Course Content

Course Content

This challenging three-year acting program explores diverse training methods to develop well-rounded, critical actors who can perform, analyse, direct, and even create their theatrical work. You will have many opportunities to collaborate with other disciplines, make choices about the work you will produce, and present it to audiences.
The Acting course runs independently but in parallel with the seven other creative theatre degrees in the College.

Teaching Method

Teaching Method

We use a variety of teaching methods, including: 

• practical and creative studio-based workshops
• discussions
• lectures/seminars
• tutorials
• small group study
• self-directed study
• study trips

Key Features

Key Features

• Live performances and commissions throughout your training.
• Collaboration with our theatre design and technical theatre students to mirror industry practice.
• You’ll have numerous opportunities to perform in our 160-seat theatre and at external venues.
• Take part in Fringe performances and residencies.

Year One

Year One

In the first year (level 4) Acting students work on vocal, movement and expressive skills while interrogating their discipline. You will be introduced to different practitioners and actor training systems while examining underpinning theories and ideologies. In reviewing your discipline, you can adapt, stretch and practice directing, performing, analysis and collaboration skills. Your training consists of an eclectic choice of practitioners and practices, the study of texts and staging approaches and the ideas in context unit, which helps interrogate and situate your practice in broader cultural contexts alongside your peers from other disciplines. The first year's focus is on interpreting existing work for stage so that you can move on to creating and producing your own work in level 5.

• Unit 1: The Actor Student
• Unit 2: Ideas in Context: Performance and Everyday Life
• Unit 3: The Actor’s Body
• Unit 4: The Actor Director
• Unit 5: Live Project 1
• Unit 6: The Actor’s Craft

Year Two

Year Two

At Level 5, you will continue to work on performance training but with further independent practice and more available choices. Further contexts for your practice are introduced, including the digital actor, the actor-activist, and the creation of original work for a public audience.
The ‘Optionality’ unit allows you to work autonomously and independently in cross-discipline pathways. With limited guidance from teaching staff, you can develop and create your project in line with five differing briefs. The opportunities that open up within this unit when disciplines mix are limitless.
‘Critical Thinking’ is the Level 5 equivalent of ‘Ideas in Context’. Learn to contextualise to a higher academic level- again working with students from all courses within the Creative Industries pathways. This unit prepares you for the Level 6 study equivalent, which is the Dissertation.

• Unit 7: The Digital Actor
• Unit 8: The Holistic Performer
• Unit 9: Live Project 2
• Unit 10: Ideas in Context: Theatre and Performance Ideologies
• Unit 11: The Actor Activist

Year Three

Year Three

At Level 6 Acting students focus on working collaboratively and making choices that are suited to their skills, interests and ambitions. The collaborative unit offers the opportunity to work with others and make choices on who, what, where and for whom to make work for. The professional discipline practice unit offers the opportunity to design your own project, pitch, negotiate and complete. The professional practice is forward-facing, interrogating, focusing and producing work that will make up their artistic statement and portfolio for entry into the creative industries. This year focuses on creating new work for specific contexts and audiences, exploring, challenging and interrogating your subject and preparing for the industry.

• Unit 12: The Skilled Performer
• Unit 13: Professional Development
• Unit 14: Dissertation
• Unit 15: The Actor Practitioner
• Unit 16: Live Project 3

Course Content

Course Content

You will hone a wide range of technical skills, such as flat pattern cutting and cutting on the stand (underpinned by a history of costume sessions), corsetry, tailoring, millinery, design for dance (stretch), fabric dyeing, printing, manipulation and breaking down, and costume props.

You will learn from experienced professionals with current industry knowledge who will support you in discovering and maximising the best opportunities for you.

Regular workshops and showcase productions enable you to develop your skills to professional standards, preparing you for employment or postgraduate study.

Teaching Method

Teaching Method

We use a variety of teaching methods, including: 

• practical and creative studio-based workshops
• discussions
• lectures/seminars
• tutorials
• small group study
• self-directed study
• study trips

Key Features

Key Features

• The course includes design, construction and supervision skills.
• Expand your professional network with work experience across theatre, TV, film and events.
• Cross-course collaboration with actors, directors, makeup artists and set designers.
• Excellent industry links and high-profile work experience opportunities.

Year One

Year One

The first year of the BA (Hons) in Costume Design will equip you with the practical skills and knowledge to bring costumes to life. You'll learn about costume design as a profession, including safety protocols, research techniques, and how costumes can shape a character. The program also emphasizes critical thinking, with a unit dedicated to developing your design vocabulary and analytical skills.

You'll gain hands-on experience through historical costume construction techniques, learning how to create garments from specific periods. By year's end, you'll design costumes for a complete play, incorporating innovative embellishments and collaborating with hair and makeup artists. The year also includes a live project where you'll work with students from other disciplines on events, fostering your teamwork and professional skills. Finally, you'll delve into immersive design, creating a costume and mask for a unique performance or installation.

• Unit 1: Character Creation
• Unit 2: Ideas in Context
• Unit 3: Farthingales and Fontanges
• Unit 4: All The World’s a Stage
• Unit 5: Live Project 1
• Unit 6: Rococo to Regency

Year Two

Year Two

The second year dives deeper into technical skills and costume embellishment and helps you develop your professional identity as a designer.

You'll refine your technical abilities throughout the year by learning precision tailoring techniques for Victorian costumes and jacket construction. You'll also explore fabric manipulation techniques like screen printing, painting, and breaking down fabrics, explicitly focusing on working with stretch materials.

Another key aspect is developing your design skills. You'll delve into embellishment design and application, culminating in creating a well-fitting stretch bodysuit that incorporates these techniques.

The year isn't just about technical skills. You'll gain valuable professional experience by collaborating on a live event, demonstrating professionalism and teamwork. Additionally, you'll explore your role as a designer within the industry through reflection exercises and discussions.

The year culminates with a work placement experience to prepare you for future opportunities. You'll secure placement and reflect on it alongside other relevant experiences to build your professional identity and portfolio. This experience will be a springboard for your final year of study.

Overall, the second year equips you with the technical skills, design knowledge, and professional understanding to excel in costume design and prepare for your future in the industry.

• Unit 7: Mr DeMille
• Unit 8: Surface Texture and Detail
• Unit 9: Live Project 2
• Unit 10: Contextual Research
• Unit 11: Industry Focus

Year Three

Year Three

Year 3 equips you for the industry by honing your professional skills alongside creative exploration. In a collaborative unit, you'll work with colleagues from disciplines like Production Design and Hair & Make-up, putting your design concept into action and learning how different aspects work together. You'll build a professional portfolio throughout the year, culminating in a final presentation showcasing your work and career aspirations. Industry readiness is emphasized through workshops and talks by visiting professionals and alumni, designed to help you develop your unique artistic voice and navigate potential career paths. The program concludes with a final project where you propose, develop, and execute a project highlighting your strengths and interests in costume design.

• Unit 12: The Whole Picture
• Unit 13: Professional Practice
• Unit 14: Dissertation
• Unit 15: Final Major Project
• Unit 16: Collaborative Practices

Course Content

Course Content

This comprehensive dance pedagogy course equips you with the technical skills, performance experience, and creative knowledge to become a well-rounded dance professional. Regular classes with personalized feedback refine your technique, while diverse performance opportunities build confidence and stage presence. The program fosters creativity through choreography, enriched by contextual studies that broaden your understanding of dance history and theory. You’ll also develop valuable skills for leading workshops or teaching, preparing you to share your passion for dance with others.

Teaching Method

Teaching Method

We use a variety of teaching methods, including: 

• practical and creative studio-based workshops
• discussions
• lectures/seminars
• tutorials
• small group study
• self-directed study
• study trips

Key Features

Key Features

• Excellent facilities support the development of specialist skills.
• Explore what interests you most, whether you want to pursue performance, choreography or teaching.
• Collaboration is a fundamental part of the course, and you will work with students from other courses to develop material as part of the Northbrook Theatre team.

Year One

Year One

Skills and knowledge acquisition.
The first semester develops core techniques in classical ballet, contemporary, jazz, and modern dance. Other core principles will be explored including, skills assessments, safety in dance, research, reflecting and reviewing. The second semester stretches training by focusing on the learning and development of choreography, rehearsal processes and refining performance work alongside Level 5 students.

• Unit 1: The Dancing Body 
• Unit 2: Ideas in Context: Performance and Everyday Life
• Unit 3: Dance Analysis
• Unit 4: Performance Practice
• Unit 5: Live Project 1
• Unit 6: Performance in Context

Year Two

Year Two

Level 5 focuses on a broad approach to dance practice, creativity, and dance within the wider community. The first semester will introduce different perspectives on dance practice to enhance understanding and individual learning. There will also be an optional unit to explore a chosen area related to theatre arts to inform individual practice. The second semester will continue to hone technique and performance whilst it develops creative skills and collaborative practice by devising new, original work. It engages with live and external projects to build competence and confidence in independent practice. This is supported by a deeper analysis of contexts for practice in preparation for Level 6.

• Unit 7: Dance Deconstruction
• Unit 8: The Holistic Performer
• Unit 9: Live Project 2
• Unit 10: Ideas in Context: Theatre and Performance Ideologies
• Unit 11: Creative Practices

Year Three

Year Three

Level 6 focuses on entrepreneurial activity and consolidation of personal identity as a dance practitioner. Technical classes will continue, and the projects can be approached as performers, teachers, choreographers, or other chosen pathways. The first semester develops opportunities to work across pathways and courses to explore your practices alongside others. Academic practices from Levels 4 and 5 are consolidated and developed. The second semester explores the self as a professional practitioner and how this is presented to wider audiences and employers.

• Unit 12: The Skilled Performer
• Unit 13: Professional Development
• Unit 14: Dissertation
• Unit 15: The Dance Practitioner
• Unit 16: Live Project 3

Course Content

Course Content

The course offers unique collaborative opportunities across our Creative Industries department. It enables you to practice and showcase your artistry in many live settings and provides access to various resources, such as photography studios and live theatre.

This specialist course carefully balances academic study with skill and craft development. You will be taught by industry professionals and gain practical experience through workshops, productions and opportunities to work in industry.

Students have gained work experience on high-profile theatre, film and TV sets, including BBC and major West End productions.

Teaching Method

Teaching Method

We use a variety of teaching methods, including: 

• practical and creative studio-based workshops
• discussions
• lectures/seminars
• tutorials
• small group study
• self-directed study
• study trips

Key Features

Key Features

• Experienced specialists with expertise, skill and insider knowledge run this course.
• Unique collaborative opportunities with the Creative Industries department.
• Develop varied skills in hair, makeup, postiche making, wig making, and special-effects makeup, building a rich portfolio that will prepare you for a dynamic career or postgraduate study.
• Regular workshops and showcase productions enable students to develop their skills to professional standards.

Year One

Year One

The first year will immerse you in the professional world, equipping you with the practical skills and theoretical knowledge to thrive. You'll begin by exploring safe and professional practices while delving into current debates shaping creative industries. This foundation will empower you to research and critically analyze makeup and hair practices, developing a keen eye for detail.

As you progress, you'll refine your practical skills, mastering the nuances of makeup and hair for theatre, television, fashion, editorial, and social media. This journey will be complemented by a fascinating exploration of history, where you'll learn techniques from ancient civilizations to the 19th century and even get your hands on special effects makeup.

The year culminates in a unique opportunity to collaborate with fellow students from other disciplines, mirroring real-world projects. This experience will hone your technical skills and professionalism and help you discover your artistic voice within a collaborative environment. Finally, you'll explore makeup and hair traditions globally, learning techniques from the 19th to the 20th centuries. This exploration will culminate in an individual project where you'll design a final image based on a specific theme, putting all your newfound skills to the test.

• Unit 1: Introduction to Makeup and Hair
• Unit 2: Ideas in Context: Performance and Everyday Life
• Unit 3: Development of Hair & Makeup Techniques
• Unit 4: Makeup and Hair, within History and Cultures
• Unit 5: Live Project 1
• Unit 6: Character Creation and Development

Year Two

Year Two

The second year dives straight into the world of cutting-edge trends with Body Painting and Avant-Garde hairstyling. Students will learn from industry experts and then get hands-on creating their artistic designs, pushing the boundaries of makeup and hair.

Next, they'll delve into the rich history of 20th-century hair and makeup, focusing on the distinct styles that defined each decade from the 1940s to the 1980s. Students will learn how to recreate these iconic looks and explore the products used during those times and how they compare to what's available today.

Building on the skills acquired in the first year, students will participate in a live project, collaborating with students from other disciplines on a real-world event. This provides an invaluable opportunity to put their newfound knowledge to the test in a professional setting, honing their technical skills, teamwork, and communication abilities.

Students will explore research methods and presentation techniques to further develop their creative and critical thinking skills. This newfound knowledge will then be applied to a self-directed research project, allowing them to delve deeper into a topic that piques their artistic curiosity.

The year culminates in a project unit where students unleash their creativity by developing their projects externally. This project can be tackled individually or collaboratively, taking the form of a performance, a show, or a piece of media. Throughout this process, students will receive guidance and support from their instructors, ensuring they confidently take ownership of their artistic development and push their practice in a direction that excites them, paving the way for their specialization in the third year.

• Unit 7: Body Painting & Avant-Garde Hair
• Unit 8: 20th Century Hair and Makeup
• Unit 9: Live Project 2
• Unit 10: Ideas in Context: Theatre and Performance Ideologies
• Unit 11: Fantasy Character Design and Special Makeup FX

Year Three

Year Three

The third year of the BA program is all about preparing you for a successful career in Hair and Makeup. You'll delve deeper into wig making, learning professional techniques for maintaining, repairing, and adapting wigs for long-lasting use. There's also a strong focus on helping you become industry-ready. Workshops will equip you with self-promotion, portfolio-building, and entrepreneurial skills. To solidify your knowledge, you'll conduct in-depth research and write a critical analysis on a chosen topic in costume design.

The real star of the year is your final project. This is your chance to shine as a Hair and Makeup Artist by creating a self-directed project that showcases your talents. You'll also collaborate with classmates on sustainable projects, learning to develop and bring creative ideas to life as a team. By the end of this year, you'll be a well-rounded professional with the skills and experience to launch your career in Hair and Makeup.

• Unit 12: Hair, Wig and Postiche
• Unit 13: Professional Development
• Unit 14: Dissertation
• Unit 15: MakeUp and Hair Practitioner
• Unit 16: Collaborative Practices