Foundation Course in Acting (non-HE) January 2023
Is this course for me?
This course is invaluable for students who want to gain an insight into life at a conservatoire drama school or if you are considering a career that demands communication and presentation skills at the highest level.
Course overview
Our two-term Foundation Course in Acting is taught by RADA tutors and directors, and provides a rigorous training in the foundations of acting.
This course is not accredited and is therefore non-award bearing. In addition, please note that there is no student finance available for this course.
The curriculum offers skills classes in:
- acting technique (focusing on Stanislavski and Meisner)
- movement
- voice
- singing (group and solo)
- text analysis
Specialist classes in:
- acting for screen
- introduction to playwriting
- introduction to filmmaking
Rehearsal projects:
- contemporary playwrights
- Realist movement
- Shakespeare
During the course you will have the opportunity to explore careers in theatre and related industries, and will be introduced to practitioners who can discuss the range of career options available.
You can find out more about life as a student at RADA here.
Timetable
The Foundation Course in Acting runs from January - July 2023 and consists of two terms of 12 teaching weeks.
The programme is intensive and can involve evening and Saturday work.
Entry requirements
- Applicants must be 18 or over by the start of the course
- Candidates must have complete fluency in English
Library
An important resource for students, with a large collection of rare and out-of-print plays in the English language. This is access to the following digital resources: Drama Online, Cambridge Journals, Theatre in Video, Digital Theatre Plus and RADA Accents Archive.
Wellbeing and counselling
We have a drop-in and appointment-based service for advice, a chat or a more formal assessment. Counselling support is available throughout the training and with any personal problems. There are also talks on sexual health, nutrition, drugs and alcohol.
Healthcare, injury prevention and response
We have a relationship with a GP practice, access to specialist medical support and osteopathy.
Disabled students’ support
We ensure Learning Agreements are in place, access to dyslexia, dyspraxia and other learning support needs, access to specific support for students with other impairments.
This is a non-accredited course which does not attract government funding. All students offered places on the Foundation Course are required to fund both the annual fee and all living costs privately. Note the approximate living cost for a student living in London is £1300 per month.
The group workshop is designed to give you a sense of the training that you would experience were you to be offered a place on the course. It involves movement, group dynamic work, text analysis, monologue presentation, monologue work as well as an interview with the course director.
What do I need to prepare?
For the audition, you will need to prepare 2 monologues; both should be from a play and approximately 2 minutes long.
In particular, you will need to prepare:
- One contemporary monologue - from a play published in the last 50 years
- One classical monologue - from Shakespeare (or another Elizabethan/Jacobean playwright).
Your monologues must have been written in English and not be a translation.
In the afternoon you will have a brief interview with the Foundation Course Director. Please consider the following two questions:
- What would you like to achieve during your time on the course?
- What do you think you have to do in order to fulfil that achievement?
Find out more about our admissions process, information for disabled students, appeals and complaints:
Information for disabled applicants
We welcome applications from disabled applicants and encourage them to disclose relevant information regarding any disability when completing their application form, to enable us to provide additional support during the interview process.
There is no government funding (Disabled Students’ Allowance) available for this programme but we will discuss any specific learning needs with the individual, prior to their joining. We can assist with the arrangement of specialist support (for example study skills support for students with dyslexia or dyspraxia) but this must be privately funded by the student. If you are a disabled candidate and would like further advice or guidance, please contact the admissions team directly on admissions@rada.ac.uk.
Information for International students
Please note that this course does not meet the requirements for a Standard Visitor Visa or a Student Visa. Please contact admissions@rada.ac.uk for more information.
Admissions policy, appeals and complaints
If you would like to know more about RADA’s Admissions Policy for our courses, please download and read our Admissions Policy.
For information about RADA’s Admissions, Appeals and Complaints for higher education courses, please download and read our Admissions Appeals and Complaints document. Please note that this process covers the following courses only:
- BA (Hons) in Acting
- FdA Technical Theatre and Stage Management
- BA (Hons) Technical Theatre and Stage Management (completion)
- PgDip in Theatre Costume
- MA Theatre Lab
- Foundation Course in Acting
Application is by audition only; no academic qualifications are required.
RADA accepts up to 28 students on the Foundation Course in Acting each year.
If you are ill on the day, please email shortcourses@rada.ac.uk in advance of your group workshop.
Where possible, we will try to provide an alternative date, but this may not be possible.
No. Students on the Foundation Course in Acting might choose to apply for the BA (Hons) in Acting programme, and if so will need to follow the same admissions process. However, they do skip the preliminary audition and go straight to the second stage of the BA (Hons) audition process.
The UK left the EU on 31 January 2020. In June 2020, the UK government announced that EU, other EEA and Swiss nationals will no longer be eligible for home fee status or financial support from Student Finance England for courses starting from the 2021-22 academic year onwards. This does not apply to Irish nationals, or anyone who benefits from Citizens’ Rights under the EU Withdrawal Agreement, EEA EFTA Separation Agreement or Swiss Citizens’ Rights Agreement.
You can read the full government announcement here. Please see www.gov.uk for more details.
RADA does not currently have its own student accommodation, but we do assist students in securing suitable housing prior to joining the course.