Social media is now part of the acting landscape - but how do you use it well without losing confidence, oversharing, or putting your career at risk?

In this episode of The Drama Coach Podcast, I’m joined by Brian Maitland, an actor, professional content creator and social media coach. Brian is also part of Actors and Social Media, helping performers understand how to use social media in a more confident, professional and informed way.

This is such an important conversation for actors, young performers and parents, because online presence can feel exciting, confusing, overwhelming - and sometimes a little bit exposing. We talk about how performers can show up online in a way that feels useful and authentic, while still keeping clear boundaries around safety, privacy and professionalism.

Brian shares really practical advice on what actors should think about before posting, how social media can support a career, and where performers need to be careful. We also talk about career preservation, online behaviour, content creation and how actors can build confidence without feeling they have to become full-time influencers.

In this episode, we chat about:

Social media as part of the modern acting industry

How actors can use online platforms professionally

What young performers and parents need to consider before posting

Online safety, privacy and boundaries

Career preservation - and why your digital footprint matters

The difference between being visible and oversharing

How to create content without losing yourself

Confidence, comparison and protecting your mindset online

What performers should avoid posting

Practical tips for actors who want to use social media more intentionally

Guest links:

@brianmaitland

Actors and Social Media: ⁠http://www.actsocmed.com⁠www.actsocmed.com

@mrmckillop

@abigailcoyy

Follow The Drama Coach:

Instagram: @thedramacoach
TikTok: @thedramacoach
YouTube: The Drama Coach
Website: www.thedramacoach.co.uk

The Drama Coach Podcast is for young performers, parents of young performers, and actors navigating training, auditions, confidence and the industry with a bit more clarity.

Sponsored by SceneTribe

This episode is sponsored by SceneTribe - a growing creative community helping performers, creatives and industry professionals connect, collaborate and be seen.

Find out more and create your profile at: www.scenetribe.com

In this solo episode of The Drama Coach Podcast, I’m following on from my conversation with Ethan and Katie, who are studying Drama, Theatre and Performance at the University of Lincoln, to talk about something I think a lot of young performers need to hear: Drama school isn’t the only door.

This is not an anti-drama-school episode. Drama school can be brilliant for the right person, at the right time, on the right course. But it is not the only valid route into acting, theatre, performance or the creative industries.

For young performers, the pressure to find “the route” can feel huge. Drama school auditions, recalls, rejections, university choices, gap years, training options and comparison can all become overwhelming. This episode is here to offer a calmer, more honest perspective.

In this episode, I talk about:

• Why there is no single perfect route into acting

• The pressure young performers can feel around drama school

• Why not getting into drama school does not mean you are not talented

• How “not yet” is different from “never”

• Why university drama can be a brilliant and valid option

• The value of making work, devising, writing, directing and collaborating

• Why actors need life experience, curiosity and resilience

• How to make any route active, not passive

• The comparison trap for young performers and parents

• Why the route matters less than what you do with it

This episode is especially useful for older teens, parents of young performers, drama students, university applicants, drama school applicants, gap year students and anyone feeling unsure, disappointed or behind in their acting journey.

This episode is sponsored by SceneTribe - the new network for the creative industries.

SceneTribe is built around your credits, your collaborations and the work you’ve actually done, helping performers, crew, creatives, agents and producers build profiles and discover opportunities through real creative connections.

https://scenetribe.com/

Follow The Drama Coach:

Instagram: @thedramacoach TikTok: @thedramacoach YouTube: The Drama Coach Website: thedramacoach.co.uk

If this episode helped you breathe a little bit, please share it with a young performer or parent who needs to hear that there is more than one door.

In this episode of The Drama Coach Podcast, I’m joined by Katie and Ethan, who are both studying Drama, Theatre and Performance at the University of Lincoln.

This is a really honest conversation about what drama at university is actually like - from choosing a course, moving away from home and making friends, to dealing with pressure, comparison, rejection and the big question of whether drama school is the only “serious” route into the industry.

Katie and Ethan speak brilliantly about finding a course that felt right for them, why university drama can offer a broader experience, and how studying drama can build confidence, communication skills, independence and resilience - whether you go on to act professionally or take those skills into another path.

We talk about:

• Why Katie and Ethan chose university drama instead of drama school

• Whether drama school is still seen as “the route”

• The pressure young performers can feel when choosing their next step

• What their course actually involves day to day

• Screen acting, Shakespeare, devised work and performance modules

• Moving away from home and growing in independence

• Making friends and building a support system at university

• Rejection, comparison and staying resilient

• Why there is no single path into acting

• Side jobs, finances and staying realistic

• Advice for teens considering drama at university

• Advice for parents supporting those big decisions

This episode is especially useful for teen performers, young actors, parents of young performers, and anyone wondering whether drama at university can be a valuable and meaningful route.

As always, this is about building confidence, understanding and realistic expectations - whether you’re a young performer or a parent supporting one.

Guest Links / Follow

University of Lincoln - Drama, Theatre and Performance: https://www.lincoln.ac.uk/course/drathfub/

Ethan TikTok: @et.armour

Follow The Drama Coach Podcast for honest conversations about acting, auditions, training, confidence and the industry - for young performers and the people supporting them.

The Drama Coach: https://www.thedramacoach.co.uk

Instagram / TikTok / YouTube: @TheDramaCoach

Music: Soft Music 495878 by nastelbom, Pixabay.