Performing Arts

Performing arts as a discipline takes a broad view of what performance is and can be, encompassing theatre, dance, live art, physical performance, devised work, choreography, directing and playwriting within a single creative framework. It proceeds from the understanding that performance is not just entertainment but a social and cultural act: it provokes conversation, amplifies voices that might otherwise go unheard, creates shared experiences and has the power to generate change. Studying it is to commit to a practice that is simultaneously artistic, intellectual and civic.

At Leeds Beckett University this practice-led programme encourages you to explore what performance means to you, developing your creative identity alongside practical and professional skills across acting, dance, live art and related forms. You will take creative risks, experiment with form and collaborate with other performers, developing the artistic and technical range to work across different performance contexts. The programme runs over three years full time and includes a year abroad, broadening your perspective on how performance is made and received internationally.

Graduates pursue careers in theatre and performance, devised and physical performance work, dance, community arts, drama education, arts facilitation, arts administration and the creative industries more broadly. Many build plural careers that combine performing with teaching, facilitation, choreography or producing. The collaborative, creative and communicative skills developed through performing arts also transfer into a wide range of other professional contexts, including events, marketing, therapy and community development.

Postgraduate study in performance, theatre making, dance or arts management is a natural further route.