We look at each application individually, considering your grades, interview (along with your portfolio/audition) and any relevant experience. We typically expect students to have achieved 48 UCAS points or PPP in a Level 3 Diploma / Extended Diploma. Mature students who don’t meet these standard entry requirements may be able to show us their potential through relevant experience. Applicants whose first language is not English and who do not have GCSE English will be asked to take an IELTS assessment or equivalent and will need to achieve an overall score of 6.0, with 6.0 in the writing element and at least 5.5 in all other sub elements.
Entry requirements
Why choose this course?
Actor training redefined: a space to unmake and remake the actor—across stage, screen and society. Here, you do not choose a single role; you move between them: performer, director, activist, producer, instigator. You will make work, challenge systems, and author your own practice. Rooted in industry, driven by purpose, and alive to the world you are shaping. A dynamic, industry-facing degree combining technical actor training with collaborative practice and real commissions. Explore screen, stage and self-produced work; specialise in areas such as writing, directing, producing or film; and perform regularly in professional spaces.
The BA (Hons) Acting course at Northbrook is tailored for aspiring actors seeking to excel in theatre, film, and the broader creative industries. It is a rich, challenging and exciting three-year programme that recognises and plans for a varied actor training which develops fully rounded actor practitioners and critical thinkers. You will be exploring actor training ideas and systems and engaging with the many facets of a contemporary actor, the actor performer, the actor activist, the actor thinker, the actor director, the digital actor, the holistic actor amongst others. You will have lots of opportunities to collaborate with other disciplines and to make choices about the work that you will make and present to audiences. On campus, we have two versatile performance spaces: The Northbrook Theatre and Studio 21. Flexible and adaptable spaces mirroring the types of environments you will encounter in professional industry.
Through a collaborative approach with other creative courses, you will develop a deeper understanding of the working methods and structures within the collective field of theatre, film and media and graduate as agile, resilient practitioners who are able to initiate, articulate and sustain meaningful creative, professional and commercial practices.
The Theatre Green Book is a vital framework for embedding sustainability into theatrical practice and underpins the course. As the industry increasingly prioritizes environmental responsibility, it equips you with the knowledge and tools to create performances that are both artistically vibrant and ecologically conscious. By integrating its principles into the curriculum, the course ensures graduates are not only skilled performers but also responsible theatre-makers prepared to meet the environmental challenges of the modern stage.
Further information
For motivated performers who want rigorous training and broad creative agency and want to work in an industry-accurate full production environment with close collaboration of peers in musical theatre, make-up and hair, props, dance, technical theatre, stage management, music, photography and costume. You enjoy collaboration across design, technical and media areas, value critical feedback and aim to graduate ready for auditions, commissions and independent projects.
Working on a creative campus alongside other disciplines such as props, music, art, photography, you will have lots of opportunities to collaborate within and outside the designed units. A lot of actors for example model for the costume and make up students and can build a portfolio of exciting work. The vibrant film making community in Brighton offers a lot of opportunities to work with emerging and established filmmakers – this is an excellent resource very well suited to the second year of study which focuses on digital media. Several of our projects such as Actor Activist and the Live projects which culminate in shows or screenings are outward looking and aim to reach new audiences and contexts such as festivals, commissions and outdoor events.
- Live projects, agent showcases and portfolio
- Professional development and entrepreneurship
- Screen acting and self-taping workflows
- Text, devising and actor-director practice
- Voice, movement and acting technique
Careers include actor for stage/screen, writer, director, facilitator or producer; many graduates combine performing with teaching, making and self-produced work supported by professional networks.
Our teaching and assessment methods are designed to keep learning dynamic, engaging, and hands-on. You’ll experience a mix of:
- Practical and studio-based workshops to refine your skills
- Group discussions to exchange ideas and insights
- Critiques to help improve your work
- Lectures and seminars to explore concepts and techniques
- One-on-one tutorials for tailored feedback
- Group study and peer reviews to collaborate and learn from others
- Independent study to deepen your knowledge and creativity
- Collaborative work in shows and productions
Assessment methods are tailored to each unit and may include:
- Completing project work
- Delivering presentations
- Performances
- Keeping journals of your creative journey
- Developing a research proposal
- Writing assignments to showcase your understanding
Within this variety, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to grow and demonstrate your skills in ways that suit your strengths!
- Tutorials
- Small group study
- Self-directed study
- Study trips
Assessment methods are tailored to each unit and may include:
- Presentations (of practical work)
- Journals
- Research proposals
- Sketchbooks / drawings
- Written assignments
With this variety, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to grow and demonstrate your skills in ways that suit your strengths and challenge your creativity, problem-solving, and adaptability.
Flexible Exit Awards
This programme is designed as a three-year course leading to the award of a BA (Hons) degree. It is delivered through a flexible 1+1+1 structure, with each year representing a distinct stage of learning and achievement. This approach allows students to progress through the programme in clearly defined phases while retaining the flexibility to exit at the end of any academic year if their circumstances change.
Students who complete the full programme will be awarded a BA (Hons). However, students who choose to leave the course before completion may be eligible for an interim award that formally recognises the credits they have successfully achieved.
Level 4 (Year 1) Students who successfully complete 120 credits at Level 4 and then leave the programme may be awarded a Certificate of Higher Education (CertHE).
Level 5 (Year 2) Students who successfully complete 240 credits, and then leave the programme may be awarded a Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE).
Level 6 (Year 3) Students who successfully complete 360 credits, will be awarded a Bachelor of Arts with Honours (BA Hons).
This flexible 1+1+1 model ensures that students who do not complete the full degree can still receive formal recognition for their achievements, while those who continue through all three years graduate with a BA (Hons) qualification.