BA (Hons) Acting for Stage & Screen in collaboration with York Theatre Royal*
*Subject to modification - this course will run again from September 2025, moving from a two year delivery model to three.
Partnered with York Theatre Royal & Screen Yorkshire.
The BA (Hons) Acting for Stage & Screen in collaboration with York Theatre Royal, is an intensive training course. Students will take classes in both stage and screen acting throughout the two years alongside specialist classes in a wide range of voice, movement, rehearsal, performance and employment skills. Students will have regular contact with our in-house tutors, alongside visits and workshops led by industry leading experts including our partners at York Theatre Royal and Screen Yorkshire.
Students will take part in work placement blocks within the industry and will appear in several public performances.
UCAS Code: BA45
UCAS
Institution Code: Y70
| Level 4 | Level 5 | Level 6 |
|---|---|---|
| Fundamental Acting Technique | Developing Acting Technique | Advanced Acting Technique |
| Fundamental Voice Technique | Developing Voice Technique | Advanced Professional Development |
| Fundamental Movement Technique | Developing Movement Technique | Industry Facing Performance |
| Fundamental Professional Development | Developing Professional Development | Recorded Performance |
| Performance 1 | Performance 3 | Live Theatre Performance |
| Performance 2 | Performance 4 | Creating My Own Work |
Working in Collaboration with York Theatre Royal
Our collaborative partnership with York Theatre Royal, ensures that as a training actor, you are closely connected to the local theatre industry, right from the start of your time with us.
You will perform on the professional stage at York Theatre Royal, in major public performance projects and industry showcases. You will take part in multiple workshops with a range of fantastic theatre artists and practitioners.
Many students on the programme will be hosted by York Theatre Royal for their full time summer work placement, a unique collaboration unlike any other drama school, where students are mentored by York Theatre Royal staff working in departments such as Marketing and Communications, Production, Education and Facilitation and even shadowing Directors and Producers. Through this in-depth experience, you will learn how the real-world of the theatre industry works! Some students have been given the incredible opportunity of working with Directors Juliet Forster and John R Wilkinson, understudying professional actors on York’s community play’s such as ‘The Coppergate Woman’ and ‘Sovereign’. This has led to further opportunities with York Theatre Royal for some of these actors.
Juliet, John and other York Theatre Royal team members are supportive of our student productions and get to know you as actors through watching your shows – in addition, Juliet takes part in our industry panel week when, as second year students, you will audition professionally for her and receive in-depth feedback and guidance.
On top of all that, you receive discounted tickets at just £5 for several productions throughout the year at the Theatre, ensuring that you are plugged in to the best local theatre and have the opportunity to talk to the theatre makers behind these productions.
York Theatre Royal really becomes a second home for many of our BA (Hons) Acting for Stage & Screen students!
Entry requirements
64 UCAS tariff points from a Level 3 qualification in a relevant subject or A Levels. Successful applicants will be invited for an auditions and interview. Each applicant is asked to prepare two monologues - a contemporary and a classical monologue. Applicants will also take part in a movement workshop.
How will I be assessed?
Students are assessed through grading of final performances (both live and recorded), and through critical reflective work in a variety of forms.
Skills you will learn
Students will develop skills in acting technique, vocal performance, movement, physical theatre, characterisation, text analysis, rehearsal technique, screen acting, audio acting, devising, classical performance, audition technique and professional preparation. Academic skills will include, research skills, reflective practice, critical and creative thinking, interpersonal skills, team working and analytical response skills.
Method of delivery
The BA (Hons) Acting for Stage & Screen in collaboration with York Theatre Royal is a highly practical course which is taught face-to-face through rehearsal, workshops, seminars, tutorials, work experience placements and masterclasses. Critical thinking work is presented using a range of approaches including blogs, vlogs, digital portfolios etc. It is reflective and research based and designed to support your practical training. Students have 30 hours of contact time per week. Classes will be approximately 10-16 students and learning will take place in rehearsal studios, theatre spaces, film and media suites and on work placements. Independent learning is expected outside of contact hours and will include learning lines, text analysis work, character and contextual research, professional development activities and reflective practice.
Additional costs
During the first year of the programme, students may need to pay approximately £300 - £500 in addition to their tuition fees. This one off payment will enable the course to maintain the excellence of external practitioners and professional practice required by a Spotlight Graduate Professional Actor Training programme. In the second year of study, when preparing to enter the industry as a professional actor, students will record a showreel which will be professionally edited, take professional headshots and join Spotlight as graduate members. These expenses will be met by students and will cost approximately £500 altogether. We strongly recommend that students begin to save for these expenses as early as possible to lessen the financial burden incurred at the eventual time when payment is required.
An upfront payment of £30 is required upon enrolment of each year of the course, to cover theatre tickets. This will cover 6 performances at York Theatre Royal, saving students significant money over the year.
Due to the nature of this course, there may be some additional costs which students will be expected to pay at various stages throughout the duration of the course, although we make every effort to keep these to a minimum. This may include the opportunity to travel abroad. There may be travel costs related to work placements. Students must come to classes in practical movement clothing (details to be supplied on successful application).
Your next steps
Our students receive a conservatoire training and therefore are able to become Graduate Members of Spotlight. This is the stamp of approval for drama school training from the industry and is given to only around 20 institutions in the whole of the United Kingdom and Ireland. It means that agents and casting agents see our actors as being professionally trained and ready to work. Students will perform to agents in a final industry showcase at the York Theatre Royal.
The course prepares students for careers as actors working in the professional theatre, television and film industries. Students will experience detailed audition preparation, create self-tapes, voice reels and showreels which will help them to make their initial steps into the industry. Students are actively encouraged to make industry links whilst on the course, through work placements and industry-led workshops. Our in-house tutors are regularly in demand for companies such as The Globe, Pilot Theatre, York Theatre Royal, Northern Stage on shows such as Coronation Street, Gentleman Jack and Waterloo Road, or guesting at other drama schools such as Rose Bruford and Met Film School. They are always delighted to bring all their current industry knowledge straight back to share with our training actors!
“I chose to study this degree because I’d love to be a professional actor and I love learning about all things human nature. This degree offers intensive drama school training and many links with the professional world, as well as in-depth actor development on so many levels that will help me grow, not just as an actor, but also as a person with a deep self-awareness on a physical, mental and emotional level."
James has been a Performing Arts Teacher since 2009. He trained as an Actor at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (LIPA) before going on to work variously as an Actor, Singer, Director, and Producer. After completing a Master’s in Writing and Performance at the University of York, he has worked as a Playwright and Librettist. His work has been performed at The Arcola Theatre, Harrogate Theatre, The Umbrella Rooms on Shaftesbury Avenue, Guildford School of Acting and The Festival de Theatre, Lausanne. He maintains industry involvement through his writing and is currently developing a musical with West End collaborators. James has also recently been appointed a member of the Pilot Theatre’s Learning Advisory board and as an External Advisor on Performance in Practice for the University of Hull and The Sheffield College. He has recently directed BA Acting students in productions of The Pearl at the York Theatre Royal and The Comedy of Errors
at York College.
Yvonne has expertise in vocal health and hygiene, vocal power and projection, physical ease, breath support, resonance, tone, accents and dialects and vocal characterisation. She trained at The Webber Douglass Academy of Dramatic Art and The Central School of Speech and Drama and is the former Head of Voice at the London Academy of Dramatic Art.
Current industrial experience as an Associate of the Royal National Theatre, RSC and The Globe Theatre Voice Departments. Recent theatre production work for York Theatre Royal, Pilot Theatre, Northern Stage, Young Vic, Royal Court, Southwark Playhouse and Royal National Theatre (including One Man, Two Guvnors and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightime West End Transfers). Yvonne has also worked in film, television and recorded media for BBC, Channel 4 and Independent Production companies.
Niall Costigan is a professional actor, director, workshop leader and acting coach. He is the resident Workshop leader of the Adult Theatre Workshop Class at the York Theatre Royal.
As an actor Niall has worked extensively in theatre, film and television over the last 20 years. He has recently completed filming the TV series The Marlow Murder Club playing Rev Colin Starling and will soon be playing Henry Condell in the touring production of The Book of Will.
During his years in the business Niall has honed his skills as a workshop leader and acting coach. He regularly runs masterclasses on all forms of theatre. Niall’s credits include Casualty, Emmerdale, Coronation Street and Vera and Nicole and OJ on T.V. and Film. Theatre Credits include; Macbeth, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Tempest and Henry V for The Rose Theatre. The Gaul and The Railway Children at Hull Truck, and Bedroom Farce at Salisbury Playhouse amongst many others. Niall trained in Acting at The Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (LIPA).
Gemma is an experienced choreographer and performer with the award winning Ballet Lorent and Terpsichoring companies along with York Dance Company. She has been movement director for our productions of The Pearl at York Theatre Royal and Brand New Ancients, and teaches Laban, Animal Studies, Viewpoints, Yoga and Contact Improvisation among many other movement specialisms.
Gemma trained at Dance City in Newcastle, where she worked with companies such as Ballet Lorent and Siobhan Davies. Gemma teaches on the Dance, Acting and Musical Theatre courses at York College, specialising in contemporary, physical theatre and jazz. She achieved her IDTA teaching certificate and continues to perform as a member of the Terpsichoring dance company.
James Thackeray is a professional actor & director who graduated from The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 2015.
Since graduation, James has worked professionally within film, television, stage and as a voice-director for video games. Having also worked extensively as a performing arts tutor, James joined York College & University Centre in 2020, as a tutor on both the musical theatre and the acting courses. James’ credits include, Doctor Who, Gentleman Jack, Crime, Doctor’s, and numerous award-winning short films with the British Film Institute & Agile Studios. Theatre credits include, The Lion, the Witch and The Wardrobe (Birmingham Rep), Midlife Cowboy (The Pleasance Theatre), Trainspotting (Edinburgh Fringe), Pirates of Penzance (Wilton’s Music Hall) as well as developing current productions for Both South Korea’s IMCulture & The Roald Dahl Company in London.
