Carving a Future as a Creative: The Evolving Theatre Industry
Ethan Farmer
Introduction
In today’s world, upcoming creatives and aspiring performers face a variety of challenges in what is an ever-changing industry. Pursuing a career in theatre has always been a complex and unique challenge that demands resilience, perseverance, and versatility. Despite this, the allure still remains and a career in the theatre industry remains highly desirable. The lights and the thrill of a live audience keep future generations interested in pursuing an acting career despite worries of stability and sustainability. This article explores the state of the theatre industry today in 2025 and poses the question: What does it now take to build a future in theatre as a creative?
Historically, for much of the 20th century and early 21st century the route into the theatre industry remained structured and rigid. For young performers, the objective to help achieve the dream of being on stage or screen was to reach a prestigious Drama School. Institutions like LAMDA, RADA and Guildhall became destinations which would set creatives on a successful path to professional work. Alongside training at these schools, it was expected that to make it one needed to cut their teeth in regional repertory theatres and climb the ladder with consistent hard work and auditions. The industry offered a clear structure to reach the destination, with training, auditioning, and performing the traditional route.
In recent years, the landscape is far less linear, with not one single route presented for young performers as the industry moves away from traditional conventions. Repertory companies are dwindling, permanent contracts are increasingly rare, and funding for the arts continues to shrink, forcing creatives to fight even harder for a sustainable career. The rise of social media and the lasting impact of COVID-19 have played a major role in this shift. Today, casting often takes place online through self-tapes and virtual auditions. Performers are expected not only to act, but to also produce, market, and edit their own material. The modern performer now juggles multiple roles—actor, producer, marketer, and digital content creator, often without formal training in these additional skills.
Education
These industry changes are deeply connected to broader trends, with the shifting state of the theatre industry mirrored in education. Drama and performance subjects have faced increasing marginalisation at the secondary and further education levels Not only does the subject not hold a place on the national curriculum, but it has been reported that 41% of schools no longer enter any pupils for GCSE Drama, which demonstrates the urgent need for a reform (1). This continues at university where Drama remains a frivolous subject in the public perception, seen as a ‘Mickey Mouse’ degree that offers no future prospects (2). These assumptions of Drama in education are harmful and obstructive, preventing those with a passion for the arts from seeing theatre as a potential future career. To add, with rising tuition fees, student debt, and uncertain job prospects, young people are questioning the viability of training in theatre. Drama schools and conservatoires remain a key entry point, but the high cost and competitive nature of admission create barriers. Looking ahead, theatre education should look to embrace the modern world, developing and nurturing essential skills that are crucial not just for the arts but society. With a different model, creatives will be provided with an opportunity to create a successful future, on stage and beyond.
The Industry
As the entry points shift, so too does the theatre industry itself. With the rise of technology, the industry has had to be innovative and adopt new techniques to remain competitive and sustainable. Streaming services have become second nature, offering the comfort of staying in, and often at a reduced cost. With the added influence of multiple lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic, digital theatre has taken on a new significance for many repertories and performers, seeing almost an 800% boom of digital theatre viewers, which continues today (3). Alongside this, with streaming platforms like Netflix and Disney+ and social media channels, theatre is now more readily available than ever before. Although this brings many positives, it would be unjust to suggest that the theatre industry is booming. Now, more than ever, theatres need support with many being forced to shut down or fundraise, as audiences begin to dwindle. With ongoing art cuts, aspiring performers are met with challenges and tough decisions about materialising a career in the arts. The cost of training, combined with struggling theatres, means many creatives are forced to juggle multiple jobs or shift between disciplines to sustain themselves. As the industry changes, creatives are now entering a discipline which no longer looks as it once did, providing a new set of challenges to conquer.
Self Tapes
Of all the changes, perhaps none has altered the audition process more than the rise of self-tapes. Despite digital auditions becoming the prominent method of casting, many actors struggle with self-tapes, with famous stars like Benedict Cumberbatch and Eliza Scanlen publicly sharing their feelings towards the process (4). For Euphoria’s Lukas Gage, he was mocked for the size of his apartment by a director in an audition panel which begs the question of what exactly is being judged (5). However, with self-tapes becoming the preferred medium, creatives are met with further challenges in what is already a tough industry to crack. While they offer accessibility and convenience, they also introduce new pressures. Many actors find self-taping isolating and impersonal, lacking the immediate feedback of a live room which was once an important gauge of assessment. With these changes within the industry, aspiring professionals must adapt, or they face the danger of falling behind.
Conclusion and Next Steps
Carving a future as a creative remains a steep task. The competition is intense and the cost and risk associated with this career is constant. Many face long periods of unemployment, often without clear feedback or direction. As a creative, one must be resilient and strong or quite simply the industry will eat you up, with repeated rejection, burnout, and post- pandemic uncertainties causing growing concern over mental health issues for performers. With pathways being closed, and a lack of stability in many venues, the industry has to be approached with caution.
However, with that being said, a career in the arts is more than worth the battle and offers creatives a chance to actually work on something that they are highly passionate about. Although the industry has changed, and provided more challenges than ever, there are plenty of doorways it has opened also in recent years. With alternative pathways now provided, the industry no longer centres around acting, giving writing, directing and technical roles greater significance. Emerging artists have plentiful opportunities to work at a local or regional level in fringe festivals, or even online with fellow creatives. Who gets to perform has now changed and welcomed a more diverse casting process, with a growing push for inclusivity and representation across race, gender, disability, and class. Diverse stories and unconventional career paths are celebrated more than ever and challenge outdated gatekeeping, offering new ways into the profession, which can only be seen as a huge positive.
For aspiring performers, there are several ways to break into the industry, and carve a career out of a passion of the arts. Training and education still remains vital, and with such an array of skills needed now to survive in the industry, any form of foundational training is key. A performer’s portfolio must be a priority and built on to ensure that collaboration can occur, with a professional headshot, polished CV and compelling showreel non-negotiables. Above all however, creatives need to network and remain open, demonstrating a commitment to their passion to build a fulfilling and successful career.
To conclude, the theatre industry is in flux, but creativity thrives in chaos. While the traditional paths are a thing of the past, new routes continue to emerge that are diverse, digital, and driven by a new generation of artists ready to redefine what theatre can be. For those willing to adapt, build their own stages, and champion their voices, the future of a career in theatre is not just a distant dream, it’s a tangible reality.
1 - https://www.culturallearningalliance.org.uk/cla-report-card-published/
2 - https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/worst-university-degrees-damage-career-prospects/
3 - https://www.europeantheatre.eu/news/digital-theatre-had-800-boom-during-the-pandemic-new-study-reveals#:~:text=Digital%20theatre%20ticket%20sales%20were,term%20staff%20taking%20digital%20roles
4 - https://castingfrontier.com/blog/famous-actors-struggle-with-self-tapes-too/