Tinkerbell Posted August 20, 2020 Share Posted August 20, 2020 Hi, I'm looking for some help please. Has anyone got any reviews on EPA academy of performing arts? https://www.epa-academy.co.uk/ I'm in a situation where my daughter is collateral damage to recent events in the Scottish Highlands with potentially no school to attend in September or finish her degree, she is very interested in the above school as one of her teachers in Highlands is head of dance. Any help would be very much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drdance Posted August 20, 2020 Share Posted August 20, 2020 Sorry to hear your DD has been affected by all of this. I don’t know anything about the college itself but I would always be interested in the destinations of their graduates, and the percentage of each year group who get jobs (or who go into further training). To me it looks like a very commercial course preparing dancers for work in cruises, entertainment industry etc so that might be a consideration ( and a potential change in focus from her previous course?). I also always encourage any parent or prospective student to find out about student wellbeing, healthcare, physio/sports therapist, counsellor/psych support and to check out all policies and procedures thoroughly. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinkerbell Posted August 20, 2020 Author Share Posted August 20, 2020 4 minutes ago, drdance said: Sorry to hear your DD has been affected by all of this. I don’t know anything about the college itself but I would always be interested in the destinations of their graduates, and the percentage of each year group who get jobs (or who go into further training). To me it looks like a very commercial course preparing dancers for work in cruises, entertainment industry etc so that might be a consideration ( and a potential change in focus from her previous course?). I also always encourage any parent or prospective student to find out about student wellbeing, healthcare, physio/sports therapist, counsellor/psych support and to check out all policies and procedures thoroughly. Hi thank you for your reply, she has been ballet vocational trained for 7 years now but is wanting to change direction hence why she is looking at EPA x 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluebird22 Posted August 20, 2020 Share Posted August 20, 2020 London Studio Centres are accepting applications until 1st September, they have a degree course (which helps with funding) there is also access to teaching qualifications after graduating through bbodance, not sure if your dd was also doing the RAD teaching course? A student from the school I work for went to EPA, don’t know much about her experience as she wasn’t my student and didn’t stay in touch with the school, but she was a very strong MT performer with an incredible voice. Her strengths were definitely more MT, commercial, jazz rather than ballet or contemporary. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DancingShoes Posted August 20, 2020 Share Posted August 20, 2020 Northern Ballet School are also advertising that they have places on both the classical and jazz courses x 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinkerbell Posted August 20, 2020 Author Share Posted August 20, 2020 thank you, we believe Northern Ballet School Manchester is DaDA funding and we would not get anything to help, so its too expensive x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dancing unicorn Posted August 20, 2020 Share Posted August 20, 2020 Hiya You say it’s only to finish degree, how about KS Dance Warrington! Highly recommend 💗 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinkerbell Posted August 20, 2020 Author Share Posted August 20, 2020 2 hours ago, DancingShoes said: Northern Ballet School are also advertising that they have places on both the classical and jazz courses x Hi thank you.. yes this is an option but she doesn't really want to pursue ballet anymore, I believe one of my daughters friends from her current Highland school is going to KS x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jewel Posted August 20, 2020 Share Posted August 20, 2020 I once chaperoned two young children who came from their part time school when it was simply known as Expressions. I’ve always known it as a commercial/musical theatre school. I’ve always perceived it to have a good reputation but it’s never been up with the Birds & Laines of this world. However in recent years their calibre of teachers has been excellent and I’ve heard the principal is well liked 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinkerbell Posted August 20, 2020 Author Share Posted August 20, 2020 Its been the principal who has called me today she was very helpful, Since I posted this thread my DD has been offered a place Bird have offered her an audition but to get the audition material that they require within 3 days is near impossible, we still have a 7 hour car drive up to the Highlands to empty her accommodation asap xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DancingShoes Posted August 20, 2020 Share Posted August 20, 2020 32 minutes ago, Tinkerbell said: Hi thank you.. yes this is an option but she doesn't really want to pursue ballet anymore, I believe one of my daughters friends from her current Highland school is going to KS x Might be worth speaking to them as there have been some changes over the summer. The jazz focus is very musical theatre based x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluebird22 Posted August 20, 2020 Share Posted August 20, 2020 We had less than 48 hours to get audition video done and sent in, one very late night and no dinner breaks later the offer came! The first time I’ve slept properly since the news broke! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiz Posted August 20, 2020 Share Posted August 20, 2020 2 hours ago, Tinkerbell said: Its been the principal who has called me today she was very helpful, Since I posted this thread my DD has been offered a place Bird have offered her an audition but to get the audition material that they require within 3 days is near impossible, we still have a 7 hour car drive up to the Highlands to empty her accommodation asap xx Tinkerbell, I really feel for you all. Fingers crossed that everything works out for the best. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glowlight Posted August 20, 2020 Share Posted August 20, 2020 Wishing your dd all the best @Tinkerbell. And congratulation @Bluebird22's young person on their place. It's good to hear some positive news, and also good to hear that other institutions are opening up options to these students. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peanut68 Posted August 21, 2020 Share Posted August 21, 2020 Just a bystander here really, but have many (even if they’ve not felt personally ‘affected’) decided to leave a certain institution recently making headlines? Has not an ‘emergency’ interim team been put in place to run it? I can only imagine how I would feel as a parent & likely would pull my young person regardless of financial penalties/education & qualification worries but my heart goes out to those in this awful position not of their making. I truly hope relevant places (& funding) can be found for any seeking to continue their degrees/training etc. Good luck to all & stay strong! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinkerbell Posted August 21, 2020 Author Share Posted August 21, 2020 Thank you Yes, they have decided to leave the place in recent headlines, they have no choice! Yes the Uni that was accredited to the said school have stepped in and are trying to make a new course for the students but we are not sure who would be teaching and what level of dance they would be receiving. I know of at least 3 that have now decided to take a completely different dance route. It's been the worst week ever, trying to get new schools where they can carry on with there BA (Hons) degree, and said school have not been in contact to offer any help with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted August 21, 2020 Share Posted August 21, 2020 If people haven’t already, I would always advise speaking to Student Finance if you received funding from them. Not sure about Scotland but SFE offer not only an extra “gift” year (so funding is available for 4 years if your course is 3 years) - this in effect allows you to restart a different 3 yr degree if you withdraw after the first year. They also suggest you get in touch with them ASAP should you be unable to continue or finish your degree due to circumstances outside your control (ill health and so on). I would expect the current circumstances and investigation to be something SFE consider to be outside the student’s control. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WrapsnBows Posted August 21, 2020 Share Posted August 21, 2020 I don’t know your finance situation but two years ago this week my daughter was left wondering what todo as didn’t get her chosen PA Collages as we went for the diploma as didn’t want to get tied up with student finances and her fall back was to go and do phycology as a BA bit her Alevels were one grade off her chosen uni so it was a bad time as all decent uni places for MT’s had gone until we spoke to a friend who was at the hammond and she told us to phone them so we did and my daughter is now going into her 3rd year but on clearing Chester uni said it was full!!! Damn nightmare of a few weeks sorting accommodation, student finance, declining and applying for a new course..... but we did it and my daughter has loved it!! as far as EPA I know our local collage which is just a normal college sends all their students to EPA, one girl who is going into her 2nd year went without any dance related exams or vocal apart from a btec in PA. and another friend has gone this year both at 18. Don’t be surprised if your DD Dosnt shine above the rest........ hope you manage to get it sorted xxx 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluebird22 Posted August 21, 2020 Share Posted August 21, 2020 @Anna C That is really helpful! Thank you 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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