Retraining in the Arts seems to be attracting much coverage lately. From Government ministers drawing criticism for having the cheek to recommend learning new skills to ad campaigns being lambasted for promoting alternative careers.
Personally, I can’t see the problem and certainly wouldn’t deter others from improving themselves. Take one of my daughters, Hannah, who graduated as a dance professional this summer after 4-years of training in a studio for a minimum of 8 hours a day. There’s no industry at the moment, no cruise ships to join the cast of musical theatre and no Pantos to see who’s behind you. Rather sit back and wait for the world to deliver her a living she’s learning new skills. Qualified as Lifeguard yesterday, 3-weeks into a 6-month Personal Trainer course, a few months into a Yoga teaching qualification and working hard to build a social media following. She’s even laboured on a building site to maintain her core physical strength.
When the theatres return, I have a feeling Hannah will stand out from the crowd. But then, she’s probably picked up a few things from her Aunty Jules – a classically trained stage actor – who qualified as a Dog Groomer last week and will soon open the doors to a new business and career.
NICKMELVIN 