CDMT Careers Conference, Teachers' Forum and Accredited Schools' Showcase Performance

This day provided a great chance for performing arts teachers, students and their parents to take a closer look at some of the excellent UK schools which offer opportunities for students wishing to further their training in the fields of dance, drama and musical theatre. The event – which was organised by the Council for Dance, Drama and Musical Theatre (CDMT) and hosted by the Urdang Academy – took place across three venues, The Old Finsbury Town Hall, Urdang 2 and the Shaw Theatre.

In the Old Finsbury Town Hall there were two events running simultaneously – The CDMT Careers Conference and the CDMT Teachers' Forum. Both events had access to the Market Place consisting of over 30 stands representing a wide array of schools, colleges, awarding organisations and specialist organisations. This provided a chance for students to look at a prospectus or syllabus for their chosen school or awarding organisation, discuss possible courses and find out more about some of the places where they might apply. Exhibitors were very helpful and enthusiastic about explaining what a student could study, what disciplines and styles were offered and where alumni were now performing. It was extremely useful to have all the stands in one place and to have experts on hand for prospective students to gather application forms and information about summer schools and open days in the various institutions. Parents could ask questions about fees and how training might be supported through scholarships, bursaries, Dance and Drama Awards and Higher Education funding. Advice was given on professional training, qualifications and teacher training. A variety of literature was available to take away, such as prospectuses, syllabuses, application forms, and even a DVD from Northern Ballet School which contains a film of dance students training in a variety of disciplines, an interview with the principal, and past students talking about their careers.