On one level we know we would do anything for our child but when they have dreams and aspirations sometimes the discerning voice of our own parents can come out. And while we are only looking out for their best interests there can be the voice of our disappointed father in the back of our mind when our child says that they want to become a performer. And if you think that it’s a life of the starving artist, it might be time to understand what you can do for your child if they really want to become a performer.
The Importance Of A Good School
While there is a statistic that 80% of actors at any time are out of work, this is why we’ve got to reiterate the importance of a solid educational foundation. It’s always a good idea to find somewhere that has a reputable name attached to it like Travis Preston in America or Sir Kenneth Branagh in Britain. Because if your child has a gift for performing and the teachers have been very vocal in their support this is something that you have to nurture. But at the same time, a good education and getting into a good school is just as important.
Make Sure They Know The Work Involved
A lot of people want to become a performer for the very simple reason that they love doing it and this is fantastic if they have an aptitude for the job but it’s a lot of rejection and hard work. It’s important that they know just how much effort they have to put in in order to get a job. It’s easy to say that every actor faces rejection but it’s more than that. It’s a part of the job. It’s not your responsibility to completely turn your child away from them pursuing their dreams but they have to understand what it takes. It’s dedication, like missing important events and going through a lot of emotional turmoil.
Giving Them As Many Opportunities As Possible
In order to be a performer of any type, they need to have that drive and if you can see that they are determined it is your responsibility to make sure that they are putting themselves forward for the best opportunities. One of the big problems with any actor is that they think that there are certain roles beneath them but if you’ve got a child that is gifted at a certain type this means that they will be able to carve out a niche for themselves in that type of role. But conversely, if there are other opportunities it’s a good idea for them to go down this way in order to earn a crust. It’s not just about performing but it could be about modeling, voice-over work, or anything associated with it that they could do. A job is a job.
Be Supportive
You may have taken them to a lot of Saturday morning drama classes over the years and they still are hell-bent on earning a living being a performer. There are going to be times when they don’t get the part or don’t even get an audition. It’s not your role to be the disappointed parent. You have to be the person that is going to pick them back up when they are at their lowest. Every actor or actress has given an award speech saying just how difficult it is to get to where they got. And this is something we have got to remember the moment that our child says that they want to be a performer.