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Professional development is at the heart of this course, and you will have the opportunity to develop as a dramatic theatre artist in a truly creative and collaborative way. This course will provide you with the opportunity to apply your experience in the studios and in a diverse range of performance arenas. In year one you will develop performance and theatre skills in a supported forum.

In year two you will further develop industry practices, building on your previous experiences and exploring your own lines of enquiry to help develop you as a performing arts practitioner. Through engagement with industry professionals, you will experience and gain first-hand knowledge and understanding to enhance your studies.

Through practical classes you will develop a wide range of performance techniques that are drawn from world-renowned practitioners and theorists enabling you to become a versatile practitioner. You will use this knowledge to truly understand the role of the performer and the relationship between you and the audience and the material being presented. The course is designed to give you the necessary skills to become proactive about your own career progression, building the confidence and ability to plan and deliver workshops, direct your own performances, devising and creative writing skills, teamwork and build a solid understanding of how the industry works.

Underpinning the practical aspects of the course is the exploration of theoretical concepts of performance and its creation and presentation. You will perform in several productions a year that will see you apply techniques and develop your stagecraft. You will be expected to work with fellow students in a supportive and creative manner, often working with the director to develop performance work and your own understanding of how you make theatre works and take them from the page to the stage.

A variety of teaching and learning methods are used to encourage and facilitate your creative and artistic development and bring together practice and theory. Independent and collaborative learning will be encouraged through use of practical workshops, interactive lectures, resource-based learning, individual and group work, tutorials, discussion, critiques, performances, and rehearsals. You’ll also get to experience guest lectures from industry professionals and take part in workshops with top companies.

Course hours typically stand at 13 hours contact per week of lectures, rehearsals, workshops and self-directed study. This can increase during performance weeks and will require evening work and on occasion, weekends.

In addition to the course contact hours, students will need to undertake at least 10 hrs per week directed and self-directed study/practice.

Higher National Certificate (HNC) Year 1 Units:

• The Performing Arts Industry
• Professional Development
• Acting 1
• Voice and Speech for Actors
• Acting for Camera
• Movement for Actors
• Devising Theatre and Performance
• Stagecraft

Higher National Diploma (HND) Year 2 Units:

• Working in the Performing Arts Industry
• Creative Research Project
• Acting 2
• Immersive Theatre
• Directing
• Performance
• Project
• Working in Creative Education

Units can change according to reflecting industry trends or project designs. Decisions like this are taken at the discretion of the course leader and are not optional.

The College assesses you through the coursework that you produce as you complete each unit, this may include finished pieces of work, written work, your research, and a reflective journal which allows you to evaluate your learning and highlight your strengths and areas for further development.

Most units have some form of performance-based assessment attached that focus on a range of performance skills and genres.

There are two types of assessment that you will receive while on your course: Formative assessment is the process whereby your work and progress are assessed at regular intervals with accompanying feedback from staff to help improve your performance. Staff will provide you with feedback on the progress of your work before you reach the assessment point at the end of the unit. This may take place one-to-one with a tutor (e.g. in a tutorial) or in group sessions.

Summative assessment is the process whereby your work is evaluated and given a mark at the end of course unit. Summative assessment formally records your achievement of the unit’s learning outcomes and final feedback. You will be assessed against the approved unit learning outcomes and assessment requirements as outlined in the unit handbooks, these typically include the module descriptor, assignment brief(s) and programme outlines. The unit handbooks guide you through the specific areas of work in which you will be engaged to produce the work required for assessment and so successfully achieve the unit learning outcomes. Many courses also employ self and peer evaluation or assessment within their overall assessment processes. Self-evaluation and self-assessment require you to reflect upon your learning and performance and to submit this to tutors.

Peer evaluation and peer assessment are used when students have been working in teams and require each team member to reflect upon their peers’ performance and to submit this to tutors or to give you support and guidance in developing areas of performance.

There is a minimum of one piece of assessed work per unit.

Your tutors will help you to track your areas of achievement for each unit/module and to identify and discuss opportunities to collate evidence for module achievement.

You will be graded using the Edexcel guidelines and specifications to assess whether the evidence produced for assignments has reached the required standard at pass, merit or distinction level.

Assessment is ongoing within sessions and will comprise of peer and self-assessment as well as tutor assessment.

64 UCAS tariff points from A Levels or a Level 3 diploma in a related subject. Or An Access course.

GCSE Grade 9 - 4 in English Language (or equivalent qualification) is required.

Those with previous experience or learning that is relevant may be eligible via our RPL (Recognition of prior learning) process for accreditation towards this course.

All applicants are required to audition consisting of an interview, 1 two-minute contemporary monologue and 1 two-minute classicaltheatre monologue.

3-4 days per week plus evening performances/some weekends.

2024/25 fees:

£TBC

This course is recognised as a qualification in its own right or can be combined with a top-up degree to obtain a full honours degree like our BA (Hons) Performance Industries course. Alternatively, you can study a PGCE or Certificate in Education to progress to teaching.