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It\u2019s an exciting time of year for actors. To those just starting out, it\u2019s drama school audition season for prestigious institutions all around the world. For established players, it\u2019s tune-up time for headshots, showreels and CVs: precious months remain before Christmas to hunt down those exciting, life-changing gigs (and let\u2019s not forget pilot season right after that.) All eyes are on the year to come, along with all its glorious possibilities! But what happens if your plans fall through? What if fate deals you a totally blank slate? Don\u2019t panic, because our topic today is a gap year for actors. And it\u2019s hardly the death sentence it might first seem to be.<\/p>\n
A gap year is something few actors aspire to take, either in their training or career. For this reason, it\u2019s extremely important to think about them\u2014and plan for them if your circumstances allow. While a year\u2019s delay on your plans might seem disastrous, there is plenty you can do to maintain your skills and build your momentum, such as completing a shorter training course, focusing on your own skills and development or simply immersing yourself in good art and storytelling. The only way to waste a gap year for actors is to spend it bitter and despairing, and with no thought on how to move forward.<\/strong><\/p>\n In this article, we\u2019re going to explore eight possible ways for you to fill your unexpectedly-empty calendar. Many of these can be done in tandem, and some of these will be better fits for you than others. In planning out a gap year as an actor, the only thing you can do to fail completely is to use the time you\u2019re dealt to do nothing at all.<\/p>\n The first point we have to make in this article is this: there is nothing wrong with a pause on your plans as an actor.<\/strong> Things happen\u2014life happens\u2014and as much as you might usually try to prioritise your craft and career, there are times where it simply isn\u2019t possible.<\/p>\n For younger and emerigng actors, the gap year rears its ugly head when they aren\u2019t accepted into drama school<\/a>. This can feel life-ending in the moment. But it\u2019s better thought of as a chance to do some independent developing (and growing up).<\/p>\n For the older, more established actors, a gap year can creep up out of nowhere. You might be so busy with family, or your muggle job, that you won\u2019t realise you\u2019re on a gap year until the calendar hits September. Again, this is fine: responsibilities of life have to take priority. And you display a degree of maturity often lacking in actors who think they can Have It All.<\/p>\n It\u2019s actually a skill unto itself\u2014learning when to pause, when to say \u201cno\u201d<\/a>, when to rest and recharge<\/a>. It\u2019s one of the things that very few institutions or industry veterans will teach you along the way, as the industry has only recently started to prioritise the mental health and wellbeing of the artists who bleed and sweat their lives into its continuation.<\/p>\n There\u2019s an popular saying about burnout<\/a> in the arts community: if you don\u2019t choose when to stop, burnout will choose for you.<\/p>\n Okay: let\u2019s get the safe and boring option out of the way. A gap year is a great time to insulate yourself against the uncertainty of the actor\u2019s life. Firm up your living situation, find stable work and start putting a little money away. When things get busy again, you\u2019ll be grateful for what you\u2019ve put away to combat the leaner times between jobs and opportunities<\/a>. It can buy you a greater focus on your training or career when such things absolutely require it.<\/p>\n The actor\u2019s life is a demanding one. It places far greater importance on a late-night self-tape for than it does silly things like a balanced diet, social plans or health insurance. If you\u2019re given the gift of time in your calendar, use it to ensure that you\u2019re not simply surviving day to day on tinned tuna and second-hand coats.<\/p>\n There\u2019s not an actor on this earth who is better at their craft because they\u2019ve previously suffered.<\/p>\n If you had lofty, full-time study plans that fell through, don\u2019t discredit what you can learn from taking an acting class<\/a>. Once a week, focus wholly and completely on your craft. Think of it as a taster, an introduction into what you\u2019ll later commit yourself to completely. You can pick up foundational skills such as objective work, characterisation and script analysis. And when it comes time to audition for schools again, a weekly class is a terrific place to flex those muscles.<\/p>\n Acting classes are also great places to network. Sift through the people there for fun and the action-movie-hopeful bros that think a six-week course is all that is keeping them from starring in John Wick.\u00a0<\/em>You\u2019re bound to find other people on the same path as you: treating this course as the same all-important first step towards bigger and better things.<\/p>\n Even if you\u2019ve studied a three-year degree at one of the world\u2019s best drama schools<\/a>, a regular acting class is a vital refresher for your acting toolkit. There is always more to learn.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re ready and able to commit yourself to full-time study, you might consider plugging your plans with a one-year course at a reputable insitution. These are looked down upon by some actors, usually those who have completed a three year course that results in a diploma\u2014not to mention the clout of being able to declare \u201cYes, I studied at [PLACE].\u201d\u00a0<\/em>with a glass of opening-night red<\/a> in hand. But these actors are idiots and snobs. One-year course taught by a good teacher can net you a lot more knowledge and experience than a flabby degree from a once-prestigious drama school.<\/p>\n The thing to be ready for is the total commitment a one-year, full-time course will require. It\u2019ll feel less like a gap year and more like a boot camp as you try to wring every lesson and experience you possibly can (and as you damn well should.) But if you\u2019re in a position to do this, it can be a game-changer for your career and craft: the perfect refresher to help you on your path.<\/p>\n It may well have you diverting your path altogether: pursuing screen roles when classical theatre was your first-and-only love<\/a>. If that happens, our suggestion is to follow your heart and see where you land!<\/p>\n If you\u2019re not looking to pursue formal study in your gap year, use the time you\u2019ve been given to develop skills independently. Take stock of your skillset as an actor:\u00a0\u201cWhere are my areas of weakness? What can I improve on? How can I be better?\u201d<\/em> The more precise (and honest) you are, the better your chances for making serious strides in solo study. Set aside time each day, or at least a few times a week, and make your craft the number-one priority.<\/p>\n Practice of anything requires two ingredients: specificity and repetition. It\u2019s not enough to speak a sonnet<\/a> once a morning and call that vocal work<\/a>. You need to be clear with yourself about the actual area you\u2019re hoping to improve, and then spend extended time on that area until you can see clear evidence of it getting better.<\/p>\n One final point on this subject: just because you\u2019re not in a classcroom setting doesn\u2019t mean you have to go it alone. You can work with a colleague, even work with a group<\/a>, and hold each other accountable.<\/p>\n This is a fun one\u2014and a point we\u2019d argue that every actor should be doing regardless of how empty or full their calendar is looking. Become a sponge for knowledge and art: study plays, read books, watch films. Immerse yourself in as much culture as you can, and become a walking encyclopaedia of what artists in your industry have done before you\u2014for thousands and thousands of years. Here at StageMilk, we spend a lot of time encouraging our community to tackle the canon<\/a> of established Great Texts. A gap year is the perfect opportunity to educate and entertain yourself.<\/p>\n The trick with ths point is to treat it like skill development. Choose things to read or watch with specifitiy, and experience them in a way that critically engages with them. Don\u2019t set yourself the intellectual marathon of watching all Marvel films: you\u2019re not going to learn anything from that. Make unexpected choices, and when you so give them your full attention: put your damn phone down and stay in the moment.<\/p>\n When you start to read and watch things not simply to be entertained, but to learn from them as an actor<\/a>, you\u2019ll find a new appreciation for old favourites. They\u2019re not just diversions: they\u2019re ways you can learn and deepen your own creative development.<\/p>\n Just as you should be expanding your mind with plays, books and films, get into the habit of seeing theatre. See mainstage productions, discover great mid-level and independent theatre companies<\/a> making work in your area. All actors\u2014even those with little aspirations to work on stage\u2014should see more theatre. It\u2019s the place where the skills of a performer are the most raw and real. You\u2019ll learn so much, even as an audience member, from the theatre you experience.<\/p>\n Seeing theatre is also a great networking opportunity<\/a> for actors. In the foyer<\/a> after the show, you can introduce yourself to the creatives involved. Make connections, establish yourself as part of your local acting community. Like peers in an acting class, theatres are full of people on the same journey as you. Different paths, perhaps. But the same goals of career and craft in mind.<\/p>\n Plus: there\u2019s nothing better, more exciting and fulfilling, than good theatre. If you\u2019re yet to find theatre you\u2019ve truly enjoyed, take time out of your gap year to seek it out. You\u2019ll be glad you did.<\/p>\n Okay, so this point\u2019s a little lofty in its aspirations. We won\u2019t go any further without acknowledging how expensive travel can be: it\u2019s a privilege that is simply not on the table for a lot of us in our industry. But if you have the means, or you\u2019re willing to scrape and save to get yourself onto a plane\/boat\/dirigible, travel is the perfect way to wile away the months of a gap year from acting. You can immerse yourself in more of that much-needed culture, plan your next move, or even just distract yourself from the crushing responsibility of said planning.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s one benefit to travel you might not have thought of for actors. Travel is a reminder that the world is big \u2026 and our circles in the arts tend to be miniscule. Experiencing another country, even another city, will show you that the same creative communities exist everywhere. And just like back home, the artists within them have good times and bad times, busy times and, well, gap years of their own.<\/p>\n Step outside of your usual place, your scene, your routine. It\u2019s a good way to get some perspective and force an oft-needed reset.<\/p>\n Last point. Certainly not least. No matter your gap year plans as an actor, find the time to relax. If you have the guts and gall to pursue the actor\u2019s life, to put in the work (and to still be reading this article) then it\u2019s a fair bet to say you could probably do with a break. Give yourself that: rest and recharge so you can hit the ground running when the time comes.<\/p>\n Think back to our earlier point about where gap years come from. If you\u2019d been gearing up for a series of high-stakes auditions for drama schools and <\/em>got knocked back from them all, you\u2019re due for a break. If family, career or personal strife has caused you to step away from your artistic goals, you\u2019re due for a break. The very fact you find yourself with unplanned time ahead implies stress and strife led to this moment. Do your mind and body a favour and switch off.<\/p>\n And what if you suck at relaxing? What if you\u2019re terrible at switching off\u2014as so many actors and artists\u2014seem to be? Take your gap year and learn how to do it. Fill your time with hobbies<\/a>, short-term goals and plenty of reflection<\/a>.<\/p>\n So there you have it: our guide to gap years as an actor! Remember that no one (or combination) of these ideas is 100% guaranteed to be your best path forward. See what you like, keep experimenting and\u00a0be kind to yourself<\/em>. We award you no points for self-flagellation or talk of failure. This journey is far too long to count a quiet year in the business as anything more than a mometnary stumble.<\/p>\n Before we finish up, we\u2019re going to leave you with this: at some point in your gap year, start making plans again for the year ahead. All those schools that rejected you? Time for round two. All those agents you never heard back from? Time to send them your brand new self-tape showreel. Start looking at what those cool indie theatre companies you discovered in your local scene are preparing to present, and bombard them with emails for audition info.<\/p>\n Breaks are good, healthy and expected in our business. The best way to normalise them is to choose the time when you consider them over. Get up off the mat, or towel at the beach rseort, and\u00a0 get back to work. We\u2019ll be right here, as always, when you do.<\/p>\n Good luck!<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nGap Year: A Pause on your Plans<\/h2>\n
#1 Plan for Comfort and Security<\/h2>\n
#2 Short Acting Courses<\/h2>\n
#3 A One-Year Course<\/h2>\n
#4 Focusing on your Skills<\/h2>\n
#5 Study Plays, Read Books, Watch Films<\/h2>\n
#6 See Theatre<\/h2>\n
#7 Travel!<\/h2>\n
#8 Just Relax<\/h2>\n
Planning your Re-entry<\/h2>\n