degree

BA (HONS)

THEATRE-
MAKING

An industry-led, theatre-maker training course, focusing on the full suite of skills you’ll need to succeed in the theatre industry on your own terms.

Apply for audition

BRISTOL

UCAS Code: TMA1

Duration: 2 years full-time*

Start date: September 2023

Location: The Courts, Silver Street Studios

A conservatoire-style course with an average of 30 hours of classes a week.
Delivered in collaboration with nationally-acclaimed theatre company, The Wardrobe Ensemble.
Develops you as an all-round theatre-maker.

ALL OUR AUDITIONS ARE FREE.

To keep our process inclusive and accessible, we believe that money shouldn’t prevent anyone from auditioning.

Please note you can do your first round audition with us prior to submitting your UCAS via the button below.

Apply for audition

This brand new, first-of-its-kind degree has been developed with Bristol’s pioneering theatre company, The Wardrobe Ensemble, and will be led by practitioners from within, and associate artists attached to, the company.

This unique course positions you at the heart of the theatre-making process and equips you with the skills to become a well-rounded theatre artist, armed with a broad knowledge of how your ideas can be collaboratively transformed into original, successful theatre, developed on your own terms.

As well as being introduced to a wide-ranging suite of performance skills, you will also develop a number of related theatre-making disciplines including directing, producing, facilitation, writing, devising and vitally – collaborating as part of a collective, creative ensemble.

You will be pinned to the industry from day one – working alongside theatre professionals whose in-demand company boasts a high profile, who have created some of the UK’s most exciting original work of the last decade.

Throughout your training, you will be challenged to create and enable your own projects using The Wardrobe Ensemble’s creative practice and method. During your second year, you will present a variety of public-facing performances in Bristol’s prestigious theatre venues.

*course subject to validation

OVERVIEW

Delivered in partnership with Bristol’s award-winning, nationally-acclaimed theatre company, The Wardrobe Ensemble, our BA (Hons) Theatre-Making seeks to build the physical, intellectual and emotional skills needed for you to make professional collaborative theatre and performance on your own terms.

Rooted in The Wardrobe Ensemble’s well-established creative practice, this brand new, accelerated degree will give you a two-year route into the world of devising-based theatre-making, taught through intensive workshops, classes, seminar-style discussions and professionally produced productions. You will engage in varied teaching styles and content that is industry-led and industry-specific and reflects the demands of the modern working world.

In particular, the course is for those seeking a fully-rounded understanding of theatre-making and who want to expand and hone their skills as a performer, deviser, writer, producer, facilitator and creative collaborator. The course will offer you practical theatre training and creative opportunities to present your own work in Bristol, supported by professional artists working in the industry alongside you.

In your final year you will do an Agent Showcase in London.

STRUCTURE

YEAR ONE.

Your first year aims to give you the foundation to become a well-rounded, adaptable and skilled performer and creative. It offers you the opportunity to build the core skills needed to perform in directed plays and in the presentation of your own work, whilst broadening your knowledge base with classes on workshop facilitation, production and producing skills and collaborative processes.

Alongside practical engagement, you will develop your theoretical knowledge and understanding of key classical and contemporary cultural texts, as well as their wider societal impact.

YEAR TWO.

In your second year, you will build on the modules taught in year one, enabling you to deepen and hone your performance and theatre-making craft at a deeper, more advanced level, delving into more complex theoretical ideas.

Together with the taught modules, this year will enable you to develop your creative voice by offering you opportunities for self-led, public-facing performance and projects, as you begin to place your work in a wider theatrical context. You will explore your area of interest through practical application, deeper critical reflection and in conversations with peers and creative professionals in the industry.

In your second year you will also do an Agent Showcase in London.

APPLICATION

The degree is delivered in partnership with Plymouth Marjon University. To apply, you will need to register with UCAS by visiting www.ucas.com/apply and apply using the course details below.

As well as applying to UCAS, you will also need to audition with us (see below for details about our audition process) to be offered a place on this course. You can book your audition by clicking Apply Now.

In both cases, for lots of reasons, we strongly recommend applying to UCAS and auditioning with us as soon as you can. The UCAS deadline is 6pm, 25 January 2023. You must apply by this date to be guaranteed consideration for an audition. We may still be able to consider applications received after this date, but this may not be possible, particularly for our most popular courses.

UCAS course code: TMA1

Institution code: P63

Campus name: Bristol School of Acting

Campus code: A

AUDITION

FIRST ROUND AUDITION.

Entry onto the course is by audition.

Our first round auditions will take place via Zoom with a course leader from The Wardrobe Ensemble.

Please prepare 1 monologue from a 20th/21st century play of your choice that takes no longer than 2 minutes to deliver. We want to see how you perform, respond to direction and critically engage with the text. We will then have a chat about your interests and experience, and you will also have a chance to ask us anything about the course.

RECALL AUDITION.

If you are successful in getting through the first round you’ll be invited to a recall audition. You’ll spend the day with us in Bristol where you’ll be introduced to the course, and take part in a group devising workshop. The workshop will be an opportunity for us to see your approach, creative choices and how you collaborate with your peers. It will also be a chance for you to see how we work. In the afternoon, you will have an interview where we will ask you questions, based on what we have seen throughout the audition stages.

Please see the PDF document for specific details about the recall audition.

Download PDF

TYPICAL OFFER

Applicants are considered on an individual basis, taking into account any skills and experience that may not be reflected in A-Level scores. The most important consideration is that you have the qualities and potential to succeed. However, there are minimum academic entry requirements. We accept a wide range of qualifications for entry to the course. The main ones are listed below: