How do you start a drama school?
Thanks to the growing acceptance of Art as a way of life, institutions that teach acting are booming. So setting up a drama school has become a very profitable business.
You can learn about the business in education here
Who will be my clients if I decide to set up a drama school?
Usually, we are talking about children from 7 years old to youngsters in their first twenty. That is, people who aspire to make the theater their livelihood, and this is something very important to consider when putting together the academic program of the career.
On the other hand, when we are talking about children and teenagers, who we must leave very happy with our proposal and performance, it is the parents of the little ones. In order to achieve this, we must think of a serious and varied proposal that has the best and most recognized teachers in the field.
How to build the academic proposal when setting up a Theatre School
The first thing we have to consider is the division of GROUPS BY AGE. The ideal is to have three such divisions: children, youth and adults.
The second is the DURATION. It is evident that, in the case of children, it should be a longer career than in the case of youth and adults, since once they graduate, their formation cannot be considered finished, but they will go on to the youth group, but at more advanced levels than in a first year, in which the young people of their age would just be beginning their career.
Thirdly, the subjects are planned. How am I going to approach my school of theatre? Will it be only for performing arts or will I incorporate other subjects?
Fourthly, I have to think about getting the qualifications so that the graduates of the school have a degree guaranteed by the state institutions of education.
Other services to offer when setting up a school of theatre
Although the career will be the main focus of the school, there are other ways of studying, or even approaching the discipline in a pleasant way, that cannot be overlooked. Among them we find:
Workshops: apart from the subjects, and especially if you decide to set up a theatre school in which only performing arts are taught, it will be especially convenient to organise bimonthly or quarterly workshops in which students are given extra tools to complement their acting training.
Semi-attendance mode: this is to give people who live far away the possibility of doing part of their training at the school, part with the workshops and the other part at home, having to prepare presentations for each class they attend in person.
Acting for pleasure: it is about putting together a group that attends a class once a week and without demands of performance, attendance and improvements that are expected in the career, but rather that they do it, literally “for the love of art”.
Expenses I must think about when setting up a drama school
As in any other undertaking, the following costs must be taken into account: rent of the premises or house, teachers’ salaries, electricity, water, telephone, cleaning, taxes, rent of a theatre at the mid- and end of the courses to exhibit the samples.
Requirements to start in the Theatre School business
This business can be profitable if you have knowledge of the art of theatre, recognizing that it has taken off as a possibility for mental health therapy.
It also means having clients of all types, sexes and ages, because there are people today who are over fifty years old, had the opportunity to make this fascinating career when they were younger, either because it was not allowed or because of life circumstances they went another way. This audience in particular, are people who do not want to lose more time and devote themselves fully to study a career in acting.
It is necessary to obtain an endorsement from the ministry of education of the respective country to certify the degrees and diplomas that are awarded because in this way, graduates can have professional value both at home and abroad. Support can also be obtained from the state agency in charge of coordinating and qualifying study centers, such as processing this endorsement for those who finish their degree at the school they founded.
Another requirement is to specify the number of years that the degree or course will last. What is recommended is that it should last between 3 and 5 years, with a weekly load between 12 and 20 hours.
Likewise, the study plan must be established with the subjects and how much weekly load each one will have and if the modality will be present throughout the career. The subjects that cannot be missed when setting up a professional theatre school are Vocal Education, Corporal Expression, Scenic Art, Methodology (theoretical), Singing, Dance and Scenic Combat.
Advantages of having a Theatre School
The school of has the advantage of promoting creativity, brings many social benefits to the population, because it increases the approach and empathy, the person develops psychomotor skills, improves mental agility, allows reflection on the form of communication, improves personal development. It requires order and commitment, it allows the entrepreneur to discover and provide others with a cultural and educational space.
Tips for starting a Theatre School
If you’ve never done anything like that, the advice is to focus on one audience, even more so to make the theater accessible to everyone. It is therefore important to analyse the situation of the region, the population.
Almost all theatre schools start with teaching classes for adolescents and young people, others prefer to work with adults, who eventually have to opt for everyday life and ordinary jobs, but who have the motivation to live the art and, in most cases, become very dedicated students.
Success stories of a Theatre School
One of the most successful companies in Spain in terms of theatre is the musicals on the Gran Vía in Madrid and the first Spiegeltent (theatre under a tent) in Madrid. They were created and staged by a Spanish creator and are considered Madrid’s Broadway.
The conversion of Madrid’s Gran Vía into something similar to New York’s Broadway or London’s West End. In addition to the musicals already on the billboard, there are all sorts of other proposals.
Problems that can arise in a Theatre School
One of the problems is that if it is a private drama school and grants degrees and diplomas it must be accredited every time, according to the requirements of the country’s education bodies. This process is achieved over time, with the support of a good infrastructure, professional staff and a number of satisfied graduates per year.