Lily’s Journey from East Sussex College to AMDA New York

Performing Arts student Lily Danaher has achieved something incredible - she’s been awarded a scholarship to study at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) in New York, one of the most prestigious performing arts schools in the world.

Lily’s journey took off when she was selected for the Talent Inc programme in Orlando, where she performed in front of international agents.

“When I received the call that I had been selected for the Talent Inc programme, I was incredibly excited to begin my journey as an aspiring actor and develop my skills through their training programme. In addition, I felt very proud of my audition and couldn’t wait to perform in the Orlando showcase.”

At the showcase, Lily performed a filmed scene and a commercial for a panel of agents.

“Performing both the film scene and commercial in front of the agents was quite nerve-wracking at first, but the support from people around me helped me gain the confidence to perform to the best of my ability. It was an extremely rare and surreal experience to perform in front of agents from around the world that I will always cherish.”

Her hard work paid off with several call backs – and she soon signed with an agency.

“Signing with an agency has always been a dream of mine since I was young and discovered that I wanted to be an actor. When I eventually signed with my agent, I felt extremely happy and ready to begin my journey as a working actor.”

Lily says the support she has received at East Sussex College has been key to her success.

“Throughout my first year at college, I have received amazing support and great training from my teacher Stan. He cares a lot about his students and wants them to succeed in their careers. As an aspiring actor, I have developed a variety of skills over the course so far such as character building, self-management, reflecting and evaluating my work, using different acting techniques, and learning about Physical Theatre through a workshop with Frantic Assembly.”

When Lily found out she had received the AMDA scholarship, it felt like a dream come true. “Receiving the AMDA scholarship was a surreal and unbelievable experience. There are many actors that inspire me who have studied at AMDA and gone on to have extremely successful careers in the industry, such as Caissie Levy. I also love the creativity and energy of New York and can’t wait to explore the city and discover what exciting possibilities it can offer me.”

Looking ahead, Lily is excited about what’s to come. “Acting has always been a big passion of mine. I love telling stories, and getting to become a character and telling their story to the world is one of my biggest dreams.”

Want to follow in Lily’s footsteps? Study Performing Arts at East Sussex College – click here to find out more.