Acting for Contemporary & Devised Performance BA (Hons)

Course Content

• Course Details

  This degree in Acting for Contemporary and Devised Performance has been designed to contribute towards achieving the following United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: SDG11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  Year 1

  In the first year of the Acting for Contemporary & Devised Performance BA (Hons) programme, students will focus primarily on developing their core skills of craft. The first year is comprised of three foundational modules: Foundations of Acting, Voice, and Movement; Foundations of Ensemble Performance; and Directed Production 1. The Foundations of Acting, Voice, and Movement Module is aimed at providing each student with the necessary skills of craft that are essential for any professional actor. Throughout this module students will learn key elements of an actors’ craft – physical actions, intentions, impulses, associations, presence, the living voice, and the moving body – as taught by key practitioners of actor training including: Stanislavski, Grotowski, Laban, Ewan, Houseman, and Hart, as well as learning about the anatomy and physiology of the body and voice.

  As part of this module, acting degree students will also explore a diverse range of theories and histories that inform and influence contemporary performance. The focus here is on diversity and inclusion and how contemporary performance responds to the societies and cultures we live in: content covered includes (but is not limited to) LGBTQIA+ performance, disability and performance, Global Majority performance, and feminist performance as well as key practitioners and perspectives from Performance Studies. Following this intensive period of training to develop the individual’s capacity for craft, students will move on to the Foundations of Ensemble Performance and Directed Production 1 modules: both of which help develop the individual student’s craft in relation to others as part of an ensemble working with textual material in performance.

  These modules emphasise the actor as an ensemble member of a broader team, and listening and relating as core elements of craft in the application of individual technique. In both modules, students will learn how to work as an ensemble, utilising scene work, choral vocal technique, and dynamic and mimetic movement. During these modules, students will use text as performance material and stimuli towards group or ensemble-based performances, ultimately leading to the Directed Production 1 module wherein students will participate in every aspect of a creative process modeled after professional production schedules and standards, leading to a fully realised production.

  Year 2

  The second year of this acting degree looks to build on those core elements of craft developed throughout the first year through three core modules: Advanced Acting for Contemporary Performance, Advanced Acting and Devising for Screen, and the Directed Production 2. During the first part of the year, students will focus on developing advanced acting techniques for contemporary performance, looking to deepen their understanding of, and capacity for, the actor’s craft and to synthesise these advanced approaches in a performance adapted from a classic text, and through a Practice-as-Research (PaR) project.

  In this module, students will explore contemporary performance approaches or styles including some of the following: immersive, site-specific, participatory, autobiographical, puppetry, verbatim, one-to-one, dance-theatre, durational, performance art, gamification, and intermediality. Upon completion of this module, students will go on to study Advanced Acting and Devising for Screen, wherein students will learn how to adapt their acting for believable on-screen and/or digital performances, and learn the core skills required to be ‘on set’ in a TV or Film environment. During this module, students will undertake a film project where they will create their own short films as auteurs, and will learn film-making techniques including camera operation, composition, writing for screen, editing, production skills, and performing for the camera.

  Year 2 concludes with the Directed Production 2 module where students will have the opportunity to explore and apply advanced elements of the actor’s craft within a performing context modeled after a professional production and directed by an industry professional, open to a viewing public.

  Year 3

  Each aspect of the third year of the contemporary and devised acting degree focuses on professional practice and industry preparation. During the first part of the year students will undertake the Professional Practice and Performance module wherein they will work with professional theatre company members, producers and industry professionals to understand and prepare for entering the industry. Students will learn how to present themselves as professional actors building a portfolio of headshots, a showreel, and audition speeches.

  Additionally, Acting for Contemporary and Devised Performance students will learn how to generate an income for creative projects through budgeting, fundraising, and application writing. During this module, students will also work under the artistic direction of a professional director to create a text-based production to a professional standard, entering into an intensive rehearsal period leading to the creation of a public facing performance. Throughout this module, students also will work as theatre companies to create a performance and an associated workshop designed for and delivered within a ‘social change’ context. Upon conclusion of this module, students will move on to the Professional Production module wherein they will employ advanced skills of craft (both Acting and Devising) within the framework of a full production directed by an industry professional and­ resulting in an original production for a viewing public.

  Additionally, throughout the year students will work on their Negotiated Project, wherein students will form theatre/production companies with their peers and create a piece of work that represents them as artists, and demonstrates the type of contemporary work they wish to continue to make in their professional career. During this project, students will take on roles such as (but not limited to) director, actor, writer, editor and they will work collaboratively to realise their creative vision.

  The Showcase

  In the third year of the Acting for Contemporary and Devised Performance programme, each graduating student will have the opportunity to participate in a Showcase attended by industry professionals. In preparation for the Showcase, students will work with a professional director in developing monologues and/or scenes that highlight their skills and capabilities as an actor. The Showcase is an excellent opportunity for our students as they look to begin their careers as professional actors, and is a key step for any actor seeking Industry representation.

  The Spotlight Prize Content

  Each graduating student will have the opportunity to submit a filmed monologue in order to be considered for The Spotlight Prize. They will be entered into the nationwide competition and If successful, selected by Spotlight to become finalists. Spotlight Finalists from Drama Schools across the UK perform in a unique London Showcase for professional casting directors, agents and directors. Within its first 3 years, Acting for Contemporary and Devised Performance has had two Spotlight Finalists who have both gone on to secure high profile agents and auditions upon graduation.

  Please note the modules shown here relate to the academic year 24/25. The modules relating to the academic year 25/26 will be available from June 2025.

  • Stage 1
    • Foundations of Acting, Voice, and Movement (60 Credits)
      Module code: ACT1012

      Status: Compulsory
      The purpose of this module is to explore the craft of Acting incorporating work on the body, voice, and imagination. The module provides students with the opportunity to explore some of the basic elements of actor training which are necessary to master before the craft can be developed further.
    • Foundations of Ensemble Performance (40 Credits)
      Module code: ACT1013

      Status: Compulsory
      This module develops students' craft in relation to others as part of an ensemble and in relation to textual material in performance. It emphasises the actor as an ensemble member of a broader team and listening and relating as core elements of craft in the application of individual technique.
    • Directed Production 1 (20 Credits)
      Module code: ACT1014

      Status: Compulsory
      The purpose of this module is to explore the craft of Acting within the framework of a professional production schedule. It provides students with opportunities to explore and apply some of the basic elements of the actor's craft within the framework of a professional production schedule directed by an industry professional.
  • Stage 2
    • Advanced Acting for Contemporary Performance (60 Credits)
      Module code: ACT2015

      Status: Compulsory
      The purpose of this module is to develop students Acting skills to an advanced level and for a wider variety of performance styles and contexts towards greater employability. This module will build on the foundational performance skills at Level 4 towards cohesive performances in work made for Contemporary audiences and contexts.
    • Advanced Acting and Devising for Screen (40 Credits)
      Module code: ACT2016

      Status: Compulsory
      The purpose of this module is to prepare students for work in recorded, mediated,screen, online, digital and/or XR performance contexts. Acting skills will be adapted for mediated performance and underpinned by theory and methodologies relevant to screen acting and film-making.
    • Directed Production 2 (20 Credits)
      Module code: ACT2017

      Status: Compulsory
      The purpose of this module is to provide students the opportunity to explore and apply advanced elements of the actor's craft within a performing context modelled after a professional production and directed by an industry professional.
  • Stage 3
    • Professional Practice & Performance (60 Credits)
      Module code: ACT3016

      Status: Compulsory
      The purpose of this module is to develop knowledge and experience of the broad range of professional skills related to generating income as a freelance performer and/or theatre company, working within social change contexts as performers and workshop leaders, and performing with a Director on a text-based production as professional actors.
    • Professional Production (20 Credits)
      Module code: ACT3017

      Status: Compulsory
      The purpose of this module is for students to employ advanced skills of craft (both Acting and Devising) within the framework of a full production directed by an industry professional and resulting in an original production for a viewing public.
    • Negotiated Project (40 Credits)
      Module code: ACT4005

      Status: Compulsory
      The purpose of this module is for students to form theatre/production companies create their own piece of original work at a professional standard ready for public performance.

  Collapse
• Student Perks

  At the University of Northampton, everything we do, from funded trips to paid internships, is to give you everything you need to make a difference when you leave.

  If you join this full-time Acting for Contemporary & Devised Performance BA degree at the University of Northampton, you will receive a laptop when your course begins*. The laptops are built to a bespoke custom specification ideal for use in the seminar room, collaborative group work or studying at home.

  Whatever your ambitions, we’re here to help you to achieve them. We’ll support you to identify the skills you’re learning during your acting course, find your strengths and secure practical experience so that when it comes to applying for jobs or further study you’ll feel confident in standing out from the crowd. We’ve created the Northampton Employment Promise because we are so confident that if you focus on your studies and complete one of our awards you’ll be highly employable by the time you graduate. Putting you in a great position to secure employment or continue your studies.

  To check out the full list of perks, visit our Student Perks page or dedicated International Perks page.

  *UK fee payers only (see Terms and Conditions for further details).

  Collapse
• FAQs

  Who is Acting for Contemporary and Devised Performance [Acting CDP] for?

  For actors who…

  • Are committed to being part of the performance industry
  • Want Drama School style Actor Training
  • Are interested in making their own work as artists or theatre/film production companies
  • Want an actor training focused on creating original work.
  • Are interested in writing for stage and screen.
  • May have other skills, for example, musical instruments, singing, movement, writing, film making and more.
  • Prefer practical assessments to theoretical. Only one writing assessment per year – all of which are applicable to your own professional development.

  What does Acting CDP do?

  The Acting for Contemporary and Devised Performance BA degree programme delivers a professional actor training that develops students as individual artists who can act, devise, write and make.

  We train the next generation of actor-creators who are making work that responds to the world and an ever-shifting performance industry.

  Our graduates are at the cutting edge of contemporary performance, working across theatre, TV and film. They are highly employable, adaptable, inventive, and engaging performers.

  How does Acting CDP differ from Acting?

  • Emphasis on making your own work as devisers & creatives
  • Acting training focused on the methodologies of Grotowski & Stanislavski
  • The opportunity to work abroad for an artistic residency
  • Explore Immersive and site-specific performance, physical theatre, verbatim texts, film-making, and spoken word poetry
  • Writing classes with a professional playwright

  How will I be taught on Acting for Contemporary and Devised Performance BA (Hons)?

  All modules are predominantly studio-based and practical in nature. We aim to help you develop into strong and capable performers and performance-makers. You will be taught a wide range of skills that will prepare you personally and professionally for a career in the industry. You can expect to be working in one of our bespoke studio spaces for 30 hours per week as part of your training, and all our modules are taught by industry professionals with a wide range of skills and expertise, and who all have a long history of professional practice.

  How will I be assessed?

  Assessment of this degree in Acting for Contemporary & Devised Performance is primarily practice-based. 80% of your assessments are done through some form of practice, i.e., Performances, Workshops, Presentations, and/or through your day-to-day work in the studios. The remaining 20% of your assessments take the form of practically oriented written assessments, i.e., essays, book reviews, short journal articles, and/or funding applications.

  What kind of support is there for students on the programme?

  At the start of each year each student will be assigned a Personal Tutor, whom you will meet with regularly. Your Personal Tutor is there to support you through every aspect of your training and development and can help you navigate the University’s systems, policies, and procedures. They are also there to help give you career advice and to help you get the most out of your training and education. Additional support for each student is available through the University’s Counselling and Mental Health Team, the Additional Student Support and Inclusion Services Team (ASSIST), the Needs Assessment Centre (NAC), and the Student Support and Advice Team.

  What if I’m neurodiverse? Will that prevent me from thriving on the programme?

  No, not at all. Many people in the industry identify as neurodiverse, including some of those professionals who teach on our programme. Neurodiversity in itself is not a barrier to thriving on the programme or in the performance industry. Our student-centred training programme looks to help you discover your own strengths, and to create a practice that is rewarding, enriching, and meaningful for you and we work with each student to help them get the most out of their training with us. Additionally, the University has many support centres (listed above) that are there to help students thrive while studying with us.

  Collapse