School acting business
Tue, 27 Nov 2001, 01:30 pmGambler3 posts in thread
School acting business
Tue, 27 Nov 2001, 01:30 pmJust curious whether or not one would have to register as a business to go around schools performing for money and running workshops.
RE: School acting business
Tue, 27 Nov 2001, 04:42 pmJason Gamble wrote:
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>>"Just curious whether or not one would have to register as a business to go around schools performing for money and running workshops."
I don't think there is any requirement to be a business. Lots of schools require you to have a police clearance certificate (about $35.00 for federal name check) before you can enter the premises and work with their kids.
I do lots of workshops in schools, and I don't have any formal qualifications (ie a teaching degree), just my experience in the industry, and good contacts. (Of course, having worked with Barking Gecko for so long helps my credibility enormously.)
But there are many schools that don't have the budget to bring out a whole company, but could maybe afford a single or dual act, or someone to play drama games, etc.
The only trouble you are then likely to face is establishing your credentials in the face of well-known competition like Barking Gecko, Class Act, Spare Parts, etc. You need to be able to show schools that you have something worth paying for, of a suitable quality for their classes. It would help if you could demonstrate skills ie puppetry, music, circus, working with kids...etc, and you may need to show them a script and how it is relevant to the school program. (learning outcomes, etc).
It's much more difficult to get in to highschools to do workshops unless you have particularly strong skills, because they usually have their own drama teachers. But sometimes those drama teachers are good contacts, to get a foot in the door.
I know people who have come up with their own shows, (say for Book Week), did their own marketing by ringing the schools and started from there. My advice is to get in early - lots of schools sort out their budget early in the year, and may have already allocated their money for incursions.
Cheers,
Craig
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>>"Just curious whether or not one would have to register as a business to go around schools performing for money and running workshops."
I don't think there is any requirement to be a business. Lots of schools require you to have a police clearance certificate (about $35.00 for federal name check) before you can enter the premises and work with their kids.
I do lots of workshops in schools, and I don't have any formal qualifications (ie a teaching degree), just my experience in the industry, and good contacts. (Of course, having worked with Barking Gecko for so long helps my credibility enormously.)
But there are many schools that don't have the budget to bring out a whole company, but could maybe afford a single or dual act, or someone to play drama games, etc.
The only trouble you are then likely to face is establishing your credentials in the face of well-known competition like Barking Gecko, Class Act, Spare Parts, etc. You need to be able to show schools that you have something worth paying for, of a suitable quality for their classes. It would help if you could demonstrate skills ie puppetry, music, circus, working with kids...etc, and you may need to show them a script and how it is relevant to the school program. (learning outcomes, etc).
It's much more difficult to get in to highschools to do workshops unless you have particularly strong skills, because they usually have their own drama teachers. But sometimes those drama teachers are good contacts, to get a foot in the door.
I know people who have come up with their own shows, (say for Book Week), did their own marketing by ringing the schools and started from there. My advice is to get in early - lots of schools sort out their budget early in the year, and may have already allocated their money for incursions.
Cheers,
Craig
<8>-/====/------------