Yusuf Khamisa, Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts’ course leader for Acting (Contemporary Performance) and industry liaison, is one of several educators to highlight the transition from a highly organised and scheduled environment to a self-determined one as an early bump in the career path for many. “One of our recent graduates said: ‘Nothing prepares you for the day you wake up and realise you don’t have a timetable to follow,’” he says. “That moment when they have to create their own structure can be a shock. But they do have experience of working independently at LIPA and know how to think strategically.

“Another difficulty at the start of their career is finding a job they can do alongside looking for work as an actor. A job that gives them the flexibility to attend auditions. We encourage them to consider options such as working front of house in a theatre. It keeps their days free and keeps them in the loop and in touch with industry.

“Finally, when that first audition does come in, they can become anxious. That’s when they really have to lean into their training and trust the process because they have done the work, they are ready to make that leap. It’s often at this point that they will get in touch and ask for advice, and we are there for them.”

Along with the sudden loss of structure, having to face the world of work as a solo performer rather than as a member of a larger student body can be a disorientating experience, whether training days were spent among a wide circle of friends or with a smaller, closer number of classmates.

“We know that our graduates can experience a stark loss of community, as well as artistic support, on leaving the school,” says Sian Brittain, head of innovation at Guildhall School of Music and Drama. “For this reason, programme-specific preparation is stitched into our students’ training throughout, developing students’ awareness of the industry and building their confidence, agency and community. This curricular work is underpinned by sustained emotional and well-being support from our dedicated student services team.” 

Suddenly, having too much time on hand and too small a like-minded community to spend it with can be a particularly stark hurdle for graduates who don’t immediately secure professional work contracts.
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“I advise students to think carefully about where they want to be located during their first year out,” says Jane Hensey, head of musical theatre at the School of Stage and Screen at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. “Having a positive and accessible support network can often be more helpful than uprooting to a new city or country immediately upon graduation. We also encourage grads to establish a routine for non-working periods which allows time and space for earning income, maintaining practice and staying connected to what’s going on in the industry. It’s important to allow themselves time to breathe and live a little.

“Training should have been hard work, requiring a level of commitment and focus that, for some people, may lead to the need for a bit of decompression time. That’s completely okay and part of sustainable well-being practices. Be kind to yourself and others and keep looking ahead with confidence and patience.”

“At LIPA, we actively encourage students to stay in touch with us after they graduate,” says Khamisa. “That could be for advice for auditions or self-tapes, or just to let us know what they’re up to. It’s really important that they understand we are still here for them once they’ve left. We don’t disappear. Outside of teaching and rehearsal times, our spaces are available for graduates to book. During term time, our campus is open 24/7, which gives them plenty of opportunities to book rehearsal space for free. That’s an incredible resource and has proved invaluable to many of our graduates who create their own companies and productions.”

At Guildhall, Brittain agrees that ongoing practical and focused support is a vital factor in encouraging well-being and career sustainability for graduates. “In the past 10 years, we’ve supported a range of graduate enterprises. These include Soundcastle, a community-driven music collective; Song in the City, a socially engaged classical performance company; and Wind-Up Penguin, a humanitarian music theatre company that performs original music and theatre shows in refugee camps, orphanages and hospitals in countries with high child poverty rates. We deliver the Virtual Ideas Platform in partnership with the Association of British Theatre Technicians and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. The VIP awards funding and industry exposure for bold ideas that rethink how theatre is made, experienced and sustained.”

Guildhall’s Making It programme launched earlier this year and emphasises a commitment to long-term graduate support. “This is a programme dedicated to artist development that is available to students from day one of training until five years post-graduation,” explains Brittain.

“It offers a rolling calendar of opportunities, including funding, workshops and career advice, all designed to support our student and alumni community to make their own artistic work and build sustainable creative careers. Graduates can stay connected to Guildhall through a dedicated alumni mailing list and remain part of a vibrant creative community that grows with them as their careers evolve.”