Central Removes Audition Fees for 2025 Entry

Central has today announced its plans to remove audition fees for prospective students auditioning for its diploma and undergraduate level acting courses. 

Audition fees for Central’s diploma courses will be suspended effective immediately, with audition fees for undergraduate acting courses removed for 2025 entry onwards.

The development is part of a process aimed at widening opportunities for people of all backgrounds to access theatre training.  

The School has also established three new travel grants to enable eligible future students to visit its campus:  

• A £20,000 travel grant to encourage prospective applicants to attend its undergraduate open days 

• Two grants totalling £30,000 to support with travel costs associated with attending final round undergraduate acting auditions and other applicant-focused on campus events.

Travel grants to encourage eligible students to attend its open days will be available in time for Central’s next undergraduate open day in June 2024.

Central Principal and CEO Josette Bushell-Mingo OBE said: 

“By removing audition fees for our diploma and undergraduate level acting courses, we hope to send a clear message that applicants from all backgrounds are welcome at Central, and that they will be supported throughout the application and audition process - and beyond. In these increasingly difficult times, training institutions such as ours are grappling with government policies that seek to undermine the arts and funding structures that continually ask us to deliver more with less. We must push back against a creeping narrative that says the arts are elitist, that they are only for a select few. It has never been more important to stand together, united, and say that everyone is welcome in our sector and in our institutions - that the arts are vital and that they are for all of us.” 

Central President Sonia Friedman CBE said: 

“For the future of our industry, it is essential that we broaden access to training for the generations of artists to come, and this initiative to end diploma and undergraduate acting audition fees is an important step forward in this process. These are uncertain times, but one thing remains certain: the sustainability of our sector depends on organisations working to remove barriers opening up our industry to everyone.” 

Central Vice-President Zoë Wanamaker CBE said: 

“I’m honoured to support Central’s initiative to eliminate audition fees and to help remove some of the financial barriers that aspiring artists face in accessing training. This will no doubt help to pave the way for a more accessible, diverse, and inclusive industry. In these difficult times we must all unite to support and empower the next generation of theatre makers and artists” 

Central Honorary Fellow and graduate Martin Freeman said: 

“I fully support Central’s initiative to become more financially inclusive. Without my grant from Richmond Council many years ago, I would never have been able to enjoy my three years at Central. None of us want drama schools to be the preserve of the well off. Ideally, they are places where people from all backgrounds can come together and learn from each other. That seems to have become harder and harder in recent years; who knows how many young actors are lost to us, due to lack of funds. I hope this initiative inspires others to follow suit in trying to make attending drama school fairer for all.”  

Central graduate Danny Sapani said: 

“I wholeheartedly support this initiative from Central, which is an important first step in breaking down barriers to arts education. Equitable access to the arts is essential, and I echo their urgent call for increased funding and support to ensure everyone is able to benefit from and take part in this industry. It’s long past time to reverse the trend of cuts and to prioritise the creative talent of tomorrow.”  

Mia Doona, President of the Central Students’ Union, said: 

“It’s so important for students to feel welcomed and supported in the place where they will dedicate three years of their life to training. This move demonstrates a real commitment to support applicants and students from their first interaction with Central all the way through to graduation. It’s crucial to foster a strong sense of community and help all students to recognise that they belong. The audition fee removal is an important step towards this, and the travel grants further help to reinforce the welcoming nature of Central across all undergraduate courses. I look forward to meeting the first recipients of that travel grant at our next open day in June.” 

In addition to these changes, the cost-of-living crisis is having a heavy impact across the whole of the higher education sector and Central recognises that students must continue to be supported past the point of application and throughout their studies. 

To further support Central students, the School is also announcing today the launch of a new campaign to help fund its Access to Central bursaries – towards which Central currently invests more than £80,000 a year – an ambitious initiative to automatically award all eligible UK-based undergraduate students with a financial support package at the point of enrollment which would aim to continue throughout their three years of training. 

Central believes that, working within the existing constraints of higher education funding structures, it has a responsibility to do what it can to shift the dial. Whilst continuing to advocate for more inclusive arts and education policies over the coming months and years, it hopes these first steps will go some way towards improving access to training at the point of entry and, by extension, will help to change the landscape of arts accessibility in years to come.  

Learn more about Central’s auditions, open days and travel grants, or learn more about Access to Central Bursaries and find out how to support Central.