Bristol Old Vic Theatre School

Courses offered

Undergraduate and foundation degrees:

• BA Professional Acting;
• FdA/BA Production Arts^*;
• FdA/BA Costume for Theatre, Film and TV.

Postgraduate degrees:

• MA Theatre Design
• MA Scenic Art
• MA Drama Directing
• MA Drama Writing
• MA Film Production
• MFA Professional Voice Studies
• MFA Professional Acting (for international students).

Short courses:

10 week summer foundation course in acting and a range of acting short courses for adults.

^*Our Production Arts courses provide broad-based training in the core production disciplines needed to work professionally for stage or screen, including stage management, lighting, electrics, sound and scenic crafts. The FdA is stage-focused, while the three-year BA course additionally incorporates TV/film and radio drama production skills.

Course content overview

Bristol Old Vic Theatre School (BOVTS) has led the way in training theatre professionals for over 70 years. Our courses are recognised nationally and internationally as a benchmark of quality in acting, creative and technical arts

All our courses are practical and career-focused. Learning is immersive and you will have a full and busy timetable throughout each term. As a student at BOVTS, you will have unparalleled opportunities to perform in, design, write, direct, produce or stage manage shows that take place for the paying-public across Bristol and the West Country.

We regard all our students as professionals in training; your first day in the School is the first day of your career. Our graduates leave confident in their creative and technical skills, with tenacity to succeed in building a sustainable, varied and fulfilling career in the arts.

The School is a member of the prestigious Conservatoire for Dance and Drama (CDD) which includes a further five institutions providing rigorous training in the performing arts. The Conservatoire was collectively awarded a gold standard in the Teaching Excellence Framework (2017), recognising that the education we provide is of the highest quality. The School's degrees are currently validated and awarded by the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol).

Fees, bursaries, and other finance information

For fee purposes, the School classifies students either as UK, EU or international. Your residency classification determines the amount you pay in tuition fees, which also vary according to whether the course is an undergraduate or postgraduate degree.

Each year, the school offers over £200,000 in student support through a range of bursaries and scholarships. If you are called to interview or audition, course staff will explain more about the funding options available. The CDD also offers a range of financial support, including tuition fee discounts and cash bursaries, with eligibility dependent on household income.

Accommodation options

While the school does not own halls of residence, Bristol is a student city and there is no shortage of high-quality accommodation within walking distance. Many of our students choose to rent in groups. Our Accommodation Officer can provide guidance to new students – for example advice on fair rents, landlord relations, and council tax exemption.

Entry requirements

We typically make unconditional offers based on your performance at audition or interview. For Production Arts, applicants are normally expected to meet UWE Bristol's minimum entry requirements. For postgraduate courses, applicants would normally be expected to have an honours degree in a related subject area. We will also consider evidence of personal, professional and educational experience which show an ability to meet the demands of the course. For more info, visit oldvic.ac.uk/course-finder.

Application method

All applications for full-time degree courses are made via UCAS. Applications for Production Arts should be made via UCAS Undergraduate (institution code B64) while applications for Costume and Professional Acting should be made via UCAS Conservatoires (institution code B65). Applications for MA/MFA courses are made via UCAS Postgraduate.

We charge an audition fee for the BA and MFA Professional Acting courses, currently £50 and £75, respectively. Applications for short courses are direct to the school – see www.oldvic.ac.uk/short-courses for further information.

Audition process/preparation required

At present, we aim to audition or interview all students who meet our course entry requirements. For BA Acting, auditions are a two-stage process with preliminary auditions followed by recall days. Preliminary auditions are held at venues across the UK. You’ll be required to present a speech from a classical English play (written before 1800), a piece in prose from a modern play (written after 1956) and a short, unaccompanied song. You’ll also be given a short piece of sight-reading prose. For technical and creative courses, you’ll be interviewed at the school, exploring your motivation for the course, any relevant experience, and discussing your portfolio, where relevant.

Contact

For details of open days, visit opportunities or for more information contact Student Recruitment (student-recruitment@oldvic.ac.uk). For information about making an application, contact Admissions (admissions@oldvic.ac.uk). You can sign up for updates about our courses and news from the school at www.oldvic.ac.uk/mailing-list