If you’re looking to become an actor in Canada and join the likes of other great Canadian actors then there are a few steps you’re going to need to consider before making the leap. Firstly it will be important to have the right credentials and experience needed to acquire potential roles.
Where education may not fully be required in order to pursue acting in Canada it is detrimental to your potential success. Having a great foundation of knowledge and skills will help to secure potential gigs. More knowledge is never a bad thing and will also help you when it comes time to perform. When you are knowledgeable and confident in your abilities as an actor, that is when you truly can shine.
Where to Learn Acting in Canada?
As far as traditional education goes, many actors may play it safe and look to secure a bachelor’s degree in theatre or a related field. On the other hand many actors may choose to attend a theatre or acting school in order to gain adequate training and experience. Other options may include; workshops, drama classes or self study.
As for theatre classes and schools in Canada that offer training in acting you may want to look into: the National Theatre School of Canada, University of Toronto’s Department of Drama, and the University of British Columbia’s Department of Theater and film. These programs usually include a mixture of theoretical and practical courses and offer opportunities for students to participate in school productions to gain experience in the field.
The National Theatre School of Canada (NTS)
NTS is a private institution of professional theatre studies located in Montreal, Quebec. It was established in 1960 and receives its primary funding from grants provided by the Government of Canada and by cultural ministries of the provinces, and also receives additional financial support from private and corporate donors. It offers education and training in theatre in Quebec. This can also be a great option for any French speaking actors as French is Montreal and Quebecs mother language. NTS offers professional training programs in both French and English.
The National Theatre School of Canada offers an acting program that is highly individualized only accepting 14 students a year maximum, this is a full-time course that lasts 3 years.
The Acting program is designed to provide individualized training with a focus on developing long-lasting professional relationships, while also providing hands-on experience across a range of venues. Throughout the program, students will have daily interactions with professional artists working in theatres across the country. Additionally, the program has partnerships with leading theatre organizations such as the Stratford and Shaw Festivals, as well as other professional artistic organizations, to aid in the transition to professional life after graduation.
The program is intense and immersive, exposing students to various theatre styles and techniques through core training in voice, movement, text, music, and acting with the camera, classical texts, musical theater, and contemporary works. The ultimate goal of the program is to foster the development of resilient and sustainable artistic expression for each student, guiding them to become powerful and independent artists.
In order to attend NTS you must fill out an application form and pay a registration fee. You also must be at least 18 years old the year of entry. After that you will have an initial audition where the applicants are asked to perform two short monologues which must not exceed 4 minutes collectively. It is asked that one monologue is from a classical repertoire which is only to be chosen from the available list provided by the school where the other is one that is from a contemporary category. Following the monologue performances a few select candidates will be called back for a workshop held over 4 days. The callback is a series of classes and workshops which consist of normal training methods at NTS.
Toronto Film School (TFS)
TFS is a highly ranked film school that offers a fast-paced, hands-on, and collaborative learning environment to prepare students for successful careers in film, design, video games, or fashion. It provides students with a supportive community of award-winning instructors and a network of creative peers to help them align their career aspirations with their talents.
The acting program at this school is designed to help students become complete actors. The program is 18 months long and starts four times per year. It is taught by a faculty of accomplished actors who have worked in productions such as The Handmaid's Tale, American Gods, Orphan Black, and Taken.
The program blends film and television acting with stage technique, using the Stanislavski method, and it covers a range of artistic, technical, and business areas of acting. The curriculum includes hands-on training in movement, voice, improvisation, and other areas such as screenwriting, pitching, producing, directing, video editing, auditioning and career management. During the current term, some classes are offered through remote-synchronous delivery.
Vancouver Academy of Dramatic Arts (VADA)
VADA is a highly respected acting academy that was established in 2000. It started as a small part-time institution but soon expanded to meet the growing demand for professional acting classes. Despite facing setbacks like relocations due to fire damage, the school's reputation and success continued to grow.
Now, after more than a decade, VADA has trained thousands of actors from around the world, and is known for its effective training methods and techniques. Many of its graduates have gone on to have successful careers in mainstream television, feature films, and commercials.
VADA Studios offers an “Intro to Acting Class: Pace 1". This class is an introductory course that covers the basics of on-camera acting, including audition etiquette, commercial auditions, and on-camera cold reads. It covers the fundamentals that are necessary for an actor to be successful in film and television. The course spans 8 weeks and includes scene study, which focuses on character development and script analysis techniques.
The course also covers technical aspects of acting on camera. Upon completion of the course, actors are eligible to move on to more advanced classes that build upon the skills learned in PACE 1. Other classes offered by Vada include: Dramatic Arts Program Diploma, Fundamentals of Accent Training, Ongoing Scene Study and On Camera Audition.
Should I get an Acting Coach?
If you require additional support for your future acting career you may want to look into hiring a tutor. There are huge benefits when it comes to having a personal tutor. Having a tutor allows you to learn on your own time as much or little as you’d like. Another benefit of having a tutor is the potential for more hands-on learning with an experienced teacher and having someone always available to you to ask any and all questions you may come up with regarding acting. Having a tutor might just help you land your next job and increase your income.
Superprof tutoring is extremely affordable starting as low as $10 per class and has an average class cost of $15 dollars being able to fit into any budget. There are also tons of options for tutors local or worldwide. Simply browse our site and find a tutor that fits your criteria. You also need not worry as all credentials of potential tutors are listed for you to see. For example you may be looking into film acting and so you would find a tutor who matches those credentials.
Superprof is an organization of dedicated individuals who are passionate about sharing their knowledge. The team is composed of individuals from various countries, such as France, Belgium, Spain, the United States, Brazil, Italy, Germany, England, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, India, Colombia, the Netherlands, Japan, Indonesia, Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Korea, and Austria. They work together at the "Embassy of Knowledge" in Paris, utilizing their fluency in multiple languages to assist individuals in expressing their passions across 39 countries, in 18 languages and providing support 24 hours a day.
Conclusion
Becoming an actor is no easy feat and takes a lot of effort both physically and emotionally. As an actor you must be willing to train and fine tune your skills. You must also be dedicated to your craft and have a willingness to continuously work on building your network to find future employment. Being proactive in this regard may allow you to find more auditions for roles, and to build a strong stable network of industry contacts to call upon whenever and wherever needed.
While a formal education in acting can be helpful, it is not always necessary, and there are many different paths that aspiring actors can take to develop their skills and build their careers. We at Superprof believe that everyone should be a lifelong learner, after all, knowledge really is power and can help empower your efforts while trying to become an actor in Canada.
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