Kate needs help to go to Oxford Acting MA
Dearest friends I haven’t met yet (formerly known as strangers)
I hope you and yours are well in Body, mind and spirit during these times.
If you will allow me- I’m going to tell you a True Story- (if you have already read this and want the nitty gritty financial details please scroll down)⬇️
*If you would like to known more about the work I make and some achievements you will
find that right at the bottom of this page under the financial breakdown ⬇️⬇️
I am currently a London based actress hoping to accept an incredible opportunity to study and practise my craft with the commitment and dedication it deserves.
To take artistic risks, broaden my community of collaborators and industry contacts- enabling me better opportunities of work.
I have worked very hard to get to where I am today and I am determined to keep going. Now more than ever I see the importance of trusting our instincts, living authentically and in alignment with our true souls calling. This is mine.
How I ended up here
Firstly I want to start at the beginning and tell you about the rock bottom that led me here because
A- the truth sets us free and let’s us trust one another.
B- I think the whole world is collectively experiencing something of a rock bottom right now.
C- There is space for hope when our hearts have been cracked open.
The Beginning
A loss.
Summer 2019.
In truth, I am often thinking- I would have given birth by now. I would have a baby who was 2 months old now. And I wonder (and worry) that I will do this forever. That in 18 years I will long for the child that will never leave home.
I chose this. It was my choice. I should be grateful.
I Have a choice.
Although really I am just angry and resentful that anyone ever said we couldn’t.
Furious that this was ever wrapped in shame and We are STILL clawing at the layers on our own in the dark.
I talked it through, I cried when I needed to cry. But ultimately- The inner landscape had changed and I found myself getting lost in it.
Who is entitled to grieve? I would ask myself (especially now)
Sometimes I feel like all I lost was my uterus lining and an idea. The idea of a different life. But why then do I choke on it, why do I feel myself frothing over with hot wracking sobs on a Monday afternoon.
I let it move me, I am carried by the waves and I land on the shore, soaked through, exhausted - but eventually, one long day that seems very far away I will look up and see the wide open sky.
A crisp clear November afternoon was a day such as this and an idea fell into my lap softly but with a solidity I could not ignore. 
Drama School Dreams
If you had asked me 10 years ago what my hearts desire was- my big dream- I would have told you without hesitation ‘To go to drama school and be an actor’
It wasn’t just the world class training but the promise of a tribe, the pursuit of mastering our craft together. After a foundation course I applied and auditioned to my top 4 schools, I worked hard and wished on every birthday candle, every shooting star. After 5 years of what was becoming a very expensive Groundhog Day, I decided something needed to change and it was probably me.
‘Never give up’ is somehow tattooed onto our brain when it comes to artistic endeavours
because we all know how much rejection is involved.
So- I didn’t. Not on myself. Not on my craft.
BUT
I let go of my grip on the narrative that formal training was my path.
I carved out my own wild adventure- I learnt on the job, built my Cv, travelled the world, started my love affair with yoga and became a teacher, made friends, lost and found love, built my community, my tribe, brick by brick, job by job.
It was pure trial and error, I failed and learnt and kept pulling myself up by the boot straps until I stood tall and proud.
All the while (like most freelancers) I was working a million different money jobs and spending the majority on investing back into my business. But for years I kept coming up against the same blocks.
I lacked strong vocal technique (imperative for longevity in a live performance career) I wasn’t getting into certain rooms no matter the routes I tried. My experience was made up of a beautiful handmade patchwork of (mostly unpaid) work.
And I felt stuck.
It’s never too late to start again
So. We come back around to the Idea.
Drama school. One last try. This time it would be for a Masters.
I was born in Oxford and I did my first proper acting course there too so maybe that’s why, I don’t know.
But either way it’s the closest thing I have ever experienced to a ‘vision’.
Unsure of why I had thought of it- as though it had been given to me by someone else- here it was.
I auditioned... I was recalled. I auditioned again and during that day I found myself flying out of the comfort zone cage and taking artistic risks that had felt unwise to take when on a job (I relied on being asked back after all)
At the beginning of February I was offered a place on the One year MA in Acting at The Oxford school of Drama.
After all these years.
A dream come true. 
Our Final Chapter... and the beginning of something new
I am considered a ‘mature’ student (I know, I know- it’s ludicrous, I am only 28) and I fall between a gap in funding, as in, there isn’t really a lot for me.
I don’t have any family money that can support me through this and I am a freelance fitness instructor.
My plan was to work double my hours, (lord help my aching muscles) save half my income and put it towards fees. Even then- there was still a big hole.
Enter Global pandemic- like many people, all of my work stopped overnight. I also fall through the net of the government schemes.
However- I believe in clear communication and community- we touch fingertips across the canyon and we are capable of magnificent things.
So here I am, reaching out to you directly.
How you can help!
Donations!
Every. Single. Penny. Counts. I am grateful for it all.
If you feel called please- Share the story- your friends, family, anyone who is interested in preserving the arts and keeping these spaces accessible and available for Everyone! Let’s not let Drama school be an experience which is a privilege reserved for the few not the many.
Advice /knowledge
Have you been in a similar situation? What worked for you? Do you know of any trusts/ charities/ individuals that could help? If so-
please drop me a message!
My promise
To pay it forward. When I come out the other side I Vow-
To encourage, mentor and financially support other artists who are falling through the funding gap.
NITTY GRITTY BREAKDOWN OF COSTS!
ie- ‘Where do donations go?’
These numbers are based upon fact, solid research, discussions with the school, previous graduates real budgets and expenses, current rent rates ect.
Total cost of Course
Drama Schools fees 1 year- £17,200.
Living Expenses
Rent
Per week- £150. Per year- £7,800.
Gas/ electricity/ internet/ phone bill
Per Week- £35. Per year- £1,680.
Food and Travel
Per Week- £60. Per year- £3,120.
Reading list / Research theatre tickets/ School uniform (all black clothes and leotards)
Per year- £600
Total Living Expenses
£13,200 for the Year.
Total cost of course fees & living expenses
£30,400 for the year.
Income
Student Loan (Advance Learner Loan)- £7,395per year
Scholarship- Garfield Weston Bursary- £2,500 per year
Oxford school of drama bursary- £1,000 per year
Hardship fund from school- Min £150- max £800.
Personal savings- £1000 total
Income from Work during Christmas and Easter Holidays- Min £1,800- max £3,000 total.
I am currently seeking work during lockdown but this will likely only help to cover my current living expenses in London- any extra will go towards fees and I will update the financial plan accordingly.
Total Annual income
Minimum- £13,845
Maximum- £15,695
Other funding I have/ am applying for
South Square Trust-
Min- £500
Max- £1,500
The William Barry Trust-
Min- ?
Max- £1,000
Final Overall balance to find
If I receive minimum funding-
£30,400- £13,845= £16,555 total.
If I receive maximum funding-
£30,400- £18,195 = £12,205 total.
I err on the side of optimism but I also need to raise as much as I realistically need. Which is how I have come to fall on the sum of £13,000.
Phew! I hope that all makes sense and if you have any questions please let me know!
The End
Thank you so much for taking the time to hear me out- I can’t tell you how much I appreciate any help you are able to give. Together we can do anything.
If you are in the belly of a rock bottom right now, I see you and I stand with you.
With a heart full of Fierce Love and deep gratitude,
Kate xxx
If you would like to know more about the work I make, read on!
I focus on creating and performing in theatre and film that consistently surpasses the bechdel test and rewrites the female narrative to reflect the truth of women’s experiences, providing inspiration, education and entertainment.
I am passionate about working with communities of women and have been involved in the making of and performance of two very special projects focusing on sisterhood.
2018-‘ A female power’ was an immersive theatre experience led by the musician Boe Huntress- created and performed at the Union chapel in London by a collective of women, exploring mensuration in relation to the lunar cycle, archetypes and personal power. 
2019-‘The women of Troy’ written and directed by Bec Martin Williams was performed by The Arcola Theatre’s Women's Company- a local community of diverse women in east London. The piece explored collective female pain, grief, community and resilience in survival.
A few achievements I am proud of include:
Writing and performing my own work at the Bread and Roses theatre in 2019.
In 2017 I was asked to produce and cast a piece for a new writing night by Plays Rough at Camden people’s theatre. This is enabled me to creat work and opportunities for other female artists- we later took the play to ‘The chicken shed’ theatre too.
In 2017 I played the most challenging role of my career so far ‘Skinner the witch’ in ‘The Castle’ by Howard Barker. We had a majority of local audience members and were the highest selling show of the year at The Space theatre.
You can also view my Spotlight CV Here
THANK YOU!