Masters | Postgraduate Course - Actor Training and Coaching MA, PG Dip Course Details within Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London

MA 1 year full time, 2 years part time; PG Dip

A specialist study in the education and support of professional actors and other performers, movement or voice teacher, directors in film, theatre and television, who wish to diversify their specialist discipline.

Key Features
Practice-based enquiry into techniques and processes for the training of actors; placements to engage with different acting and production contexts; associated study of acting techniques and issues of performance including theatre, film and television.

This unique course is for performance specialists interested in studying the synergy of advanced skills that are crucial to the work of the contemporary actor. The course joins Central’s MA Voice Studies and MA Movement Studies to create a cluster of postgraduate programmes aimed at high-level training practices for theatre and performance. Please note the course does not train you to be an actor, but enables you to work more effectively as an educator, coach or director of actors.

You will be introduced to the principles and practices behind the training, education and support of actors. The course addresses various practice/theory interfaces of contemporary acting and brings a variety of methods into creative fusion. You may expect to encounter work associated with, for example, Michael Chekhov, Lecoq, Meisner, Stanislavski, Strasberg and Suzuki.

You will explore ways of developing aptitude in the fundamentals of performance and relate these to a range of production contexts. Teaching methods include tutorials, group seminars and workshops. Practical sessions are designed to enhance your understanding of acting processes and your skills in pedagogy.

Students undertake a teaching/coaching placement whilst on the course. The duration can range from eight hours to three months. Placements are a vital part of the course and enable students to develop pedagogic experience and hone their skills as an educator. Past students have benefitted from working both on other courses (foundation, BA and MA) at Central and in other outside institutions including  Central Film School, London Film Academy, Arts Education, E15 Acting School, Guildford School of Acting, Drama Centre, Rose Bruford College Kingston University, Royal Holloway University, London Metropolitan University, Hampstead Theatre, Tricycle Theatre, Clean Break Theatre Company, Theatre Venture, Yellow Earth Theatre Company, The Roundhouse, Actors Centre and London Bubble.

Full-time on-site attendance between July and October is not mandatory.

You will normally have a degree or an equivalent qualification in a subject that includes an element of theatre or performance practice; or have a degree and can provide evidence of previous training and experience with performance disciplines; or have a strong acting or actor training background and at least two years’ professional experience in the acting industry. An offer will normally only be made after audition and interview.

Applicants for whom English is not their first language are required to prove their English language proficiency by gaining an overall score of 7.0 in an IELTS test. We do accept equivalent English language qualifications. Applicants are advised to gain this certification as early as possible.

Application Details

If you are selected for an interview for a place on the MA Actor Training and Coaching course, we will require you to undertake the following:

• work with one or more actors and/or acting students on a series of short exercises determined by the assessors. You may also be required to participate in directing other students at the audition and lead a basic warm up;
• hand in a short piece of writing (300 words) that evaluates your own working process as a practitioner;
• participate in a short interview in order to discuss your experience in relation to acting/actor training (including your perceived strengths and needs), your understanding of issues relating to acting and performance and your preparedness for the course.

The interview process will also give you an opportunity to find out more about the course and the School.

International Auditions/Interviews

Central considers applicants for this course at its international auditions.

Distance Auditions/Interviews

Central does allow applicants to undertake a distance interview for this course. If you live abroad and are unable to attend an interview in person you may, at the discretion of the Admissions Tutor, be offered the opportunity of a distance interview. If you are selected for interview in this manner you will be contacted (normally by email) in order to arrange a suitable time for an interview. This will be conducted on Skype, telephone or by ‘live’ email exchange and will normally be based upon material you will have been asked to submit in advance. The interview will be conducted by the Admissions Tutor in liaison with a colleague who will have sight of your submitted materials.

For further information see the How to Apply section.

Central Postgraduate Scholarships, see http://www.cssd.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/scholarships

Practical assignments, essay, presentation. Submission of a practitioner portfolio, or dissertation.

Recent graduates have gone on to work as: Acting Tutor, Arts Educational; Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts; Rose Bruford; Kingston University; London Film Academy; Guildhall School of Music & Drama; E15; National Theatre Education, Drama Centre, RADA, Actors Centre, Bristol Old Vic, London Film Academy, Thailand School of Theatre, Toronto University, institutions in USA, Malaysia, Korea, Albania and Greece. Actor, National Theatre, Watermill Theatre, regional theatres. Research Degrees, Exeter University, Kent University, Queen Mary’s, Kingston and Oxford University.