Undergraduate Course

BA Creative Producing

(Theatre and Short Film)

BA Creative Producing

Overview

The details
Creative Producing (Theatre and Short Film)
W900
October 2023
Full-time
3 years
Southend Campus

East 15 Acting School’s BA Creative Producing (Theatre and Short Film) course is a full-time, industry-focused training aimed at entrepreneurial artists with an interest in creating, producing, administrating and promoting theatre and film.

This three-year practical course draws together the broad disciplines of theatre and film (such as writing for performance, lighting & sound, theatre directing & directing for camera, screenwriting, film editing, location management, dramaturgy, and digital set design) with business-focused aspects of the creative arts and associated industries (including marketing, web-design, social media, fundraising, and arts management). It prepares you for a career in the creative industries working as producers and facilitators, and develops transferable skills in communication, presentation, administration, leadership and critical analysis.

Based at our vibrant and modern Southend Campus, you will have direct access to our state-of-the-art Clifftown Theatre and the opportunity to work alongside further East 15 students studying on our actor training programs.

View more undergraduate courses from East 15 Acting School, including our Stage & Production Management behind-the-scenes training.

Why we're great.
  • Development of business and entrepreneurial skills in a creative environment.
  • Understanding of how to develop artistic projects into viable ventures.
  • Introduction to stage, screen and live event production processes.

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

The UK’s creative industries are now worth over £84 billion to the UK economy. The BA Creative Producing course develops your capacity to instigate projects across the digital, stage and screen sectors. Industry specialists and professional experts work with you throughout the degree to develop your employability. Students have opportunities for workplace learning, and are encouraged to develop their professional profile in preparation for careers as freelance producers working as part of a creative team, and for roles across theatre, media and film such as researchers, producers, editors, writers, and managers.

Entry requirements

UK entry requirements

Successful interview, plus
A-levels: BCC, or the equivalent in UCAS tariff points, to include 2 full A Levels

BTEC: DDM

T-levels: Merit

IB: 28 points or three Higher Level certificates with 544. We are also happy to consider a combination of separate IB Diploma Programme Courses (formerly certificates) at both Higher and Standard Level. Exact offer levels will vary depending on the range of subjects being taken at higher and standard level, and the course applied for.
We can also consider combinations with BTECs or other qualifications in the Career-related programme – the acceptability of BTECs and other qualifications depends on the subject studied, advice on acceptability can be provided. Please contact the Undergraduate Admissions Office for more information.

International & EU entry requirements

We accept a wide range of qualifications from applicants studying in the EU and other countries. Get in touch with any questions you may have about the qualifications we accept. Remember to tell us about the qualifications you have already completed or are currently taking.

Sorry, the entry requirements for the country that you have selected are not available here. Please select your country page where you'll find this information.

English language requirements

If you do not require a Tier 4 visa to study in the UK then we will assess your English language proficiency/ability at your interview or audition.

If your first language is not English and you are an international student that requires a Tier 4 visa to study in the UK then you will need IELTS 6.0 overall, with 5.5 in each component.

Other English language qualifications may be acceptable so please contact us for further details. If we accept the English component of an international qualification then it will be included in the information given about the academic levels listed above. Please note that date restrictions may apply to some English language qualifications.

Please see our immigration webpages for the latest Home Office guidance on English language qualifications.

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

Structure

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. However, if we need to make material changes, for example due to significant disruption, or in response to COVID-19, we’ll let our applicants and students know as soon as possible.

Teaching

Year 1

The first year of this course focuses on the fundamental elements of producing theatre and film to build the foundations of knowledge and skills that you will need to progress to more creative modules in years 2 and 3. Throughout the year you will:

  • Gain an understanding of lighting and sound for performance
  • Discover how to turn an artistic endeavour into a feasible, marketable product
  • Work behind the camera to make short videos that can exist on their own as a narrative or support larger work as marketing material

Although this is a largely practical course, you will also develop requisite research skills required for the working world and understand the historical and cultural context to arts practice

Year 2

Throughout this year, you will further develop your new skills and learn new facets of the producing role by focusing on more specific tasks across media, theatre and film production. You will also:

  • Develop your understanding of the skills required to write for film
  • Develop your understanding of location management, fundraising, preparing grant proposals, touring a production, and filming live events
  • Explore the role and practice of the director and dramaturg in theatre and film
Year 3

Your final year consists of one core unit, a written proposal, in which you plan a project that you could feasibly achieve in the future.

Alongside this, there are opportunities to practically engage with vocational pathways, for example, film production, theatre producing, writing for screen or performance, etc.

Fees and funding

Home/UK fee

£9,250

Additional costs for materials and field trips of up to approximately £650 per academic year. Equipment lists are reviewed annually.

International fee

£18,585

Additional costs for materials and field trips of up to approximately £650 per academic year. Equipment lists are reviewed annually.

What's next

Applying

Applications for our full-time undergraduate courses should be made through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). Applications are online at: www.ucas.com. Full details on this process can be obtained from the UCAS website in the how to apply section.

Our UK students, and some of our EU and international students, who are still at school or college, can apply through their school. Your school will be able to check and then submit your completed application to UCAS. Our other international applicants (EU or worldwide) or independent applicants in the UK can also apply online through UCAS Apply.

The UCAS code for our University of Essex is ESSEX E70. The individual campus codes for our Loughton and Southend Campuses are ‘L’ and ‘S’ respectively.

For full details, please see the East 15 website.


Apply now

Interviewing

Applicants to this course will need to book an interview. If you apply to us through UCAS we will send you information on how to do this. Alternatively, you can apply to East 15 directly. During your interview you’re encouraged to share your passion and enthusiasm for the theatre industry.

If you’re resident in the UK you’ll be able to visit our campus to take part in your interview, where you’ll meet some of our staff.

Our staff travel the world meeting applicants so if you’re not resident in the UK, it’s likely that we’ll be in a location near you at some point. This will be a one-to-one interview.

If you are unable to attend an interview for any reason, a Skype interview can be arranged.

For full details, please see the East 15 website.


Offers for this course will only be made after a successful interview.

Students giving each other a piggy back on the beach

Visit Southend Campus

With its lively, state-of-the-art facilities and a close-knit international community, Southend is the perfect environment for living and learning.

If you're joining our School of Health and Social Care, East 15 Acting School, or Essex Business School, you may well be studying at our Southend Campus.

Famous for its beach resort and pier, the city of Southend-on-Sea stretches along seven miles of award-winning coastline, providing plenty of opportunities for a wide range of water sports and leisure activities.

 Haven't been able to visit? Come and meet us online!

We understand travelling here isn't always easy, so you can now access virtual tours of our Southend campus from the comfort of your own home.

Open Days

Our events are a great way to find out more about studying at Essex. We run a number of Open Days throughout the year which enable you to discover what our campus has to offer. You have the chance to:

  • tour our campus and accommodation
  • find out answers to your questions about our courses, student finance, graduate employability, student support and more
  • meet our students and staff

Check out our Visit Us pages to find out more information about booking onto one of our events. And if the dates aren’t suitable for you, feel free to book a campus tour here.

View from Square 2 outside the Rab Butler Building looking towards Square 3

Virtual tours

If you live too far away to come to Essex (or have a busy lifestyle), no problem. Our 360 degree virtual tours allows you to explore our University from the comfort of your home. Check out our Colchester virtual tour and Southend virtual tour to see accommodation options, facilities and social spaces.

Exhibitions

Our staff travel the world to speak to people about the courses on offer at Essex. Take a look at our list of exhibition dates to see if we’ll be near you in the future.

At Essex we pride ourselves on being a welcoming and inclusive student community. We offer a wide range of support to individuals and groups of student members who may have specific requirements, interests or responsibilities.

Find out more

The University makes every effort to ensure that this information on its programme specification is accurate and up-to-date. Exceptionally it can be necessary to make changes, for example to courses, facilities or fees. Examples of such reasons might include, but are not limited to: strikes, other industrial action, staff illness, severe weather, fire, civil commotion, riot, invasion, terrorist attack or threat of terrorist attack (whether declared or not), natural disaster, restrictions imposed by government or public authorities, epidemic or pandemic disease, failure of public utilities or transport systems or the withdrawal/reduction of funding. Changes to courses may for example consist of variations to the content and method of delivery of programmes, courses and other services, to discontinue programmes, courses and other services and to merge or combine programmes or courses. The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will also keep students informed appropriately by updating our programme specifications. The University would inform and engage with you if your course was to be discontinued, and would provide you with options, where appropriate, in line with our Compensation and Refund Policy.

The full Procedures, Rules and Regulations of the University governing how it operates are set out in the Charter, Statutes and Ordinances and in the University Regulations, Policy and Procedures.