Find and develop your own individual route into the music sector with our Popular Music BA (Hons) course at the University of Northampton. This course is perfect if you’re a creative singer/ vocalist, bassist, drummer, guitarist, keyboardist or singer-songwriter looking to develop your technical, performance, musicianship and technology skills to a professional level.
You’ll learn the creative, music technology and study skills necessary to support you in your mission to be music Pro. In addition, we provide students the skills for wider employment, including in the teaching profession and further study should this be something you wish to pursue.
This course is Industry Accredited by JAMES representing APRS, MPG and associate industry bodies. Accreditation of a course by relevant industry bodies provides assurance to students and employers of its potential and value.
The performing arts industry has evolved significantly over the past decade, shaped by global shifts in technology, audience engagement, and industry demands. The rise of digital streaming platforms, the impact of the pandemic on live performance, and the increasing importance of screen acting, and self-produced content have transformed the landscape for emerging actors.
Our new BA Acting for Stage and Screen has been designed to reflect these changes, offering a dynamic and contemporary training experience that prepares students for careers across theatre, television, film, and digital media. This course builds on the foundations of traditional actor training while embracing the latest industry trends, including screen performance techniques, motion capture, voice work, and self-taping for auditions.
Rooted in professional practice, this course draws on our strong industry connections to deliver a curriculum that is rigorous, practical, and intellectually stimulating. Students will develop a deep understanding of performance craft, storytelling, and industry professionalism while exploring their creative identity as actors.
With a strong emphasis on employability, professional development, and sustainability in the arts, our BA Acting for Stage and Screen equips graduates with the skills, confidence, and adaptability to thrive in an ever-changing entertainment industry. Whether their passion lies in live performance, screen acting, or new digital platforms, this course empowers students to harness their talents and build flourishing careers in the performing arts industry.
Our Musical Theatre degree is a two-year intensive programme that provides practical training in the essential triple-threat disciplines of acting, singing, and dancing. This course is designed to offer an industry-relevant and focused study experience, ensuring you gain the skills needed for a successful career in the musical theatre industry.
You will receive professional training from experienced industry professionals who are dedicated to developing you into a creative, independent, thinking artist. Our course aims to make you relevant to the demands of the industry today. Throughout your studies, you will gain a thorough and practical understanding of how the musical theatre industry operates. This comprehensive training ensures that you develop transferable skills that enhance your employability potential across various fields.
The course covers a wide range of topics including audition techniques, stage presence, choreography, and voice training. You will also delve into character development, scene study, and musical theatre history. The training is designed to provide you with production skills and showcase opportunities that are critical for industry networking.
Throughout the programme, there is a strong emphasis on collaboration and the creative process. You will work closely with your peers and instructors in a supportive environment, fostering your ability to work effectively in professional settings. The course also includes training in technical theatre, ensuring you have a well-rounded understanding of theatre performance and professional stagecraft.
Graduates of this programme will leave with a robust set of performance techniques, acting techniques, and artistic development skills. They will be well-prepared to pursue careers in the musical theatre industry, backed by strong industry connections and comprehensive career preparation. With opportunities for creative performance and the development of dance techniques and singing techniques, our graduates are equipped to excel in various performance opportunities on stage and screen.
Location: Cardiff
With a strong emphasis on experiential learning, improvisation, song writing and listening, this flexible and highly regarded course is aimed at giving you the knowledge and practical skills to enter an existing practice or start your own.
With a strong focus on experiential learning and improvisation, this course is informed by psychodynamic and person-centred principles and equips you with the clinical, theoretical, and practical skills needed to enter the profession.
You'll develop an improvisational approach and gain experience in both individual and group music therapy practice.
In the first year, you'll work with children and adolescents, the second year focuses on adults, and the third year explores more complex areas, such as palliative care, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS), and forensic services.
This flexible programme allows you to study while working. You'll learn from experienced tutors and research staff with strong connections within the profession. Regular visiting lecturers provide insights from a broad range of practice.
The course leads to registration as a music therapist with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
Explore the overlap between art and theatre. Let one influence the other and develop your professional practice with BA Art and Theatre.
This joint art degree enables you to develop a critical understanding of contemporary art and modern theatre. You will have the opportunity to complement your art practice with practical work in theatre.
In art, you will join a lively and creative community, explore a vast range of media and experiment with emerging art forms. You'll be assigned a dedicated studio space, accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and a studio tutor who will help you develop your individual and professional practice.
Regular trips to museums and art galleries will prompt thoughts on how art is displayed and received. You will gain professional experience throughout your degree by taking part in your own exhibitions, public art commissions and events. Your teaching staff are all artists, curators and researchers of international standing and will encourage regular exhibitions and open debate.
In theatre studies you will investigate a range of contemporary practices from verbatim to immersive, site specific work and examples of digital technologies in live performance. You can explore theatre from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, covering the work of international and British playwrights such as Samuel Beckett, Caryl Churchill and Sarah Kane.
Practical work complements your critical and theoretical study allowing you to apply what you learn through practice, drawing on the market-leading facilities of the £11.4m Minghella building, including three theatre spaces, a film and television studio, cutting rooms and audio post-production facilities, and a digital cinema. You will investigate theatre with academics working at the cutting edge of research, and attend performances ranging from popular forms of theatre to performance art.
Placements and collaborations are actively encouraged and there is also the chance to experience life in another country. Opportunities for work-based learning and personal development complement your core learning.
