Acting schools are failing students
The traditional drama school model leaves graduates ill-equipped for the realities of a portfolio career. It is a disservice.
Iain Glen's career trajectory, like many successful actors, is less about institutional validation and more about relentless craft and strategic navigation of a brutal industry. The drama school fantasy of linear progression to stardom is a dangerous lie. We need radical apprenticeships and direct industry pipelines, not more antiquated degree programmes. When will we admit that most acting programmes are a gilded cage for talent?
Formal training provides essential foundational skills and a network. It instills discipline and theoretical depth often missing in self-taught individuals. A good drama school is a launchpad, not a cage.
- ·Industry relevance
- ·Skill development
- ·Career paths