Volunteering - a good idea? and if so, where?
Fri, 21 Sept 2007, 03:07 amsilhouette11 posts in thread
Volunteering - a good idea? and if so, where?
Fri, 21 Sept 2007, 03:07 amHi, I was wondering if anyone could offer me any advice.
I'm 21 and have just moved to Australia from England. Ever since I was little I used to be a drama fanatic and took part in every school show and amateur production that I could. I really loved it. However, I guess I lost my confidence and after the age of 16-ish I stopped pursuing it and decided to do a degree in Creative Writing.
I need to finish my degree out here in Oz, which isnt a problem. I will probably Major in English. Of course, the time has come to start thinking about what I'm going to do when I leave! Scary! I always come back to the idea that I would like to work in some way to do with drama and acting. I can't shake that yearning. I am going to start working on my acting again by doing amdram and some classes.
However, I run through all these ideas in my head but in reality I feel like I know nothing about the industry and where I should focus my efforts. Acting is the ultimate dream, but I'm realising that it may not pay the bills and there are other areas I am interested in. I'm not sure whether theatre or films would be my forte..if either! And I'd love to learn about Arts Administration to understand what that entails.
I figured that the best way to get an idea of the direction I am heading is to get some work experience and volunteer. I have lots of free time until February and really am interested in working in any area of the industry to gain some experience and insight into what life is really like. I'd be happy making teas and cleaning toilets if it meant I got some insight! But the thing is, I've been completely out of the loop for so long and I feel I have no proof that I am passionate about this. I dont feel that I have a good general knowledge of the industry (but I want to learn) and have nothing relevant and recent on my CV.
Especially being in a new country I feel a bit lost and dont know where to start. However, I do have all this free time and dont want to waste it, as it may also be valuable in helping choose classes when I go to uni in February.
Can anyone offer any advice? Or if you are in Perth and need some help in any kind of arts project for someone with no experience...let me know and I'd love to help :)
Thanks so much
Kate
ps. And apologies if this is posted in the wrong section. I wasn't sure where it should go.
Dear Kate,As David said,
Fri, 21 Sept 2007, 03:25 pmDear Kate,
As David said, there are lots of opportunities around Perth - but most of them unpaid. If you're willing to travel, Mandurah Performing Arts Centre take on volunteers to crew for their in-house productions. Singing in the Rain is coming up in November and Wizard of Oz in January. The phone number for down there is 9550 3900.
Also, think about the arts admin/venue management courses that are around through the various tafes and unis. Local Governments will also employ cultural officers in various capacities (I work for the City of Rockingham as their Youth Arts Officer...) so perhaps keep an eye on the different local gov websites to see what may be available or may come up :)
Best of luck
Darren