Acting for Stage and Screen BA (Hons)

Course Content

• Course Details

  This Acting course has been designed to contribute towards achieving the following United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:

  SDG11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  All three years on Acting BA (Hons) degree have the core acting, vocal and movement pathways central to them; Year 1 tackles key concepts and core skills and equips you with the fundamental tools you need to be successful in the industry. Year 2 introduces new skills such as acting for TV, Film and Radio alongside beginning to hone your artistry and apply the craft you learned in Year 1 towards public performances.

  The final year will see you further develop your artistry with more autonomy as you define your artistic identity and take part in 5 different performance projects with professional directors, culminating in the opportunity to be part of a final showcase* at a London theatre with an invited industry audience. We always strive to produce artists who contribute meaningfully to the industry whilst moving the craft of acting forwards.

  The first stage of your studies focuses on the fundamental craft of acting, vocal and movement techniques including; character analysis, scoring the text, improvisation, Estill voice training (only one of 9 institutions in the world with accreditation), singing, pure movement, animal study and stage combat.

  Year 1

  In Year 1 of BA Acting, you have the opportunity to gain certification both in stage combat with the APC (Academy of Performance Combat), recognised by Equity, and Estill voice training which can be added to your Spotlight CV, putting you a cut above the rest. You will be involved in one main production and small studio-based performance tasks throughout the year.

  Year 2

  Stage two develops your performance range and artistry, including acting for the camera and radio, including voice-overs for commercials and animation and radio dramas. In addition, you will deepen your core acting, vocal and movement strands in exploration of; movement psychology, classical acting techniques, accent and dialect work, rhetoric skills, mask work and further pure movement skills, acting through song and you will continue your stage combat classes in which you will have the opportunity to take a higher level certification. You will perform in a public Shakespeare performance which will be professionally directed at the end of the year.

  Year 3

  The final stage begins with refining your core skills and supplementing them further with guidance in how to write and produce your own work with the opportunity to take it to a professional fringe festival*. You will learn the nuancing of multi-rolling through vocal and movement skills to truly embody multiple characters. From here you switch from studying acting to preparing for all aspects of employment. You will perform in 5 performances throughout the year including forming your own theatre company as part of the annual Flash Theatre Festival. We will teach the key aspects on preparing for life as a professional actor; acting CV, headshot, showreel, self-taping, website, and meetings with professional agents and casting directors.

  At the end of the Acting course, you may be invited to perform at our London Showcase in front of agents and other key industry representatives.

  *by invitation only

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• 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 Stage and Screen degree at 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).

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• FAQs

  How will I be taught on Acting for Stage and Screen BA (Hons)?

  Classes are largely studio-based and practical in nature stretching you physically and personally whilst preparing you professionally. You will have over 30 hours of practical sessions per week. The acting industry is competitive and we aim to equip you for it by teaching you a wide range of skills. You will also work with inspiring and creative professional directors who are active in the industry.

  What do students say about this course?

  Find out more about a range of student experiences on Acting BA at UON:

  How will I be assessed on BA Acting for Stage and Screen?

  This Acting course is mainly assessed through practical work, performances and presentations, worth 80% of your final grade, but there is some written work in the form of reflective sketchbooks, journals and industry relevant tasks such as character studies and funding applications, worth 20% of your final grade.

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