BA (Hons) Acting (Performance)

Program Overview

Through practice-based learning, you'll explore various acting techniques and creative approaches, while integrating technology to enhance your performance skills. The course emphasizes flexibility, allowing you to personalize your artistic development and become the creative practitioner you aspire to be. Upon graduation, you'll be well-prepared for a diverse range of careers in the performing arts.

Program Outline

Taught through practice, you will explore twenty-first-century acting techniques and a wide range of creative and critical approaches that will prepare you to become a multi-skilled, initiative-taking theatre-maker. This course integrates technology with performance, equipping you with the skills and knowledge to join the industry in the twenty-first century. Flexibility is built into the course to enable you to personalise your artistic development and become the creative practitioner you wish to be!

Outline:

The course combines skills-based workshops and practical projects putting you at the centre of your artistic development. You will investigate established and new texts as well as performance practices from around the world in an inclusive way. You will work with solo and ensemble performance. From scripted to devised work, holistically and intensively developing your skills as an actor and theatre maker. You will also learn to market yourself and future theatre companies. You will explore a variety of approaches to developing and performing stories. Through practical exercises, you will experiment with form, ritual, and narrative. The emphasis in this module will be on the actor’s role in storytelling, focusing on nonverbal behaviour and ensemble working in both live and recorded mediums.

• Introducing the Actor’s Instrument: This module introduces you to voice and movement work as actors, exploring the role of the voice and body in creative storytelling focusing is on self-discovery and growth.
Tutors will support you in identifying less efficient vocal and physical habits. You will learn exercises to support flexibility and range within this. Additionally, this module focuses on removing blocks, confidence-building, and team-work. You will learn more about collaboration techniques, and inclusive practices, and put these into action in your creative storytelling assessment.
• Devised Performance Project: In this module, you will work with other members of your group and a professional theatre director to create original performance material, drawing on a range of practical disciplines and also incorporating global storytelling practices; drawing from culturally diverse material.
Alongside your rehearsals for the devised work, you will participate in classes to develop your acting, voice and movement skills which will help you to build and develop your performance for assessment. We’ll be working on intercultural approaches to building character here, considering the ethics involved in creating and performing a character, and how to take on and release a character performance safely. We’ll begin by working on characters ‘closer’ to the self (in terms of age and context) and then build away from the self toward more challenging characters and circumstances.
• Developing the Actor’s Instrument: This module continues the work of the Introducing the Actor’s Instrument module in semester one.
The focus here will be on character creation and in developing the ability to respond in character to the given circumstances, vocally and physically. It continues the focus on inclusive working practices, team-building and collaboration. In this module you will additionally be supported in reflecting on your practice, and identifying how you might improve less efficient habits.
• Responding to Text: You will be learning about adaptation in this module.
In the first half you’ll work on a core play, such as A Doll’s House by Henrick Ibsen, exploring different adaptations of the text and how to make a play relevant today. During each session there will be opportunities to perform and verbal feedback will be given continuously during this process. In the second half, you will be working in smaller groups on a section of the play which you will adapt for the assessment. You will also be working on a short film project which will complement your live performance. We will explore a variety of approaches from different practitioners, but broadly tracing a line from American Method Acting to more current (and embodied) approaches to emotion and performance. Within this, we’ll look critically at the development of these different tools and ask which ones best support each of us as individuals. The module will have a screen acting focus.
• Creative Enterprise: This module introduces you to different pathways within the industry to supplement your actor training and support you in becoming proactive creative entrepreneurs.
You will take classes in multiple additional industry roles which might include: writing, directing, producing, or casting. You will be encouraged to critically reflect upon current industry practices, commercial procedures, and the role of creativity and inclusivity within this.
• Embodying the Actor’s Instrument: In this integrated voice and movement module you will learn techniques which complement ‘Acting: From Method to Embodiment’ by looking at the embodied actor in the context of heritage and culture.
You will begin by examining your own identity position vocally and physically, and then develop this to adopt an accent and physicality dissimilar to yourself.
• The Actor as Creator: In this integrated acting, voice and movement module you will learn techniques which complement your ‘Performing with Technology’ and ‘Curating Performance’ modules in Level 6.
You will be focusing on adapting your performance skills to the space or medium, which may include screen, stage, motion capture, and /or audio acting.
• Project: Performing Language and Text: In this module you’ll have the opportunity to work on a range of performance styles which may include working on lyrical writing, such as Kae Tempest, comedic performance such as farce or sitcom, non-naturalist styles like epic theatre or absurdism, or other performance styles.
This will be led in part by the director and teaching team, but you will also have the opportunity to introduce performance styles to the group by bringing in work you would like to explore.
• Practice Research: Documentary Performance: This module introduces you to research methods and performance as research, supporting you as you progress to your research project in level 6.
Critical theories introduced in your ‘Creative Enterprise’ module will be strengthened and complementary research methodologies introduced through practical explorations. Additionally, you will be guided to explore documentary styles of performance, such as verbatim theatre or autobiographical theatre using multimedia.
• Performing with Technology: In this module you will create audio and film clips and edit these into your own voice reel and showreel to use as key marketing tools in the industry.
• Practice Research: Curating Performance: In this module, you will work in small groups to create and perform a small-scale performance piece, which may be presented in any / multiple medium(s).
This will be showcased at LCM Fest for a public audience. The module will be divided into a period of pre-production research and then a period of development where you will be assisted by a professional director who will support you in establishing the most appropriate approach to creating this production. It will involve a series of taught sessions where the module tutor(s) and /or industry experts will lead practical workshops and seminar-style learning on key industry practices, such as: auditioning (live and recorded), networking, approaching agents and casting directors, choosing the ‘right’ agent, as well as online marketing, and completing tax returns. We will interrogate what it means to be a self-employed actor today and consider how one might actively forward one’s own career. This module culminates in a public showcasing of work for invited industry guests.
• Production: Existing Repertoire: You will perform in a full-length public production, following industry standards, with an external director.
You will audition for the production and proceed through a full rehearsal process before opening the production to a public audience, giving you a full experience of how this process would work professionally. This will also act as a further opportunity to showcase your work to the industry, as well as friends and family
• Mastering the Actor’s Instrument: In this integrated voice and movement module you will learn techniques which complement ‘Entering the Industry’ by looking at the embodied actor in the profession.
This will involve continued work in voice and movement disciplines, in addition to masterclasses on intimacy training and stage combat. You will also receive holistic training in de-roling practices, managing rejection, and mental health management to best support you moving into the industry.

Teaching:

• The course is taught through practice.
• The teaching style is holistic and inclusive, ensuring a student-centred learning experience.
• A safe space is created for students to experiment and make discoveries.

Careers:

Upon graduating with your acting degree, you will be ideally set to develop a career in a variety of fields including:

• actor
• director
• playwright
• theatre-maker
• dramaturg
• creative producer
• arts administrator
• teacher
Past UWL graduates have gone on to appear in television shows including Eastenders (BBC), For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy (West End), It’s A Sin (Channel 4) and many more. You can also go pursue further study at a postgraduate level. See our LCM courses.

Other:

• Facilities: During your course, you will have access to flexible performance spaces with lighting and sound equipment, a dance studio and rehearsal rooms, and professional theatre venues beyond the university.
• As part of the course, you will undertake the LLCM in acting or teaching.
• You will be working with a professional theatre director.
• You will be assisted by a professional director.
• You will receive holistic training in de-roling practices, managing rejection, and mental health management to best support you moving into the industry.

£9,250 – International £9,250 – UK