Help Get This Key Worker Through RADA
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Hello - firstly, thank you for taking the time to view my fundraiser!
My name’s Reece Miller and I’m from West London. This time last year I was delivering groceries through the pandemic thinking that maybe my dream of being an actor was over. However after applying for a 7th year in a row, I’m over the moon to finally say that I’ve been offered a place at the world renowned RADA!!!!!!!
Graduates of The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art are some of the best actors in the world. I’ve been thinking about getting into RADA and working towards that every single day for the last 7 years, and this is my shot at finally realising that dream.
- Around 4,000-5,000 actors apply each year from all around the world, for only 28 places. The auditions process spans 8 months over 4 rounds. I've put myself through this for 7 years, as that's how badly I want to train at RADA, making it to the last round on three previous attempts. Each year brought with it a ton of line learning and preparation.
RADA opened in 1904 and famous Alumni you may recognise include: Ben Wishaw, Michael Sheen, Danny Mays, Adrian Lester, Indira Varma, Ralph Fieness, Sophie Okonedo, Anthony Hopkins, Joan Collins, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Gemma Arterton, Roger Moore, Jessie Buckley, Wunmi Musaku, Sean Bean, Alan Rickman, David Harewood, Brendan Gleeson, Mark Rylance, Kenneth Branagh, Glenda Jackson, Imelda Staunton, Peter O'Toole, Jonathan Pryce, Maxine Peake, Tom Hiddleston and many more.
Alongside my journey of applying each year I’ve gained as much acting experience as I could jumping at any opportunity;
- I’ve worked at the Almeida Theatre under director Lyndsey Turner.
- I’ve learnt a 60 page script on my way to Barcelona overnight, without any rehearsals, after an actor fell sick.
- I applied three years to enter, then went on to win a monologue competition in front of a full house at the Theatre Royal Stratford East.
- I was cast in the Punchdrunk, HBO and Sky show last year: 'The Third Day Live'.
- It took me three years to get into The National Youth Theatre of Great Britain; who I then went on to win awards with touring a show of theirs called 'The Reluctant Fundamentalist' directed by Prasanna Puwanarajah.
I’ve performed in galleries, churches, short films, and on radio, and RADA is the place where I can channel all of that experience and fulfil my potential. Learning from the best teachers in the world, I'll be taught a range of things to prepare me for a lifetime in this industry. Things such as: Stage combat, accents, Shakespeare, song, movement, scene techniques, screen acting etc...hours and hours for me to hone my craft.
To pay my rent and get by as an actor I’ve held multiple part time jobs, juggling them all at once because a lot of the acting work I’ve done has been for free. Last year after losing my part-time job overnight due to Covid, I was then fortunate to get a job delivering groceries through the pandemic. Shift work which often meant working to 1am or starting at 4am. I’ve worked as a security guard believe it or not, on building sites, as a bar man, and at one point I was even an Uber driver when I was 20. I’m not afraid to do what I need to do to roll my sleeves up and get the hard work done. You name it, I've done it !
I’m not eligible for student finance so over the three year course I need to pay for it myself, that’s £69,750.
- £9,250 x 3 years for tuition costs.
- £14,000 x 3 years is the RADA recommended budget for living costs.
- Total: £69,750 for the 3 year course starting September 15th 2021.
I was planning to work part time but because of how intense the course is I’ve been strongly advised against doing that, as sometimes seven day weeks and long hours into the evening isn’t uncommon.
No amount of sacrifice is too big for me to become the actor that I’ve always wanted to be. I’ve recently sold my car, I’m taking as much overtime as I can at work, I’m selling stuff on ebay, and I’m cycling everywhere to cut down costs. Since January I've been working in construction and I'm now working 6 days a week in order to save. However, I’ve got to be realistic and it’s going to cost me 70 grand for 3 years, so I’ve just got to raise some money.
If you can, please, please, PLEASE sponsor my GoFundMe and share this page. I will be hugely appreciative of any support.
A big thank you and I wish you all the best! Follow. Your. Dreams. !!!!!!
Any donations/sponsorship is tax deductible!
Thanks to my friend @BoxingTunes for pulling this video together for me.
Organizer
Reece Miller
Organizer
England