The Kogan Academy of Dramatic Arts is formed as a charity with the mission to improve standards in drama training.

The Academy was founded in September 1991 by Sam Kogan, who trained under Stanislavski’s colleague Maria Knebel at GITIS in Moscow.

In the 1980’s Sam was teaching the Stanislavski technique in London drama schools and it became clear that none of them provided a rigorous, honest education, offering students with a reliable skill-set for their profession.

He developed the Science of Acting and set up the Academy to give students the training they deserve.

The School is now situated in Archway in North London.  This is an ideal location as it is very close to both central London and to affordable accommodation for students.

What kind of courses do you offer? What is your ideal student profile?

We offer full and part-time courses in acting and directing, all fully vocational.

Our ideal student is one who genuinely wants to learn how to be the best actor and/or director they can be and is willing to put in the work to achieve that. We accept students from 17, while many of our students are ‘mature’ students who have had time in the profession; or have studied at other drama schools and found them lacking; or who want to change or re-invigorate their career.

What teaching methodologies do you use? Why did you choose them?

We are unique amongst drama schools. Although we offer an understanding of most acting techniques, we specialise in one: The Science of Acting.

‘Methodology’ is a bit of a problematic word to use around anything to do with acting due to its synonymy with the ‘Method’ technique. What we teach at the School is markedly different; in fact, quite early on in the courses, we explain why ‘Method’ acting can be less than helpful.

It may be impressive to say you locked yourself in a box for 3 days or slept in the street but unless you know a lot more about acting and creating the character’s thinking it won’t help you achieve beautiful, memorable acting. That’s where The Science of Acting comes in.

It is the most robust, clear and practical technique on offer today and consists of a wealth of knowledge never offered before by any drama school.

Are your courses more theoretical or practical?

The courses are unlike those at any other drama school in that at the beginning the syllabus focuses on equipping every student with a clear and consistent understanding of the technique.

You will study all the topics that must be comprehensively understood by any actor who wishes to act well.  These include Actions, Purposes, Events, Imagination, Awareness, Attention and Sense Data.

Topics are studied alongside practical acting classes, exercises and rehearsing & performing in directing students’ pieces.  Also, every year students perform in a full-length play directed by one of the senior tutors.

Students’ are given time to slowly develop the skills and talent needed for the foundation upon which to build a lasting career.

What type of qualification do your students receive once they complete their training?

On graduation students receive a diploma in the Science of Acting which means that they have demonstrated dedication, conscientiousness and ultimately have developed the talent to be able to act, direct and teach to the very highest standards within the profession.

YES! Talent can be developed through thought and purpose, it doesn’t fall from the sky and is not a mysterious quality some lucky few are born with – though large parts of the industry would have you believe otherwise.

Having gained their diploma they will encounter no one in the industry that knows more concisely and comprehensively what good acting is.

As Science of Acting alumni Richard Brake (Game of Thrones, Batman Begins…) says:

So much acting technique is filled with vague concepts and unworkable ideas.  The Science of Acting is grounded, practical and precise.”

What kind of jobs can your students choose at the end of the course?

In addition to the qualities previously outlined, our graduates have the added ability to create their own opportunities and not just to rely on others to give them.

Coupled with an unfailing technique that allows them to play any character, in any style, for any medium, they can indeed choose freely what roles/jobs they would like to do.

Of course, in a lot of cases the personal opinions, tastes and foibles of casting-directors, directors and producers are a contributory factor to who they give the job so we cannot guarantee that our graduates will always be successful.

However,

We can guarantee that they will never have fear of auditions or interviews, they will always be as well prepared as possible, they will do their best and they will learn all there is to learn from every audition and interview experience without ever punishing themselves or thinking ‘I just don’t have what it takes’.

Our graduates are ‘built’ for longevity within their chosen industry rather than easily giving up when job success doesn’t come immediately.

Can you make some examples of successful careers?

They are working at every level of the theatre, radio, TV & film industries.  When drama schools are charging not insubstantial fees to train their students, students surely need to graduate with a vocation rather than an ‘I’ll have a shot at this and see how it goes’ mentality.

Actors who have studied the Science of Acting have appeared in West End shows such as Jersey Boys and 39 Steps; at the Royal National Theatre; on TV in Ray Donovan; Game of ThronesSherlock; Patrick Melrose; Silent Witness; Peaky Blinders; Dr Who; Spooks; The A Word; What Would My Kid Do?; and in films such as Pride & Predjudice & Zombies; Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom; Wonder Woman; Dumbo; Deadpool 2; War Horse; The Death of Stalin; 7 Days in Entebbe; Atomic Blonde; Snow White & the Huntsman; Rock n Rolla; Kingsmen; Cold Mountain and many many others.

Students who train on the directing course (actually a highly developed module that is taken alongside the acting course – directors need to know how to act) are again prepared for every level of the industry and our graduates are working in theatre, TV & film.  They are trained in every aspect of the profession and so also leave ready to develop their own work and/or form their own companies.

We have graduates who are Artistic Directors of theatres and theatre companies in the UK, Denmark & Sweden, and even of an International Theatre Festival – Brighton Fringe, and award-winning directors of commercials, music videos, film and theatre.

Some graduates are qualified and approved to teach the Science of Acting and are working at London drama schools such as RADA & Central, training actors & directors at the Royal National Theatre and Old Vic and teach actors as far afield as Australia, Denmark, Sweden, Latvia, Lebanon, Russia and the USA.

Which advantages do students have studying in your centre?

Students are taught what we can say with some degree of certainty, is the most comprehensive, conscientiously constructed, insightful, precise and reliable acting technique in the world.

From the outset, the class sizes are kept small so that each student has the due attention needed to ensure the best chance of progress through the course. Unlike other drama schools, we do not have a whittling down policy where we take on more students than we plan to continue with.

In both acting and directing courses, the theory and practical elements are carefully structured to allow the students to progress steadily throughout their time at the School.

Successful graduates benefit from a comprehensive understanding of acting and directing. We can again say with some degree of certainty that very few other drama-training establishments equip their graduates with such a solid foundation on which to build their careers.

Graduates leave the School with a realistic idea of the demands of the profession and understand that they may have to create their own opportunities and be solely responsible for furthering their careers. They are self-sufficient vocational professionals, which substantially lowers the likelihood that they will give up and end up working in another, unrelated field.

Is there any aspect of your centre (or courses) that you would like to highlight?

We are the only place in the world that teaches The Science of Acting and the only Drama School that also has a book published of the technique it exclusively teaches (The Science of Acting by Sam Kogan, published by Routledge).

Our syllabus is unique amongst Drama Schools.  Apart from being the only place in the world where you can learn the Science of Acting we also start each study day with yoga and end it with meditation.  We offer Dance, Stage Combat, Circus, Acrobatics, Voice, Singing and Movement classes as well as History of Theatre, Costume Design, Stage Design, Acting for Radio and Acting for Camera workshops.

No other drama school offers 4 terms per academic year, with 40-50 contact hours per week, meaning our graduates undoubtedly get great value for money.

At the end of their courses, through both their own conscientious study and the equally conscientious, carefully structured tuition they receive, they will have acquired common points of reference for good acting and directing rather than different and often changing, ambiguous opinions.

What do you think about education nowadays? How has it changed since last century?

Students are now encouraged to think that they are customers who dictate how they want to be taught, which goes completely against pedagogy.

It may suit establishments that don’t know how to teach or what to teach, as it relinquishes them of responsibility and puts it all in the hands of the inexperienced student, but for a School like ours that provides top rate education and is sure of our teachings as well as our pedagogic responsibilities, all we ask is that our students are committed to their chosen vocation and always do their best.

What is the application process?

Students applying from abroad can send video auditions, followed with a skype interview.  In the past, we have held regular auditions in Sweden, Iceland, Berlin and Edinburgh and would consider doing so again.

Drama (Level 3) Diploma
Open Learning College
£ 356
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