GSA Expands Nationwide And Beyond Through Online Learning

Thursday, June 11th, 2020 at 5:37 pm | News & Events, Uncategorized

When government restrictions meant temporary closure on March 12th, the Gaiety School of Acting put plans in place to switch its professional actor training to the whole new world of online learning. It was time for the tutors, all of whom are actors themselves, to switch the silver screen for screens of a different kind as Zoom became their new stage. 

After the success of the last three months of online learning, the GSA is looking forward to the next step in July when they will begin their online summer camps for students aged 13-18, and a comprehensive beginners course for adults. Developed specifically for the online platform, the week-long teen courses will provide training in musical theatre, film-making, acting for camera, casting and audition technique. Meanwhile the adult course, which takes place on Wednesday evenings includes screen and stage acting, alongside the opportunity to devise your own work. 

Like all businesses forced to adapt due to the pandemic, the GSA was unsure how their loyal following, 5000 of whom attend classes at the School every year, would respond to this new format, and thus have been pleasantly surprised with the uptake from new and returning students. 

The online format has also had an unanticipated upside – now that you only need an internet connection to join in the classes, this means that enrolling at the School is now more accessible than ever for aspiring actors living outside Dublin. Although the School sees students from around the country attend classes in their Temple Bar HQ every term, the increase in geographic reach of students enrolled on the online classes has been astronomical, with sign-ups from Cork, Kerry, Offaly, Tyrone, Waterford, Clare, Monaghan, Limerick, Roscommon, Sligo, Galway and even as far afield as the USA. 

In a time when people have felt more isolated than ever before, it is heartening to see that our limitations have in fact made the School and it’s training more accessible than ever before. The School plans to resume in-person classes in October for a new term.

The Gaiety School is still accepting students on all its online courses. Browse our website to find out more #LoveGSA