PROSPECTUS 2017–18 4–5 Why choose RADA 6–7 How we support you 8–9 RADA life 10-11 Acting and Performance 12–17 BA(Hons) in Acting 18–19 MA Theatre Lab 20-21 MA in Text and Performance 22 Foundation Course in Acting 23 RADA short courses 22–27 Graduates 28–29 Technical Theatre Arts 30–33 Technical Theatre and Stage Management 34–35 Postgraduate Diploma Theatre Costume 36–39 Graduates 40–41 Widening Participation and Outreach 42–43 How to Apply 44–45 Our Partners 46–49 Staff, Patrons and Sponsors CONTENTS 2 INTRODUCING RADA At the heart of what we do at RADA is a belief in possibility - in particular the possibility of change and growth. That’s very clear in our actor training, where we aim to give our students the capacity to grow and transform beyond their natural ability and to embrace characters and worlds beyond their Many of those same people also support experience. But for us it is no less thrilling our training in other ways, mentoring to see someone pick up a paintbrush or a students, offering placements and giving welding torch or a needle and discover a masterclasses. RADA is alone amongst talent and passion for scenic art, or major drama schools in being founded by construction or costume making. Our actors: professionals who understood the many Oscar nominees and winners need to pass on the craft and knowledge include costume designers, directors, that they had accumulated, and that writers and producers as well as actors, philosophy runs through our training to while our award-winning theatre this day. We believe that you learn how graduates include lighting and set to excel in the dramatic arts by doing, designers and stage managers. and so all our training – rigorous, intensive, focused – is based upon Because we believe that possibility of practical experience in conditions that growth exists in everyone, we are keen to will prepare you for the professional provide access to our training without world. regard to social, financial or educational background. That talent and capacity for And because not everyone is cut out to growth and change is what we’re after: if be a professional actor or stage manager you have that, then we can work with you or technician - and many people may just to find out how to support you through not know if they are yet - we are always the training. expanding the range of ways that people can encounter our training – through our We are fortunate that a large number of short courses, education work and taster people, including our own graduates, days. charitable trusts and major corporations like our principal partner Warner Bros. We hope that this prospectus will whet Entertainment, all believe in what we do. your appetite to know more about what Their support enables us to award a wide we do and how you can be a part of it. range of bursaries and scholarships: last If it does, then come and see a show, an year over 50% of our students received exhibition, sign up for a taster day, a financial support from RADA. workshop – or maybe even apply for a course. Edward Kemp, Director 3 WHAT IS SPECIAL ABOUT OUR TRAINING? We offer a conservatoire training that is rigorous, practical, collaborative and creative. Our specialist staff help you explore the practical challenges that you will face in a professional environment. Our students have a significant amount of contact time a week with their teachers: up to 40 hours per week on some courses. We prepare students for the industry through practical experience. We run three professionally equipped theatres in-house. We provide specialist workshops, masterclasses and events in many aspects of practical and professional development, all specifically designed to support your training. You will frequently meet and work with RADA tutors and graduates in all fields, and have the opportunity to attend We offer you a unique and workshops and Q&As with leading personal training under the industry professionals. guidance of some of the best teachers in the business. With Getting to know the industry is central to our facilities and unparalleled the projects you will undertake. links to the industry, we will Students have opportunities during their prepare you for a sustainable training to showcase their skills in the UK and varied career. and often internationally, in recent years collaborating in recent years with We train outstanding actors, students from the Juilliard School in New technical theatre specialists, York, the Ecole Jacques Lecoq School in stage managers and Paris and the Ernst Busch Academy of designers, who care deeply Dramatic Arts in Berlin. Our Technical for their craft and go on to Theatre students visit industry-leading contribute a huge amount to workshops and venues, including the the performing arts industry Warner Bros. Studios, the Royal Opera and beyond. In addition, we House, Glyndebourne and the National offer our own bursaries and Theatre. You will also learn how to work financial support to enable on films, radio plays and design and any talented student to study technical exhibitions. with us regardless of their background. Almost all of our Technical Theatre Arts courses include an industry placement and many students go on to work with the company where they had their placement. WHY CHOOSE RADA WHY CHOOSE 4 THEATRES JERWOOD VANBRUGH THEATRE: Our largest auditorium, seating up to 190, and fully flexible in terms of its configuration. The theatre also doubles as a fully functional digital cinema, equipped for cinema screenings from visiting filmmakers and for exclusive in-house screenings. GBS THEATRE: Our mid-sized studio theatre, seating up to 80 GIELGUD THEATRE: An intimate studio space, seating up to 50 EMPLOYMENT PROSPECTS In industries notorious for short-term and FACILITIES intermittent employment, our graduates have – Scenic art workshop, including an impressive record, with 82% still active paint frame in the profession 20 years after graduation. – Scenic construction workshops: wood Over the past few years, our graduates have and metal gone on to work in many places. – Costume workroom and fitting rooms – Costume store with over ACTING & PERFORMANCE 20,000 costumes Theatres and theatre companies: Abbey; Almeida; – Sound studio with three associated Arcola; Theatre Royal Bath; Bush; Chichester; control rooms Complicite; Donmar Warehouse; Dreamthinkspeak; – Digital cinema screen Dublin; Royal Lyceum Edinburgh; Headlong; National – Various screening facilities Theatre; Royal & Derngate, Northampton; Northern – Video recording and Broadsides; Old Vic; Orange Tree; Paines Plough; editing equipment Regent’s Park Open Air; RSC; Shakespeare’s Globe; – Properties department Young Vic. Television, radio and film: BBC Radio and – Box office & foyer bar TV; BBC Films; Channel 4; Ecosse Films; Eon – Design studios Productions; Hat Trick; ITV; MGM; Sky; Tiger Aspect; – Library with over 25,000 books 20th Century Fox; Universal Pictures; Warner Bros; and access to digital resources Working Title. – Dance and fight studios – CAD suite TECHNICAL THEATRE ARTS – Refectory Cirque du Soleil; Clockwork Scenery; Disney – Specially equipped rehearsal studios Theatrical/ Joop van den Ende Productions; English National Ballet; English National Opera; Glastonbury; Glyndebourne; Kensington Palace; Kneehigh; Little Angel; Lyric Hammersmith; National Theatre; Old Vic; Really Useful Group; Royal Opera House; Sonia Friedman; Sadler’s Wells; Theatre 503; Young Vic/American Repertory Theatre. 5 We provide the following assistance: Finance, travel and accommodation: RADA scholarships for fees and living expenses (see p7 for more information), council tax letters, railcard and travelcard proof of study, visa support for international students, help with accommodation and any related issues. Wellbeing and counselling: drop-in and appointment-based service for advice, a chat or a more formal assessment, counselling support is available for students through the training and with any personal problems, talks on sexual health, nutrition, drugs and alcohol. Healthcare, injury prevention and response: relationship with GP practice, access to specialist medical support, physiotherapy and osteopathy. SUPPORTING Disabled students’ support: ensuring YOUR TRAINING Learning Agreements are in place, You will find that your training access to dyslexia, dyspraxia and other at RADA is very intensive. Our learning support needs, access to Student and Academic specific support for students with Services team are there to other impairments, support in applying support you throughout your for Disabled Students’ Allowance. student experience at RADA. Chaplaincy: spiritual and religious welfare Please note that MA Text and Performance students are registered with Birkbeck College, so all your support needs can be met through the My Birkbeck service www.bbk.ac.uk/ mybirkbeck/services/facilities HOW WE SUPPORT YOU WE SUPPORT HOW 6 THE RADA LIBRARY The RADA Library is an important resource for students, providing access to plays, screenplays, films and research materials. RADA holds around 10,000 plays, many of which are rare and out of print. There is also a very good selection of poetry, theatre history, criticism, biography, stage design, UNDERGRADUATES: costume, technical theatre and fine art, If you are a home/EU student, new to higher books on film, screenplays and social education and eligible for a tuition fee loan, there history, as well as theatre periodicals, are no upfront fees to pay. You will only have to which are very useful for researching repay the loan once you leave RADA and are previous productions of plays, including earning over £21,000. digital resources such as Drama Online. A stock of more than a thousand If you are a home undergraduate student (from VHS films, documentaries, TV dramas, England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland) animal videos and over 600 DVDs other support may be available in the form of a are stored in the library. There is also maintenance loan and/or grant (actual amounts a small audiotape collection that will depend upon your household income).