Acting

Housed within the Academy for Music and Theatre Arts (AMATA) BA(Hons) Acting at Falmouth is an innovative and exciting course, which offers students acting and performance training that connects with and extends the Theatre programme.

The course has a distinctive and contemporary ethos and approach - our primary focus is training in, and education through, acting for the creative and progressive actor and performance-maker. The Theatre programme at Falmouth has an impressive record of graduate employment and students on BA(Hons) Acting emerge highly trained and thoroughly prepared for a wide array of professional opportunities.

Benefits

• Weekly residencies and performances from new and established companies, ensembles and performers
• The opportunity to develop your practice in leading technological contexts like motion capture
• Marketing, promotion and career management
• Public festival showcase with casting directors and agents
• Highly subsidised rates to our exciting programme of national and international live performance in the Performance Centre
• Access to the unique Centre for Performance Research's archive as well as the main library
• International exchange opportunities with Erasmus (EU) and Study Abroad (USA) partner institutions and companies
• Opportunities for internships and work with local and regional arts organisations and companies including Wildworks, Kneehigh Theatre and Hall for Cornwall

How the course is taught

BA(Hons) Acting has a strong focus on practical work and students experience production and performance opportunities from the first year onwards. The course engages critically with the research and practices of actor training and is informed by current scholarly thinking, historical traditions and contemporary approaches. Hours of study and staff/student contact time are considerably more intensive than the usual pattern of undergraduate courses and students operate as trained actors in a climate of creative energy, constructive challenge and support.

Our course explores tensions between voice and language, the body as material or sign, and the physical and vocal production of performance space. It also explores affective, collaborative and ensemble approaches to the work of the creative actor and performer.

Core vocal and physical training, along with intensive production projects, will prepare you to explore, extend and engage with acting and performance in theatre, studio and situated environments. This ranges from small-scale solo performances to full studio performances, work for screen or radio, new media contexts or participatory and socially engaged settings.

Year 1

In the first year you'll be introduced to three strands of learning. These are the development of physical, vocal and textual skills and techniques that provide a foundation for acting, performing and the production and making of performance. Lectures and seminars shared with the full Theatre programme are based on the theories and practices of contemporary theatre and complement the learning strands.

Developing performance skills and techniques provide the foundation for studio-based acting productions and technical instruction. By the end of the year you'll engage effectively in individual and group performances, identify and articulate the focus of your specialism in relation to other practices, and understand acting and performance within critical, theoretical and historical contexts.

Year 2

The second year provides you with opportunities to deepen your physical and vocal engagement with acting training and hone conceptual and critical skills in dramaturgy and theories of performance. You'll develop a collaborative group production and undertake an acting research project.

By the end of the second year you'll be able to articulate your individual identity as a performer, both independently and in groups, and locate your work within broader issues and aspects of contemporary performance practices.

Year 3

The final year offers modules that enable you to undertake a direction of practical and conceptual exploration and research, motivated by your own specialist interests in acting and performance. Building on the experience gained at the beginning of the year, you'll work on an acting and performance project in a professional, cultural or social context. You'll also prepare for a final dissertation, a major final professional practice project and a complementary practices module, which will springboard your career in acting, performance and the cultural industries.

Requirements

• The UCAS Tariff is changing. A typical offer will be between 104 and 120 UCAS points for entry to undergraduate courses, primarily from Level 3 equivalent qualifications such as A levels, a BTEC Extended Diploma or a Foundation Diploma. You can check how many points your qualifications are worth using the UCAS Tariff Calculator
• Due to the creative nature of our courses, you will be considered on your own individual merit and potential to succeed. We encourage you to get in touch if you are predicted points below this range, thinking about transferring from another institution, or if you have other qualifications or professional experience as we may be able to consider you.
• You must have a minimum of Grade 4 (or C) or above in GCSE English Language, or equivalent, for entry to our undergraduate courses.
• If English is not your first language, we accept a range of recognised language qualifications that are equivalent to the IELTS Academic minimum score of 6.0 overall, with a minimum of 5.5 in Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening. If you require a Tier 4 student visa to study in the UK, you must take an approved Secure English Language Test (SELT) to fulfil government visa requirements. 

Scholarships

Scholarships for International Students

Through the award of scholarships we aim to support academic enrichment by encouraging diversity and excellence at Falmouth. In 2016 Falmouth University awarded £70,000 worth of international scholarships.

International Scholarships for 2017 will be announced on this page in November 2016. 

Parental Contribution

For students whose household income is over £25,000 and are therefore receiving less than the maximum support from Student Finance, it is expected that they will also receive some support from parents or partners with whom they usually permanently reside. It is a good idea to chat this through when planning your finances before coming to University.

Part-time work

Some students work part time in jobs at local bars, hotels and restaurants, usually paid at the minimum wage. We recommend that you do no more than 15 hours part-time work each week during term time to ensure that you are able to concentrate on your studies. Some students find work with chain stores at home before coming to University and then ask for a transfer to branches in Falmouth at the start of term. There is also work available over the summer months if you choose to stay in the area. Please visit the Creative Futures page for further details.

University Bursaries and Other Awards

Falmouth University offers a programme of bursary support to students who are assessed by Student Finance as having a qualifying income, and others with specific needs. Different arrangements are in place for different cohorts - please see the information opposite that relates to you as either a 'Pre-2016 Starter' or 'New Entrant in September 2016'.