Carol Ann Pippin

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I was born in Thailand. When I was 7, my parents moved to England and I grew up in Hampshire and Berkshire. When I was 18, I decided to study Acting at Falmouth University. For me, acting was an escapism of everyday life and I loved the idea of being on the big screens. However, my thoughts on that have changed slightly as I have become more involved in the arts. Don’t get me wrong, it is an interesting career path with many opportunities. However, I feel that I have held acting close for a while now, maybe it’s time for me to love something new. I was never the one to know exactly what path to take, even to this day I’m still unsure.

Growing up within the world of performance has helped me to improve my confidence and social skills. I have studied a variety of acting techniques and have been casted for multiple student projects. The most recent short films I have been in are; We Are, written and directed by Jake McBride and A Fisherman’s Tale, written by Jake McBride and directed by Conan Coatsworth. We Are, is set in an apocalyptic world, where lives can be ended by a click of a pocket watch. A

Fisherman’s Tale, explores the friendship between a boy and a girl by the sea. My main challenges with We Are, was the battle with the Cornish weather conditions. Shooting on the edge of a hill where the ocean winds blew us side to side was exhilarating and very cold! I remember in-between takes, I was constantly doing star jumps and burpees to keep my extremities warm. Running to each fire pit and getting low to the ground so the wind didn’t feel as powerful. However, watching the sun set over the horizon was breath-taking, those were some special times.

My favourite part about acting is the wonderful and bizarre locations you are taken to. And when you’re not on camera, you have the opportunity to really appreciate the area you are in. Exploring different environments and allowing it to surprise you with what’s around the corner! Getting to know the cast and crew and becoming a small family during the project is something I’ll neverforget. I very much prefer acting on screen than on stage. I don’t quite know what it is, but it’s where I feel most comfortable. However, I have been in many stage productions as this was usually the main way to be assessed and marked. Back in college, I embarked on a solo performance which consisted of an 8-minute monologue about my experience with Cancer and how that affected me. From my experience, that was the toughest performance I have ever performed. I still yet have never felt that level of raw and vulnerability on stage since then. My performance shed tears from the audience and ultimately got me a Distinction. Acting does come with its pros and cons, just like any career path. I’m only 20 years old and have yet to figure out if it’s the path for me. I know I enjoy it, but I also enjoy putting my blood, sweat and tears into other projects unrelated to the lights, camera and action. As young as I may feel and seem, today is the youngest I’ll ever be which is why my outlook on life is to live each day as it comes and embark on every opportunity that feels right.

“I had a passion for acting and performing arts while growing up. I joined a theatre group at the age of 12 and my parents paid for me to have weekly dance, singing and acting lessons with Theatre Train in Basingstoke.” What are the three top things about studying at university? For me the top three things that I have learnt are independence, time management skills and the ability to network. Please could you provide

a quotation about your HE journey and your recommendations to

young people? “I’m so thankful that my family persuaded me to give University a go. With my experience here, I have met so many inspirational people and have had lots of support from staff and friends with my studies. I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I left school, I’m still unsure now. But that hasn’t stopped me from trying new things! So if you’re like me, and clueless with what path to take. My advice would be, take a step out of your comfort zone and go for it, you’ll soon figure out what your passion is and everything will begin to work out naturally.” I was never the one to know exactly what path I wanted to take for my future. To this day I’m still unsure, however what I am certain of is that I still enjoy acting and also take pleasure with my work within the Education industry, alongside studying at Falmouth. I feel that growing up within the world of performance gave me a head start with my confidence and social skills. With this, in my first year of university I applied to be a Student Ambassador and got the job! I didn’t realize at the time how important this job would be to me, because from it I have gained multiple connections through networking. I have travelled to different schools around Cornwall, delivering talks and workshops to the students in regards to their career paths and what university life is like. I am still currently training to be an actor; however, I’m unsure whether a career in acting is for me, as I feel that I’m rather suited to my current jobs. I love to take on opportunities that arise whether they’re acting related or not. I believe that slowly but surely, I’ll fall into the right place. Whether that is in the world of theatre, education or business who knows?

Recently I have teamed up with some Falmouth University students to develop a platform that will showcase multiple projects and works created by Falmouth’s current students. I’m excited to see where this collaborative journey will take me.

- Carol Ann Pippin