About BA World Performance (W495 BA/WP), BA - at East 15 Acting School

About BA World Performance

This is a unique course designed for creative and intellectually demanding students who wish to combine practical performance skills with advanced understanding of global performance approaches. It extends the western-centred teaching and learning processes at East 15 into a diverse and more global context. BA World Performance offers a hybrid practice-based and theoretical study that explores historical, theoretical and skill-centred approaches to performance forms across the world.

The course deals with selected aspects of performance forms, traditions and styles from Europe, Asia, Africa and North and South America. The course looks at theatre, dance-drama, masks, music and dance within different cultural environments, concurrently developing a broad range of creative skills in media, writing and directing. Students are involved in devising, researching, creating and performing projects that reflect the influences and styles of performance worldwide. Work develops into practical projects allowing students to explore creatively in a performance environment, drawing on the styles and forms of performance introduced during the three years.

Applicant information

BA World Performance is aimed at students who have an interest in performance but want to go above and beyond the definition of “actor” in the traditional sense. The course interests students with a thirst for cultural experiences and a broader context of performance than that traditionally offered in a conservatoire program.

First year

The first year offers a foundation of skills for study and performance, as well as an exploration of World Theatre forms and comparative performance theory. There is a study of the role of music in world performance, allowing students to engage from the outset with a range of cultural influences and to experiment with their own performance interests and abilities, and to broaden their knowledge of different cultural contexts of performance. Students gain a foundation in Western performance practices as a strong point of relation to the more intensive multicultural performance training they experience in the Second Year.

Second year

In the second year, work is centred on a set of case studies, such as Chinese, Balinese, Japanese, or African performance styles which allow students to gain and demonstrate a broad base of knowledge of different traditions, approaches and issues in world performance, while at the same time developing and applying a significant level of performance skill.

There is an opportunity to work intensively with visiting practitioners, resident in Southend, in a non-Western or intercultural performance form. This work culminates in a major performance. During this year students also increase their competence and confidence as independent researchers, conducting independent study and presenting the results orally and in written form.

Third year

In the third year, students continue their study of context and analysis through research projects, while skills work continues and is focussed on a series of major independent group performance projects, in which students have increasing autonomy and freedom to pursue their own aesthetic, intellectual and professional priorities. The emphasis is on collaborative working and evolving a professional practice, supported by teaching in organisational and entrepreneurial skills and by substantial independent research.

After East 15

Graduating students will be equipped as performers and could also be producers, writers or researchers because they will have add-on skills that “traditional actors” do not possess. They will also have knowledge of different cultures that will prepare them for working anywhere in the world.

Find out more

Further information about this exciting new course is available by downloading the PDF version of BA World Performance leaflet.

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Entry requirements for this course

Contact East 15 Acting School to find course entry requirements.

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