As a New Zealander who is coming to the end of two wonderful years in London, it’s hard not to reflect on what a great career move it was. Being from a smaller part of the world, whilst the Theatre industry is bustling, it was hard not to yearn towards the bright lights of the West End. I have been the Office Manager for Associated Studios in London for around 10 months and I am about to embark on the exciting adventure of General Manager in Australia.
I studied Theatre at Victoria University of Wellington and whilst I knew pretty quickly I didn’t want to become a performer, I saw my friends and colleagues around me succeeding with their training but then being stumped as to what’s next. They had no connections to the Theatre industry outside of their backyard and had limited options as to where they could further their training in Australasia.
As we prepare to open our Australian branch (Applications close November 1st, so get those applications in!), I can’t help but be excited about the ‘Gateway to London’ that we are providing for our future Australian students. Students who complete the Intensive year in Melbourne have the option to follow this with a further four months in London. This four month provides skills and industry training where they have a Graduating Showcase with the top Casting Directors & Agents in the UK. Further to this, our Foundation students can follow their first year with our Intensive course and then go on to complete the fourth term in London, making up a complete 2-year vocational training for students wishing to embark on a career in Musical Theatre.
The connections that I have made whilst living in London and working at Associated Studios are like no other. The industry is a wonderful community to be a part of and one that has been most beneficial to my career in Arts Management and is even more beneficial to a Musical Theatre performer.
Another thing I have loved about moving to London is all the theatre I have been able to be immersed in as an audience member. London’s theatre industry is booming – box office ticket sales for Musical Theatre have increased by 50% in the last year. This will only increase as London receives many Broadway to West End transfers (Come from Away, Waitress and Dear Evan Hansen just to name a few) so London is a very exciting place to be. Like London, Melbourne has a lot to offer in the Arts as is similarly receiving a lot of shows from the West End & Broadway and has a buzzing Musical Theatre community with some amazing industry practitioners who are spreading their talents both nationally and internationally.
Australia, we are so excited about launching in 2019 and we can’t wait to see the talent you have to offer on Audition day. As you can see this is an amazing opportunity to really launch your Musical Theatre career in both Melbourne and London and I can’t wait to support you through your journey. To apply please visit https://associatedstudios.com.au
Briar Franks
General Manager
Associated Studios Australia
