Acting

Early career actors need to be proactive. We show you how to take an entrepreneurial approach – how to sell your brand, find opportunities, and bring the transferable skills you’ve gained on the course into many areas of the industry.

You’ll get the chance to create your own work and collaborate with professionals, especially at our student-led festival, SparkFest, which we run in partnership with Bath Festivals, and as part of our in-house production company, Bath Spa Productions.

By the time you graduate, you’ll know what it’s like to work with directors, technicians, venue managers, writers, producers and your fellow performers. You’ll know how to position yourself to find opportunities – and how to create them. You’ll learn about all aspects of communicating with future employers and freelance clients, by developing your:

• showreel
• CV in Spotlight (one of the main casting databases in the UK)
• portfolio
• website
• headshot
• interview techniques
• self-taping and audition skills
• career action plan.

This is a challenging Acting degree, led by specialist staff, and designed to equip you to succeed in an increasingly competitive profession. 

Year one
The first year introduces you to the key practitioners and processes that underpin actor training. You’ll learn about the connections between composition, rehearsal, research and performance, and develop skills such as:

• script analysis
• breaking down a scene
• researching the world of the play
• interpreting character
• exploring subtext
• devising your own work.

Technical classes will introduce you to professional-level movement, voice and comedy skills that will enable you to work effectively both as an individual and as part of an ensemble.

Year two
Interpret, analyse and perform various texts in order to extend your understanding of performing in, as well as creating, drama.

Alongside your regular technical classes, you’ll receive acting for camera training and stage combat classes, designed to enhance your skills-base and prepare you for production projects in year three.

Year three
This is your apprentice year, when we’ll encourage you to take your skills into an outward-facing environment.

You’ll become a member of Bath Spa Productions, a professional company that produces a range of live and recorded work. This provides a safe environment in which to test your ability to work collaboratively. You’ll get the chance to connect your acting work with design, technical, management, music and other production elements. Within this collaborative environment you’re expected to meet industry standards and work within professionally-recognised timeframes.

You’ll be assessed through a variety of methods including:

• self-reflective journals
• performances
• essays
• vivas (where you talk about your work)
• presentations.

In your final year, you’ll also be assessed on a range of projects, all led by external industry professionals.

You’ll learn in a wide variety of settings, including regular practical acting classes, seminars, workshops, tutorials, rehearsals and small groups. You’ll have regular one-to-ones with our specialist staff to check your progress and provide individual support.

You’ll have an average of 18 contact hours per week in your first two years, with more independent rehearsals in your graduating year. You need to complement this with equivalent hours of independent study and preparation.

To find out more about how we teach and how you'll learn, please read our Learning and Teaching Delivery Statement.

As part of your degree, you could study abroad on a placement at one of Bath Spa’s partner universities.

We work closely with professionals, companies and organisations in theatre, film and television. These collaborators are both national and in the region. The course has a successful professional partnership with Theatre Royal Bath.

Our students have recently worked with the following individuals and companies:

• Director and theatre maker, Jenny Davies
• Established and experienced director, Ed Viney
• Writer and theatre director, Emma Williams
• Award-winning comedy writer, producer and performer, Fergus Woods Dunlop from multi award-winning company, New Old Friends
• Award-winning theatre company, Wardrobe Ensemble
• BAFTA-winning filmmaker and director, Rupert Miles

Our graduating students work across stage, screen and voiceover for books and video games; they’ve performed at Comedy Clubs, in TV commercials, and on UK national tours. They’ve appeared in immersive experiences, major touring pantomimes, short award-winning films and musical theatre productions. They’ve also acted in dramas by Netflix, the BBC and ITV.

Several have established successful theatre companies, and gone on to create their own national tours and even employ members of the creative community they established at Bath Spa University.

Acting graduates from Bath Spa work locally, nationally and globally, and are recognised for their creativity and versatility as actors, creatives and makers, building their career in what they were trained to do.

Our graduates also engage in further study or work in related performance roles, as artistic directors, writers, arts officers and teachers.

If you’re a full-time undergraduate student starting your first year at Bath Spa University, you can apply for the Global Citizenship Programme, which you’ll study alongside your degree. You’ll gain global awareness and add an international dimension to your student experience.

On successful completion of the programme, you’ll be awarded a Certificate in Global Citizenship. This is in addition to your degree; it doesn’t change your degree title or results.

This optional placement year provides you with the opportunity to identify, apply for and secure professional experience, normally comprising one to three placements over a minimum of nine months. Successful completion of this module will demonstrate your ability to secure and sustain graduate-level employment.

By completing the module, you'll be entitled to the addition of 'with Professional Placement Year' to your degree title.

Before your Professional Placement Year, you'll work to secure your placement, constructing a development plan with your module leader and your placement coordinator from our Careers and Employability team.

On your return to University for your final year, you'll submit your Placement Portfolio, detailing your development on your placement.

Our Oldfield Park Theatre workshops are a purpose-built facility in central Bath for second and third year Acting students. These facilities include:

• Four rehearsal studios and Black Box performance space
• Breakout spaces and quiet study areas
• Lecture and seminar rooms
• IT suite
• Fully-equipped carpentry workshop and teaching space
• Fully-equipped costume making workshop
• Prop making workshop.

You’ll also have access to facilities on our other campuses, including:

• State-of-the art television studios
• University Theatre.

• Our Library offers a wealth of learning resources including books, journals, DVDs and an extensive range of electronic services. Our Subject Librarian for Performing Arts provides subject-specific support, including help with research.
• The Writing and Learning Centre provides support for your academic work, including feedback on written drafts and other help with academic writing.
• Our Virtual Learning Environment provides online access to learning materials such as lecture slides, assessment information, discussion boards and other resources. 
• The Careers team run networking events and advisory workshops that explore your future options and the essentials of the job application process. They help you get experience by assisting with your search for work placements and paid part-time jobs while you're studying. When you're ready to progress into your chosen career, they can help you secure graduate-level employment, freelance opportunities, and funding for your own business ideas. Career support continues for years after you graduate with the dedicated Grad Support Unit.
• You’ll have free access to thousands of business, design and tech courses online via LinkedIn Learning.
• If English isn't your first language, our English Language Unit can help you improve your English, reach your full potential and boost your confidence.
• Our Student Wellbeing Services are available to support you through your learning.