Stand out from the rest with our exceptional and rewarding BA (Hons) Top-Up degree.
During this one-year technical arts course, you’ll undertake a production role, which you will have selected, in your chosen specialism on one of our productions or short films.
With our support, you’ll undertake a significant work placement project where you’ll develop further professional practice and make vital connections within the industry.
The third requirement is a dissertation module, where, with our help, you will choose, define, research and complete a project of your own. You can either produce a 12,000-14,000 word dissertation, or a 6,000-7,000 word dissertation alongside a practical project and a 1,000 word report.
Reasons to study Acting
• Conservatoire actor training for stage, television, radio and screen led by professional staff and established practitioners.
• Excellent studio and training facilities - purpose-built rehearsal, movement and performance spaces, the fully-equipped Rose Theatre and Barn Theatre, a flexible drama studio and a digital studio with motion capture and green-screen facilities.
• You will receive outstanding career development and support during your study, working only with top professional people, including preparation for agent representation, casting directors and auditions. Over the years our students have signed with agents International Artists, Shepherd Management, Simon & How, The Artist Partnership to name a few.
• Alongside numerous College-based performances, you will take part in an industry showcase and perform in a range of fully-mounted productions in professional venues.
Career opportunities
Alongside the core disciplines of voice, movement and acting techniques, you will develop a range of creative and transferable skills that will encourage you to become an independent thinker and motivated artist; an articulate and reflective practitioner equipped to succeed in an increasingly competitive profession.
Our graduates have gone on to work with Britain’s Royal National Theatre, The Royal Shakespeare Company, regional theatres and commercial theatres (including the West End), the BBC and other film and television companies, including Hollywood careers.
You may also be interested in:
Actor Musicianship, BA (Hons)
European Theatre Arts, BA (Hons)
American Theatre Arts, BA (Hons)
“Rose Bruford College gave me a greater selection of tools and skills to draw upon and utilise when approaching any project.” Zaqi Ismail, Acting, 2015 graduate
Location: Sidcup
This course is vocational and practice-based, using our state-of-the-art workshops, studios and theatres, and making use of the extensive opportunities to work on our many public productions and showcases.
Choosing from one or two areas of technical theatre or stage management, you will build on your skills and experience from your foundation degree to gain specialist knowledge and replicate working at high-level industry standards. Alongside our experienced teaching faculty, you will be introduced to practitioners from across the industry who provide additional insights into the variety of careers open to you and the skills and experience your future employers will be looking for.
You will graduate from the course ready to take on a range of roles across theatre, film, television, radio and live events.
You will also benefit from a professional development programme, as well as the RADA Buddy mentoring scheme, which supports your transition from student to professional with graduate ‘buddies’ providing professional advice, feedback and networking opportunities.
Students who successfully complete the FdA in Technical Theatre and Stage Management with a Merit or above at RADA will now automatically be considered for the BA (Hons) progression year. We also welcome applicants with a foundation degree or equivalent from elsewhere to apply for this course.
Places are available in a number of subject areas:
- Costume supervision
- Lighting (design and/or production lighting)
- Production management
- Sound (design and/or production sound)
- Property making
- Scenic art
- Scenic construction
- Stage management
- Technical management
- Video (design and/or production video)
Combinations of subjects may also be considered, for example:
- Property making and stage management
- Technical and production management
- Scenic construction and technical management
- Scenic art and property making
Our BA (Hons) in Acting develops the talent and potential you bring with you to RADA, training you in techniques and approaches that will confidently equip you for a successful and long-term career in the industry.
You will start by building foundation skills through class work, before putting these into practice in sharings and open classes to small groups within RADA, and finally through public performances and film-making in your final year. We are currently undergoing a process of decolonising our curriculum, so there may be some changes to texts or areas of study outlined below.
The course will help you to develop a spirit of curiosity and discovery that will enrich your personal and professional development.
It is designed to help you reach your full potential through vocal, physical and imaginative techniques, and provide you with the ability to continue learning and developing beyond these three years and throughout your professional life.
Reasons to study Stage and Events Management
• Experience a variety of roles on a range of productions and events both in College and in London venues.
• Develop relationships with, and an understanding of, other disciplines; including lighting, sound, set construction, costume and prop-making, marketing, outreach, venue and site management, administration and finance.
• Sharpen your creativity and management skills whilst collaborating with students from other programmes to deliver diverse performances and events.
• Extend your learning through research, secondments, work placements in the industry or a period of study abroad.
• Share classes and projects with students from other programmes to learn about the cultural, performance, arts and events industries and how to use experimentation, enquiry and creative research in your work as you prepare to build a successful career.
Career opportunities
Adaptable and creative practitioners, graduates from the Stage Management Programme, from which this programme has been developed, have gone on to work in a wide range of fields: theatre, dance, opera, television, festivals and corporate events. They have also moved into sound and video for live performance alongside arts and venue management roles.
“It prepares you very much for the industry and the way they’ve built it as a technical course, your level of training is like no other.” Anthony Norris-Watson
Deputy Production Manager, The Old Vic Theatre
Location: Sidcup
Reasons to study Scenic Arts (Construction, Props and Painting)
• Gain construction skills in wood and metal; using hand tools and machinery. Learn scenic painting techniques and explore prop making in a range of materials.
• Gain advanced skills with Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and 3D modelling using resins and silicon
• Learn in our spacious workshop which includes CAD facilities, paint frame and specialist fibreglass and plaster room.
• Hone your craft, through manufacturing scenic elements to a brief for staged productions in College and London venues, collaborating with other programmes as part of a creative team.
• Develop your own areas of specialism through individual project work, productions and work placement preparing you for a career in the theatre and performance industries.
• Share classes and projects with students from other programmes to learn about the performance, arts and events industries and how to use experimentation, enquiry and creative research in your work, and prepare to build a successful career.
Career opportunities
Our graduates have gone on to work as freelance scenic painters, prop makers, carpenters and engineers, and to work for scenery construction companies for theatre, film, television, entertainment, museums and themed attractions.
You may also be interested in:
Design for Theatre and Performance, BA (Hons)
“It is challenging but when you finish the show you can say “Yes, I built that!” It’s an enormously satisfying feeling.” Gareth Shippen Scenic Arts, 2017 Graduate
Location: Sidcup
Reasons to study Creative Lighting Control
• Learn lighting and video programming and design, show control and interactive technologies, networked systems and stage electrics, projection systems and digital visual content deployment, 3D visualisation, computer-aided design and technical management.
• Benefit from our extensive network of industry experts who will work with you on projects as you learn specialist skills.
• Build your professional knowledge through industry placements.
• Gain an insight into techniques used across live music, theatre, television, film, live and corporate events and architectural installations.
• Deliver your own live projects inside and outside the College.
• Study a unique course with an outstanding track record of graduate success in the live events industries.
• Share classes and projects with students from other programmes to learn about the events industries, arts and performance, and how to use experimentation, enquiry and creative research in your work, and prepare to build a successful career.
Career opportunities
Our graduates go into the industry equipped to deliver creative solutions to technical problems. They go on to be lighting and video programmers, designers, creative technologists and technical managers, working in theatre, live music, live events, film, television, corporate and architecture settings.
You may also be interested in:
Lighting Design, BA (Hons)
Lighting Design For Architecture, BA (Hons)
“Having that degree behind me opens so many doors that I wouldn’t have had before.” Sam Lisher, Creative Lighting Control, 2017 Graduate
Location: Sidcup
Costume Production BA (Hons)
Reasons to study Costume Production
• The Costume Production programme will provide you with the understanding and skills needed to pursue a successful career in the production and management of historical and contemporary costumes and accessories either based in-house or as a freelancer.
• Learn about period and contemporary costume construction, pattern-cutting, running wardrobe and dressing, specialist skills in corsetry, dancewear, fabric breaking down, millinery and wig dressing.
• Work on live performances within the College, in London and beyond. As a vital member of the collaborative team, you will work with designers, directors and performers.
• Work on a module for Film and TV to understand the costume department’s role within this ever growing industry.
• Develop the skills to supervise and manage wardrobe departments in large and small theatres including budgets and time management.
• Share classes and projects with students from other programmes to learn about the performance, arts and events industries and how to use experimentation, enquiry and creative research in your work, and prepare to build a successful career.
Career opportunities
Our graduates have gone on to work as costume makers and supervisors in wardrobe departments, for theatre, opera companies, circus, film and cruise liners companies.
You may also be interested in:
Design for Theatre and Performance, BA (Hons)
“I’d recommend Costume Production as it’s a really unique course. It’s very realistic as to how the actual industry works.” Rachel Woolcott, Buyer & General Assistant, Royal Opera House
Location: Sidcup
