Coming from overseas... where to start?

Created 11 Aug 2008, updated 31 March 2009 First you should look at the 'Looking for work' FAQ: http://www.theatre.asn.au/blog/na/looking_for_work_2 This is mainly aimed at young actors, which probably won't apply to most newly arrived people from overseas; unless you're only looking for amateur roles. Although usually I don't encourage work wanted posts, newly arrived folk looking for professional roles are welcome to do so because it not only introduces you to us, and vice versa, but assists us in providing more specific advice to you, your skill levels, and giving info about the location you intend on being/are in. This site is mainly aimed at an amateur community, and therefore most of the people and info pertains to that side of theatre. It should also be noted that Australia has vastly different industries depending on where you are. Most of the work can be found on the Eastern side of the country, particularly Sydney and Melbourne. Sydney is more of a professional, venue-oriented industry, whereas Melbourne is more fringe and small group oriented. However, there are also vibrant industries in Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth, as well as elsewhere in the country. Each capital has its own unique pros and cons; so telling us where you are/plan to be will help us immensely in offering decent advice. Generally speaking, you should plan ahead and look for work before arriving: the professional industry is small and roles are difficult to find, especially if the country is new. The following should help you a bit in finding out where the jobs are. The next step is to take a look at this link: http://www.theatre.asn.au/book_page/best_places_to_look_for_professional_theatre_auditions_and_tech_admin_work This is information provided by me after four years of running a free ezine that included jobs, and two years working at one of the top arts publications in the country. In that post is a set of bookmarks made freely available to all who want it. It lists many of the professional companies, venues and groups in this country (all for pro theatre only) and is set out in easy to find sections. There's one section called 'job hunting' which is very good to use to hunt for work in a range of areas; both tech and acting. Another good tip is to find out when and where local festivals are being presented. Large ones include the Melbourne Fringe Festival (Sept-Oct each year), the Melbourne International Arts Festival (Oct-Nov each year), the Melbourne Comedy Festival (Mar-April each year), the Adelaide Fringe, and so on... These festivals not only provide a lot of opportunity for professional roles (both tech and acting), give you some insight into what kinds of shows and groups are performing; and attending a show or two is always a good way to introduce yourself to like-minded people. Additionally, all major festivals offer voluntary roles, and is an excellent opportunity to not only make some good contacts, but also to get a little Aussie experience under your belt in a professional setting. For those looking for paid internships, you'll find that Australia doesn't work the same as the US or other countries - that is, there aren't any. We either have amateur roles or pro roles, but rarely anything in between. Additionally work experience here is usually saved for those who are still at school or university. Generally speaking, if you've worked extensively overseas, you should have no problems submitting a CV/resume to a local venue and seeing if they have any interest. For those actors out there, you should be getting yourself an agent, as most roles are not openly advertised and without one you'll find it difficult to obtain work. There are plenty of articles in the FAQ about finding an agent, where to look, etc. There are a number of good schools and universities available for training, depending on what you want to do. The most notable ones are NIDA in Sydney (http://www.nida.edu.au/), VCA in Melbourne (http://www.vca.unimelb.edu.au/) and WAAPA in Perth (http://www.waapa.ecu.edu.au/). However, there are excellent courses outside of these three, and you should look into what's available from a range of places. Additionally, there is Australia's only puppetry course at VCA (although a small component is also performed at Melbourne's Swinburne Uni, http://www.swinburne.edu.au/), and NICA (also Melbourne, http://www.nica.com.au/) is our country's only education institution for circus arts. Many of your questions may also be answered in other threads that cover this topic already: (an oldie but a goodie - especially for techies) http://www.theatre.asn.au/tech_talk/coming_to_oz_are_we_completely_insane http://www.theatre.asn.au/green_room_gossip/english_actress_coming_to_australia http://www.theatre.asn.au/node/2844 (a good one for teachers) http://www.theatre.asn.au/green_room_gossip/moving_to_australia_from_the_usa http://www.theatre.asn.au/forum_topic/melville_theatre_company_rebecca And of course, please read the rest of the FAQ for information on agents and where to find them. There's a number of good articles there on who to avoid as well.