Acting

Acting is one of the oldest of the performing arts, and training as an actor at conservatoire level is a demanding process of physical, vocal, and psychological development. The actor's craft requires the ability to inhabit other lives with conviction and spontaneity, to work collaboratively within an ensemble, to respond truthfully to partners in performance, and to sustain creative work across the extended process of rehearsal and production. It is a discipline that demands commitment, vulnerability, and the capacity to keep developing and discovering throughout a career.

This three-year, full-time programme at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire within Birmingham City University offers drama school level training, designed to develop the versatile, professional actor rather than a performer limited to one style or approach. You will work across a range of acting methodologies, voice and movement training, text and character analysis, and production contexts including theatre, screen, and contemporary performance. The conservatoire environment means you work in a professional training setting with dedicated staff and strong industry connections, which typically shapes both the rigour of the training and the opportunities available to you as you approach graduation.

Graduates pursue careers as professional actors in theatre, film, television, and radio, as well as in related performance and creative industries. The discipline and versatility developed through conservatoire training also supports careers in acting for educational settings, community theatre, physical performance, devised work, and arts facilitation. Building a career as an actor typically requires persistence and adaptability, and many graduates combine performance work with teaching, directing, or other creative roles as their careers develop.

Some graduates also continue to postgraduate training in acting, directing, or related performance disciplines.