Lesson Element
Unit 1: Prepare to work in the performing arts
sector
The beginnings of a promotional strategy
Instructions and answers for tutors
These instructions cover the learner activity section which can be found on page 4. This
Lesson Element supports Cambridge Technicals Level 3 in Performing Arts.
When distributing the activity section to the learners either as a printed copy or as a
Word file you will need to remove the tutor instructions section.
The activity
This lesson element will begin the process of developing a promotional and progression
strategy for learners. These will be specific to the needs and skills of the learner but the
following activities will give common starting points for these strategies.
Promotional materials will all look very different for musicians, dancers, actors and
technicians but they will all need to talk to professionals in the sector, think about how their
skills (and personalities) can be presented and know what particular kinds of contract will
come up in their niche area of work.
The activities will be based on the assumption that the learners are on the threshold of
professional work rather than progression to further training, but they could project
themselves forward to a place where further training through university or specialist school
has taken place.
Suggested timings
Activity1: 1 hour
Activity 2: 45 minutes
Activity 3:1 hour
ABC – This activity offers an
opportunity for English skills
development.
Activity 1
Ask you learners to write a short profile (100 words) that sums up their skills and techniques
and the personality traits or transferable skills that they feel would be an advantage in a
range of professional roles/jobs.
Preliminary work could look at what these transferable skills are, one source for these can be
found at https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/Pages/Home.aspx
However the main point is to have some fun and get used to the idea of being snappy yet
succinct and to develop editing skills, this will become important in the development later on
of showreels and music demos. It also encourages the use of the phone as an aid in
documenting work, which is currently an underused resource.
You could also reference The Apprentice opening statements.
Activity 2
Learners should use Case Studies at some point in the delivery of this unit to be able
research and possibly replicate the approaches and strategies of working professionals in
the sector.
This activity is intended to design a questionnaire that gets the maximum information from
professionals; learners will have limits on how many questions they can ask so there will be
a need to be clear and focused on the information required.
The activity will also have implications for general research methodology which also asks for
clearly designed questions, ones that are open and inspiring but ones that also gain the
maximum amount of relevant material from the interviewee.
A limit of five questions could be put on the questionnaire.
Examples could be:

Describe the route you took in getting to be a professional
actor/singer/dancer/designer?

What was the best advice you ever had?

What advice would you give to an aspiring performer/designer/technician?

What do you do to maintain skills and techniques?

What’s been one of the most fruitful methods of getting work for you?
Again, questions will depend entirely on the art-form and role but the general context should
remain the same
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Activity 3
One of the things that learners sometimes complain about is the level of commitment and
professionalism their fellow students have. This is more common amongst performance
groups where a lot of time can be wasted in waiting for late performers or in postponing
rehearsals when people don’t turn up at all.
This simple activity is intended to be a preliminary exercise before learners do more in depth
research into sector employment contracts and conditions of service. A full list of these can
be found on union/professional association websites and at www.uktheatre.org
Learners should work in groups to decide what they would expect during rehearsal and
performance periods of all members of a company, in whatever capacity.
They could consider:

Working hours.

Punctuality.

Breaks.

Remuneration/expenses.

Communication and reasonable expectations of behaviour.

Keeping to schedules and deadlines.

Notice to quit/be released.
Not all these will be relevant to their situation but at least the discussion could decide on the
scope of such contracts and what can be reasonably asked of fellow artists.
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Lesson Element
Unit 1: Prepare to work in the performing arts
Learner Activity
The beginnings of a promotional strategy
In this lesson you will begin to put together the materials and information you will need for
your marketing strategy; the strategy you will need to develop to get work and to place
yourself in the optimum place for sustaining this work.
Most of this research and development will be down to you ultimately, as you are unique in
your skills and approaches and you will know exactly what kind of work you will want and
what kind of company or arts organisation you will want to work for.
The activities will give you an indication of the general approaches you will need to take; they
will involve:

Editing and presenting a succinct profile.

Asking the right questions of working professionals.

Developing a professional approach to work.
Activity 1
Write a short profile. This should highlight your skills and personality in a way that will appeal
to a range of jobs that you are thinking about. Don’t get too specific, in other words, you will
want to give general statements and maybe make an impression over and above what you
are actually qualified to do.
Someone looking at it might say ‘she doesn’t actually have what I want in skills but I’m going
to take a chance on her – she has the right attitude and approach and can obviously learn
fast’!
You will work in groups and record the short profile as a presentation on the camcorder of
your phone. Record it a few times, see how it can be improved and what can be taken
out/added.
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Activity 2
Part of your research into your chosen professional route and your development of a
promotional strategy for getting work will be asking questions of working professionals. They
will give you first-hand accounts of the trials and tribulations of working in the sector and may
also provide short-cuts through to the right places to go and people to see.
They will also be realistic about how likely work will be in your early years and how money
you might make! To get the most useful answers you will need to design focused questions,
ones that will ‘open up’ your interviewee and maximise the information that you get back.
If you can get to someone ‘live’, a face-to-face interview would be more useful and you can
have a longer conversation. But if we assume an emailed questionnaire it would be better to
think of five focused questions that you could ask.
Artist Management sites could be a place to start, for instance the Co-operative Personal
Management Association members are much more likely to respond to a request for an
interview with one of the clients. www.cpma.coop
Activity 3
Working in small groups and have a discussion about professional attitudes and working
contracts. You could start with listing those things that might annoy you about working within
groups during rehearsals and classes.
General moaning might not be that helpful and productive but it will help you to understand
what can reasonably or unreasonably be put into a contract.
Start by including the things that can be put into a contract:

Being on time.

Regular attendance.

Bringing the right equipment/clothing.

Reasonable behaviour towards others.

Keeping to deadlines (line-learning etc).
Are the following clauses also reasonable?

Level of energy/commitment.

Keeping fit.

Maintenance of instrument.
Discuss how you would put these into contracts (or a letter offering employment).
What else might go into a contract if, for instance there was money and timescale involved?
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