Application Pack for becoming an Actor

An actor communicates and creates a character through various situations towards an audience. This can be through speech, body language and movement. In becoming an actor, you are put with learning scripts, performing in front of a live audience, liaising with agents, attending auditions and film sets. These are activities actors go through on a daily basis. In order to succeed in the job, actors will need to be trained professionally if it is they want to work in the theatre industry. 

There are dramatic academies that offer full-time acting courses for young people including children in the primary school region, such as the Sylvia Young Theatre School, based in Marylebone, London, which is open to children aged between 4-18 years old who want to study drama. 

There are specialist drama schools who usually only accept students aged 18 years and older. These schools have strong links with different acting agencies, casting directors, production companies, broadcasters and theatre directors. The most popular drama school in the UK is Guildhall School of Music and Drama, who offer a wide range of courses, for actors and production roles. Guildhall and most other drama schools offer a wide range of courses, but for actors alone, they offer two full-time courses.

In order to be accepted into these drama schools, you are told to learn two monologues. Drama schools hold auditions for people over the age of 18 and are required to come in and perform two contrasting monologues from different periods of time. The first monologue to learn a classical monologue and from an Elizabethan or Jacobean play. This can be from a Shakespearean play as well, so using monologues from 'Romeo and Juliet' or 'The Merchant of Venice' or other plays written by William Shakespeare is recommended. The next monologue actors need to perform are a monologue written in the 20th or 21st century, but not a piece written by the actor himself or by a unknown playwright. The most important and key thing when choosing these monologues is that they HAVE to be contrasting. For example, actors can perform a classical monologue from 'The Merchant of Venice', portraying the character of Shylock, the main antagonist of the play who is extremely dark and greedy, and for their contemporary monologue, actors can use monologues from 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time' or 'Punk Rock', both written by Simon Stephens, a famous playwright who is most well-known in writing these particular plays, whose characters are a lot more funnier and in which can relate to. Actors have to be aware that thousands of people audition every year for a place in a particular drama school and sometimes, maybe even most of the time, fail. Using Guildhall School of Music and Drama's statistics from last year, over 20,000 people auditioned for a place in the school which only offers 26 students.

If actors are need willing to study drama and acting, they are required to study a course. In this case, there are two courses which are available for young actors to take part in. The first course is the BA Honours Degree in Acting, which is a three-year course, costing, in total, £9,000 a year, £27,000 for three years. These were the course guidelines for LAMDA’s (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art) BA Honours Degree in Acting, which explain what the course is about and explains to upcoming future actors in what to experience in attending this particular drama school. 

The first year of this course involves students undertaking technical classes in acting,, improvisation, voice and movement and physical theatre. They are also introduced to screen acting. Students are then dedicated into studying work on comedies, Shakespearean, Greek Theatre and contemporary theatre. Students undergo four performances, which are closed to the public for the students to explore different variety of techniques and experiment with ideas

The second year of this course involves students taking part in screen acting modules. They then rehearse for another four workshop performances, following the subjects of Shakespeare, Restoration drama, 19th century naturalism and musical theatre. Once again, these performances are closed from the public. Different projects include Making your Own Film and a project involving students to collabrate with professional directors and writers to produce their first draft script of their new play. 

The third and last year involves students performing in public venues in state of the art theatres. These are open to the general pubic. They then complete their final workshops, including screen acting and audio training. They professionally create a short film, recording a radio play and completing a voice reel. 

The second course is the MA Honours Degree, which is another three-year course, costing slightly more, as Year 1 costs a total of £6,120 and the other 2 years cost £9,180, costing in total £24,480. Guildhall is most well known because of its famous alumni, including Ewan McGregor (Class of 1992), Daniel Craig (Class of 1991) and Orlando Bloom (Class of 1999). To become an actor, they should start acting from an early age, so they should attend amateur theatre companies to develop companies and to explore various characters, and also to gain advice from other actors about how to make it. 

According to Prospects (website), degrees or HNDs would help improve chances of following a career in the job, and so attending drama schools such as Guildhall, RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art) and LAMDA are very important. Future actors also need to have very good communication and listening skills, to always arrive on time, interpret roles, become disciplined and to have a very good memory if needed to learn lines for a short period of time.

Research File including a variety of employment opportunities

PERFORMERS

ACTOR

An actor communicates and creates a character through various situations towards an audience. This can be through speech, body language and movement. There are different types of work when it comes to becoming an actor. These jobs include being working in the West End, (live stage performances), working as either a character or being in the ensemble, soap operas (EastEnders, Coronation Street), radio work, television advertisements and the most popular, films (Star Wars: The Force Awakens, The Grand Budapest Hotel etc.). In becoming an actor, you are put with learning scripts, performing in front of a live audience, liaising with agents, attending auditions and film sets. These are activities actors go through on a daily basis. In order to succeed in the job, actors will need to be trained professionally if it is they want to work in the theatre industry. There are dramatic academies that offer full-time acting courses for young people including children in the primary school region, such as the Sylvia Young Theatre School, based in Marylebone, London, which is open to children aged between 4-18 years old who want to study drama. There are specialist drama schools who usually only accept students aged 18 years and older. These schools have strong links with different acting agencies, casting directors, production companies, broadcasters and theatre directors. The most popular drama school in the UK is Guildhall School of Music and Drama, who offer a wide range of courses, for actors and production roles. Guildhall and most other drama schools offer a wide range of courses, but for actors alone, they offer two full-time courses. The first course is the BA Honours Degree in Acting, which is a three-year course, costing, in total, £9,000 a year, £27,000 for three years. The second course is the MA Honours Degree, which is another three-year course, costing slightly more, as Year 1 costs a total of £6,120 and the other 2 years cost £9,180, costing in total £24,480. Guildhall is most well known because of its famous alumni, including Ewan McGregor (Class of 1992), Daniel Craig (Class of 1991) and Orlando Bloom (Class of 1999). Actor's wages all are negotiated under Equity, a trade union for professional actors and technical assistants. According to UK Theatre (organisation), the annual weekly pay offers £485.75 for those who perform in an 8-show week. Equity is also a membership organisation in which actors have to pay a membership fee to Equity, which normally comes out of pay cheques. Actors are required to sign contracts, which shows how much they are given and where they will be working and for how long. However, there will be very long hours, and there won't be a lot of socialising between actors, as they need to focus on rehearsals and their lines. Some actors have to travel far to attend rehearsals, so it can be very time-consuming. To become an actor, they should start acting from an early age, so they should attend amateur theatre companies to develop companies and to explore various characters, and also to gain advice from other actors about how to make it. According to Prospects (website), degrees or HNDs would help improve chances of following a career in the job, and so attending drama schools such as Guildhall, RADA and LAMDA are very important. Future actors also need to have very good communication and listening skills, to always arrive on time, interpret roles, become disciplined and to have a very good memory if needed to learn lines for a short period of time.

DANCER

Dancers use movement, body language and different varieties of gestures to portray a character, story, or a type of concept using music towards a live audience. Dancers are normally under teaching by a professional choreographer. There are different type of genres that dancers can interpret, for example ballet, modern street dance or contemporary dances. Dancers are very similar to actors, as being a professional dancer involves preparing for auditions, like what actors would do, getting ready for performances by rehearsals, and performing in front of live audiences, whether that being in front of a stage or a camera to be shown in film or TV. But dancers also have to study choreography, look after their own clothes and costumes and also be able to teach dance. Dancing is also one of the three main skills to have in becoming a great musical theatre actor, the skills include dancing, singing and acting. Like actors, dancers are paid through the trade union of Equity. According to Prospects (website), the annual minimum weekly wage in becoming a professional dancer is £440+. These figures can rise up to £650 a week, which is paid normally in rehearsals and shows per week, if dancers are involved in West End shows, like Stomp, Into The Woods, or even operas such as The Magic Flute, which is being played at London Coliseum between the dates of 5th February - 19th March 2016. There are downsides in becoming a professional dancer. A dancer's career can be short, with most dancers retiring at the age of 40, because they can get injured easily and not do such moves that they could have done. Injuries normally impact the legs and arms as they are used all the time in dance. If dancers can manage to dance above the age of 40, fitness is extremely important to them, so are recommended to regularly go to the gym and go jogging. Most dancers start from a very early age, dancing to various dance genres but mainly ballet, but some start dancing when they reach teenage years or at universities. Courses to study at university offer genres such as ballet, musical theatre, contemporary dance, jazz, commercial and street. Those who want to learn dance when they reach university age are recommended to take BA Honours Degree in Dancing, a three year course, normally costing around the same prices as those who apply for acting courses (9,000 a year, 27,000 for the full three year course). To build up confidence and become a professional dancer, dancers are recommended to join a local dance company or dance schools, such as DanceMode Croydon Street Dance and Teacher Training, based in Croydon and Surrey Ballet Masters, based in Coulsdon. Dancers need to be creative, resilient and have a knowledge to the world of dance and be extremely fit healthy-wise.

PRODUCTION

LIGHTING DESIGNER

A lighting designer works very closely with the directors, choreographers and set designers. They are involved to create the lighting, atmosphere and mood of the entire dramatic production. They pay very close attention to the script during a performance to make sure a particular light setting is needed at a particular point in the show. Lighting Directors work very closely with the stage managers (the people who manage rehearsals and have a very good understanding with technical equipment). This particular job role is most important going through pre-production (storyboards, diagrams etc.) Other roles included in pre-production are producers, directors, playwrights, costume designers, set designers, etc. According to study.com (website), in order to become a professional lighting designer, the first thing to do is to participate in high school productions and programmes. This experience is used to introduce to young people the importance of using and taking care of lights. Secondly, those who are more interested in becoming a lighting designer as a full-time job, you will need to earn a degree. There are different degrees that can be taken and still become a lighting designer, including architecture, interior design, theatre design or building design. LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts, drama school) invite young people aged 18 and over to those who want to pursue in the role of backstage jobs (including lighting designers), they are to take a Foundation Degree in Stage Management and Technical Theatre, which is a two year course, specifically designed for backstage jobs. Guildhall School of Music and Drama (drama school) offer a three year course. RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, drama school) offer the same amount of years but, at the end of the course, are awarded a postgraduate diploma in Stage Electrics and Lighting Design. According to PayScale, the annual hourly rate of a professional lighting designer is £20, and get an annual yearly median salary of £27,674. Lighting Designers get earned a maximum £1,000 bonus. The more experienced you are in the job, the more money is given, so for example those who have been doing this particular job for 1-4 years, you are earned a median yearly salary of £21,723. The maximum you can earn, it seems, is £36,500, which is for those who have been doing lighting designing for 10-19 years.


DIRECTOR

A theatre director is responsible for the whole creation of the show. They are involved in the whole process, which means they go through pre-production (storyboard, cast-list, budget etc) all the way through to post-production (everything is finalised). Theatre directors work with every department in the creation of a performance to go through live to an audience. These departments include the creative team, which include the composer, lyricist and the librettist; the performers themselves, which include actors, singers and dancers; and lastly and most important the PRODUCTION team, which include choreographers, dance captains, conductors, technical directors, lighting designers, production stage manager and much more. In order to run everything smoothly, directors normally arrange a certain type of strict discipline, which means, for example, actors need to learn their lines by a specific date, and set designers need to prepare their set plans also by a specific date. As doing these jobs, other jobs include programming and budgeting, breaking down scripts or musical scores, attending production meetings, holding auditions for actors and help publicising the production. The salaries and conditions become very different depending on the length of the production and what type of contract it is for the director (freelance, repertory, touring etc.). According to Prospects (website), a theatre director for a full length play should receive a minimum fee of £1,439 and also weekly rehearsal payments of £440. Freelance directors can command a minimum fee of £2,300, and a weekly fee of £430 to £520. At the beginning of a production, a director is always given a contract to help sign them on to a particular project. Similar to actors, directors may negotiate their own contracts and salaries, or they can employ agents to deal with the contract on their behalf. Theatre directors normally belong to the trade union Equity, which provides insurance and legal assistance outside or inside the working environment. There are disadvantages when it comes to becoming a theatre director. The work can be highly stressful and frustrating, either because actors do not know their lines or deadlines are not met but also it is rewarding as you can get to work with brand new people and maybe even celebrities. A degree is not essential in becoming a professional director, neither do you need a postgraduate course. The one main thing that is needed to become a director is EXPERIENCE. The main advice is to get as much experience as you can in the business. They can be from being an actor, assistant director, designer, producer, stage manager or writer. Directors normally get these type of experiences from amateur or fringe theatre productions. Some directors consider forming their own theatre companies, which is also a great way to learn about the directing process and stages and how to work with actors and other members of the production team. Many theatre directors don't need any formal training. Some directors go to drama school and study an MA in theatre or drama directing to gain a lot more experience at what it takes and the pressure of what a normal director would normally go through. Developing a career in theatre directing is extremely difficult if the right amount of experience is not there, a theatre director would have to stand out and develop a big reputation and credits. London may be very difficult to direct as it has a very extensive list of theatres. Some directors tend to work in a environment where there isn't that much pressure as there would be. These environments would be in children's theatre, community theatre, education, fringe theatres and even prisons.

ADMINISTRATION

WEBSITE DESIGNER

Web designers plan and create, websites and web pages, that fit the requirements of a certain company or theatre group. Most web designers are not part of the actual theatre company but belong to another technical company that have been given an overview brief to complete a website that will reach their target audiences and audiences worldwide. The role of a web designer include meeting clients and theatre companies regularly, drawing up website diagrams, graphic designing and editing in content of what the company is all about. Salaries vary depending on years of experience. If you have recently started working at a company as a web designer, according to Prospects (website), salaries can vary from £18,000 to £24,000. Within working at a website designing company for four to six years, salaries can vary from £24,000 to £40,000. Those who are given £40,000 are more achieved by more senior roles. Those who work in the London and South East area are tended to have higher salaries than some website designing companies situated in parts outside of London. Other web designing companies that are popular around the UK include Manchester, Stoke or Glasgow. Website Designers are office based and work normal office working hours (9am - 5pm), but to meet deadlines, web designers normally stay on in extra hours in evenings or on weekends. A qualification (i.e. degree, honours etc.) is not always necessary to become a website designer, but some employers value creativity very well. It is always wise to have a degree with you as most major web design companies employ those with a qualification. Qualifications for this job can vary from computer science to software designing, fine art to graphic design, or IT to digital media production. According to Southampton Solent University (university), it is recommended to study the BSc Honours in Web Design and Development. This is a three year course, costing £9,000 a year. According to the September entry for 2016 at Southampton Solent University, you are needed 200 UCAS points for A Levels, MMP for BTEC Extended Diploma and DM in a normal BTEC Diploma.

USHER

Ushers are responsible for checking tickets to allow an audience to attend a live production. Ushers also assist people to where they need to sit in the theatre. Ushers aren't only in the theatre but there are ushers available to assist you in cinemas, entertainment centres or entertainment events. They perform tasks, such as answering questions about seating, locations and the actual synopsis of the story that is going to be shown, sell programmes, check tickets, assist with finding lost property and assisting security. Ushers are normally required to work shifts, especially when it comes to theatre, as ushers may need to work in the afternoons and weekends, but most definitely in evenings. Employers have to be a minimum of 18 years of age so that they are allowed to serve alcoholic drinks behind the bar, as well as working late every night. There are no educational requirements in becoming an usher, but other requirements include working with people effectively, good communication skills, be able to work as a team as well as self-managing what you are needed to do. According to Recruiter (job search website), ushers get average salaries ranging between $16,000 to $24,000, which converted to pounds range from £11,170 to £16,750.

The Merchant of Venice Programme Notes

The Merchant of Venice is a story about prejudice and portrays a prejudiced message. Prejudice is conveyed throughout the entire play, the main example being Shylock's continuous hatred to Antonio because of his religion which is Christianity. Antonio feels the same way about Shylock's religion, Judaism in which he states 'I'm likely to curse you again, spit on you again, and shun on you again'. Antonio, otherwise known as The Merchant of Venice, lends three thousand ducats to his friend, Bassanio, who attempts to get with the extremely wealthy Portia of Belmont. Antonio's money is tied up with his business ventures of trade ships that are still at sea, so he attempts to try and borrow money from Shylock, a Jewish loaner, who he holds grudges with. Shylock lends the money to Antonio and Bassanio, but have a complication. If the loan is not paid off on the agreed date, Shylock has a pound of Antonio's flesh. Later on, Portia's father dies and in his will, it states that she will marry the suitor who chooses one of three caskets containing lead. The other caskets contains gold and silver. Bassanio makes the right choice and then marries Portia. Soon after the marriage, news comes around that Antonio's business, his collection of trade ships, is lost at sea and so he is unable to pay his debt of three thousand ducats to Shylock who takes the case to a law court made by the Duke of Venice. Hearing this, Portia dresses up to make herself to be Antonio's lawyer whilst in court. She argues her defence by saying Shylock should be sent to prison for acting against a Venetian citizen. The duke says that he won't go unless he gives half his wealth to Antonio and half to the state. Antonio agrees with this condition but Shylock has to covert his faith to Christianity and leave his house with Shylock's daughter, Jessica, who ran off with a Christian boy named Lorenzo. Soon after the ruling, Bassanio and Portia finally complete their marriage by entrusting rings together which the men have promised they won't ever part with their rings or their wives. The monarch at the time this was written was Elizabeth I.  The Merchant of Venice was written in 1596, which was near to the end of Queen Elizabeth I's reign, in which she reigned from 1558 - 1603. Her 45 year reign was one of the most notable reigns in the whole of the British monarchy. At the time this play was written, Britain were in the first few years of controlling most of the world under the 'First British Empire' (1583 - 1783) under Queen Elizabeth I's reign. There was no war or any kinds of fighting overseas and even in the UK, but there was extreme prejudice and hatred between Christians and Jews, which had an effect on the way William Shakespeare wrote 'The Merchant of Venice' during a very prosperous time for the United Kingdom. There are many themes that are conveyed most to an audience watching 'The Merchant of Venice' which are:

Money, Love – Shylock discovers his daughter, Jessica has eloped with a Christian with all his money (Act Two Scene Eight)

Prejudice, Revenge – Shylock speaks of his bitterness of Christians and how he’s treated, which is explained through Shylock's monologue of 'To bait fish withal' in Act Three Scene One.

Social Injustice – During the trial, Shylock demands Antonio’s flesh, but in the end loses half his wealth and required to convert to Christianity, which is near the end (Act Four Scene One)

William Shakespeare was one of the most iconic and entertaining writers that have inspired many generations to start writing books, but not only appealing to those of a modern era, but also to the time when he was alive. William Shakespeare was also one of the most entertaining people to see and audiences were excited to see his works performed at the Globe Theatre. The staging conditions were public, rather than court, performances of Shakespeare's plays were performed in the open air, in daylight, on a simple thrust stage, that being the Globe Theatre. No scenery and a minimum of props allowed the action to move swiftly and the audience to focus on the language. Music and costume added to the effect. Shakespeare wrote his plays with the strengths and talents of his fellow players in mind. His gifted boy players took the female roles so that the original audience had the unsettling experience of watching boys playing girls playing boys in the roles of Portia and Nerissa in the trial scene. 

Shylock’s cries for a pound of flesh have made him one of literature’s most memorable villains, but many readers and playgoers have found him a compelling and sympathetic figure. The question of whether or not Shakespeare endorses the anti-Semitism of the Christian characters in the play has been much debated. Jews in Shakespeare’s England were a marginalized group, and Shakespeare’s contemporaries would have been very familiar with portrayals of Jews as villains and objects of mockery. For example, Christopher Marlowe’s The Jew of Malta, a bloody farce about a murderous Jewish villain, was a great popular success and would have been fresh in Shakespeare’s mind as he set about creating his own Jewish character. Shakespeare certainly draws on this anti-Semitic tradition in portraying Shylock, exploiting Jewish stereotypes for comic effect. But Shylock is a more complex character than the Jew in Marlowe’s play, and Shakespeare makes him seem more human by showing that his hatred is born of the mistreatment he has suffered in a Christian society. Shakespeare’s character includes an element of pathos as well as comedy, meaning that he elicits from readers and audiences pity and compassion, rather than simply scorn and derision. Shylock, name meaning 'loan shark', a stereotypical, wicked, Jewish moneylender who's best known for his villainous ways in William Shakespeare's 'The Merchant Of Venice'. My interpretation of the character, Shylock will emphasise his description as I will portray him an evil, a lust for money, who wants to achieve his goal not to just get his money back from Antonio but to get a pound of flesh of his. There are many famous actors that have played this famous character, a couple include Peter O'Toole and Al Pachino. I want to represent my character similar to Al Pachino's when he starred in the 2004 film, 'The Merchant Of Venice'. From seeing his performance, I saw that he is a very angry character and is determined to get revenge after being treated so badly by Christians around Venice. I want to portray my character similar to this, but instead of being angry, I want to be very patronising in the way I speak, for example during Shylock's speech in Act III, Scene I, when he talks about him being a Jew and saying he is no different to a Christian, I want to not be angered, but very questioning when I say each line. Although critics tend to agree that Shylock is The Merchant of Venice’s most noteworthy figure, no consensus has been reached on whether to read him as a bloodthirsty bogeyman, a clownish Jewish stereotype, or a tragic figure whose sense of decency has been fractured by the persecution he endures. Certainly, Shylock is the play’s antagonist, and he is menacing enough to seriously imperil the happiness of Venice’s businessmen and young lovers alike. Shylock is also, however, a creation of circumstance; even in his single-minded pursuit of a pound of flesh, his frequent mentions of the cruelty he has endured at Christian hands make it hard for us to label him a natural born monster. In one of Shakespeare’s most famous monologues, for example, Shylock argues that Jews are humans and calls his quest for vengeance the product of lessons taught to him by the cruelty of Venetian citizens. On the other hand, Shylock’s coldly calculated attempt to revenge the wrongs done to him by murdering his persecutor, Antonio, prevents us from viewing him in a primarily positive light. Shakespeare gives us unmistakably human moments, but he often steers us against Shylock as well, painting him as a miserly, cruel, and prosaic figure. When rehearsing the part for Shylock, it is extremely difficult to start with understanding the language and the way he spoke with great intentions. In order to understand what he is saying and what his objectives are in the play and especially in this monologue, I will research a modern text of the same monologue so I can understand what my character feels like and what he wants to express to a crowd, or in this case to an audience

Personal Statement

Drama basics:

• Genuine enthusiasm for drama, along with evidence that you've studied or read beyond the curriculum.
• Good analytical and critical skills – with examples of how you've used and developed these skills in practice.
• Skills gained from your critical and creative experiences, both within and outside your studies, or how you feel you’ve benefited from them.
• How any positions of authority, charity work, employment, hobbies or other relevant activities have benefited your development, or their relationship to drama.
• Your interest in the professional expression of the subject, such as theatre-going or the work of particular directors, actors, designers, film makers or theatre companies.
   

More about what drives you:

• Ensure your personality comes across in your personal statement –in particular your creativity, enthusiasm, energy or dedication to drama.
• If you can, articulate your career aspirations and how your degree will help you gain the experience, knowledge and skills to help you prepare for it.
• Professor Anna Furse, head of theatre and performance at Goldsmiths, University of London advises applicants to be clear about whether they are looking for a course with a practice-theory ethos at an interdisciplinary university like hers, or a more practical course at a conservatoire or drama school. 'It’s fine to apply to both,' she says, 'but simply be aware and don’t write too generically'.
• For her kind of course she is interested in applicants who are looking for a broader education in the range of creative, technical and intellectual skills that will prepare them for a wide range of careers in the performing arts.
   

Language and structure of your personal statement:

• Your personal statement should flow logically and be as engaging as possible, making the reader want to read on and show you can articulate your ideas in a succinct but interesting way.
• Get the right balance between subject-specific material and outside interests, which Nick Strong suggests should ideally should be 75% / 25%.
• Check punctuation, grammar, spelling and syntax very carefully, as it may make the critical difference between two otherwise identical applicants.
   

What to avoid in your drama personal statement

• Overblown quotes: avoid starting your personal statement with a highbrow or pretentious quotation - tutors want to hear what you have to say, in your own words.
• Not expanding on your experience: don't just say 'I am captain of the football team'. Try ‘through being captain of the football team I have gained the following experience…’.
• Humour: a touch of dry wit can sometimes be effective and memorable; but equally, experimenting with jokes in your personal statement can be risky and backfire badly, so judge this with care.
• Giving the impression you haven't researched the course content: that's why Professor Furse at Goldsmiths would advise applicants for her particular course to avoid saying things like  'I simply love to perform and want to be a musical star'. 'It's fine to have a passion to perform', she says, 'but think also about why you want a university degree and tell us about this'.
• Irrelevant experience: as Nick Strong told us, starting with something like ‘I have wanted to be an actor ever since I was third shepherd from the left in a Nativity play when I was three’ is a definite no-no. Focus on your most recent and relevant creative experiences.