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.
East 15 Acting School’s BA Stage and Production Management course is a practical-based professional training that prepares you for careers in a range of production and technical roles in theatre, events and related creative industries.
We emphasise learning through practice and you are part of a creative production team from early in the course. Based at our picturesque Loughton Campus, our proximity to London means you will be able to keep up-to-date with the latest technical innovations in one of the world’s greatest theatre capitals. Our specially equipped Unit Four building is complete with workshops, an IT suite and seminar rooms – the perfect environment for learning your craft!
We want you to learn, grow and succeed as managers in the music, theatre and entertainment industries.
In your first year, you develop a deep understanding of business, management, marketing and how to apply these skills in the theatre, entertainment and music industries. During second year, you start to specialise by taking on work which reflects your own personal career ambitions. You produce and deliver significant commercial events and products. You also gain experience of managing people and projects. We teach you how the contemporary global entertainment industry works and enhance your understanding of how digital software enables theatre, music and events managers to succeed. In your third year, you go on an industry placement and experience the front-line realities of business. Then, in your final term, we help you to bring all of this learning together so that you are fully prepared for the start of the rest of your entertainment, music and theatre industry career.
We want you to be able to create meaningful drama and theatre for, with and by different communities.
Recognising that theatre can be more than entertainment, you focus on the potential of drama to educate and bring about social change. You develop core skills as a theatre practitioner, while gaining practical experience of working with people from diverse backgrounds and understanding the social issues that affect them. You leave as a confident and innovative facilitator and director with the knowledge and skills to work across the spectrum of applied theatre and community drama.
The Post-Graduate Certificate (PGCert) in Performance Teaching is a Masters-level course designed to support professional musicians, actors, production artists and dancers who teach as part of their practice, either as their main employment or as part of a portfolio career.
In association with the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
This Masters programme allows composers and writers to focus on how new opera is created, developed and performed. Part of an exciting partnership between Guildhall School and the Royal Opera House, the programme centres around the creation of a 25-minute chamber opera which is fully staged in Milton Court Studio Theatre.
The programme admits three composers and three writers each year. During an initial induction module, students pair up into composer-writer teams. Each team develops a short opera scene, before going on to create full chamber operas. Two smaller projects allow you to follow your own creative pathway: in poetry, prose, dramatic or film script (writers), and in vocal or instrumental/ electronic works (composers).
The programme focuses on the collaborative nature of opera making, and each composerwriter team is supported by collaborative mentoring. Students also take part in one-to-one tutorials, production seminars and creative development workshops.
Led by Julian Philips, Head of Composition, Stephen Plaice, Writer-in-Residence, and Laura Bowler, composition professor, teaching is enriched through regular seminars with visiting professionals from the opera world including conductors and directors, singers and instrumentalists, designers and stage managers.
The programme collaborates closely with Guildhall’s award-winning Opera Department, led by Dominic Wheeler, with Guildhall opera singers forming the cast for the chamber operas created by composer-writer teams.
Practical experience of opera during the year is hugely augmented by the programme’s association with the Royal Opera House, which provides opportunities to see productions in rehearsal and performance, and to meet and network with key resident and visiting practitioners.
The Masters in Music Therapy aims to develop students’ musicianship and personal potential, and equip them with the knowledge and skills to work as a registered music therapist.
On this programme, students gain experience working with adults and children alongside qualified music therapists on placements in a variety of settings including special and mainstream schools, and with people who experience:
- Mental health problems
- Dementia
- Learning disabilities
- School exclusion
- Communication delay
- Autism
- Acquired brain injury or stroke
- Social, emotional and behavioural difficulties
During the programme, students must undertake a minimum of 40 hours of individual personal therapy as a requirement from the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). This is an additional cost not covered by the tuition fees (funding support is available - see our Postgraduate Funding page for more information).
Designed for professional performers from all genres of dance looking to transition in their careers, the programme envisions the dance producer as a driving force to develop and shape the performing arts industry.
Learning from industry professionals, small and select cohorts will be equipped to take advantage of commercial and artistic opportunities and tackle complex challenges. Placements within dance and theatre organisations will develop their knowledge and skills in creating, producing, engaging audiences, marketing, business, finance and management. A strong emphasis on work-based learning through placements and projects will enable students to put their knowledge and skills into practice while building networks in the industry.
The programme was developed in collaboration with 25 industry partners, who represent the best of the artistic vibrancy of dance today, which has resulted in an ever growing pool of prospective placement providers from all areas of the field. This includes dance companies, independent dance artists, producers, and choreographers who work in a range of genres including ballet, contemporary dance, hip hop, music theatre, film and television. Based in artsdepot, students have access to two professional theatre spaces in which they can produce and stage work.
Contemporary and wide-ranging vocational postgraduate training for talented emerging directors.
In your first term, you will observe and participate in core LAMDA training alongside postgraduate acting students, working across the disciplines of acting, voice, movement and singing in order to develop an understanding of the actor’s process.
You will participate in seminars in text analysis and interpretation, and the aesthetics and processes particular to screen, as well as directing your fellow students in short scene studies.
In your second and third terms, you will assist professional directors on projects, onsite or digital productions, an original short film and an actors’ workshop at LAMDA. And during the spring holiday, you will collaborate with LAMDA actors to devise an original piece of theatre – an opportunity to put into practice what you have learned and develop your dramaturgical skills.
Your year will finish with you directing and realising a play of your choice in one of our performance spaces including invited industry. Over the past two years, these guests have included Natalie Abrahami, Ned Bennett, Giles Croft, Mike Longhurst, Roxanna Silbert and Lyndsey Turner.
Mountview’s one-year Postgraduate Diploma in Stage and Production Management is designed for those looking to enter the profession with limited theatre experience, consolidate existing training, or progress to the next stage of their career.
The course particularly welcomes career-changers and graduates from a wide range of academic backgrounds who have developed an interest in stage and production management through university drama societies, amateur theatre, or other practical performance-making experiences. It is also well-suited to applicants who have already undertaken relevant training or built-up industry experience and are seeking further professional practice, a recognised postgraduate qualification, or the opportunity to strengthen and refine their skills within a conservatoire-style environment.
Students work in a fast‑paced, professional production setting, engaging with a broad range of productions while developing essential practical, creative, organisational and critical thinking skills. The programme balances hands-on production work with theoretical and professional development, preparing students for a sustainable career in the creative arts.
The Diploma offers a clear route to increased employability and professional progression. For those already working in the industry, it provides the opportunity to deepen expertise, expand professional networks, and move forward with confidence into more advanced roles.
COURSE CONTENT AND DELIVERY
This is a one-year full-time vocational course and is ideal for students who wish to develop their experience and skills in management, theatre production arts or technical theatre through practical work in professional theatre environments.
The course is delivered through:
Students are given integral roles on Mountview productions. This provides excellent opportunities to showcase skills, gain important industry contacts and develop personal networks, all of which are key to your career progression.
Students also undertake work placements with external organisations, allowing them to develop a network of professional contacts and gain valuable experience. Previous placement destinations have included Moulin Rouge! The Musical, The Globe, Wilton’s Music Hall, National Theatre, Hampstead Theatre, Park Theatre and the Barbican.
