If you have a keen interest in pursuing a career in performing arts, this course will help develop your creative skills through a choice of Acting or Musical Theatre with an introduction to backstage roles.

Musical Theatre Pathway

The Musical Theatre pathway is a practical course which will include live performances and requires a good level of physical fitness, vocal skills, and acting experience. You will study a core of practical and theoretical subjects covering the knowledge and skills required for Performing Arts, Musical Theatre and Dance including critical perspectives and professional practice.

Our professionally equipped Dance Studios and Theatre will be at the centre of your Performing Arts qualification, giving you the chance to showcase methods learnt and the independent skills required to control everything in your own productions, from musical theatre and film performance skills to staging, costume, lighting, and directing. We will have evening performances three times a year, and you will be asked to plan, research, and prepare for these performances within college hours and continue this preparation outside of college.

Activities covered during the course will include:

• Learning lyrics and lines
• Learning and creating choreography
• Vocal and physical warm-up exercises
• Technique classes( singing, dance and acting)
• Performing solo and as part of a group
• Performing in front of a live audience

Acting Pathway

The Acting pathway combines a comprehensive grounding in acting, directing, and practical stagecraft. Our professionally equipped Theatre and Drama Studio will be at the centre of your Performing Arts qualification, giving you the chance to showcase methods learnt and the independent skills required to control everything in your own productions, from theatre and film performance skills to staging, costume, lighting, and directing. You'll explore a variety of drama styles, from naturalism to pantomime. You'll engage with major theoretical and performance approaches, from Stanislavsky to physical theatre. Everything you're learning will deepen your practical understanding of drama and give you the skills needed for a possible career as an actor or to assist university ambitions. Each term, you will bring everything that you've learned together in a major practical project. This will build not only your experience and confidence, but also your performance skills.

You won't just learn about how to be an actor. You'll have the chance to develop a whole range of skills including devising and writing plays, directing, and creating your own filmed and theatre projects (subject to qualification level being studied).

All students will be expected to approach all classes in a professional manner with respect for other students and staff and a determination to succeed.

The course is project/assignment based and assessment is continuous throughout the year. Some units may be subject to external assessment.

The units in the first two terms are assessed at Pass grade only. The final unit is awarded a grade of Pass, Merit or Distinction.

How many UCAS points will I achieve on this course?

Our level 3 vocational courses qualify for UCAS tariff points to apply for university in the same way as A-Levels. This course is an UAL extended diploma which is delivered over two years and you could achieve up to 168 UCAS points (which is equivalent to three A* grades at A-Level).

UAL extended diplomas are graded as a pass, merit or distinction (with distinction being the highest grade).

The following table gives some examples on the amount of UCAS points you can achieve on a UAL extended diploma:

| UAL grade | UCAS Points |
| --- | --- |
| D | 168 |
| M | 120 |
| P| 72 |

You can find more details and examples on the UCAS tariff points calculator here.

You will need:

• 5 or more GCSEs at Grade 4 or higher, including English, maths and preferably drama

Or:

• A relevant Level 2 qualification (Merit or above)
• English and maths at Grade 4 (C) or higher

If you are aged 19 or older, relevant industry experience may be accepted.

You will be invited to an informal interview to help ensure the course is right for you. An audition piece will need to be prepared prior to the interview ready to perform for the course director. This need be no longer than 2 minutes and can consist of either a dance piece, singing or performing a monologue depending on the performance pathway you wish to take.