Drama

Explore drama and performance making in professional theatre venues and a wide range of community and industry contexts with our BA (Hons) Drama degree in Cambridge.

If you dream of running your own theatre company, applying your creative skills to community or educational work, or developing as a performer, stage manager or theatre technician our BA (Hons) Drama degree is for you.

With a strong focus on practice-based learning, you will explore contemporary theatre and screen performance making. You will be supported and inspired to develop a portfolio of professional skills for working in the creative industries through collaboration with other creative students, your specialist tutors, community partners and industry professionals. Making performance for a range of professional and public contexts will also give you the confidence and knowledge to transfer your talents into a wide range of career options.

We’ll encourage you to create innovative and daring performance practice as you develop specialist subject knowledge and an awareness of how you might fit into and lead contemporary trends. We recognise each Drama student’s unique gifts and experience, valuing everyone’s contribution to the work we make together and to the success of the course. We will enable you to explore your own talents and to shape our Drama degree to fit your aspirations.

What will studying drama be like?

You’ll follow an experiential 'learning-through-doing' programme and your degree will see you choosing from a range of career-focused optional modules, completing a 100% practical Major Project, and graduating with a professionally produced showreel and portfolio.

As a student here, you’ll develop your performance, technical and production skills in our specialist facilities supported by your tutors, our expert technicians, and visiting professionals. You’ll get the chance to perform in public venues around Cambridge as well as in our performing arts spaces on campus, the Mumford Theatre and Covent Garden Studio.

You’ll be able to collaborate with other Cambridge School of Creative Industries students, such as our film students who need actors for their films and animators who need voice talent. We’ll also support you to find placements and work experience and you can also choose to study abroad for a semester, such as at Ramapo College, with funding available to help cover the cost.

Our students also develop a wealth of skills for educational, community or charity sector careers. Our students work on live briefs with external partners such as Great Abington Primary School, devising performances and workshop activities to enhance curriculum learning through interactive drama events. You can also experience being part of a professional troupe with our very own Community Theatre Company and take the chance to perform and collaborate with other creative industries students.

Closer to home, you can connect with Cambridge’s performance scene through our visits to local venues Cambridge Arts Theatre, Cambridge Junction and Town and Gown Theatre Pub, and links to local networks such as Cambridge Arts Network and Cambridge Live. As an ARU student, you can also get involved in the city’s thriving creative scene such as University of Cambridge's Footlights comedy events, The ADC Theatre, and Troup Artist Development scheme.

Professional Facilities

As part of your studies at ARU, you’ll have access to all of our creative industries facilities including:

• Dedicated drama studio, with highly flexible black-box performance space

• Full-size on-campus professional Mumford Theatre

• Large rehearsal space with audio playback facilities, piano, LED lighting rig, portable dance mirrors, gym mats and rostra/modular staging

• Students’ Union-run dance studio

• Podcast and video capture system

You'll also have access to all our other creative facilities and equipment.

Year 1 core modules: Ensemble Performance; Applied Drama; Key Skills; Key Concepts; Popular Performance. Year 2 core modules: Making Performance; Community Theatre Performance; Practice as Research; Ruskin Module. Year 2 optional modules: Physical Theatre; Professional Theatre Practice 1; Performing Shakespeare; Performing New Writing. Year 3 core modules: Major Project; Festival of Performance. Year 3 optional modules: Site Specific and Immersive Theatre; Screen Drama Production; Professional Theatre Practice 2; Workshop Facilitation; Provocations. Modules are subject to change and availability.

You’ll show your progress mainly through performance and practical work, with some small written components or longer essays if you choose theoretical options. The methods of assessment will include studio and public performances, essays, presentations, critical reflections, and a Major Project, which can be practical or written work.