UK Drama Schools Move to Online Teaching Through the End of the Academic Year

According to The Stage, top UK drama schools are all moving online until September or later. The Federation of Drama Schools chair Sean McNamara said that the "only viable option" was to move all teaching online, due to the uncertainty of the length of government-imposed lockdown rules.

"We all remain hopeful that we will be permitted by the authorities to resume face-to-face teaching and training as soon as it is safe and possible to do so," McNamara said. He confirmed that online schooling will continue for the rest of the academic year, which is until July for most schools.

A letter from McNamara, issued on behalf of all FDS schools, said: "The scale and impact of the coronavirus crisis has been significant upon our sector and related industries, which holds dear the ethos of embodied practice and the necessity of physical interaction in pursuit of understanding and celebrating the human condition.

"While we are unable to determine the duration of the outbreak, we are united in meeting the societal and educational challenges we collectively face with a shared determination and limitless imagination."

The letter also addressed concerns about auditions for the upcoming year, which have also moved online. McNamara ensures that the process will remain "robust, rigorous, and fair."

Multiple schools will hold in-person showcases once the lockdown rules are lifted. However, some, like the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, are hosting digital showcases for their students.

Schools represented by the FDS include LAMDA, Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.

Read more on The Stage.

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