This 1-year course is suitable for students who have passion for theatre and performance and would like to explore ways to turn their talent into a career. It is for young people who want to enhance their skills before entering the industry, or who are taking a gap year before pursuing a degree..

This course will enable you to work and perform in a small touring company alongside professional directors, choreographers, musical directors and agents, whilst building your skills and portfolio as a freelancer.

Students completing the course will gain an RSL Level 4 Extended certificate for Creative Industries Practitioners, broadly equivalent to the first year of a university degree.

This course is fully funded by the Department for Education - there are no fees. However, students must be aged 18 years old on 1st September 2022 to qualify.

The level 4 RSL Diploma for Creative Industries Practitioners gives young people an opportunity to further refine their performance and freelancing skills whilst running a professional theatre company and setting up their career.

Students will benefit from working across the BOA Group facilities including the production studios at BOA Stage and Screen Production Academy, the performance studios at BOA Creative, Digital and Performing Arts Academy, and the commercial performance space at the Old Rep Theatre.

Over the duration of the course, you will:

• Write, produce and perform in a professional show as part of a commercial theatre company run from the Old Rep Theatre
• Learn new disciplines such as voice acting and radio, screen acting, content creation and streaming, training and teaching
• Set yourself up as a freelancer
• Undertake a placement with one of our major partners in TV, Theatre or Events
• Develop your audition technique and improve your success rates
• Learn how to secure parts and respond effectively to casting calls
• Develop your fundamental performance skills (singing, acting, dancing)
• Develop your professional portfolio and identify your ‘method’ and style
• Build your professional network

By the end of the course, you will have taken the first step in what we hope will become a fruitful, rewarding and highly successful career.