Help Get Emily to LAMDA

Hi! I’m Emily Beck and I’m delighted to share that I have recently accepted a place on the 2-year MFA Professional Acting course at LAMDA, the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. It’s been a 7-year labour of love to get this offer, and I’m over the moon to be about to start training at my dream drama school, whose alumni include Brian Cox, Harriet Walter, Benedict Cumberbatch and Anna Maxwell-Martin.

I received a means-tested bursary throughout my undergrad degree that transformed my uni experience by allowing me to focus fully on my studies rather than on financial pressures, and hoped to receive similar assistance at LAMDA. However, when I asked admissions how I could apply for financial support, I was told the deadline to apply had passed before I received my offer, and all funds for 2024/25 had already been allocated.

This was a real blow – the course fees are extremely expensive (£19,847 for year 1 and £9,923 for year 2), with the deposit adding particular financial strain at the start. The fees plus my estimated living costs will come to around £66,000 for the two years. I’ve worked hard over the last two years to save, have been approved for a Master’s Loan of £12,471, and plan to work during term and the holidays, but this still leaves an estimated shortfall of around £15,000.

Why drama school?

I’m at my happiest when I’m acting. Wanting to go beyond school productions, I joined the National Youth Theatre aged 15: NYT gave me a level of training and challenge that I hadn’t had before, and also a real fire in my belly to chase after acting as a profession. I first applied to drama school aged 17 while also applying to university and after being unsuccessful, chose to take up my place to study Classics at Cambridge. I threw myself into student theatre, taking part in 40 shows, including tours to Europe and Asia and being 1 of 14 selected for the final-year showcase to an audience of industry professionals, as well as doing projects with NYT and landing my first professional acting job.

All the while, drama school was still the goal. After graduating, so I could save for training, I worked full time as Administrator at The Watermill Theatre for two years, while also finding time to perform on a West End stage with NYT, in development workshops for 2 new National Theatre productions, and in the London run of a student fringe show we’d taken to Edinburgh. Now, after 7 years, I’ve finally landed my dream drama school offer and can’t WAIT to prioritise acting over anything else – I hope this level of focus will allow me to really grow and develop as a performer so that I’m ready to enter the industry.

I find joy not just through performing but also helping other people to develop all the skills (collaboration, communication, confidence) drama can teach. I’ve worked as a facilitator (including specialist provision for disabled and neurodiverse young people) at The Watermill; been an ambassador for NYT; worked with freshers at my uni as Actors’ Rep to support them to access student theatre regardless of experience; and organised a workshop with Jeremy Harrison, allowing students to get a taste of professional actor-musician training for free. I intend to take up the opportunity offered to LAMDA students to learn to teach LAMDA Exams, an extracurricular drama pathway open to people from all ages and backgrounds, which will enable me to continue making social outreach a cornerstone of my career in the arts.

How you can help

As I post this, there is only about a month until term starts on 9th September; I am committed to completing this course, my dream course, and donations will really make the difference to me being able to do this:

All donations will have a real impact, as will sharing this page so that it reaches as many people as possible – I am unbelievably grateful for anything at all you can do to help!

An MFA from LAMDA will not only allow me to finally pursue the thing that brings me so much joy, but to help me share that joy and all the crucial life skills that acting develops with future generations. I hope that through continuing to work hard, applying for every pot of money I can find, and through the trust, kindness and generosity of others, I can make this dream a reality.

Thank you SO much!

Emily x