Acting: How to Apply

Bachelor of Performing Arts (Acting)

Audition Information

We audition all applicants and you do not need to have had prior acting experience. There are no academic or physical requirements beyond a basic level of health and fitness, and a willingness to take on the work.

All students must have turned 18 years of age by the first day of the first term. In 2013 this will be Monday 18 February.

This is an emotionally, intellectually and physically demanding course and our students need to bring to it a mature approach.

Advice

The better prepared you are with the audition pieces you select, the more relaxed you will feel. The more physically fit you are, the more relaxed you will be with the physical challenges handed to you in the audition. We also ask that you are open to negotiating and changing the decisions you have made with the work you present.

Anyone is welcome to come into the school to observe a class or to experience the ambience of Te Whaea. Please call to make a time.

Check out our Frequently Asked Questions for more about the acting auditions.

Application Process

Applicants must submit the  2012 – 13 Application Form along with the following:

• four current passport sized photos
• verified copies of your academic transcripts (see Frequently Asked Questions)
• two written references using this reference form
• the audition workshop fee of $110

Successful applicants must be 18 years of age by Monday 18 February 2013 for entry in 2013.

All applicants are given an initial audition. Our panel of tutors travels throughout New Zealand to audition applicants, and you will be allocated either a morning or afternoon audition. It takes around 3 hours.

Dates: Mon 3 – Sat 15 September

Centres: Dunedin, Christchurch, Auckland, Wellington, Rotorua, Hawkes Bay (exact venue details tbc).

All applicants are auditioned by an audition panel consisting of one or more staff members of Toi Whakaari and a local representative. Applicants are required to prepare two contrasting audition pieces and one unaccompanied song, each no more than two minutes long. We strongly suggest auditionees choose one NZ or international contemporary piece and one classical piece. Pieces should be drawn from published texts and must be performed from memory in front of the audition panel. Self-devised pieces are not acceptable. Applicants may also be asked to improvise an idea and are given the opportunity to demonstrate other abilities.

Once initial auditions are completed, around 40 short-listed applicants are invited by mail to attend a recall weekend at the School in Wellington. This year’s recall will take place between 3pm Fri 26 October and 9pm Sun 28 October. The recall weekend consists of further interviews, auditions and classes, as well as a ticket to the Toi Whakaari production of The Last Days of Judas Iscariot on the Saturday night. From this group of recallees the national audition panel selects the successful applicants and notifies all applicants of their decision by mail.

Money

Fees for 2013 are yet to be confirmed. In 2012 tuition fees are $5742 ( incl GST).  There is also a Student Services Levy of approximately $300 – $450 per year (subject to confirmation). Students need to buy a small amount of equipment, and some texts. It is also recommended that students allocate an additional $1000 to $1500 per annum for associated course costs.

Students should contact  StudyLink as soon as possible prior to the beginning of the school year to start the application process.

International Students

Toi Whakaari welcomes applications from overseas students. Acting applicants may submit a filmed audition (DVD or digital file). If applicants are selected, they must be available to attend the recall weekend in Wellington in late October each year.

Overseas students are not eligible for any government support while studying at the school and have to pay full tuition fees as outlined below:

Annual Tuition Fees for international students beginning in 2012 ($NZ):

Year 1 2012 $27,815

Year 2 2013 $28,925

Year 3 2014 $30,085

Additional costs:

• pastoral care fee of $250
• student services levy of up to $450 dependent on the course of study
• the student must also cover all personal insurance costs.

Check out the International Students information document for more information.

Receive Information on the Course

If you want to receive more information on the acting course then simply fill out your details below and what you would like to receive and we’ll get it in the post for you.