Drama, Theatre and Performing Arts
Become one of the next generation of makers, thinkers and influencers in the theatrical world.
Become one of the next generation of makers, thinkers and influencers in the theatrical world.
By studying Drama, theatre and performing arts, you'll benefit from exceptional teaching and industry links that will help you to launch your career. Covering a wide range of subjects and developing your practical skills as well as critical thinking, this dynamic course allows you to explore your own style and creativity and follow your passions and ambitions.
We'll challenge you with theoretical and practical study, empowering you to shape your degree around your areas of interest. You'll work alongside fellow students, creating new work and new ways of seeing established works. Our team of academics, professional practitioners and technical specialists will support you every step of the way as you analyse, create and critique, developing your understanding of drama and theatre and becoming a more confident performer.
You'll study within an exciting and diverse environment, benefitting from our strong connections with industry and local arts venues, opportunities for workplace learning and our flagship Graduate Theatre Company scheme, all of which support you in kick-starting your career within the creative industries.
You can take this degree with a year of working or studying abroad.
Our Drama at Kent workshops are dedicated not only preparing you for higher education, but also to helping you secure your place at Kent.
We're ranked 7th for research quality in The Complete University Guide 2023.
Three years after graduating, Amelia Mundy has already managed to land her ‘dream job’ in TV production. So how did she manage it?
Links with industry and local arts venues and our flagship Graduate Theatre Company scheme help to kick-start your career in the creative industries.
From rehearsal studios to theatres and a construction workshop, our bespoke drama facilities will improve your practical skills and technical knowledge.
Our typical offer levels are listed below and include indicative contextual offers. If you hold alternative qualifications just get in touch and we'll be glad to discuss these with you.
BBB
The University will consider applicants holding BTEC National Diploma and Extended National Diploma Qualifications (QCF; NQF; OCR) on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us for further advice on your individual circumstances. A typical offer would be to achieve DDM in a suitable subject.
120 tariff points - typically H5 H6 H6 or equivalent.
Pass the University of Kent International Foundation Programme.
The University will consider applicants holding T level qualifications in subjects closely aligned to the course.
Obtain Access to Higher Education Diploma with 45 credits at Level 3 with 24 credits at Distinction and 21 credits at Merit.
Applicants for the BA in Drama, Theatre and Performing Arts will be invited to a practical workshop and informal group interview, either in person or online. This is designed to allow us to get to know you better, and for you to ensure that all your questions about the course are answered. Those who attend the workshop and receive a conditional offer will receive a one-grade reduction from the published offer level, meaning that your offer would be BBC rather than BBB, or equivalent.
The following modules are offered to our current students. This listing is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation:
This is a module about the implications of Peter Brook's idea that anything can be seen as 'an act of theatre’. Students will be invited to see beyond their own default assumptions about theatre, and introduced to a diverse range of methods of devising their own performances. In practical workshops, they will learn about professional practice, warming up, performance skills, and collaborative group work; and will explore the possibilities of creating performance from a range of starting points, including (for example), space, body, voice, text, or character. This practical exploration will sit alongside an introduction to related aspects of history and theory. In seminars, students will be introduced to such concepts as theatre spaces, traditional play texts, non-traditional theatre texts, historical approaches to characterisation (e.g. Stanislavski, Mike Leigh), physical approaches to acting (e.g. Grotowski, Lecoq), and the different models for engaging an audience (e.g. Brecht, Boal). The experience will be enhanced by 4 ‘Theatre Forums’ within which students experience a short piece of performance by Theatre Companies/Performers who have emerged from the department, followed by an ‘open discussion forum, situating the work within the world of performance, and the influence that their university learning had in relation to their current practice. Students will be assessed by a short in-class performance and an essay. This module (together with Making Performance 2) will offer a solid foundation for all modules in years two and three which involve creative performance work.
Like Making Performance 1, this module is about the implications of Peter Brook's idea that anything can be seen as 'an act of theatre’. Students will be further encouraged to see beyond their own default assumptions about theatre, and introduced to an expanded range of methods of devising their own performances. In practical workshops, they will learn more about warming up, performance skills, and collaborative group work; and will explore the possibilities of creating performance from a further range of starting points, including (for example), improvisation, music, audience, personality, and aural and visual stimuli. Workshops will be longer than in Making Performance 1, to allow for a more developed engagement. Not only will this allow more time for discussion of the assigned reading, but it will also allow students to start engaging with technical aspects of theatre-making. Students will be encouraged to develop their own ideas about theatre and performance through a series of lectures in which different Drama lecturers talk to the students about their ideas of what theatre is and could be, and how these ideas have been shaped by their encounters with theatre as audience members, theatre makers, and academics. This module (together with Making Performance 1) will offer a solid foundation for all modules in years two and three which involve creative performance work.
This module will introduce first year students to ideas of theatre and performance as sites of citizenship, through exploration of contemporary, popular forms such as music gigs, performance poetry and comedy. Students will learn to identify and analyse key features and techniques present in popular performance forms, and to relate performances to their commercial, cultural and political contexts. This will include understanding of how 'DIY'/commercialist principles of production shape the work, and discourses that position performances as fun/difficult, legitimate/illegitimate and as high/low culture. They will explore how popular performances interact with the politics of government, identity and taste, and will be introduced to key concepts and debates on the usefulness of popular entertainment in shaping citizenship and public opinion. Students will be encouraged to reflect upon the forms of popular culture which they themselves enjoy, exploring the extent to which these shape their own attitudes and behaviours, and will create pop-up performances which demonstrate this awareness. By the end of the module, students will have acquired a foundational understanding of: popular performance as a genre; performance as reflection of its cultural and political contexts; the extent to which performances implicate their creators and audiences as citizens.
The aim of this course is to give students an understanding of a variety of practices, theory and historical contexts of masks and puppets in performance. By learning about different practices the students will develop a sense of the function and potential of objects in performance and training, as well as develop their own performance skills.
Screenings/lectures provide theoretical lenses and will focus on key practitioners and their historical, cultural and theatrical contexts. Practical workshops will deliver making skills and explore making performance, including instruction on diverse practical approaches to puppetry and/or mask work, rehearsal technique and supervised rehearsals. Students will be invited to explore beyond their assumptions and performance experience and will be introduced to the idea of play and risk as key components of the rehearsal process. Regular opportunities to present work and demonstrate understanding are built into the structure of the class. They will also reflect and feed back on the work of their peers.
You have the opportunity to select elective modules in this stage.
Your placement year takes place between your second and final year. It is a great opportunity to gain workplace experience, increase your professional contacts and acquire new skills, and is a valuable addition to your CV.
You can take your placement year in the UK or abroad with a wide range of employers in areas including the arts, education and cultural heritage. While you are responsible for finding your placement, we offer support and guidance through the application process.
Tuition fees for the placement year are greatly reduced and employers may offer expenses or a salary.
The placement year is assessed on a pass/fail basis and does not count towards your final degree classification.
Teaching is through workshops, seminars, lectures and practical projects. Most Drama, Theatre and Performing Arts modules are continuously assessed on the basis of coursework, projects and presentations, performances, essays and dissertations.
For a student studying full time, each academic year of the programme will comprise 1200 learning hours which include both direct contact hours and private study hours. The precise breakdown of hours will be subject dependent and will vary according to modules.
Methods of assessment will vary according to subject specialism and individual modules.
Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.
For programme aims and learning outcomes please see the programme specification.
Really positive feedback gave me a sense of the play’s potential.
The School of Arts works hard to maintain strong relationships with professionals and venues, helping to launch your career in the creative and cultural industries. You’ll be taught by leading actors, comedians and makers with first-hand experience of what it takes to carve out a successful career in the arts. Their continued involvement in the industry will help you as you start to build your own network.
Our graduates have developed careers as: journalists, authors, literary managers, directors, performers, scriptwriters for television, stand-up comedians, casting agents, event managers, arts administrators, community theatre officers for local councils, and drama teachers.
Some recent graduate success stories include:
The 2024/25 annual tuition fees for this course are:
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
For students continuing on this programme, fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.*
The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.
Fees for undergraduate students are £1,850.
Fees for undergraduate students are £1,385.
Students studying abroad for less than one academic year will pay full fees according to their fee status.
The following course-related costs are included in your tuition fees:
The following course-related costs are not included in your tuition fees:
Find out more about accommodation and living costs, plus general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent.
Kent offers generous financial support schemes to assist eligible undergraduate students during their studies. See our funding page for more details.
We have a range of subject-specific awards and scholarships for academic, sporting and musical achievement.
We welcome applications from students all around the world with a wide range of international qualifications.
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