Help Adam afford Oxford School of Drama
Donation protected
Hello hello! Thanks for taking the time to look at my GoFundMe. I’m just a queer, working-class human looking to the internet, asking strangers to help me.
— All in the name of improving diversity in the acting industry.
Who am I?
My name is Adam and I’m a 25 year old Devonshire human training as an Actor. At the start of May 2023, I got an offer to study the One Year Course of Acting at one the most prestigious drama schools in the country, the Oxford School of Drama. The school was picked as one of the top five drama schools in the UK by the BBC in 2004, and in 2015 as one of the top five in the world by the US website Acting in London. It was also the first drama school to receive "Beacon" status from the minister for higher and further education.
They audition around 1000 people every year, with only 19 people being accepted onto the One Year Course!
I have never enjoyed anything as much as Acting. For me, it’s a holistic thing. Something that encourages you to be present, confident, and claim your space. It also allows you to not take things so seriously, to have fun! These are attributes little ol’ Adam could only dream of having.
SELF-FUNDED SHORT COURSES
I know you might expect me to say acting has been a life-long passion, but surprisingly it hasn’t. Don’t get me wrong, it’s always been there, bubbling under the surface, but it was only a couple of years ago, after graduating from my undergrad in Photography, that I started taking short courses. It’s from the help of intense courses at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Acting Coach Scotland, and Glasgow Improv Theatre, that really helped me connect all these dots in my life. My obsession with performance art at uni? Ohhhh, acting. My joy for role-playing with my niblings? Of course, acting. My heartfelt debut as Wilfred the Caterpillar — the main part, might I add — in Year 6? Bloody acting.
LIFE AS A CODA
One thing that is pretty invaluable experience towards my acting career is my life as a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults). Some of the earliest memories I have of my mum, are when her friends would come around for their weekly gin and gossip in the kitchen. I would sit watching them sign away, fascinated by how anyone could move their hands so quickly, and how someone’s face carried such power in language.
I know that it has given me a profound understanding of visual communication and spatial language, both really key skills that now come naturally to me and help immensely when it comes to acting.
Despite my lack of physical experience, I was honoured to be offered a place just two days after my final audition (which is wild, as most of the places were handed out weeks later).
WHY AM I NEEDING TO CROWDFUND? AND WHY HAVE I LEFT IT SO LATE?
Part of the reason I applied to OSD was because I knew the school offered extra support through bursaries for students like myself from low-income backgrounds.
I am needing to crowdfund because, although I am so very grateful for receiving a bursary from the school (when I said I still couldn’t afford to go, they actually topped up my bursary), I still fall short for my living costs and my course fees. Being above the age of 23, I don’t get full funding (which is ridiculous! dont get me started) and only receive a small loan from the government. This helps towards my fees, but I’ll be relying on working part-time as much as I can alongside the course to pay for the remainder and live.
So why have I left it until now, just over a month before the course starts, to crowdfund? In all honesty, finances aside, I didn’t think I could start this year. Back in June, my dear mum was diagnosed with terminal cancer. It came as a total shock to me and my family. We thought she had a couple years, turned out it was a matter of weeks. I ruled out uni because I couldn’t really think about anything else. I moved back home and helped care for my mum.
It is only after her passing, that I’ve realised that this opportunity might be exactly what I need right now. An outlet, a focus, something my mum was so excited about for me. It’s just made the fire under my a** even bigger (it’s honestly very hot).
THE COSTS BREAKDOWN (IN SHORT)
After government funding as well as the bursary from the school, the course fees are costing me £2,300 (down from £18,200 — wild, I know). The living costs after working part-time on the weekends (based against the national living wage), will be around £1,950. This is the bare minimum I will need just to get by.
It’s difficult times for everyone right now, so any help I can get, even a share of this page, will be massively appreciated ❤️
I WANT TO CHAMPION WORKING CLASS, QUEER STORIES
All that I am — a working class, queer, CODA — I want to bring into my work. Let’s get more working-class people into the industry!
Adam x
P.S enjoy my first ever short film role in MOMBIE (2005)
— All in the name of improving diversity in the acting industry.
Who am I?
My name is Adam and I’m a 25 year old Devonshire human training as an Actor. At the start of May 2023, I got an offer to study the One Year Course of Acting at one the most prestigious drama schools in the country, the Oxford School of Drama. The school was picked as one of the top five drama schools in the UK by the BBC in 2004, and in 2015 as one of the top five in the world by the US website Acting in London. It was also the first drama school to receive "Beacon" status from the minister for higher and further education.
They audition around 1000 people every year, with only 19 people being accepted onto the One Year Course!
I have never enjoyed anything as much as Acting. For me, it’s a holistic thing. Something that encourages you to be present, confident, and claim your space. It also allows you to not take things so seriously, to have fun! These are attributes little ol’ Adam could only dream of having.
SELF-FUNDED SHORT COURSES
I know you might expect me to say acting has been a life-long passion, but surprisingly it hasn’t. Don’t get me wrong, it’s always been there, bubbling under the surface, but it was only a couple of years ago, after graduating from my undergrad in Photography, that I started taking short courses. It’s from the help of intense courses at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Acting Coach Scotland, and Glasgow Improv Theatre, that really helped me connect all these dots in my life. My obsession with performance art at uni? Ohhhh, acting. My joy for role-playing with my niblings? Of course, acting. My heartfelt debut as Wilfred the Caterpillar — the main part, might I add — in Year 6? Bloody acting.
LIFE AS A CODA
One thing that is pretty invaluable experience towards my acting career is my life as a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults). Some of the earliest memories I have of my mum, are when her friends would come around for their weekly gin and gossip in the kitchen. I would sit watching them sign away, fascinated by how anyone could move their hands so quickly, and how someone’s face carried such power in language.
I know that it has given me a profound understanding of visual communication and spatial language, both really key skills that now come naturally to me and help immensely when it comes to acting.
Despite my lack of physical experience, I was honoured to be offered a place just two days after my final audition (which is wild, as most of the places were handed out weeks later).
WHY AM I NEEDING TO CROWDFUND? AND WHY HAVE I LEFT IT SO LATE?
Part of the reason I applied to OSD was because I knew the school offered extra support through bursaries for students like myself from low-income backgrounds.
I am needing to crowdfund because, although I am so very grateful for receiving a bursary from the school (when I said I still couldn’t afford to go, they actually topped up my bursary), I still fall short for my living costs and my course fees. Being above the age of 23, I don’t get full funding (which is ridiculous! dont get me started) and only receive a small loan from the government. This helps towards my fees, but I’ll be relying on working part-time as much as I can alongside the course to pay for the remainder and live.
So why have I left it until now, just over a month before the course starts, to crowdfund? In all honesty, finances aside, I didn’t think I could start this year. Back in June, my dear mum was diagnosed with terminal cancer. It came as a total shock to me and my family. We thought she had a couple years, turned out it was a matter of weeks. I ruled out uni because I couldn’t really think about anything else. I moved back home and helped care for my mum.
It is only after her passing, that I’ve realised that this opportunity might be exactly what I need right now. An outlet, a focus, something my mum was so excited about for me. It’s just made the fire under my a** even bigger (it’s honestly very hot).
THE COSTS BREAKDOWN (IN SHORT)
After government funding as well as the bursary from the school, the course fees are costing me £2,300 (down from £18,200 — wild, I know). The living costs after working part-time on the weekends (based against the national living wage), will be around £1,950. This is the bare minimum I will need just to get by.
It’s difficult times for everyone right now, so any help I can get, even a share of this page, will be massively appreciated ❤️
I WANT TO CHAMPION WORKING CLASS, QUEER STORIES
All that I am — a working class, queer, CODA — I want to bring into my work. Let’s get more working-class people into the industry!
Adam x
P.S enjoy my first ever short film role in MOMBIE (2005)
Organizer
Adam Roberts
Organizer