Carl Zurhorst: Dream to go to BOVTS
Donation protected
CAMPAIGN DEADLINE: JULY 7, 2015
Hi! My name is Carl Zurhorst. I am a 23-year-old developing stage and screen actor, just completing the wonderful 2-year program at the William Esper Studio in New York City for Meisner technique-based method acting.
Prior to this training I've had experience touring with the Damn Yankees 2012 national tour, several NYC productions, some music videos, and I've kept myself involved with film doing extra work over the years I've been studying.
Many serious actors will tell you that, no matter what your goal may be, there is no substitute for training in England.
I’m proud and humbled to have been accepted as one of only a few US actors to attend the one year Masters Program in Professional Acting for International Students at the very prestigious Bristol Old Vic Theatre School beginning in September (they only accept up to 14 students each year, making it a very selective and concentrated program.)
The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, or BOVTS, in Bristol England, was founded in 1946 by Sir Lawrence Olivier as a feeder school to the Bristol Old Vic Theater, an offshoot of the Old Vic Theater in London.
BOVTS has developed into one of the premiere acting schools in the world, producing actors who are household names in the United States, and worldwide, including Gene Wilder, Daniel Day Lewis, Jeremy Irons, Patrick Stewart, Samantha Bond, Naomie Harris, among others
I am so excited about this incredible opportunity, and being "a young, aspiring actor", need some financial assistance to get there. (That's why I'm appealing to you for help.)
I have learned that, as a British institution, eligibility for BOVTS to accept US student loans recently lapsed. They are re-applying, but reinstatement won’t come in time for me to attend in the fall and I can’t defer.
Based on current exchange rates, the total cost for an international student to attend BOVTS will be either just above, or just below, $45,000 for a combination of the tuition and the required British Tier 4 visa cost-of-living reserve.
Making this more complicated is the requirement that the total amount for tuition and living expenses has to be in an account a month before applying for the Tier 4 visa…and a $10, 400 non-refundable deposit due before that.
I was relying on being able to use a student loan and, in spite of working very hard as a bike messenger and consultant, living and studying in New York City has left me, and my very supportive family, with no reserves. P.S. living in NYC is expensive.
Although my family and I continue seeking alternatives, without knowing I can follow-through on attending, we can’t afford to commit the deposit, which we had planned to charge to a credit card until the student loan came through. I am seeking other sources of funding, including loans, but so far... nothing.
My ridiculously optimistic request is to ask each of you watching this to help sponsor my attendance at BOVTS.
I would welcome the opportunity to meet or talk with you, and I will be pleased to provide references. Please also check my website at www.carlzurhorst.com
Anything helps, and I thank you all greatly for whatever support you can offer.
-Carl
Q: Why does all the money have to be paid now?
A: To prevent visiting students from becoming destitute, British law wants to make sure there is enough money in reserve for a student to stay in school for at least the duration of the semester and have food and shelter for at least 9 months. The way they do this is to require any unpaid tuition (after the deposit is paid) and at least 9 months of living expenses as calculated by the government, be held in an account for 28 days before, and during the visa application process. These funds can then be drawn down while the student is in the UK.
Q: Why didn’t you know about the problem with US student loans before now?
A: It was only as we were applying for the student loan that we found out there was a problem. When we asked, the school confirmed the loss of eligibility was recent, so this came as a real surprise.
Q: What does your family do?
A: My Mother is an urgent care nurse and laboratory technician at a rural hospital. My father is the Community Relations Director for a non-profit public and social services transportation provider. My brother will be entering his senior year of college in the fall.
Q: Why not go to a US acting school?
A: I have been at the highly-acclaimed William Esper Studio (and one of the top 25 Best Drama Schools in the world) in New York City for 2 years and attended their summer intensive before that. Since attending the Guildhall summer intensive in London last year and speaking to people in the industry whom I trust, the next logical step is to attend a full program at a British school for their unique perspective on acting and so I can learn and become learned in a classical training. I would then return to the US and launch my career.
Q: What do you want to do with your acting career?
A: Acting, and really performing in any genre, is about telling stories to help us understand ourselves, the world, and our relationship to the world. Even in a seemingly mindless comedy play, dance video or action film, the characters and plots have something to say to us individually and/or collectively. To me, whether it is “legitimate” or musical theater, motion picture, television or web, I want to help tell stories that will somehow connect the people of the world. I also hope to direct in one or more of these media. It may sound cheesy, but I want to help open the eyes and hearts of those who have been stifled, to spread hope and inspiration to the far reaches of the planet. One of the best quotes I’ve heard my wonderful teacher, Barbara Marchant, at William Esper Studio say, “As actors, we are the doctors of the soul.” As an actor, I can help people find humanity and life in such a dehumanizing world as ours can sometimes tend be. I love acting, and I intend to delve into all forms throughout my life.
Hi! My name is Carl Zurhorst. I am a 23-year-old developing stage and screen actor, just completing the wonderful 2-year program at the William Esper Studio in New York City for Meisner technique-based method acting.
Prior to this training I've had experience touring with the Damn Yankees 2012 national tour, several NYC productions, some music videos, and I've kept myself involved with film doing extra work over the years I've been studying.
Many serious actors will tell you that, no matter what your goal may be, there is no substitute for training in England.
I’m proud and humbled to have been accepted as one of only a few US actors to attend the one year Masters Program in Professional Acting for International Students at the very prestigious Bristol Old Vic Theatre School beginning in September (they only accept up to 14 students each year, making it a very selective and concentrated program.)
The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, or BOVTS, in Bristol England, was founded in 1946 by Sir Lawrence Olivier as a feeder school to the Bristol Old Vic Theater, an offshoot of the Old Vic Theater in London.
BOVTS has developed into one of the premiere acting schools in the world, producing actors who are household names in the United States, and worldwide, including Gene Wilder, Daniel Day Lewis, Jeremy Irons, Patrick Stewart, Samantha Bond, Naomie Harris, among others
I am so excited about this incredible opportunity, and being "a young, aspiring actor", need some financial assistance to get there. (That's why I'm appealing to you for help.)
I have learned that, as a British institution, eligibility for BOVTS to accept US student loans recently lapsed. They are re-applying, but reinstatement won’t come in time for me to attend in the fall and I can’t defer.
Based on current exchange rates, the total cost for an international student to attend BOVTS will be either just above, or just below, $45,000 for a combination of the tuition and the required British Tier 4 visa cost-of-living reserve.
Making this more complicated is the requirement that the total amount for tuition and living expenses has to be in an account a month before applying for the Tier 4 visa…and a $10, 400 non-refundable deposit due before that.
I was relying on being able to use a student loan and, in spite of working very hard as a bike messenger and consultant, living and studying in New York City has left me, and my very supportive family, with no reserves. P.S. living in NYC is expensive.
Although my family and I continue seeking alternatives, without knowing I can follow-through on attending, we can’t afford to commit the deposit, which we had planned to charge to a credit card until the student loan came through. I am seeking other sources of funding, including loans, but so far... nothing.
My ridiculously optimistic request is to ask each of you watching this to help sponsor my attendance at BOVTS.
I would welcome the opportunity to meet or talk with you, and I will be pleased to provide references. Please also check my website at www.carlzurhorst.com
Anything helps, and I thank you all greatly for whatever support you can offer.
-Carl
Q: Why does all the money have to be paid now?
A: To prevent visiting students from becoming destitute, British law wants to make sure there is enough money in reserve for a student to stay in school for at least the duration of the semester and have food and shelter for at least 9 months. The way they do this is to require any unpaid tuition (after the deposit is paid) and at least 9 months of living expenses as calculated by the government, be held in an account for 28 days before, and during the visa application process. These funds can then be drawn down while the student is in the UK.
Q: Why didn’t you know about the problem with US student loans before now?
A: It was only as we were applying for the student loan that we found out there was a problem. When we asked, the school confirmed the loss of eligibility was recent, so this came as a real surprise.
Q: What does your family do?
A: My Mother is an urgent care nurse and laboratory technician at a rural hospital. My father is the Community Relations Director for a non-profit public and social services transportation provider. My brother will be entering his senior year of college in the fall.
Q: Why not go to a US acting school?
A: I have been at the highly-acclaimed William Esper Studio (and one of the top 25 Best Drama Schools in the world) in New York City for 2 years and attended their summer intensive before that. Since attending the Guildhall summer intensive in London last year and speaking to people in the industry whom I trust, the next logical step is to attend a full program at a British school for their unique perspective on acting and so I can learn and become learned in a classical training. I would then return to the US and launch my career.
Q: What do you want to do with your acting career?
A: Acting, and really performing in any genre, is about telling stories to help us understand ourselves, the world, and our relationship to the world. Even in a seemingly mindless comedy play, dance video or action film, the characters and plots have something to say to us individually and/or collectively. To me, whether it is “legitimate” or musical theater, motion picture, television or web, I want to help tell stories that will somehow connect the people of the world. I also hope to direct in one or more of these media. It may sound cheesy, but I want to help open the eyes and hearts of those who have been stifled, to spread hope and inspiration to the far reaches of the planet. One of the best quotes I’ve heard my wonderful teacher, Barbara Marchant, at William Esper Studio say, “As actors, we are the doctors of the soul.” As an actor, I can help people find humanity and life in such a dehumanizing world as ours can sometimes tend be. I love acting, and I intend to delve into all forms throughout my life.
Organizer
Carl Zurhorst
Organizer
New York, NY
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