ACTOR turned lecturer Tom Sherman is using decades of theatre and radio drama experience to help performing and production arts students find a foothold in the entertainments industry.
He is part of a unique collaboration between Wiltshire College & University Centre in Salisbury and Wiltshire Creative, which runs Salisbury’s Playhouse, Arts Centre and International Arts Festival. It means students get the benefit of not just his craft, but also the professional environment of the Playhouse and Arts Centre in which to learn their trade.
“We run the Level 1 to Level 3 Performing and Production Arts courses and we have 30 students, mostly at Level 3, this year,” he said. “It’s brilliant for them to engage in a variety of different projects, either in the professional venues or a number of different performance spaces.
“They also go out into the community and do mini tours of primary schools or residential care homes. They develop their core technique in performance, exploring their own physicality and use of voice to create characters.”
A career built on stage and screen
Tom trained at the world famous Bristol Old Vic Theatre School alongside some of the country’s brightest talents – Oscar winner Olivia Colman was in the year beneath him and her husband Ed Sinclair was a classmate – before going on to work all over the country.
He was a regular cast member with director Andrew Hilton’s renowned Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory company in Bristol, was twice directed by Alan Ayckbourn in Scarborough and appeared alongside the like of Tim McInnerny and Tim Piggott-Smith in BBC Radio Four dramas, as well as running and appearing in touring companies for more than 15 years.
“I was just a jobbing actor really but I’ve still got an agent and occasionally I get an invite to an audition,” he said. “But they’re few and far between these days because my focus really is on inspiring the next generation.”
Preparing students for a competitive industry
Like all professionals, Tom is clear about the realities of the entertainment world. “A lot of this course is about developing the resilience and tenacious drive you need,” he said. “I and my colleagues still occasionally go off and do little acting jobs, so we have the professional background, which is very important in terms of imparting knowledge and speaking from experience.”
His students come from a variety of backgrounds, some straight from school and others are returning to education in their twenties. While a few have some stage experience, many have barely been into a theatre before starting the course. One of his first tasks at the beginning of the course is to create a theatre company mentality that fosters acceptance, support and encouragement.
“It’s all about ensemble building and bringing them together,” said Tom. “We create a risk-enabled environment where they can feel free to explore and take risks in developing their performance and do things where they won’t feel judged.”
Exploring performance and production
Students are encouraged to follow their own theatrical interests as they study a variety of different forms of theatre and styles of performance, including Shakespeare, contemporary performances, children’s theatre, sketch comedy, audio voice acting and acting for camera. “We give them a flavour of all the different performance opportunities within the industry,” said Tom.
The production side of the course trains students in the technical aspect of theatre, including sound lighting and stage management. “We’ve got a handful of students who choose that route as their specialism so they can complement the performances and it’s very much an ensemble in terms of the creativity and design,” said Tom.
“Many of our students choose to progress on to university or further training at drama schools and some take the skills they’ve learnt and progress into other industries where they can use their collaborative and communication skills. Some will aim to go straight into the industry or work in creative industries in other capacities.”
The reward for him is seeing the students develop their confidence and skill over the two year course – and watching as they find that elusive career foothold. “My co-acting tutor, Jessie Clark did this course with me seven years ago before she went off to study at Rose Bruford in Bexley and now she has come back to the area,” said Tom.
“Harry Jackson went off to university and has come back to be an assistant on the Stage 65 Youth Theatre at Wiltshire Creative and Iona Fleur Sheppard, who did the very first year of this course 13 years ago, is now very busy as creative director of Stories in the Dust, which is a theatre company touring around the country.”
Inspiring the next generation
Tom has no regrets about opting to teach rather than perform and is currently working on a PhD in training actors. “You have to be passionate when you’re teaching and this is my passion,” he said. “The nature of the subject is that you’re always selecting new material for the learners, so it keeps me a lifelong learner.”
One thing he never shirks from is telling students what a difficult career they are opting for and often questions whether they’ve thought through their choice or looked at other options.
“I have to because this is not an easy industry,” he said. “It is challenging and you are putting yourself out there in front of a crowd of people and taking creative risks. It’s not for the faint-hearted. You’ve got to be committed and passionate about it.”
Ready to take centre stage?
If you’re passionate about theatre, performance or backstage production, our courses will help you build the skills, confidence and industry experience to take your next step.
