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BA (Hons) Drama and Performance University of Portsmouth
Introduction
Take the stage and go behind the scenes to discover the theatre-making process in our BA (Hons) Drama and Performance degree course.
You'll study the theory and history of theatre and drama and explore drama in many forms: performance through plays, production through devising new shows, techniques in voice, movement, criticism and analysis. After your first year, you can tailor the course to your preferences, from choosing modules you’re most interested into designing your path in your final year project.
At Portsmouth, we give you the power to choose how you’ll create a career in drama and performance – whether it be as an actor, designer, technician, teacher, or working in the community. The world is your stage.
Course highlights
- Expand your knowledge by learning from our internationally recognised teaching and research staff
- Hone your professional skills by working in industry-leading facilities and with guest practitioners regularly throughout your course
- Enhance your acting, performance and production talents by taking part in workshops, productions, and self-created shows in professional venues outside the University
- Develop future-proof skills for the industry by working with advanced technologies in digital theatre design and production, such as extended reality
- Broaden your abilities by learning about the spectrum of drama: technical theatre, design, production, marketing, teaching, and many other elements
- Nurture skills you can adapt to roles in theatre and other related fields
Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
You may be able to partly or fully fund the costs of your study with a bursary or scholarship. You can use these alongside student loans, and you don't have to pay them back.
Whether you can get a scholarship or bursary depends on your circumstances. So they aren't available to everyone.
These are the scholarships and bursaries we currently offer to home (UK) students. You may also be eligible for some of these scholarships and bursaries if you have refugee status or are seeking asylum.
- The University of Portsmouth Bursary – £750 a year
- Care Leavers Bursary – £1,750 a year
- Stand Alone Bursary – £1,000 a year
- Young Carers Bursary – £500 a year
- Unite Scholarship – a free place in halls
- Greenwich Hospital Bursary – £3,000 a year
- Sport Scholarship
- NHS Learning Support Fund – at least £5,000 a year
- Best Begins Scholarship – £5,000
- Portsmouth Football Club Partnership Scholarship – £3,000 a year towards course fees
- Sanctuary Scholarship
- Sanctuary Language Bursary
Curriculum
Modules
Year 1
Core modules this year include:
- Devised Project – 20 credits
- Drama and Performance Level 4 Event – 0 credits
- Making Theatre – 20 credits
- Movement for Performance (Drama and Performance) – 20 credits
- Performance - Criticism and Analysis – 20 credits
- Performance and Society – 20 credits
- Voice and the Actor – 20 credits
There are no optional modules this year.
Year 2
Core modules this year include:
- Advanced Scene Study (Drama and Performance) – 20 credits
- Critical Contexts – 20 credits
- Drama and Performance Level 5 Event – 0 credits
- Performance Histories – 20 credits
- Political Performance – 20 credits
- Theatre Skills – 20 credits
Optional modules this year include:
- Engaged Citizenship Through Interdisciplinary Practice – 20 credits
- Modern Foreign Language – 20 credits
- Musical Theatre and All That Jazz – 20 credits
- Playwriting and Text for Performance – 20 credits
- Professional Experience – 20 credits
- Puppetry and Object Theatre – 20 credits
- Space, Time and Performance – 20 credits
- Student Enterprise – 20 credits
Placement year (optional)
After your second year, you can do a year-long paid placement year in the industry. This lets you put your knowledge and skills to work while developing links in the industry.
Year 3
Core modules this year include:
- Alternative Theatres – 20 credits
- Applied Theatre for Young Audiences – 20 credits
- Drama and Performance Level 6 Event – 20 credits
- Forming a Company – 40 credits
- Major Academic Project – 20 credits
Optional modules this year include:
- Applied Theatre: Workshop Skills – 20 credits
- Musical Theatre: Special Topic – 20 credits
Placement year (optional)
After your second year, you can do a year-long placement in the industry. This lets you put your knowledge and skills to work while developing professional links and building your network.
Previous students have taken placement years at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida as attraction cast members.
You can also do a summer internship or shorter-term work experience placements. Previous students have done the following short-term placements:
- Stage and production crew at Rock Challenge
- Running and stage management at Hip Hop International
- Stage management at the Groundlings Theatre
- Dance teaching at Upbeat Music
- Journeys Festival
Interested in running your own business on your placement year instead? You can start up and run your own company for a year as an alternative to a work-based placement. You'll work alone or with fellow students to build and launch a successful venture.
Whichever option you choose, you'll get support from Creative Careers.
Career Opportunities
The skills and experience you gain in this course will set you up for a career in all areas of the drama and performing arts industry, whether you want to be on stage or backstage.
And because the art of performing is embedded in daily life – from business negotiations to people's behaviour in the workplace to marketing communications – you can also apply the skills you learn in roles in other industries.
Graduate roles and destinations
Previous graduates have secured roles at prestigious theatre companies including the Barbican, Chichester Festival Theatre and Marlowe Theatre and performed at events including the Edinburgh Fringe and Brighton Fringe.
Typical roles graduates go onto after the course include:
- actor
- director
- playwright
- stage/theatre manager
- arts administrator
- producer
- drama teacher (with further training)
- event coordinator
While studying at Portsmouth, graduates have received seed funding to do their work, take that work to local venues such as Guildhall Studio and New Theatre Royal, and then perform their new productions in Edinburgh.
Ongoing careers support
Get experience while you study, with support to find part-time jobs, volunteering opportunities, and work experience. You can also venture into freelancing or set up and run your own business with help from the University Startup Team.
Towards the end of your degree and up to five years after graduation, you’ll receive one-to-one support from our Graduate Recruitment Consultancy to help you find your perfect role.
Creative Careers
Our in-faculty Creative Careers team has extensive recruitment experience and knows the creative sector well, making it easier for students to find placements within the creative industries.
They can guide you through every step of the application process, including:
- Searching for the ideal job through their database of vacancies
- Giving tips on how to write an interesting CV that will catch employers' attention, no matter the role
- Organising mock interviews, so you can hone your technique and familiarise yourself with the recruitment environment
- Writing your startup business proposal – if you're going down the self-employment route
The team will continue to give you support throughout your placement year.
Facilities
English Language Requirements
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