An established, unique and highly practical Actor training programme, delivered by industry professionals in a diverse university setting. UCLan’s BA (Hons) Acting prepares you for a range of employment and vocational opportunities as a professional actor in Theatre, TV, Film and Radio/Voice Work along with community arts; the entertainment and media industry; and further academic study. This degree covers key areas such as; movement and vocal techniques, rehearsal processes, textual analysis skills, acting for theatre, radio and screen; professional preparation along with contextual knowledge, research skills and creative and devising skills.
Performance - School of Journalism, Media and Performance
UCLan offers an exciting range of courses within the field of performance; acting, dance, music and theatre, which are designed to prepare graduates for a career in the industry. Our degrees attract students from a variety of backgrounds, each with their own style and passion. We aim to develop your raw talent and instil a creative edge that will stand you in good stead for the future.
Our courses provide the perfect blend of knowledge, practical experience and relevance that will equip you with the skills needed to succeed in your career. Many students achieve high-profile roles upon graduation: acting and music theatre graduates have gained major roles with leading theatre companies or cast in major television programmes; music students have achieved success as performers and producers; dance students have developed careers in education and community dance practice.
This Soap in a Week project is really exciting for us at ITV and one we’re delighted to be doing with the University of Central Lancashire. The facilities here are fantastic; the new set is amazing and it will be such a great educational tool to help students come out at the other end with practical industry knowledge.
This three-year course will nurture your skills as a dancer, dance maker and facilitator. Preparing students for the world as professional dance-based artists and specialising in dance facilitation, the technical and creative training on this course will challenge you and support you to develop strategies for engaging others in dance and movement. Technique training provides the foundation of learning for all dancers on the course and as such, you are encouraged to engage in a variety of movement classes to support your physical development. You will deliver dance in primary and secondary schools on work placements, shadow community dance practitioners, set up your own community based projects, participate in masterclasses and perform in work with professional choreographers as well as make your own work. Final year students form a Touring Company and take performances and workshops into local schools and colleges.
Are you passionate about music and want to make a career of it? BA (Hons) Music will help you realise your future in music. Our music degree is a hands-on course which teaches you new ways to create and use music. The course prepares you for careers in the rapidly changing world of the music industry. Our graduates have gone on to forge successful careers as performers, music teachers, composers, sound designers and producers not only within the music industry, but in fields such as film, TV, animation, web and computer games. You will get to work on real-world projects throughout the course, and play gigs at professional venues. The course gives you the skills for marketing your music, managing events and forging your own career in the creative industries. Every year you will put on music festivals and special events which feature your own work, alongside that of external performers, graduates and staff.
Are you looking for an industry-accredited course in music production at the cutting edge of the music industry? The course is part of the JAMES Integrated Learning Centre (ILC) at UCLan, which is one of only three in the country, and we will ensure that you develop the skills and knowledge required to work in the dynamic field of music production and technology. The course helps students develop a diverse and original skillset and a strong focus on possible career pathways. Students study composition, recording techniques in our state of the art recording studios, industry standard music production software packages, sound design for moving image and project management and planning skills. Degree transcripts from this course will have mention of the JAMES accreditation, making you stand out from the crowd and an attractive prospect for employment.
Do you enjoy acting, but want to combine your skills with singing and music? Our BA (Hons) Music Theatre degree provides you with the opportunity to participate in all aspects of music theatre from research, devising and instigation to skills development in performance. You will be able to take part in at least one major production each year, working on projects with the community as part of your course work, and create your own piece in both Years 2 and 3. You will concentrate on acting and movement, voice and music composition, with the opportunity to take part in your final year in a Graduate Showcase at a major London venue with an invited audience of casting directors and agents. The academic backbone of the course, which has a highly regarded reputation from former students and professionals within the industry, will prepare you to a credible level of expertise, combining the benefit of conservatoire training with practical experience and an employability focus.
Take your interest in acting that little bit further. Our theatre and performance degree is a hands-on course informed by strong links to the contemporary theatre and performance industry. At the core of this course is a practice-based approach to theatre making with an emphasis on creativity and experimentation. Working within a vibrant laboratory style workshop environment, you will have the opportunity to create a range of theatre including solo and ensemble work, collaborative devised projects and work which attempts to redefine the boundaries of the theatrical experience. The course embraces a wide range of theatre and performance work including text based performance, physical theatre as well as visual and multimedia theatre. After pursuing exploratory study within a range of areas in theatre you will begin to develop your own work within a chosen area of specialisation.
The Postgraduate Certificate in Arts-Health covers all the legal, research design, ethical, managerial, facilitation, academic, and theoretical knowledge and skills requisite of professional Arts-Health praxis. Students design their own research project and funding bid; write and publish a journal article, comparatively evaluating their own Arts-Health praxis with established approaches to health; and manages and facilitates their own Arts-Health project. The PGDip covers all the former, plus the theoretical and philosophical underpinnings and the specialist practical skills for effective Arts-Health praxis, as well as professional placement as a reflective practitioner. Students create, document, and evaluate their own professional Arts-Health project; complete a professional practice placement; and produce a reflective portfolio based upon experiential learning. Studying MA Arts-Health, you will cover all the former, plus synthesis of the entire curriculum into a full-scale publishable professional Arts-Health project or thesis under expert one-to-one supervision.
This is a unique, visionary and pioneering programme offering professional training in Dance & Somatic Movement Education. On the cutting edge of contemporary international practice, exploring the creative skills required to use movement with sensitivity, imagination and individuality, the course focuses on community facilitation. It offers the opportunity to study individual and group improvisation, kinaesthetic awareness and applied somatics philosophy to dance and movement studies. All sessions are taught in the spirit of self-discovery, non-judgement and reflection. The course develops somatic awareness with a focus on spontaneity, intuition and connection to others. The MA Dance & Somatic Well-being course is taught on campus in Preston and has another section of the course taught in New York City, in the USA. Each section of the MA course covers the same course module content, and each course has unique dates, fee structure, and application process.
The MA Music is a taught postgraduate course for musicians interested in developing their music practice and increasing their profile as professional artists. The MA Music tests ways of taking existing practice in different directions and then carrying out projects in which this work is presented to the public. Alongside instrumental and studio composition, the modules and tuition allow for consideration of interdisciplinary and multimedia pieces, installation art, community projects and more. The course is a space to try out bold, new ideas and an opportunity to gain the real-world skills required by professional artists.
MA Music Industry Management & Promotion is designed to facilitate the commercial exploitation of music related activities and is suitable both for aspiring music business people and for music creators who wish to manage their own careers. It provides an opportunity to study the music business at postgraduate level and to get real hands-on experience of working within the industry. Students will combine their academic studies with industrial experience, including activities at the Factory 251 venue in Manchester, providing contact with significant industry figures connected with this culturally important company.
THE Award Winners for Excellence and Innovation in the Arts
24/7 access to the Media Factory housing state-of-the-art industry standard facilities
Over 100 students involved in Soap in a Week with the cast and crew of Coronation Street and Emmerdale
The award winning Chamber Choir was formed in 2005 and is made up of Music Theatre students.
Highlights of our Performance Courses
INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE
We have an excellent reputation for teaching and learning so you’ll be ready for a successful career: our teaching team consists of practitioners and academics with close links to theatres, arts centres and funding bodies, and our students enjoy visits to theatres and other work spaces relevant to their discipline.
AWARD WINNING
UCLan was crowned a winner at the 2016 Times Higher Education (THE) Awards for Excellence and Innovation in the Arts. Beating off competition from five other UK universities, the University won the arts category prize for its Global Sound Movement (GSM) project, a unique digital arts initiative that captures the sounds of rare and exotic musical instruments from remote villages across the globe for commercial use with profits donated back to the communities.
LIVE PROJECTS
The high quality, professional work completed here is recognised by real world businesses who regularly commission live projects from our courses.
INDUSTRY FACILITIES
You have 24/7 access to the Media Factory, housing state-of-the-art industry-standard facilities. Performances and workshops also take place in St Peter’s Arts Centre, a beautiful converted former church at the centre of the Preston Campus.
INTERNATIONAL STUDY
International study is possible - we have links with a number of international places of study, including Humboldt State University in California, and you could get the opportunity to perform overseas - previous students have performed in France and Shanghai
OUR VIRTUAL TOURS
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THEATRE STUDIO
SOUND STAGE - GREEN SCREEN
Training at UCLan really set me up for life as a professional actor. My training was an incredible experience, I gained valuable knowledge, skills, and professional contacts which have helped me start my career.
Mandip Gill, BA (Hons) Acting Graduate
PERFORMANCE SUCCESSES
BA (Hons) Acting Graduate
Mandip Gill
Terence Chapman, course leader on the BA (Hons) Acting recalls Mandip’s first screen appearance at UCLan: “It was clear from Mandip’s assessment, during her ‘Acting for the Camera’ module that Mandip was very natural in front of the camera.
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Musician in Residence and Course Leader for Music Theatre
Mark Goggins
Mark arrived at UCLan in 1998 and has led the University’s Music Theatre Degree since its inception in 2003. He also directs the award-winning Chamber Choir, who gained national recognition in 2010 when they triumphed in BBC Radio 3’s Choir of the Year competition, bringing home the prestigious trophy in the Adult Category.
BA (Hons) Music Production
Rob Turner
Mainly writing songs for himself while also performing in a band, Rob developed an interest in the techniques of recording music. While at UCLan, Rob took interest in ‘non-musical’ objects and atmospheres and how they could be used for composition.
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