15 months after graduating
95% of our performing arts graduates are in work or further study*
Studying at the Plymouth
Conservatoire will open a wide
range of career choices. You could look at channelling your creative talents by
pursuing a career in the theatre. If you want to be on stage, then a career as
a professional actor or dancer may appeal. If you do not want to perform but
you are creative, you may enjoy roles such as directing, producing, playwriting
or theatre/set design. If you are more practical, you may want to consider
roles such as lighting technician, music technician or stage manager.
Roles can be competitive and once you have your foot in
the door, many of the positions involve freelance work. To find out more about freelancing
or running your own business, check out our Self-employment and Freelancing page.
Due to the variety of transferable skills that you will
gain from studying the performing arts, you could hone your skills to attract
audiences and promote shows by working as a marketing officer or marketing
manager.
You could also use your creative skills to inspire others
and work as a teacher (i.e., primary, secondary, or in further education) or
higher education lecturer. Teaching opportunities are also available outside of
a traditional classroom setting and you could consider using your artistic
flair to engage with people as a Community Arts Practitioner.
If you believe in the power of theatre to help improve and transform people’s lives – such as those of
individuals who are facing mental or physical health difficulties – you could consider
training as a dramatherapist. Dramatherapists work in a variety of settings,
including the NHS, schools, prisons and charities.
When considering your options, remember that having an
online digital presence (e.g., Instagram or a website) is essential to
presenting your experience to potential employers and evidencing your skills.
It is worth remembering that many performing arts graduates
take the skills that they have learnt elsewhere and find their way into less
directly-related graduate professions, including marketing, the civil service
and the charity sector.
Researching your
career options
With such a wide range
of careers open to you as a performing arts graduate, it is important to
make sure you explore and research your options thoroughly so that you can make
informed decisions about your future.
Take a look at the following websites for inspiration:
Employment Opportunities
Below is a snapshot of what some University of Plymouth
graduates told us they were doing 15 months after graduation. For some
graduates, these jobs serve as ‘stepping stones’ to other roles by
providing relevant workplace experience.
- Actor
- Aerial Choreographer
- Artist
- Artistic Director Choreographer And Performer
- Assistant Director and Sales Delivery Manager
- Assistant Manager
- Broadcast Assistant/Journalism Coordinator
- Content Creator
- Dance Practictioner
- Dance Teacher
- Digital Marketing Manager
- Duty Manager
- Educational Outreach Manager
- Funding And Sustainability Officer
- Illustrator
- Managing Director, Creator And Founder
- Managing Producer
- Needs Facilitator
- Patient Support Champion
- Performance Artist
- Performer And Admin Events
- Photographer
- Programme Coordinator
- Remote Educational Content Creator And Tutor
- Sports Commentator
- Stone Merchant
- Student Engagement And Liaison
- Supply Teacher
- Swing Technician
- Theatre And Live Performing Artist
- Theatre Practitioner
- Website Manager
- Youth Worker
Employers
- Activate Management Ltd
- BBC
- Dinky Dock Soft Play and Hire
- Ebb & Flow Dance Studio
- EMIS Health
- Exim Dance Company
- Explore Learning
- Full Table Productions
- HSBC
- Invertava Dance Collective
- Med Theatre
- Silver Rooms
- Tutor Hero
- Yskynna
*Data is from the Graduate Outcomes Surveys of 2017/18 and 2018/19. Graduates were surveyed 15 months after graduating. Data displayed is for 47 UK-domiciled, first degree, full-time graduates who are working, studying or looking for work.