“Just because a path isn’t often trodden, doesn’t mean it isn’t there.”
Thom Blake’s education has been a little unusual. Homeschooled until the end of Year 12, he “never set foot in a school at all” – and much of the education that mattered most to him occurred on the stage, having acted in a range of productions since the age of six.
With his strong passion for theatre, there was little doubt as to what Thom would pursue in his university studies, but the Sydneysider had to look a little further afield to find a course that would fit around his acting career.
“You never know when you’re going to land an audition, sometimes you might be waiting for a long time with no work, and sometimes you can suddenly be overwhelmed when you do book a gig.
“UNE’s flexible study really helped with setting my own pace, and being able to study remotely let me study after rehearsals, which I couldn’t have done with a standard university schedule.
Although he was initially unsure what studying theatre online would look like, Thom says the units he took helped shape and develop his interests more than he anticipated, with some unexpected highlights along the way.
“During my studies I had the opportunity to do a placement with Sport for Jove while they developed their award-winning play, Player Kings. It was amazing being able to be in the room with so many great creative minds, it was a total masterclass!”
Thom says he loved the teaching at UNE, and also now feels more prepared to branch out from acting.
“I took a scriptwriting unit as part of my theatre course which really sparked a passion in me for writing. Writing scripts, short stories, poetry, I’ve been writing all sorts ever since!
“I want to keep pursuing the theatre, not only as an actor, but as a writer, and perhaps as a director too.
I’d love to shoutout my brilliant theatre lecturers, Richard Jordan and Julie Shearer. If I didn’t have such wonderful teachers, I wouldn’t have gotten nearly as much out of this degree as I did. Huge thanks to them, take all their classes if you’re a student reading this!
Since graduating in 2025, he has already been able to apply what he’s learnt to his latest production – a children’s theatre adaptation of Pinocchio.
“Shortly after I graduated, I landed my biggest role yet, playing Pinocchio with the Australian Chamber Orchestra. It felt like a big step up from the acting work I had done before, and it was a new work, so I was able to contribute a lot more to the developmental process than I otherwise would have.
“The critical thinking and dramaturgical skills I developed in my courses really helped me feel confident pitching in.”
And for anyone not sure how to get into university, Thom says where there’s a will, there’s a way.
“My path through education is one that not a lot of people even know is possible, I entered university by acquiring a GPA through taking single units from Open University,” Thom says. “It’s a great alternative for homeschoolers, or anyone concerned about ATAR scores.”
