BA Acting and Community Engagement

East 15 Acting School's BA Acting and Community Engagement course is a professional route into the world of community-focused theatre practice in which artists create theatre for, with, and about the communities in which they live.

In an intensely practical, professionally oriented environment, a broad range of acting, performance and community facilitation skills are developed through local projects and in partnership with leading industry organisations.

You will work extensively with communities and professionals throughout your training, making for a seamless transition to a professional career in this field.

If you believe that theatre is for all and you want to use the power of drama to influence the world, our BA Acting and Community Engagement is for you!

This course is taught at our vibrant and modern Southend Campus. With its lively, state-of-the-art facilities and close-knit international community, Southend is the perfect environment for living and learning.

View more undergraduate courses from East 15 Acting School, including further Actor training programs as well as behind the scenes courses in Creative Producing and Stage & Production Management.

Our expert staff

Our training is by professionals and for professionals, allowing our graduates to work successfully across the globe.

Our international, outstanding teaching faculty is made up of professionals from all areas of live and recorded performance.

Learn more about our staff here.

Specialist facilities

Our Southend Campus is based in the heart of Southend-on-Sea. A vibrant and modern British seaside town with excellent transport links.

Famous for its beach resort and pier, Southend-on-Sea stretches along seven miles of award-winning coastline. There are also over 650 acres of parks and gardens, a fun park, leisure centres, pubs, clubs, cafés and restaurants.

Southend Central railway station is opposite our Campus and the journey to central London takes less than an hour. Southend Airport, with flights to many European and UK destinations is just three miles away. We are also just one hour away from London's Stansted Airport.

Our Gateway Building houses a purpose-built suite specifically for East 15 students. This includes fully equipped, state-of-the art rehearsal studios with panoramic views across Southend-on-Sea, plus seminar rooms, computer labs and media production resources including an Apple Mac edit suite for our BA Creative Producing (Theatre & Short Film) students.

A magnificent Victorian former church in the heart of Southend's conservation area was converted into East 15's Clifftown Theatre. It also houses a variety of unique spaces for rehearsals, technical and practical work and performances. The church nave, with its original organ and stained glass windows now provides an inspirational and atmospheric environment, re-designed to accommodate the needs of a twenty-first century performance space.

In ‘The Forum' building, students have round the clock, secure access to the Learning Hub, which provides innovative IT and study spaces. The Forum also houses an integrated public and academic library, carrying books and other support materials. Students in Southend also have access to the East 15 Loughton Campus library and the University's Colchester Campus library.

Outside of learning, the Students' Union at our Southend Campus provides a dedicated space for students to meet, have a coffee, relax and watch films or sport. It runs a wide variety of entertainment throughout the term, such as international nights and open mic nights.

Your future

Graduates of the BA Acting and Community Engagement course work as actors, project leaders, directors, comedians and producers worldwide. Several companies formed by graduates are now well established, respected and funded in an increasingly competitive industry, with some employing recent graduates upon completion of their training.

“This course doesn’t only teach you to be an actor/actress but also equips you with a very handy bag of tricks ranging from circus skills to clowning to Commedia. I have worked with a huge range of people from different theatre companies and with people in the community. I’ve also learned how you can put your own company together.”

Dale Curran, BA Acting and Community Engagement

Clearing entry requirements

We currently have places available in Clearing across a range of our courses with most offers at BBC-CCD (112 – 88 UCAS tariff points) or equivalent. We consider each application individually and requirements may be lower for some of our courses, so please get in touch if your grades are below those outlined here.

English language requirements

If you do not require a student visa to study in the UK then we will assess your English language proficiency/ability at your interview or audition.

English language requirements for applicants whose first language is not English: IELTS 6.0 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each component, or specified score in another equivalent test that we accept.

Details of English language requirements, including component scores, and the tests we accept for applicants who require a Student visa (excluding Nationals of Majority English Speaking Countries) can be found here

If we accept the English component of an international qualification it will be included in the academic levels listed above for the relevant countries.

English language shelf-life

Most English language qualifications have a validity period of 5 years. The validity period of Pearson Test of English, TOEFL and CBSE or CISCE English is 2 years.

If you require a Student visa to study in the UK please see our immigration webpages for the latest Home Office guidance on English language qualifications.

Pre-sessional English courses

If you do not meet our IELTS requirements then you may be able to complete a pre-sessional English pathway that enables you to start your course without retaking IELTS.

Pending English language qualifications

You don’t need to achieve the required level before making your application, but it will be one of the conditions of your offer.

If you cannot find the qualification that you have achieved or are pending, then please email ugquery@essex.ac.uk.

Additional Notes

If you’re an international student, but do not meet the English language or academic requirements for direct admission to this degree, you could prepare and gain entry through a pathway course. Find out more about opportunities available to you at the University of Essex International College

Course structure

We offer dynamic and unique courses for actors, directors, producers, technical theatre specialists and students of theatre practice. Training at East 15 draws upon 50 years of tradition combined with a keen sense of the world of stage and screen today.

Our carefully selected modules will give you the chance to explore and develop your specialist training.

We understand that deciding where and what to study is a very important decision for you. We'll make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the courses, services and facilities as described on our website and in line with your contract with us. However, if we need to make material changes, for example due to significant disruption, we'll let our applicants and students know as soon as possible.

Teaching

Year 1

Your first year focuses on introductory acting, voice, articulation, singing and movement. You explore individual creativity, self and responsiveness to other actors, as well as developing observational skills and improvisation, applied research and learning how to engage and collaborate with a range of different community groups. In addition you will:

• Create individual character study through text analysis into scene study, verbatim and Shakespeare
• Learn to re-create through reflection, research and improvisation
• Participate productively in shared group experience and larger community based projects

Your first year culminates in a unique ‘Living History Project', in which you study, understand and live the lives of others through a period of historical conflict.

Year 2

Your second year provides key practical and public experience. This includes working in partnership with practicing professionals to create documentary theatre based on real lives, devise and tour participatory performances, perform object theatre and understand and perform Forum theatre. You will also:

• Collaborate with young people to make new dramatic works
• Create and edit your own videos
• Develop workshop facilitation and leadership skills
• Learn clowning, puppetry and circus skills
• Forge professional links in the community theatre industry by undertaking an internship with an established theatre company
• Apply workshop facilitation skills in community host organisations

You will also gain a thorough understanding of developing a theatre project from conception to delivery through devising, managing and performing in the annual ‘Southend Street Theatre Festival'

Year 3

Your third year involves extensive work with communities and professionals to help you make a seamless transition into professional life. Projects include:

• Facilitating theatre projects within areas such as health, social services and the justice system
• Political theatre and organising a site-specific performance
• An opportunity to extend your music skills in a cabaret

You will also apply production, marketing and evaluation skills to create your own, devised community play.

The year culminates with an Industry Showcase for an invited audience of influential agents, casting directors, theatre companies, and film, TV and theatre directors. East 15 continually liaises with industry professionals to ensure the format for the event accords with the changing landscape of the industry.