Acting Diploma (Level 3)
The course fee is £2225, plus an upfront fee of £725 payable at the time of your enrolment.
If you are unable to pay the course fee upfront, you can choose to apply for an Advanced Learner Loan from Student Finance England (SFE) to help cover the cost. The Advanced Learning Loan is written off on completion of a Higher Education degree course. You can find more information about the Advanced Learner Loan www.citylit.ac.uk/advanced-learner-loans
If you are unable to pay the upfront fee, you can talk to our Information, Advice and Guidance team who will advise you on other financial support available. You can contact the Advice and Guidance Team by phone on (telephone temporarily unavailable) or by email: advice@citylit.ac.uk
For more information, please call Drama, Dance & Speech on (telephone temporarily unavailable).
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- Course Code: DRC101
- Dates: 19/09/24 - 03/07/25
- Time: 10:00 - 21:30
- Taught: Thu+Sat, Daytime
- Duration: 73 sessions (over 42 weeks)
- Location: Keeley Street
- Tutor: Jayne Denny
Course Code: DRC101
Choose a start date
Duration: 73 sessions (over 42 weeks)
Please note: We offer a wide variety of financial support to make courses affordable. Just visit our online Help Centre for more information on a range of topics including fees, online learning and FAQs.
What is the course about?
This highly practical and comprehensive course is for anyone aspiring to a career in acting. Sessions are taught by industry professionals in a range of modules that develop skills in voice, movement and character work, underpinned by a grounding in acting methodology. It provides a solid grasp of key industry expectations and also offers a route to further training or higher education. Previous students have progressed to a range of drama schools including RADA, Central, Royal Scottish, East 15, Oxford School of Drama, Mountview, and Drama Studio. Others have pursued careers directly within the industry.
Entry is by audition, and the course is accredited by OCN London, with access to Advanced Learner Loans. Course times: Thursdays 18:15 - 21:30, Saturdays 10:00 - 17:30 (with 60-minute lunch break)
Course dates: Thu 19 Sep 2024 to Thu 3 July 2025. There are holiday breaks at the end of Term 1 (Christmas/New Year) and Term 2 (Easter).
Production week: 23–28 June 2025. You will be required from 18:00 Monday to Friday and all day Saturday.
What will we cover?
In the first two terms, classes include the study of contemporary and classical texts, voice work, textual analysis, and exploration of the work of key acting practitioners. You will develop creatively through improvisation, actor's movement and physical theatre, screen acting, musical theatre and audition technique. In the final term, you will apply your skills in a public performance of a full-scale production, using professional values, in the John Lyon’s Theatre at City Lit.
Studying part-time over a year, you will gain a Level 3 qualification accredited by Open
College Network London. Please refer to our Acting Diploma Course Guide 2324 for further information (this will be updated for 2425 to include detailed courses dates and other information).
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
- Apply your practical skills confidently in a range of acting scenarios
- Progress to drama school or further vocational training
- Audition successfully for roles in the City Lit Theatre Company and other dramatic productions.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
Entry to this course is via audition where you will need to demonstrate suitable practical skills. Please prepare two monologues: one classical, one contemporary, no longer than two minutes each (90 seconds is ideal). You may also be required to participate in a workshop involving voice, movement and acting. At the audition and during the course you will need to communicate intention clearly, respond positively and assimilate constructive feedback.
You need to demonstrate strong interpersonal skills when in collaboration with others. Further information is available in our Acting Diploma Course Guide 2324.
To apply: Applications are made through our online portal, click the "Start Assessment" button to log in and start the process. If you have any queries, please email the Drama Department with your name and contact details.
Audition dates: you will be invited to audition after your application is received. Information and advice on how to prepare for your audition is in our Drama Audition Advice.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
All sessions are practical and skill based and you will develop from the safety and support of the ensemble company that comprises all students on the course. For some sessions such as screen acting, you will be spilt into two smaller groups. Your scene work will involve individual solo pieces, paired work, small group pieces and work within the full ensemble.
There is a significant amount of line learning and preparatory work for each class, and you will be required to support your practical studies with some written reflective work. You are also encouraged to read widely around the subjects and practitioners you are studying to underpin your practical understanding.
This course is intensive and it demands full commitment and 100% attendance. In production week (23–28 June 2025), you will be required to attend from 18:00 Monday to Friday and all day Saturday.
Work will be filmed as part of the assessment, verification and moderation processes. Filming / recording of you is essential to the course, and recordings are shared with OCN. Your personal data will be used in accordance with our privacy policy, and recordings will be held by the college for verification purposes. By enrolling on the course, you acknowledge that you understand this, and that you cannot withdraw consent to being recorded.
HEALTH CHECK
You will be asked to participate in rigorous activity from time to time. Please consider whether you could do this, and if you are in any doubt consult a medical practitioner.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
The course fee for 2425 is £2,950 and includes the accreditation fee. A deposit is required within three weeks of successful audition to secure your place. Course fees can be paid upfront or in instalments through a City Lit payment plan. The course is also eligible for the Advanced Learner Loan from Student Finance England (SFE), which allows you to borrow a significant proportion of the course fee (in 2425 this will be at least £2,225, with a minimum loan of £300).
Other costs:
• you will be required to attend all classes in your ‘blacks’ (comfortable black clothing that you can move in) and wear soft shoes in the studios
• some set texts to purchase; for some classes materials will be provided
• notebook, pen, pencils, erasers for script work for each class.
City Lit may be able to provide financial support towards the costs of the course fee, travel, books etc.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
Progress to further study at drama school, and/or embark on a career in the industry. Continue training at City Lit on a bespoke range of courses designed to complement and enhance the skills developed on the Diploma, including City Lit Theatre Company. You course leader and tutors will provide individual advice.
Jayne worked for sixteen years as an actor. Since 2001, she has been teaching, and has also directed numerous theatre productions including professional and student shows. Here at City Lit, she has the responsibility for overseeing the Acting and Theatre program and is course leader for Level 3 accredited training. She has directed on several occasions for City Lit Theatre Company, and teaches classes in Improvisation, text work and audition technique, from beginners to advanced levels. Jayne is extremely passionate and thrives on the connections that actors and students make when engaging deeply with the work and each other. In each of her classes, she is keen to build a feeling of community that parallels acting in the theatre. This creates an excellent platform to realise the full potential of each of her students. She will encourage you to be brave and supportive of one another, whatever the stage of your acting journey.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.
