If you are auditioning for our School of Acting (BA Hons Acting, Foundation Acting, MA Acting) you’ll need to prepare and send a self-taped audition as part of your application.

Self-tapes are part of everyday life for a professional actor; they’ve been used in the TV and film industry for many years and are increasingly used for theatre auditions as well. But if you’re just starting out on your actor training journey, we understand that self-tapes can be a bit of a mystery, even quite daunting.

Don’t worry! We’ve got you.

ArtsEd’s Interim Principal and Director of the School of Acting, Dr Julie Spencer, has provided some top tips for auditionees applying to our School of Acting. Keep reading for her guide to a successful self-tape.

For details on what you need to present in your tapes, please visit our auditions page and select the course you are applying for.

Julie’s steps to self-tape success

You must record a brief ident to introduce yourself by stating your:

• Name
• Age
• Where you’re from
• The pieces you are presenting (name of character and play)

Your ident should be delivered straight to the camera, and my top tip is: don’t overthink this bit! Treat your ident as the equivalent of walking into a room and introducing yourself to the panel – show us a bit of your personality. Be enthusiastic about the characters you’ve chosen. If you’re engaging in your ident, we’ll be more engaged when watching you!

Let’s cover the technical aspects of filming your pieces:

For the classical piece, you should film yourself in a ‘wide’ shot (meaning we want to see you full-length or as much of your body as the space will allow). Your classical piece should be treated like a soliloquy, and be delivered straight to camera.

Your contemporary piece should be filmed as a close up of your face – but not too close! Head and shoulders are fine. The contemporary piece can be delivered in the same way as your classical, or it can be aimed just above the camera if that makes sense for the piece.

My main piece of advice regarding the positioning of the camera and body/face is that we don’t want to see the side of your face!

How to perform your monologues:

My first top tip is this: do not attempt to do ‘acting for camera’. We want to see a theatrical performance.

If you are recalled to the second round, which will be in-person, part of that audition will be a screen test. At the first self-tape stage we want to see how you would perform as if you were in the room with us.

Use your natural voice – don’t affect an accent or do a ‘voice’ to fit the character. We want to hear YOU.

Wear comfortable clothing. Don’t attempt to dress as the character or wear a costume.

No make-up, and hair should be tied back so that we can see your face.

Don’t use props.

Don’t use background music.

Please don’t overthink it or attempt to film multiple takes in order to choose the ‘best’ one. You should film each monologue no more than 3 times and choose the best one from the 3 to send to us.

Don’t copy a famous version of your chosen monologue from YouTube!

What are we looking for in our Acting auditionees?

This is one of the most common questions we are asked regarding applications and auditions, and the answer is actually very simple.

We want to see YOU and who you are!

We want to see your enthusiasm (for the piece and for the process).

We’re looking for your commitment to the choices you make. We may not agree with your choices, but that’s fine as long as you commit to them.

Be bold!

We’re interested in the decisions that you make as an actor and how you have interpreted the pieces. Make them your own.

There is only one of YOU – we are looking for the unique qualities that make you who you are, so show us. We want to see your individual creativity.

Here’s my final top tip, and it’s a very important one:

We are not looking for perfection or for the finished product, meaning we do not expect you to be a polished, trained actor – that’s what drama school is for! We are looking for potential.

Be brave, be bold and enjoy yourself. I look forward to seeing your tapes.

Jane Morton, Deputy Principal of ArtsEd, will start her long planned retirement this autumn, thirteen years after joining ArtsEd.  Appointed to the role of Deputy Principal in September 2017, Jane started her time at ArtsEd as Academic Manager in 2008, building on a well-established career across the performing arts and education sectors.

During her tenure, Jane has been central to the development of ArtsEd’s reputation as a provider of outstanding conservatoire training, expertly leading the organisation through inspections, validation panels and funding submissions. Her legacy is apparent in our outstanding Ofsted grading, our TEF Gold rating from the Teaching Excellence and Students Outcomes Framework and our consistently high ranking amongst drama schools in the annual National Student Survey.

Jane will be hugely missed by staff and students alike, not just for her expertise, but also for her patience, kindness and wisdom. We wish her well in all her future endeavours.

Commenting on Jane’s retirement Mark Burch, Chair of the Board of Trustees at ArtsEd added: “Jane has been an outstanding Deputy Principal and served her role with distinction over the last thirteen years. She will be missed greatly by students and staff alike, and I would like to pay tribute to her for everything she has done for ArtsEd. Jane has been instrumental in establishing ArtsEd’s outstanding training credentials and we wish her the very best of luck in the next stage of her journey.”

Jane Morton commented: “My years at ArstEd have been so varied and interesting and I am very grateful for all the opportunities I have had to work and develop lasting friendships with so many talented and creative people.  I will miss all my colleagues and friends, and wish everyone well, and I will always feel a great sense of pride whenever I see ArtsEd graduates on stage and screen.”

Jane’s successor was appointed in May 2021 and will be announced in the autumn.

With the many challenges faced by pupils over the past two academic years, everyone at ArtsEd was already incredibly proud of our Day School and Sixth Form pupils’ achievements. The fantastic 2021 results are a further testament to the hard work, resilience and positivity of all our students and teachers. We are truly inspired!

ArtsEd Sixth Form enjoyed A-Level and BTEC success:

• BTEC: 100% D*D*D* – DDD (Distinction star – distinction), equivalent to 3 A*’s – 3 A’s at A level in UCAS points. 78% received D*D*D* (equivalent to 3 A*’s at A level in UCAS points)
• A-Level: 100% A*-C, 86% A*-B
• Overall: 96% A*-B (including BTEC equivalent)

“We are thrilled with the results and extremally proud of all our students. After the last 18 months the resilience and commitment that these young people have shown has been outstanding.  I cannot wait to see what the next chapter brings for our Sixth Form students in their exciting journey through life.” Mark Ferrington, Director of Sixth Form

Similarly impressive GCSE results included:

• 100% grade 4 and above including one Maths and one English (equivalent to 100% A*-C)
• 55% grade 7 and above (equivalent to 55% A*-A)

“These results reflect the hard work and commitment that our students and their teachers have shown over these difficult times. We congratulate our students on these excellent results and wish them the very best in their next step. We always believed that hard work will be rewarded.” Thamir Elzubaidi, Director of Curriculum

If you are interested in learning more about life at ArtsEd Day School and Sixth Form, we hope that you will join us at our upcoming Open Evenings this September – live and in person! Please register your interest today and share with others who might be interested. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Sixth Form (Yr 12 Entry) – Wednesday 22 September from 6pm
Day School (Yr 7-10 Entry) – Thursday 23 September from 6pm

Despite graduating in the most challenging of circumstances last year, five ArtsEd Acting graduates from our 2020 cohort are enjoying success on the film festival circuit!

The Phoenix won Best Short at the Around Films International Film Festival Paris. A snapshot in the lives of four women who work at a cabaret club, the film was produced last year by ArtsEd’s School of Acting.

Graduates, Paddy Goodall, Matilda Oliver, Kimberley Okoye, Zoe Wright, and Dorothea Sawczuk star in the original short film, written by Jake Vithana and directed by ArtsEd’s Head of Film, Television and Audio, Kim Vithana.

BA Acting students at ArtsEd receive world-leading training in performing for screen, which includes taking part in the production of short, original films in their final year of study. These films are produced from start to finish in the same way a professional movie is made, giving our students vital experience that they carry into their careers as working actors. Production values are extremely high, resulting in the work often being accepted for consideration at film festivals.

The Phoenix was last week announced as the winner of Best Short at the ARFF Official Awards to the delight of everyone involved and indeed the whole school!

The film is not available for public viewing as it is still in contention for other awards, but you can see a trailer here

Below is a selection of behind the scenes photos from the shoot.

ArtsEd is delighted to announce the appointment of Sharon D Clarke to the post of Vice President. 

Sharon has forged an exceptional career, garnering critical acclaim for dramatic and musical roles on stage and on screen. In 2019 she won the Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her standout performance in Caroline or Change. In 2020, she won the Olivier for Best Actress for her sensational portrayal of Linda Loman in the Young Vic’s production of Death of a Salesman. The latter also made Sharon the first person to be nominated in all four performing categories of the Olivier Awards. In 2017 she was awarded an MBE for services to drama.   

This extraordinary breadth of success and experience make Sharon a perfect fit for ArtsEd, which offers world-class training in both Acting and Musical Theatre.   

On her appointment Sharon said: 

“Attending the ArtsEd 2018 Graduation Ceremony I was delighted to see Olivia Hibbert, who I had just worked with at The Hackney Empire on King The Musical. I couldn’t have been more proud watching her receive her Degree. 

I have had the joy of working with many ArtsEd alumni and applaud them for the talented triple threat performers, choreographers, directors, producers; beautiful humans with good work ethics, that they nurture and guide and enrich this industry with. 

I am truly delighted and honoured to be appointed Vice President of this wonderful Conservatoire of Excellence who are addressing change at a grass roots level, ever pushing forward to Equality, Inclusivity and Diversity, I look forward to us working together.” 

Chris Hocking, ArtsEd Principal said of Sharon’s appointment: 

Sharon’s outstanding and varied career speaks for itself, and I’m thrilled that she is joining the ArtsEd family as Vice President. Her integrity, her passion and her commitment to creating change where it needs to happen in our industry will be an inspiration to us all. I very much look forward to introducing her to our students and to working together. 

Sharon joins David Grindrod and Robert Powell in the role of Vice President. ArtsEd’s President is Andrew Lloyd Webber. 

PHOTO: Sharon D Clarke with ArtsEd alumna, Olivia Hibbert at the 2018 graduation ceremony

Launching the Chris Hornby Bursary Fund in 2015

A special memorial event, held at The Lyceum Theatre in October 2015, gave family and friends from across the industry the opportunity to share their memories of Chris. Opened by Aled Jones who had worked with Chris on White Christmas, moving performances included ‘You Are My Sunshine’ sung by Louise Dearman, ‘Circle of Life’ performed by the cast of The Lion King, and Nat King Cole’s ‘Smile’ performed by the ArtsEd Choir. The Chris Hornby Bursary Fund was also launched, with an incredible £7,000 raised in just the first few days.

From top left: (1) Omid Djalili and Jodie Prenger share their stories. (2) Tim Howar and cast members of The Lion King. (3) Members of the ArtsEd Choir.

Since then we have continued to be moved by the generosity, enthusiasm and creativity of so many supporters. Other fundraising events include a Christmas Concert at the Actors’ Church, Kirsty Spark’s ‘Healthy Hearts for Hornby’ dance classes, Donald’s Beaujolais Night, West End audition masterclasses, and let’s not forget the Ealing half-marathon team!

We are so grateful for everyone who has supported the fund.

Together you have raised over £30,000!

Left: Song Workshop with Tim, Matt Henry, Jill Green and Alan Williams. Right: Christmas Concert with Joel Montague, Jo Napthine, Cavin Cornwall, Andrew Lancel, Trevor Dion Nicholas, Louise Dearman and the ArtsEd Choir.

The impact of your support

The funds raised have had a huge impact on the lives of two young performers studying on ArtsEd’s Musical Theatre degree, Jacob Thomas and Maria Conneely.

Maria Conneely in her showcase performance at ArtsEd, 2020 and Jacob Thomas in Legally Blonde ArtsEd, 2019.

Jacob was the first Chris Hornby scholar, receiving support for the full three years of his degree. This award was the first funded place at ArtsEd to be sponsored by individuals, a momentous achievement, without which Jacob would not have been able to complete his training. You can see Jacob’s showreels here. Graduating last summer, Jacob said:

“The support I have received not only financially but emotionally from Tim and the Chris Hornby bursary has been a crucial factor in my development and completing my degree. This has been a life changing opportunity that would not have been possible without the bursary. I am so excited to see where my career takes me, and to make Tim and Chris proud.”

Maria Conneely is in her final year and is on stage at ArtsEd this week as Jellylorum in Cats, the final graduate show of 2020/21. You can also watch Maria’s showreels here, produced to replace the usual Showcase whilst ArtsEd has been unable to welcome audiences. Maria said:

“I feel so honoured and privileged to have received the Chris Hornby Bursary this year. The financial support makes such a different to myself and my parents, for this we are so grateful. This bursary is so precious to me and has already supported me in so many ways in my final year of training. For the rest of my career, I will do my best to make Tim, and all the supporters of the fund, extremely proud.”

Continuing Chris’s legacy at ArtsEd

With students in greater need than ever in 2021/22, we are delighted that the Chris Hornby Bursary Fund has just enough funds left to support one more gifted young performer in their final year of study with us.

The particularly brilliant thing about Chris’s fund is that the vital financial assistance is accompanied by invaluable personal support, in the form of Tim’s expert mentoring and encouragement. We would really love to be able to continue this connection in years to come, supporting the next generation of performers and story-tellers.

If you would like to help make this happen, then please make a donation today. Every donation will make a difference, enabling future students to thrive and keeping Chris’s legacy bright.

Photography: Michael Donne, Tony Brown and Robin Savage

Following the government’s confirmation that the roadmap out of lockdown is on schedule we are delighted to announce that ArtsEd EXTRA, our Saturday School, is returning to in-person teaching from 17 April!  

One of the most popular weekend Schools in West London, our Saturday Skills Academy provides Musical Theatre and Acting courses for ages 7-16. Taught by industry professionals and teachers from our Day School, Sixth Form and Higher Education courses, Saturday School pupils receive top quality training whilst making new friends and having fun! 

The Academy is run by Jessie Hills and James Wilson, both graduates of ArtsEd’s BA (Hons) Acting course. Here they explain a bit more about the return to in-person teaching this April. 

James: “We are really excited to return to face-to-face teaching however we also know that there may be anxiety among parents regarding safety. Rest assured we have lots of measures in place to be Covid-compliant, meaning pupils can concentrate on what we do best – having fun and exploring the wonderful world of performing arts!”

Jessie: “ArtsEd is a fully-functioning Day School, Sixth Form and Higher Education institution, so lots of safety measures are already in place within the building. For our Saturday classes, this means we are able to offer Covid-compliant procedures right from the first session back.” 

ArtsEd EXTRA safety measures include: 

• Pupils and parents meet Jessie outside the building for drop off  
• Temperature checks on arrival with an automated system that you just walk past 
• Hands sanitised on arrival and stations throughout the building 
• On arrival, students wait in the foyer and are then taken to class by an assistant 
• Start-times are staggered for all classes – avoids mixing of groups 
• Classes do not move – students remain in one studio and staff rotate 
• Class sizes are reduced and social distancing measures in place 
• Masks are worn in all common areas and (currently) in classes 
• One-way system in place 
• Curriculum has been adapted to promote activities with less physical contact 

Jessie: “The school building is ‘fogged’ on Friday evenings when all the full-time teachers and students have left for the weekend. This is a deep cleaning process, which is very effective. Our studios are cleaned and sanitised on a Saturday morning just before we start teaching, as well. The school really has been great in supporting us to ensure we can safely reintroduce face-to-face teaching on our EXTRA courses.” 

The need to provide online, blended learning when schools were closed means we are prepared for anything if the government guidelines change. Saturday classes will always continue in one format or another. 

James: “When schools were forced to close, we proved that we could adapt with very short notice! We are now confident in our ability to deliver classes online and can switch to virtual learning with very little fuss. But with everything opening up again, and the roadmap out of lockdown on track, we’re just eager to get everyone back in the building. Zoom has sparked some lovely, creative projects in the performing arts industry but at the end of the day live theatre is supposed to be just that – LIVE!” 

Jessie: “We’re really fortunate to have pupils and parents who have stuck with us through online classes and are returning for the new term. But there are some spaces available for newcomers, and now really is the time to join us. This term is going to be so much fun!” 

For the Summer term, the Saturday Academy is focussing on a Disney compilation show that will be performed in our in-house venue, the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation Theatre.  

Musical Theatre students will be exploring songs, dances and scenes from Disney musicals and the actors will be using Disney characters to create their own unique scenes. The show will be performed in June. 

For more information and to book, click here

PHOTOS: Tess Henderson

ArtsEd is delighted to announce the appointment of Jonathan O’Boyle to the role of Director of the School of Musical Theatre, effective November this year. 

Jonathan, who is from Derbyshire, trained as an actor at the Central School of Speech and Drama and then went on to study directing at Birkbeck, University of London where he graduated with an MFA in Theatre Directing. He continued his training working with Jonathan Church at Chichester Festival Theatre and Daniel Evans at Sheffield Crucible. He has also held the position of Associate Director at Theatre503. 

He won Best Director of a Musical and Best Musical Production at the 2021 Off West End Awards for his production of The Last Five Years (Southwark Playhouse). His 2017 production of Hair (UK Tour/The Vaults/Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester) won Best Off West End Production at the WhatsOnStage Awards and will continue to tour internationally when theatres reopen. 

Jonathan’s extensive CV includes directing credits for Bill Kenwright (Cruel Intentions, Rain Man), This House, for Headlong and National Theatre, and a series of plays at Trafalgar Theatre; BASH, Rasheeda Speaking, and A Guide for the Homesick. He directed The View Upstairs (Soho Theatre) and for Southwark Playhouse, Pippin, and Aspects of Love. In 2019 he directed Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella at Cadogan Hall. 

On his appointment Jonathan said: 

“I am truly thrilled to be joining the ArtsEd family as the Director of the School of Musical Theatre.  As one of the leading drama schools in the country, with the UK’s premier training course in Musical Theatre, ArtsEd is firmly at the top of its game. I have always had the most joyous time working with the students at ArtsEd, and I can’t wait to continue that work and shape the future of the course.  

We are entering a challenging time in the arts sector. As we begin the road to recovery after the devastation of COVID-19, drama training will continue to evolve and change with the times. I am looking forward to that challenge, being at the centre of a school that strives for excellence.” 

In addition to his own directing career, Jonathan has worked with and assisted leading directors including Susan Stroman, Jonathan Church, Jeremy Herrin, Daniel Evans, Clare Lizzimore, and Jessica Swale. He assisted Christopher Wheeldon on An American in Paris at the Dominion Theatre and Neil Armfield on The Judas Kiss in Toronto and New York. 

For ArtsEd, Jonathan directed Nice Work If You Can Get It (2019) and will direct The Wedding Singer later this year. His appointment starts in November, after the autumn half-term, as he is directing Top Hat at The Mill at Sonning in September. This production will be Jonathan’s last show for a while as he shifts focus to concentrate on this new, exciting role. Jonathan will succeed Chris Hocking, Principal of ArtsEd since 2017 and Director of the School of Musical Theatre since 2006. 

Chris Hocking said: 

“I am delighted to confirm this fantastic appointment and welcome Jonathan to the ArtsEd family! His award-winning theatre career speaks for itself, and I’m certain he will add huge value to ArtsEd’s musical theatre training in what is an ever-changing landscape. I very much look forward to working with Jonathan as I hand over the School of Musical Theatre curriculum to him.” 

Photo: Nick Rutter

In a week of positive news for the performing arts and education sectors, we are delighted to announce a major donation of £250,000 from David Ian. This key gift launches our fundraising campaign for the ArtsEd Playhouse, the final phase of a ten-year, £20 million investment in our Chiswick home. This summer will see the official opening of the most recent element of this exciting project, a three-storey extension into an underused courtyard that includes new rehearsal rooms, dance studios and classrooms. The project was launched in 2013 with the creation of the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation Theatre.  

The ArtsEd Playhouse will replace the old Studio Theatre, enabling students to develop the skills required to perform in more intimate spaces and ensuring that we can continue to stage more than 20 professional standard productions per year. 

David Ian was appointed as a trustee to our board in November 2020. Chief Executive of his eponymous production company, and the recipient of five Olivier awards and three Tony nominations, David is a world-renowned theatre producer with a highly successful career spanning over 30 years.  

David said: 

“As a long-time friend to, and supporter of ArtsEd, I was delighted to be appointed to their Board of Trustees last year. Their Chiswick home has undergone a remarkable renovation and extensive addition to its facilities, ensuring it will remain at the forefront of performing arts training in the UK for many years to come. I’m pleased to kickstart their final round of fundraising, which will allow for the building of the ArtsEd Playhouse and complete their capital campaign.” 

David took a tour of the new building in December, and Chris Hocking, Principal of ArtsEd, was pleased to show him the rehearsal studio named after him.  

Chris said:  

“David’s generous donation means we are now close to finishing what has been a ten-year project to improve and increase the facilities of our Chiswick home. This investment in ArtsEd demonstrates David’s commitment to supporting us as we provide world-leading training in the performing arts, despite the many challenges to our industry over the last year. I can’t wait to welcome audiences to the new ArtsEd Playhouse very soon!” 

Photo: Robin Savage