Acting for Beginners
A Year-long Weekly Short Course
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Overview
This weekly evening in-person class is for people age 16+ who are new to acting and want to learn core drama techniques. Working with an experienced tutor you will be challenged to develop technical and creative performance skills in a friendly and supportive environment.
The course is divided into three modules which each cover a specific area of performance. Throughout the year students will build on the skills they learn each week and progress through a structured curriculum ensuring a solid grounding in drama.
Skills Development (September – December)
Many essential theatre skills are required for any drama performance, such as voice work and movement. This module will explore the role of the actor and cover how to effectively use the body and voice in performance. Students will also begin to discover how to build a realistic character.
Ensemble and Collaboration (January – March)
Collaboration is at the centre of all good theatre. This term you will explore how ensemble work is used in both classical and contemporary work. Through the exploration of the Greek chorus, physical theatre and devising techniques you will develop your performance skills and understanding of to work collaboratively within small groups and ensembles.
Acting with Text (April – June)
Using a range of both contemporary and classical works, you will learn the fundamentals of acting with text. Guided by the course leader, students will explore how to approach a new script and use it to garner information about characters and settings. Practical exercises will be used to demonstrate how an actor makes decisions about how to deliver text, and students will be encouraged to consider how to stage short scenes.
Courses you may be interested in
We run a variety of different courses throughout the year, and update our programme regularly – you can find all courses by clicking here.
Mailing List
Sign up to our mailing list to receive the latest updates of courses, offers and news from Short Courses. You can do this by completing this short online form found here.
Contact us
If you have any questions about this course before you book it, please get in touch with us at shortcourses@rcs.ac.uk.
The important details
Age:
16+
Cost:
£697
Tuesday Class Dates:
17 September 2024 - 17 June 2025
Monday Class Dates:
21 October 2024 - 16 June 2025
Time:
6:30pm - 8:30pm
Venue:
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, 100 Renfrew Street, Glasgow, G2 3DB
Course Information
This course is suitable for students aged 16+, with no or little experience. Students should be keen to learn and plan to attend all classes. This course is for beginners, therefore no previous drama experience or qualification is necessary.
The course is designed so that motivated students will benefit from the training. We expect you to undertake a certain amount of self-directed study and preparation outwith class times.
Students should be open, honest, generous, respectful, hard-working and willing to work as part of a team.
- Plan and prepare to attend all classes.
- Dress comfortably in clothes which are suitable for the activity you are taking part in.
- Bring a notepad and pen/pencil in case you wish to make notes.
- Please bring a bottle of water to stay hydrated during your class.
A + B Cohorts – Tuesday
The course fees for the full year (34 weeks) are £697 which can be paid in full or instalments throughout the year.
The termly fee breakdown for this course is:
- Term 1 (12 weeks) = £246
- Term 2 (12 weeks) = £246
- Term 3 (10 weeks) = £205
This course will run weekly on Tuesday evenings. Please find the term dates below:
Term 1: 17 September – 10 December 2024 (excluding 15 October)
Term 2: 14 January – 1 April 2025
Term 3: 15 April – 17 June 2025
C Cohort – Monday
The course fees for the full year (30 weeks) are £615 which can be paid in full or instalments throughout the year.
The termly fee breakdown for this course is:
- Term 1 (8 weeks) = £164
- Term 2 (12 weeks) = £246
- Term 3 (10 weeks) = £205
This course will run weekly on Monday evenings. Please find the term dates below:
Term 1: 21 October – 9 December 2024
Term 2: 13 January – 31 March 2025
Term 3: 14 April – 16 June 2025
Further Information
We want to ensure as many children, young people and adult learners as possible can access the performing and production arts education that is offered through Short Courses at RCS. Financial support options available for Short Courses include:
Agnes Allan Bursary
Agnes Allan was a teacher, passionate about inclusion, and this bursary scheme exists to offer support to students to participate in the performing or production arts.
The Agnes Allan Bursary provides some support to students who may require financial assistance to take part in a short course in dance, drama, music, production or screen.
Anyone who wishes to take part in our Short Courses and faces a financial barrier can apply for bursary support to help meet the cost of tuition fees.
James McAvoy Drama Scholarships
BAFTA-winning and Golden Globe nominated actor James McAvoy is committed to nurturing the creative potential of young Scots who experience barriers to access and participate in drama at RCS Short Courses.
James is a graduate of the BA Acting programme at RCS and Patron of the Junior Conservatoire of Drama. The Glasgow-born actor has funded the new James McAvoy Drama Scholarships to enable young people to experience the world-class drama training at RCS as he did.
The scholarship aims to support applicants who would otherwise find meeting the cost of tuition fees at RCS a barrier to accessing pre-Higher Education drama training at the Royal Conservatoire.
You can find more information about these funds on our Financial Support page.
We run various promotional offers for our Short Courses and Summer Schools. You can view our current offers on our Promotional Offers page.
You should contact us at shortcourses@rcs.ac.uk to request your discount code before booking a course.
Please note, only one promotional offer can be applied per course and should be used at the time of booking as we are unable to apply a discounts retrospectively.
Please see our Short Course FAQs for more information about all aspects of choosing, booking and attending your course.
Please see our Short Courses – Terms and Conditions for more information about your contract with Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and Cancellation and Refund policies.
Sign up to our mailing list to receive the latest updates of courses, offers and news from Short Courses. You can do this by completing this short online form found here.
Short Courses
shortcourses@rcs.ac.uk
Summer Schools
summerschools@rcs.ac.uk
Credit-Rated
credit-rated@rcs.ac.uk
Bursary and Scholarship
bursaryscholarship@rcs.ac.uk
