Bristol Old Vic Theatre School

Courses offered

Undergraduate and foundation degrees:

• BA Professional Acting
• FdA and BA (Hons) Production Arts*
• FdA and BA (Hons) top-up Costume for Theatre, Film and TV.

*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 and film production skills.

Postgraduate degrees:

• MA Screen Acting
• MA Performance Design
• MA Scenic Art
• MA Drama Directing
• MA Drama Writing
• 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.

Course content overview

Bristol Old Vic Theatre School (BOVTS) has led the way in training theatre, TV and film professionals for 75 years. Our courses are recognised nationally and internationally as a benchmark of quality in acting, creative and technical arts. By choosing BOVTS, you are joining a school with a world-renowned reputation, based in one of the UK's most lively and creative student cities.

All our courses are practical and career focused. The majority of teaching takes place in small groups, workshops or in individual tutorials. Learning is immersive and you will have a full and busy timetable throughout each term. As a student at BOVTS, you will have excellent opportunities to perform in, design, write, direct, stage manage or work on 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 the school confident in their creative and technical skills, but also with tenacity to succeed in building a sustainable, varied and fulfilling career in the arts.

The school's degrees are 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 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. For full details, please see oldvic.ac.uk/course-finder.

UK and Irish students are eligible for tuition fee loans and support administered by the government. In addition, each year the school offers a range of student support in the form of bursaries and scholarships. If you are called to interview or audition, course staff will explain more about the funding options available.

Accommodation options

While the School does not own halls of residence, Bristol is a student city and there is an abundance of high quality accommodation within walking of distance of the school.

Many of our students choose to rent with fellow BOVTS students. Our admissions office can provide guidance to new students about finding accommodation in the private rented sector – 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 undergraduate courses, 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 further information specific to each course, please see: oldvic.ac.uk/course finder.

Application method

For 2022 entry, 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 application for all other degree courses is via UCAS Conservatoires (institution code B65). We charge an audition fee for the BA Professional Acting course, which is currently £25, but an audition fee waiver scheme is available – please see our website for eligibility criteria. Applications for short courses are direct to the school – see oldvic.ac.uk/short courses for further information

Audition process/preparation required

For BA Acting, auditions are a two-stage process with online preliminary auditions followed by recall days at the school. You'll be required to present two contrasting monologues, each two minutes long, and a short, unaccompanied song. For technical and creative courses, we initially review your UCAS application ahead of interviews, exploring your motivation for the course, any relevant experience, and discussing your portfolio, where relevant. Details of course selection procedures are available on our course finder at oldvic.ac.uk/course-finder.

Contact

For details of open days, visit opportunities or for more information about our courses, contact the student recruitment team at studentrecruitment@oldvic.ac.uk.

For information about making an application, entry requirements, or fees and funding, contact admissions at admissions@oldvic.ac.uk. You can sign up for updates about our courses and news from the school at oldvic.ac.uk/mailing-list.