BA (Hons) DRAMA, APPLIED THEATRE AND PERFORMANCE (WITH FOUNDATION YEAR)

Practical performance lies at the heart of your studies. So in each of your three years, you’ll be involved in productions or performances.

In year one, you’ll develop your critical skills while studying theatre from around the world. You’ll also learn techniques of storytelling and monologue and be assessed in your performance.

During your second year, you’ll hone your skills in both devising theatre and acting. As a group, you’ll put together a performance piece. In the second term, you’ll be joined by exchange students from Columbia College, Chicago, bringing an international flavour to your collaborations.

In your third year, we’ll help you find and make the most of an extended placement with a theatre company or arts organisation.

You’ll also develop a final piece of theatre that you’ll perform in public and write a dissertation on the area of drama and theatre that most interests you.

About the Foundation Year
You will study acting, dance, physical theatre and community theatre through six distinctive modules. You will participate in a variety of dynamic projects and learn about current trends in the performing arts. The course content is specifically chosen to reflect the diverse nature of our students and this is evident through the themes, practitioners and subject matter covered. You will learn in a highly supportive environment where you can develop the self-confidence, knowledge, skills and understanding for further study.

Each module focuses on developing your understanding of the techniques intrinsic to the separate disciplines and will prepare you for a successful entry onto your chosen degree pathway listed below.

BA (Hons) Dance: Urban Practice
BA (Hons) Performing Arts
BA (Hons) Drama, Applied Theatre and Performance

Graduates who have studied drama and theatre at UEL have landed jobs in a wide variety of areas. We’ve produced actors, arts administrators, teachers, broadcast journalists, advertisers, designers and scriptwriters.
What many students here have discovered is that this is a course that gives you the ambition and confidence to succeed.

“I’ve discovered strength I never knew I had. I found my self-confidence to pursue my dreams,” explains student Leigh-Anne Rodriguez.


Abdul Shayek knows that feeling, too. He’s one of the great success stories of our department, having become a leading arts administrator and director. He went to work as an assistant director for National Theatre of Wales and now runs his own theatre company, YOCA.

Reflecting on his dramatic progress since graduating in BA (Hons) Theatre Studies, Abdul says: “I feel that without the degree, that may have been difficult to achieve as I was constantly lacking the confidence and correct theatrical language and context to engage in in-depth conversations and discussions.”

Our course throws you in the deep end straight away. So, for instance, actor Michael Amaning was only in his first year at the University of East London when he auditioned for a role in a Royal Shakespeare Company production and landed his first professional part.

FROM
A LEVEL
Must include passes at A2 in at least two subjects.
FROM
BTEC
Extended Diploma or Diploma
FROM
INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE
Diploma with 25 points including a minimum of 15 points at Higher Level.
We would normally expect you to have Grade C in GCSE English and Maths. Applicants will be expected to attend an audition and an interview.