Where a variety artist can go next
5 destinations recorded, ranked by how much of the target role a variety artist already meets. The closer to the top of Table 1, the less there is to learn.
Variety artists are multi-disciplinary artists who master in at least two of the following disciplines: comedy, dance, singing, circus arts, object manipulation and illusionism. They perform solo or collectively, may appear in music variety shows, cabaret, musicals and other entertainment events. Their artistic performance is characterised by the blending of arts, styles and disciplines.
Also known as musician, pantomime actor, burlesque artist, entertainer, sword swallower, lookalike artist, illusionist, ventriloquist, burlesque performer, variety performer, magical performer, magician.
Professionals 34 skills on file 5 career moves 1 above 60% overlap Closest: puppeteer, 64%
- 70% and above · short step
- 50 to 70% · real move
- Below 50% · substantial retraining
Table 2 · A bigger jump
Possible, but expect real retraining rather than a sideways step.
Table 3 · What the job itself asks for
A variety artist needs 13 required skills and areas of knowledge. These 10 are the ones fewest other jobs share, so they say the most about the work.
- create an artistic performance communication, collaboration and creativity
- cope with stage fright management skills
- select music for performance communication, collaboration and creativity
- work independently as an artist communication, collaboration and creativity
- interact with fellow actors communication, collaboration and creativity
- perform live communication, collaboration and creativity
- analyse own performance management skills
- study roles from scripts communication, collaboration and creativity
- work with an artistic team communication, collaboration and creativity
- interact with an audience communication, collaboration and creativity
Table 4 · Jobs that lead here
The reverse view: occupations whose skills already cover much of what a variety artist does. The figure is how much of this job each one brings.
- street performer 75% covered · difficulty 28.7
- singer 71% covered · difficulty 31.2
- stand-up comedian 71% covered · difficulty 31.8
- musician 68% covered · difficulty 34.9
- puppeteer 60% covered · difficulty 42.7
- actor/actress 58% covered · difficulty 44.3
- performance artist 56% covered · difficulty 46.7
- circus artist 51% covered · difficulty 51
- stunt performer 38% covered · difficulty 62
Look up another occupation
Variety artist is filed under Professionals, ISCO major group 2. The full index lists all ten groups.
How these figures were compiled
Overlap is how much of the target role is already part of a variety artist’s work. It is directional: the figure for the reverse move differs. Every entry above opens the full comparison for that move: what carries over, what is missing, and where to start. The full method.