Getting involved in the Arts

Author: Jeremy Wright
Access Arts Editor
Note: for opportunities outside of NSW, search 'arts' on the internet.

If you are reading this with any sort of interest, you would have bumped into "the Arts" by now, through school, via your parents or with friends. And hopefully you might think that it's either a great way to tap into the creative part of your body and mind, or a different way to meet people.

Otherwise you may consider the Arts a pursuit that has a female bias (which is very appealing if you happen to be looking for a girlfriend), or a low potential to generate good income, or simply too much of an intellectual or social indulgence.

The Arts may be all these things.

But the arts is also the most wonderful "laboratory" for developing a career that could take you into rock-n-roll, jazz music, films, TV, design, radio, architecture, fashion, or all sorts of main-stream activities that not only require creative talent but also rely on technical expertise and administrative support. You could also stay in the "laboratory" and play fine music, dance for a living, act or sing, to fully exercise your creative potential.

An alternative is to be part of the growing profession of Arts Administration.

If you haven't figured out your direction yet - there are still plenty of opportunities to investigate.

Still at school and you want to find a specialist school for the performing arts - the two schools in Sydney that focus on the performing arts are the McDonald college in Strathfield (www.mcdonald.nsw.edu.au) and the Sydney Conservatorium of Music (www.usyd.edu.au/su/conmusic). They both offer post Higher School Certificate courses, and the latter is linked with Sydney University and offers tertiary courses in Music as part of it's curriculum.

About to leave or have left school but you have a yearning - you were in the school band, drama club, did well at visual arts, design or practiced modern ballet every week at the local fitness studio - and now want to look into the arts a bit more seriously…there are alternatives in each area as follows:

• Visual Arts - you can't do better than investigate the Sydney College of the Arts in Rozelle (www.arts.usyd.edu.au), the University of NSW's College of Fine Arts in Paddington (www.cofa.unsw.edu.au), or the National Arts School in darlinghurst (www.nas.edu.au).
• Design & Fashion - The University of Technology, Sydney has an undergraduate (and post-graduate) courses (www.dab.uts.edu.au), with other courses at the National Art School (www.nas.edu.au) and the White House School of Fashion (www.whithouse-design.edu.au).
• Theatre & Drama - There are introductory courses available via the Australian Theatre for Young People (www.atyp.com.au). The more formal courses are available at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA - www.nida.com.au) and for all-round training for theatre, dance, voice and film there's the Ensemble Studios in Neutral Bay (www.ensemble.com.au). Otherwise the Universities all have their own drama clubs or societies (SUDS @ Sydney University & NUTS @ University of NSW for instance), that are a great way to learn about theatre and the performing arts while you're studying for another (serious ?) career.
• Dance - Apart from the many suburban Dance schools, a great place to go to develop your talent (for beginners to advanced) is the Sydney Dance Company's Dance Classes at Warf4/5 in The Rocks (www.sydneydance.com.au)
• Singing and Instrument Tuition - there are many private tutors all over Sydney but for excellent guidance and the best teachers, try the Conservatorium of Music, in the City (www.usyd.edu.au/su/conmusic)
• Film, Television and Radio - The Australian Film, Television and Radio School has a headquarters located in North Ryde in Sydney (www.aftrs.edu.au) and covers all these areas.

For a career in Arts Administration and Event Management, courses in Event Management and others that lead to a Batchelor of Business are available from the University of
Technology's School of Leisure, Sport and Tourism (www.business.uts.edu.au).
Postgraduate degrees in Arts Administration are also available from the University of NSW (www.cofa.unsw.edu.au).

And the other way of entering the industry is simply with business credentials and a desire to work in the area - and applying for jobs in Arts Administration, wherever normal jobs are advertised.

I hope this is helpful - and wish you the best in enjoying "the Arts".

Note:- for opportunities outside of NSW, search 'arts' on the internet.

'Copyright 2003 Youth 2 Youth'

Disclaimer: This article is for your information, but it may not apply to or be suitable for your situation, so seek professional advice. Youth 2 Youth or Y-Biz Hothouse cannot be held liable for anything resulting from how you use the information provided in this article.