Do you want to explore what Shakespeare means in today's world? Immerse yourself in Shakespeare's works and learn from expert academics at our Shakespeare Institute. You'll also get to work with theatre practitioners at the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) as part of our unique collaboration.

Pursue your creativity and your passion for Shakespeare and experience the thrill of producing your own creative response to his poetry and plays. This course is ideal for any aspiring academic, actor, writer, or director looking to explore Shakespeare from perspectives like academic research, theatre performances and public engagement. 

Access to The Arts ™ is a national outreach and funding programme, run by READ College (a registered charity). Since the organisation was founded back in 2008, we have always whole-heartedly believed that the Performing Arts should be open to anyone who has the passion and drive to forge a career in the industry. All too often, however, people don’t see themselves reflected on stage and on screen, don’t know how to access training for a professional career, or simply cannot afford to train. That’s where Access to The Arts ™ comes in.

All of our outreach work is free to access and is delivered across the UK in communities identified as being under-represented or disadvantaged, and who can most benefit from our work. Our Widening Participation & Outreach Co-Ordinator, Amelia Stevenson, is an alumna of READ with a successful and creative career under her belt and delivers practical skills workshops, Q&A clinics and careers advice sessions in order to support people into further training. As a registered charity, there is no charge to any individual or organisation wishing to benefit from our outreach programme, and we welcome contact from schools, colleges, youth and community groups who would like to find out more about how we can help them and their young people. Workshops and courses range from a few hours to a few days depending upon the project, and our aim is to really encourage and support young people at the grass roots level to help them take the first steps into vocational training and to become artists in their own right.

Access to The Arts ™ also provides bursaries to overcome barriers to training for those who have successfully auditioned for full-time places at READ College’s Sixth Form and Foundation courses. Bursaries for READ are awarded on a means-tested basis, and are generated from charitable events, grants and donations. If you, your company, or anyone you know is able to support our work then you can make one-off or regular donations via our website.

The BA (Hons) Dance programme is the first two-year work-based dance degree in the UK, representing a unique partnership between the University of Suffolk and DanceEast. Responding to growth in demand for dance artists working in health, education and community settings this innovative course will prepare you for a successful career within this context. The course is delivered intensively over 40 weeks each year, from mid-September to the end of July.

DanceEast is one of the UK’s leading national dance organisations. It hosts an eclectic selection of internationally renowned dance companies and choreographers such as Rosemary Lee, Luca Silvestrini's Protein, Julie Cunningham, Matthew Bourne’s Re:Bourne, Russell Maliphant Company, Shobana Jeyasingh Dance and Anna Williams. Artists create new work and perform alongside local community projects in a diverse programme bringing people together through dance from across Suffolk and the region. DanceEast’s reach extends far beyond what is presented in the theatre – through a wide range of projects professional dance artists bring dance to people in schools, hospices and sheltered housing.

Working with people from all walks of life; from disadvantaged backgrounds and those with special needs, we’re privileged to see how dance changes lives every day. DanceEast delivers ground-breaking work through projects working with ‘looked after’ children and those at risk, as well as children in hospitals and older people in care homes, offering them all the opportunity to use dance for creative expression and physical and psychological therapy. Dance can energise, motivate, encourage creative thinking, and develop expressive minds and healthy bodies.

The BA (Hons) Dance course at DanceEast is designed to facilitate your development as a versatile dance artist. You will gain the technical, creative and professional skills and knowledge to work in a range of community, education and health settings. Your experience and employability will be enhanced through a unique interdisciplinary approach to dance that brings together a number of departments at the University, from health science to education to photography and film.

Are you interested in musical theatre? Are you thinking of applying for a specialist triple threat college?

This Diploma in Musical Theatre course is designed for students aged 18+ who have completed a three A Level programme, which includes drama / dance / music or an Extended Diploma in Performing Arts. The underpinning experience in dance, singing and acting gained on these courses is essential to engage fully with this one year intensive triple threat course.

Students will:

- further develop a range of acting, voice and movement skills
- be assisted in their preparation for auditions, including classical and contemporary speeches and songs
- engage in a variety of performance projects in professional venues
- work with professional theatre directors, musical directors and choreographers
- attend a range of theatre performances
- Have regular lessons in tap, ballet, commercial and jazz sessions
- Learn about musical theatre history and context

The course is delivered through various practical and theoretical units and performance projects. A large proportion of the work undertaken is of a practical nature and is assessed continuously. There are no examinations on this course. The course is full time and students are required to be available for up to 18 hours contact time per week.
Students accepted on this course should be aiming to apply to specialist colleges or university.

Past graduates of the Level 4 Musical Theatre course have progressed onto a number of nationally acclaimed colleges including the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Mountview, GSA Conservatoire, Italia Conti, BiPA, and the Leeds Conservatoire, as well as various prestigious universities.