Theatre Arts with Foundation Year

Theatre arts is a discipline that takes the full range of theatre-making seriously as both a creative practice and an intellectual endeavour. It encompasses performance, directing, devising, design, and production, and it situates all of these within the historical and theoretical contexts that give them meaning. Studying theatre arts means becoming a practitioner and a thinker simultaneously, developing the practical skills to make work and the critical understanding to reflect on it and situate it within the broader landscape of contemporary and historical performance.

At the University of Derby this four-year full-time programme includes a foundation year and is delivered at Derby Theatre, a fully equipped professional theatre and major live performance venue. This is an unusual and genuinely valuable feature of the degree: you are not working in a rehearsal room that simulates a professional environment, but in an actual working theatre, with the industry contacts, production contexts, and professional standards that this implies. The course includes a sandwich placement year, a year abroad, and a work placement component, meaning you will have substantial professional experience and international exposure before you graduate.

The typical entry tariff of 120 points reflects the accessible and broadly welcoming character of the programme's entry requirements.

You will develop performance, directing, and production skills alongside critical and research capabilities, building a portfolio of practical and academic work that demonstrates the range of your abilities.

Graduates pursue careers in theatre performance, direction, devising, stage management, arts administration, theatre education, community arts, and arts development. Many also work in broadcasting, film and television, and events. Postgraduate study in theatre practice, applied drama, or arts management is a natural continuation.