Drama, Acting and Performance

Drama, acting, and performance is a discipline that trains you both as a practitioner and as a critical thinker about theatre and performance in its many forms. It develops your skills as an actor, your understanding of dramatic texts and theatrical traditions, and your ability to engage in the collaborative making of performance work. The field encompasses studio theatre and main house productions, devised and scripted work, physical and vocal performance, and the historical and theoretical frameworks that allow you to situate your practice within the broader context of theatre as a cultural form.

At the University of the West of England in Bristol, this three-year full-time programme combines the practical demands of acting and performance training with the intellectual rigour of drama studies. You will develop your physical and vocal technique, your ability to work with a range of dramatic texts from classical to contemporary, and your capacity to contribute to ensemble and collaborative creative processes. Bristol is a city with a particularly rich and diverse theatre culture, and the programme is situated within that context, with opportunities to engage with the city's professional theatre scene alongside your degree studies.

The programme prepares you for work in the theatre and wider performing arts industry, with the combination of practical skill and critical understanding that professional practice demands.

Graduates of drama, acting, and performance programmes pursue careers as actors in theatre, film, and television, as well as in related roles including directing, stage management, dramaturgy, arts education, and community theatre. The skills developed through performance training, including discipline, collaboration, vocal and physical control, and the ability to communicate under pressure, are recognised by employers well beyond the performing arts. Teaching, community arts, applied theatre, youth work, and arts administration are common career paths alongside performance.

Postgraduate study in acting, performance, theatre studies, or applied theatre is available for those who wish to deepen their specialism or pursue academic research.