Maisie
Former A level Drama, English Literature and Media Studies student Maisie talks about her experience at Callywith and studying Theatre Arts at East 15 Acting School.
Previous School: Callington Community College
Courses studied: A level Drama, Enlgish Literature and Media Studies
Extra Activites: Extended Project Qualification
Progression: Theatre Arts - East 15 Acting School
How are you finding your course/experience at university?
I’m loving drama school even though it’s been challenging doing a whole term of such a practical course on Zoom, but it has been interesting using new skills to put on a production of Romeo and Juliet completely online. However, in the first term I was lucky enough to be in the studio working practically every day. I’ve made some amazing friends and had a really fun time so far.
How did your time at Callywith influence and support your choice of/transition to university?
My time at Callywith helped me develop my confidence with A Level Drama being a great transition into drama school with support from my teacher with auditions and being prepared for group projects on my course much like at Callywith. As part of drama A Level we also had the opportunity to take part in workshops with industry professionals and also performed a showcase of our performances which was a great experience to build confidence in performing in front of larger audiences. I had so much fun in drama that I wanted to carry it on at university to do it full time!
What do you enjoy in particular about studying Drama?
I chose to study at drama school because I hope to be an actor or work in the film and TV production industry, and acting has always been something I enjoy.
How have your A Level studies helped you in your degree?
I had great support from teachers when applying via UCAS and the environment of Callywith is so independent and relaxed it was a brilliant steppingstone into the university style of working. I also had the opportunity to do an EPQ at Callywith, which I found very useful to my current course as the scape to research into any subject you wish to means you can alter it according to what you’re applying to at university and the heavy focus on independent work is great preparation for research based tasks at university. A Level English Literature has particularly helped me with my foundation course as we studied many plays which has been useful for transferring these analytical skills into the plays I study at East 15, especially the knowledge and understanding of Shakespearian language which I gained from my English Literature lessons.
What are you hoping to do in the future?
I’m currently auditioning again this year for BA acting courses with the hope of training full time to then go on to work in the industry as a professional actor. I’m also interested in working in radio production or presenting, inspired by my Media A Level at Callywith where I enjoyed the practical coursework element of creating a radio show.