Leeds Conservatoire has launched two brand new degree courses, in BA Acting and BA Actor Musician.
Following the launch of BA Musical Theatre, which welcomes its first cohort of students this September, Leeds Conservatoire will further broaden its portfolio of courses in performing arts.
Building on over fifty years of experience in delivering quality, progressive music education, the addition of these new courses highlights significant expansion and development of the conservatoire.
Professor Joe Wilson, Vice Principal & Director of Curriculum at Leeds Conservatoire says; “We are incredibly excited to build upon our reputation and expertise in providing specialist music education at degree level and expand our course provision to the area of performing arts.
There are a wealth of leading theatre and performance institutions in the North, producing innovative and progressive work, which makes Leeds the perfect place to study and shape the future of the industry.”
The new courses will begin in September 2020, and applications open on 4 September 2019. Leeds Conservatoire does not charge audition fees for any pathway and can also provide support with travel expenses for applicants from low-income backgrounds.
BA Acting
Aimed at actors who want to develop their craft to perform across a range of mediums, the three-year programme will offer intense, practical, conservatoire training in acting, voice and movement.
The course has been developed closely alongside our neighbours, the nationally acclaimed Leeds Playhouse.
James Brining, Artistic Director and Co-Executive Director at Leeds Playhouse says;
“There are great benefits for Leeds in providing this level of training and as one of the UK’s leading producing theatres committed to making excellent theatre, the training of artists and meaningful community engagement, we look forward to working in partnership with Leeds Conservatoire and the tutors and students at all levels of the course.”
BA Actor Musician
This programme will offer rigorous conservatoire training for actors/musicians who want to tell their stories, and the stories of others, on stage through devised theatre, adaptation and ensemble practice.
The course is suitable for a range of musicians and performers, from classical cellists, to beatboxers, music producers and spoken word artists. Leeds Conservatoire is uniquely placed to offer support for this wide range of artists, due to its breadth of undergraduate course provision across music and performing arts.
The course will be developed alongside the renowned Leeds-based Red Ladder Theatre Company.
Rod Dixon, Artistic Director at Red Ladder Theatre Company says;
“It is really exciting that Leeds Conservatoire will now offer high quality training in Actor Musicianship, which will bring high calibre performers and musicians to the city of Leeds. As a Leeds-based, nationally renowned theatre company we look forward to partnering with [the conservatoire] to work with their new students.”
Partnerships are vital to the real-world training Leeds Conservatoire provides its students and, as well as Leeds Playhouse and Red Ladder, the conservatoire will also work alongside other creative organisations to maximise student experience. These include; Opera North – giving students access to expertise from the North of England’s largest producing opera company; and also Backstage Academy - giving students from both organisations the opportunity to collaborate on the production of new work from its inception.
This new development for Leeds Conservatoire comes at an exciting time within the regeneration of Leeds’ cultural quarter, Quarry Hill, where the conservatoire resides. The new courses will mainly be housed in the brand new Quarry Hill building, part of a £60m campus development which contains state-of-the-art dance and drama studios, as well as a 180-seat purpose-built theatre.
Head of School of Performance at Leeds Conservatoire, Patsy Gilbert, says;
“The time is ripe for the development of acting and actor musician training in the region. These programmes look to the future, exploring diverse and emerging methodologies to develop the innovative performers of tomorrow.
Leeds Conservatoire provides the perfect environment for forward-thinking creative performers, with endless opportunities for cross-discipline collaboration, which will help prepare our students for a career in the creative industries.”
Learn more about BA Acting and BA Actor Musician at Leeds Conservatoire.
Book your Open Day to find out more about our courses.
