Performing Arts

We're holding online Q&A sessions with Performing Arts lecturers on Facebook throughout the summer. Check the schedule for the next session.

Why study with us? Our performing arts course is approximately 80% practical, with around 124 performances in the department a year. We offer a ‘real world environment’, as it would be in the profession. We have contributions from industry recognised practitioners; all our productions are directed by external professionals. We are a small cohort so each student receives plenty of support and individual care from the tutors.

This is a practically orientated, skills intensive course that encourages creative exploration and theatre making, within the areas of Dance, Drama, Music Theatre and Production Design and Technology which has intensive contributions from visiting professionals. Students spend their first year developing their skills, which are enhanced through productions in the second year and in their third year students are able to specialise in one performance genre or to continue working in two or three genres. In the third year, students create their own theatre companies, and produce their own productions. What can this course lead to?

Graduates may seek roles as performers, technicians or creators. In addition, the transferable skills gained during the course are highly respected in many careers involving communication skills, such as media, public relations and teaching.

Resources and facilities We have a main theatre seating up to 180 people and also a studio theatre in-house which seats 80. Our support facilities for productions include set-construction workshops, sound recording studios and multimedia production edit suites. Rehearsal rooms include three drama studios, two singing rooms and conventional teaching spaces.

Have a look at our learning resources for Performing Arts.

Entry requirements

280 UCAS tariff points

Find out more about qualification options on the UCAS tariff table.

Please check selection criteria for any additional entry criteria.

Credit and UCAS requirements UCAS code: W440 UCAS points: 280 Costs

Click to view information on your study type and home location.

Full-time students

Home

The tuition fee for the 2013/14 academic year has been set at £8,250 (including an automatic £750 fee discount).

As a full-time UK student, you are entitled to a tuition fee loan which doesn’t have to be repaid until you start earning £21,000 per annum (if you're from England) or £15,795 (if you're from Scotland). You may also be eligible for a maintenance loan (up to £5,500) and a maintenance grant (up to £3,354). For more information about student loans and grants, visit our student finance page.

Additional funding

National Scholarship Programme

The National Scholarship Programme is designed to support students with a household income of less than £25,000. Full-time students may be eligible for one of 110 NSP awards for full-time students worth up to £6,000.

Cumbria Bursary

The Cumbria Bursary is an annual cash award of £1,000 for up to three years of study. There are 300 Cumbria Bursaries available in 2013.

More financial support

Access to financial support doesn’t end at registration. We have several awards and support funds available to our current students, including:

• Achievement scholarships
• Outstanding performance awards
• Access to Learning Fund
• Utilities trust

EU

The tuition fee for the 2013/14 academic year has been set at £8,250 (including an automatic £750 fee discount).

As a full-time EU student, you are entitled to a tuition fee loan which doesn’t have to be repaid until you start earning £21,000 per annum (or the equivalent in your country). For more information about student loans, visit our student finance page.

Additional funding

National Scholarship Programme

The National Scholarship Programme is designed to support students with a household income of less than £25,000. Full-time students may be eligible for one of 110 NSP awards for full-time students worth up to £6,000.

Cumbria Bursary

The Cumbria Bursary is an annual cash award of £1,000 for up to three years of study. There are 300 Cumbria Bursaries available in 2013.

More financial support

Access to financial support doesn’t end at registration. We have several awards and support funds available to our current students, including:

• Achievement scholarships
• Outstanding performance awards
• Utilities trust

International

The tuition fee for the 2013/14 academic year is £9,960.

Fees are billed annually and may be paid by the student or a sponsor. 75 percent of the annual tuition fees must be paid before or at registration. For students requiring a Tier 4 Student Visa, a deposit of £3,500 is expected as a minimum before a CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies) will be issued. For more information, visit our international student finance page.

Early payment discount

If you are paying your own fees, you may be eligible for an early payment discount of £1,000. This discount is awarded to students who pay in full before registration.

International scholarship

If you are studying a full-time bachelor's degree (excluding teacher training and NHS-funded courses) or a top-up degree, you may be eligible for an international scholarship. The university has nine scholarships available. Find out more on our scholarships page.

Additional financial support

Our money doctors will be on hand throughout the year to help you manage your money while you’re in the UK. However, if you do happen to run into financial difficulty during your time here, you may be able to access a small emergency support fund.

Part-time students

Home

The tuition fee for students starting study in the 2013/14 academic year is £8,250 (including an automatic £750 fee discount). This fee is billed annually. For part-time students, the annual fee is calculated based on the number of years you take to complete your course. For example, a student studying part-time for six years may expect to pay £4,125 per year.

As a part-time UK student, you are entitled to a tuition fee loan which doesn’t have to be repaid until you start earning over £21,000 a year (if you're from England) or £15,795 (if you're from Scotland). For more information about student loans and grants, visit our student finance page.

Additional funding

National Scholarship Programme

The National Scholarship Programme is designed to support students with a household income of less than £25,000. Part-time students may be eligible for one of 40 NSP awards worth up to £3,000.

More financial support

Access to financial support doesn’t end at registration. We have several awards and support funds available to our current students, including:

• Achievement scholarships
• Outstanding performance awards
• Access to Learning Fund
• Utilities trust

EU

The tuition fee for students starting study in the 2013/14 academic year is £8,250 (including an automatic £750 fee discount). This fee is billed annually. For part-time students, the annual fee is calculated based on the number of years you take to complete your course. For example, a student studying part-time for six years may expect to pay £4,125 per year.

As a part-time EU student, you are entitled to a tuition fee loan which doesn’t have to be repaid until you start earning over £21,000 a year. For more information about student loans, visit our student finance page.

Additional funding

National Scholarship Programme

The National Scholarship Programme is designed to support students with a household income of less than £25,000. Part-time students may be eligible for one of 40 NSP awards worth up to £3,000.

More financial support

Access to financial support doesn’t end at registration. We have several awards and support funds available to our current students, including:

• Achievement scholarships
• Outstanding performance awards
• Utilities trust

UCAS Link

Visit UCAS

Modules

For detailed summary of all course content please read our programme specification for this course (PDF).

Course summary

In year one we start with practical performance and production, underpinned by theory. You learn performance skills (acting techniques, singing and dance), production skills (technical skills and stage management) and critical studies (history and theory of performance and theatre). You will work on performance projects, taking one project through to full production.

During the second year you are involved in a wide range of productions, with a choice of music theatre, dance/physical theatre, contemporary theatre and performance work in the community. These projects further develop your specialisation in technical arts.

In your final year, you work as a performer, director, deviser or technical arts practitioner on three different pieces of original performance, final performance and digital, experimental and multi-media performance, and prepare a personal, professional portfolio. You conclude your theoretical work by researching and writing a research essay on a special area of interest within performing arts. Our third years go to the London Showcase in the West End.

Case studies

"I loved learning about all the different dance styles within the module. This kept it interesting and varied. The individual feedback was good as you are told exactly what you can do better next time to improve."

"There was a high demand for the each student to do their best in all areas of the module. The discipline helps and pushes them to work harder."

“If you put in the hard work, you get so much out of the course. Since coming here, my expectations of myself have changed so much. My tutors have inspired me to want the most out of everything I do. We are all like one close-knit family, sharing the passion that we all love.”

Year 1 students