Program Overview

Our Applied and Contemporary Theatre BA (Hons) at the Guildford School of Acting (GSA) is designed to train tomorrow’s theatre-makers, who aspire to use theatre to build communities and influence social change. You will learn how to devise, produce and direct theatre, work creatively in a range of settings and become the next generation of performance artists, activists and creative entrepreneurs.

• Applied theatre utilises drama to discover, learn and share the issues and themes that concern communities and spotlight social inequalities. This course engages with contemporary politics and not only asks how we can make theatre but why do we make theatre and what is it that you want to say through performance.
• This unique programme trains future directors, devisors, performance artists, theatre makers, writers, applied theatre practitioners and much more.
• You’ll have the option to take one of our award-winning Professional Training placements that will prepare you for work in industry.

On our BA (Hons) Applied and Contemporary Theatre course, you will be taught by industry-leading professionals and will join a vibrant community of talented performers, theatre-makers, creative practitioners, stage managers and technicians.

You will embark on a journey that will equip you to devise, produce and direct theatre, work creatively in a range of settings such as prisons, youth centres and care homes, build industry contacts and become the next generation of performance artists/activists and creative entrepreneurs. As well as studying core skills in performing disciplines (voice, singing, movement, theatre making and music), course content includes, but isn’t limited to:

• Theatre for social change
• Political theatre
• Contemporary performance
• Devised theatre
• Community theatre
• Theatre in education
• Education and outreach programmes
• Health and wellbeing organisations
• Disability arts
• Creative ageing
• Theatre studies
• Collaborative large-scale ensemble performance in a traditional theatre setting
• Professional development.

Alongside your core studies, you will also be offered opportunities to engage with the wider theatre sector. Field trips and visits from guest artists have previously included the Royal Albert Hall, London Bubble Theatre Company and theatre practitioner Indy Lee.

In Year 2, you'll undertake work placements where you gain professional experience within several innovative theatre/arts organisations. There is also a further optional Professional Training year between the second and final year of study. Work placement hosts have included but are not limited to Chickenshed, Peer Productions, Burnt Orange Theatre, Guildford Shakespeare Company, Boundless Theatre, New Victoria Theatre and Yvonne Arnaud Theatre.