Half-Day Professional Training Program in Performing Arts

Half-Day Program in Musical Theatre Performance

This program supports those training in Musical Theatre, Theatre, and/or Film Acting, providing intensive instruction, professional coaching and mentorship, and performance opportunities throughout the year for students in Grades 8+.

Designed to prepare young actors with the tools to help them prepare mentally and physically for the demands of a career in the performing arts, students spend a minimum of 25 hours per week at Arts Umbrella, with advanced instruction in singing and musicianship, acting tools and techniques, physical theatre, auditioning, stagecraft, and dance.

Students combine their high-level training with academics through a myriad of online and distributed learning options. Many students choose to attend Magee Secondary School’s SPARTS program. Other options include King George Secondary, home schooling, and distributed learning.

Audition Process

If you would like to be considered for the Professional Training Program in Musical Theatre Performance you must fill out an audition application as listed above. Upon submission, you will be assigned a 15-mintue audition slot.

If you would like to be considered for the Musical Theatre stream you must prepare a song from the Musical Theatre canon. Make sure you have sheet music to bring with you to your audition. Sheet music can be found in hard copy at libraries, or online at resources including composer’s personal websites, musicnotes.com, and sheetmusicdirect.com

AND

Learn this dance combo posted posted on Vimeo (password: TMFAudition). For rehearsal purposes, “Building Momentum (Reprise)” from “How to Dance in Ohio” can be found on Youtube and Spotify (the combo starts at around 0:32). Music will provided at the audition..

If you would like to be considered for the Theatre stream you must memorize and prepare a monologue from a published play. Choose a piece that speaks to you and make sure you read the play to get as much information about the character and story as possible.

AND

Learn this mime sequence posted at on Vimeo (password: THAudition)

If you would like to be considered for the Film stream you must memorize and prepare a monologue from a published play. Choose a piece that speaks to you and make sure you read the play to get as much information about the character and story as possible.

AND

You must prepare this film scene to be read with a reader at your audition. You may choose whichever character you’d like and a reader will play the scene with you at your audition.

Our Training

  • 20 to 25 hours per week of professional teaching artist and guest artist instruction
  • Advanced instruction in singing and musicianship, acting tools and techniques, theatrical creation, stagecraft, and movement
  • A private voice lesson every week
  • Performance opportunities, including at least one full play, musical, or short film each year
  • The tools to help you prepare mentally and physically for the demands of a career in the performing arts
  • Tuition costs for 2024/25 are $8,600 including all instructional hours, rehearsals, technical rehearsals, performance fees, and production costs.

 

Finances should never prevent a young person from participating in the arts. As a non-profit organization, Arts Umbrella is committed to making our programs accessible to as many students as possible. The Arts Umbrella Bursary Fund allows hundreds of students to register in tuition-based programs at a reduced rate, based on your family’s financial need. Applications for bursary funding are open to everyone. To view eligibility and submission details, click here.

Academics

With more options than ever to support online and distributed learning, it has never been easier to combine high-level performing arts training and academics.

Many students will choose to attend Magee Secondary School’s SPARTS program. Other options include King George Secondary, home schooling, and distributed learning. The Province of British Columbia has launched a new Learning Management System to help more students learn independently from wherever they are.

Sample Schedule

This is a sample schedule for Musical Theatre. The Theatre and Film streams vary to be specific for each discipline.

The really wonderful thing about Arts Umbrella is how practical it is. When I came to Post-Secondary training, I felt like I knew some of the expectations and was therefore able to exceed them, because I’d had this practice.

—Bonnie Duff – Musical Theatre Program, 2010-2015

Support Arts Umbrella

Arts Umbrella donors, volunteers, and sponsors share the same belief: that arts education can transform a child’s life. Whether attending an event, making a monthly gift, or donating time, our supporters are vital to helping us inspire creativity for good through the arts.