
What do you look for in audition?
It’s not necessary to audition for Theatre Workshop – places are
allocated on a first come, first served basis - but it is necessary
to audition for our Acting Courses.
No previous experience is required, but as well as assessing
individual talent, we do place a high value on passion, motivation,
determination, generosity and enjoyment. In addition we consider
whether or not the applicant will benefit from attending one of our
courses and whether or not they have potential for further
training.