Is Performing Arts College Right For You? Things to Know Before You Apply
30 September 2026Choosing what to do after your GCSEs is a big decision. For some students, the idea of spending their week training, rehearsing and performing sounds perfect. For others, a more traditional sixth form environment suits them better.
No single route is right for everyone, but if performing arts is something you’re genuinely passionate about, a specialist college could be the way to go. Here, you can develop your skills while studying a qualification alongside other young people who share your interests.
6 Questions to Ask Yourself
Do I learn by doing?
Performing arts training is practical. You’ll spend your time in studios and rehearsal spaces, developing your skills through classes, workshops, rehearsals, and performances rather than spending all day at a desk.
If you enjoy getting involved, trying things out, and learning through experience, you’ll feel right at home.
Would I enjoy performing arts being a big part of my week?
At a performing arts college, your passion isn’t something you have to squeeze in around other subjects, it’s at the heart of your timetable.
You could spend your week developing your technique, practicing performance material, rehearsing with others and exploring career avenues within the industry.
Do I enjoy being challenged and trying new things?
Training is all about development. You might discover a new style of dance, take on a character completely different to anything you’ve played before, or find yourself performing in an entirely new way.
You don’t need to be brilliant at everything from day one. Being curious and willing to give things a go is what matters.
Would I benefit from learning alongside people who share my passion?
One of the greatest things about specialist training is being surrounded by people who are just as enthusiastic about the performing arts as you are.
You’ll work collaboratively, make friends, share ideas and support each other throughout your training, while learning from people with different specialisms and strengths.
Am I ready to discover how much I’m capable of?
You don’t need to have your entire future career mapped out at 16.
Perhaps you already know you want to be a professional performer. Maybe you’re interested in choreography, directing, teaching or another area of the creative industries. Or perhaps you simply know that you want to get better at something you love.
Does the idea of performing excite me?
This might sound obvious, but it’s important. Do you get excited by being on stage? Learning a new routine? By working on a scene until it clicks? Do you look forward to your drama lessons?
If the answer is yes, that’s a pretty good place to start.
You don’t have to have it all figured out.
Perhaps the most important thing to remember is that you don’t have to arrive as a finished performer.
College is where you come to train, develop and discover more about yourself as a performer and a person. You’ll learn new skills, build confidence, explore different disciplines and find out where your interests could take you.
Performing Arts College vs Sixth Form
A specialist performing arts college offers a different kind of post-16 experience, with acting, dance, or musical theatre at the centre of your studies.
So, what actually is the difference?
Your Timetable
One of the biggest differences is how you spend your time.
At a traditional sixth form, you’ll usually study a small number of subjects, with most of your time spent in classroom-based lessons.
At a performing arts college, your timetable is built around your chosen discipline. You could spend your week in dance, acting or singing classes alongside rehearsals, workshops and performance projects.
That means you’re not just studying performing arts, you’re training in it.
Performance Opportunities
Another difference to consider is how many opportunities you’ll have to actually perform.
While sixth forms can offer productions, concerts and extracurricular performance opportunities, a specialist performing arts college has performances built into the training itself.
Rehearsing and performing aren’t just something you might do after lessons, they’re an important part of developing as a performer.
Your Learning Environment
There is also something to be said for the people you spend your time with.
At sixth form, you’ll be studying alongside students with a huge range of interests and ambitions. At a performing arts college, you’ll be surrounded by other young people who have chosen to pursue performing arts.
That doesn’t mean everyone will want the same career. One student may dream of performing in the West End, another might be interested in teaching, a third just bettering their skills. However, you’ll share an interest in performing arts and have the opportunity to learn from each other.
What About Your Future?
There isn’t a universal answer.
If you enjoy a broad academic programme and want to continue discovering several subjects, sixth form might be the right environment for you.
If you know that performing arts is something you want to dedicate more time to, you enjoy practical learning, and you want to train alongside other young performers, a specialist college could be worth exploring.
And you don’t necessarily have to decide based on a prospectus or website.
Visit. Ask questions. Take part in a class. Get a feel for the environment.
What Should You Look for When Choosing a Performing Arts College?
Once you’ve decided that performing arts college could be the route for you, the next step is choosing the right one.
Performing arts colleges can vary hugely in their offerings. When comparing your options, here are some questions worth asking:
- How much practical training will I actually receive?
- How big are the classes?
- What performance opportunities are available?
- Who will I learn from?
- What support is available?
- Where could the course take me?
The best way to compare colleges is to visit them! A website can tell you what a college offers but not what it feels like to be a student there.
Come and Experience It for Yourself
Our next Experience Day is on Wednesday 28th October, giving Year 10 and 11 students the chance to experience what life at Stageworks could actually be like.
You’ll have the opportunity to:
- Take part in practical workshops
- Receive guidance from industry professionals
- Meet current students
- Experience our training environment
- Find out more about studying acting, dance or musical theatre
- Ask questions about the college and our courses
You don’t need to know exactly what you want to do after your GCSEs, and you don’t need to be a perfectly polished performer. Come along, get involved, and see whether specialist performing arts training feels like the right next step for you.
