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Question: How does my daughter further her career in acting!?
My daughter is 16 years old and has a passion for acting!.So far, in the past three years, she's been showing a lot of promise!. Shes completed her GCSE in drama and continually got good grades throughout the two year course!. She's now, out of her dedication and the enthusiasm of her teachers, studying drama for another two years for an A Level course!. Outside of school she has taken part in plays and has an agent for walk on roles!. So far, due to her age, she hasn't been offered any work!. However, she does not sing or dance!.
If my daughter can make it she would like to make a career out of acting!. Me and my husband are hesitant in advising her what to do because we have no experience in this area (we both work in the police force)!. She's a complete unknown and has no connections in the acting industry, not that that should affect anything!.
What i'd like to know is where's the best place for her to aim for now!? What can we do, other than support her, to help her!? What agencies she should look to for work/decent representation and roles (in the UK)!? and I was wondering if anyone would be interested in being an online mentor for her!?
I hope someone can help!
Thanks!.Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
HI, I'm an actor and musical director/teacher in London!. I also coach people when they're preparing for auditions!. Your daughter has to get at least some foundation singing and dancing under her belt, but it needn't be anything too demanding; just joining a choir or tap class would be enough!. It's good that you've got an agent, but the longer her list of skills, the more chance she has of getting work!. I would also put her on the Spotlight register, which will ask her to list all skills, including languages and accents she can do!.

16 is a great age to get more grounding and experience and yes, I do include good amateur societies whose main focus is acting!. A young friend of mine (he is now 19) started in an amateur group, and bouncing off that confidence joined the RADA youth group and performed in their production of Pericles!. He is now studying physics, but he goes to as many classes as he can find as he is considering acting for after uni!. Other institutions and theatres also have youth groups, such as the Old Vic and the National Theatre!. These are often advertised in The Stage or on line!.
My contact is stiofan_lok@yahoo!.com!. I am certainly happy to be an on line mentor, as well as give her occasional audition tuition (with Mum or Dad present, please)!. What's her next role!?Www@QuestionHome@Com

You're UK, I'm US!. Many of the standards are the same, but also many are different!. Any guidance I might give may be disastrous for her!. There is one thing, though, that is universal: The more she can do, the better her odds of getting work!. If she doesn't sing because she's tone deaf, let that one go!. But if it's just a matter of training, let her learn that art!. It will help!. The same is true of dancing!. 16 may be a bit late to become a dancing diva, but it will help her to learn movement techniques that will enable her to convey different emotions with body language alone!. Finally, if there are community theatres in the UK (there has to be, right!? That can't be a purely US phenomenon, can it!?), use the acquired knowledge of the people there to learn what other steps would be appropriate in your part of the world!. Best of luck to her, and to you, for your wonderful support!Www@QuestionHome@Com

Be sure to ask this on the UK forum by clicking on the flag below!. She also needs to learn how to make contacts and to network properly, it is to get people to know you!. Difficult to do while she is in school!. I suppose, she should be taking voice and dance lessons and be preparing to enter either university or professional academy training for acting!. I can teach her how to network properly and how to audition and how to select monologues for auditions, but i do not know the workings of the industry in the UK!. I have advised many young actors there,however and one even credited me with his being successful in his acting school audition!.Www@QuestionHome@Com