Woman's brave return to education in bid to become an actress

Emma Webb-Goodwin has taken the plunge and joined City College Plymouth to follow her dream

If you feel stuck in a rut and are ready for something new, City College Plymouth can provide you with a realistic and affordable way of gaining university-level qualifications that can unlock a new career or further your current job prospects.

Regardless of how old you are, it is never too late and the College provides a friendly and safe learning environment where you can complete a course that has been endorsed by industry and is designed to fit flexibly around even the busiest of households.

This is what Emma Webb-Goodwin found when she bravely returned to education later in life after experiencing bullying as a child.

Emma took up an Access to Higher Education course, focusing on performing arts - but it wasn't an easy decision for her given her difficult relationship with education.

For most children, school is a relatively positive experience that provides them with fond memories and is just one step along their educational journey. For others, school can be traumatic and the reason so many are put off education.

Acting student, Emma, falls into the latter category. Cruelly bullied and ignored by her teachers, Emma wanted to leave school as quickly as possible, and did so with very few “good” GCSEs.

Disillusioned by the whole education system, the 34-year-old spent the next 16 years flitting from job to job.

Emma said: “I did try going to college in the Midlands, but it didn’t work out and I left. After that, I worked in various roles: retail, office work, a few other things here and there; I also travelled for a bit. I had no direction and no idea what I wanted from life. The only thing I was certain about was that I didn’t want to go back to education.”

As a child, Emma was able to find an escape through dance and she decided to revisit this passion later in life by signing up for a series of workshops with The People’s Company.

Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, the dance programme was cancelled, but Emma was invited to drama auditions instead.

Despite having done little acting before, Emma decided to give it a go - mostly to make use of her paid-for subscription.

As a result, Emma was selected for a performance at the PlayLab Festival and, after receiving other invitations to perform alongside professional companies - including the Birmingham Royal Ballet - she decided to explore performing arts as a career option.

Emma began researching Access to Higher Education courses and was encouraged to visit the College after reading some excellent reviews online.

Now, almost two years later, Emma - who says she was all but written off by her teachers - has completed the Access course and is in her first year of studying the Creative Actor Foundation Degree, with Emma achieving marks as high as 95%.

Emma said: “The best thing about being at City College is the staff: they give you the freedom to explore your own talents and passions in a safe, non-competitive space.

“It was a tricky transition at first, returning to education after so many years and with other responsibilities, but the tutors understand and give guidance on how to juggle studying with adult life. This doesn’t stop with the lecturers though, everyone is so eager to help.

"I remember I went to the library to start working on an essay once and the staff couldn’t do enough for me; I don’t remember ever encountering staff like they have here at City College.”

Emma is among the first group of students to study for the Creative Actor Foundation Degree at the College, which seeks to develop the creative, technical and employability skills essential for working in today’s performing arts industry.

It covers a wide range of skills, from voice training to puppetry. After listening to the requests of the students, the course will also include a module on dance.

Emma added: “I love how varied the course is. I’ve done so many different things as a result:  last week we recorded a radio drama at the BBC studios - it has been very eye-opening and is great for keeping your options open.

"I’ve been very lucky and experienced some great things. One of the highlights has been working with The National Theatre on their production of An Inspector Calls.

“If you have a dream or wish to set yourself on a new path, City College can provide you with the perfect start, especially if you are nervous. It is a friendly campus that boasts a personal touch; people know your name and they genuinely want to see you succeed. I’m so pleased I came to City College.”

Due to the vocational nature of the university-level courses available at City College Plymouth, the progressive qualifications, which can take students all the way to a full honours degree, are suitable for both 18-year-old school-leavers and older students looking to expand their knowledge of a subject alongside employment.

If you have been out of education for some time, the College’s Access to Higher Education courses are perfect for preparing you for university-level study. Not only will these courses provide you with the necessary subject knowledge for your chosen course, they will also help you develop other essential skills, such as essay-writing and referencing.

Kat Jones, Head of Higher Education at the College, said: “One of the best things about City College is the vibrant mix of people we have studying university-level courses. We have students of all ages and from all backgrounds, and our flexible entry criteria which can also consider work experience is designed to support people in accessing HE study. Some work full-time, others are parents or carers, and this adds to the rich learning experience on offer.

The College also has a great student funding team, who can support and advise you through the process of applying for the various loans and bursaries that may be available.”

For those interested in exploring their options, the College’s Virtual Open Day for university- level courses on Saturday 6 June is the perfect chance to find out about accessing higher education on your doorstep.

The event will feature a number of lecturers, all of whom have vast industry experience, who will take participants through the different gold-standard university-level courses delivered at the College.

They will also be joined by current students and alumni who will talk about the College in their own words, and local employers who will highlight the various career options that are available to students after completing a university-level course.

Businesses represented at the event will include: Redrok Events, Livewell Southwest; Plymouth Argyle FC; Building Plymouth; Plessey and Taylor Wimpey.

The creative session will also feature Independent Producer, Ghandi El-Chamaa, who has worked with superstars Ed Sheeran and Stormzy, and global brands Gucci and PlayStation, to name just a few.

The event on Saturday, June 6 will be hosted via the Zoom video platform. Those interested can book to attend various 45-minute subject-specific sessions, during which they will hear from a panel of speakers and have the opportunity to ask any questions.

As this event is to be held using Zoom, it is essential participants register via the College’s website here, in order to receive a secure password protected link to their online session.

For more information about courses at City College Plymouth, visit the website, here. Those interested in signing up to one of the six virtual sessions can do so by clicking here. If you have any questions you can e-mail info@cityplym.ac.uk.