Performing Arts 2025

[doesanybodyhaveamap]

Starting a thread re: performing arts applicants for 2025. If one already exists, happy to be redirected!!

Anyone pressed 'send' on their applications yet? Curious as to timelines for initial responses and to submit self tapes....

Buckling in for a long and nervous journey!

I would PM you but it's still disabled.... we went from the college up to the nearest halls, and have to say I did not like the idea of DC walking that route on their own with expensive instruments. So was quite relieved they decided to pull out.

@doesanybodyhaveamap my DD went to Mountview for a BYMT audition and also didn't like the area. It was one of her too choices prior to that.

Is anyone able to shed light on why some institutions such as ArtsEd and Laines are considered private and charge hefty fees whilst others are the same as uni?

The Rose Bruford accom is very nice and it’s a pleasant walk to campus. Pricey though.

It's called Designation and is all about who has degree awarding powers and who validates a degree and how.

Laines don't offer a degree course (only a degree top up) and so their course is the DaDa funded Trinity Diploma anyway.

Places like Arts Ed and Mountview are private colleges who put together a degree course which an external university Validates. They can and do, choose to charge higher fees for this degree and as they are private you can only get a lower level of Student Loan. You are enrolled at Arts Ed, you are not enrolled at University of London.

Places like Bird College, although private, offer their degrees on a franchise basis. You are enrolled as a student of University of Grenwich and they franchise delivery of the degree out to Bird. Therefore fees are capped and you can borrow the full amount.

GSA is actually a full part of Surrey University and Performers College is a full campus of BIMM University, both of whom have degree awarding powers in their own right.

I think some places applied to be part of the ucas system and are associated with a uni (eg GSA).

others stayed private and are perhaps linked to lower school / sixth form (eg arts ed).

i imagine there are tax implications for them either way.

I’ve not seen the RB accommodation, only online, but if DD accepts her offer we’ll have to consider it. Is it on campus?

Uni of Surrey is I think a similar cost, there are options from single, shared bathroom to own mini apartment. The Manor Park campus a short walk off site is lovely.

The Bruford flats we saw are not on campus but are very close and by the train station and bus stop. It’s about 7-8 min walk to the campus which feels very safe (past an m & s food hall 😂)

If there’s an M&S food hall or a Waitrose in an area, it’s always a good sign!! 😂😂

As @Comefromaway says it depends on whether schools have their own degree awarding powers, who validates their programmes and to an extent the sort of programmes that they offer.

The ways that programmes are funded also affects this. Historically the private providers awarded mainly diploma programmes, and often took/take students at 16 as well as 18. Their students can get the 6k capped loan, but they also receive Dada funding to help meet costs/ award scholarships, as well as often charging a top up fee.

The conservatoires (Guildhall, CSSD, Trinity Laban, etc) are generally large enough to have their own degree awarding powers. They have access to a different pot of government top up funding called World Leading Specialist Provider Funding www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/world-leading-specialist-provider-funding-outcome/

This is supposed to top up the difference between the 9k university fee and the actual cost of specialist training which is closer to 17k or so that Mountview etc charge.

What a super helpful thread, doing research for 2026 entry.

I hate to contradict you @Comefromaway but ArtsEd also offer the DaDa funded diploma, students can leave with both the Trinity diploma and a degree from City St George’s (not uni of London) but pay a small fee for the uni registration, it’s the same course. There’s also a good range of bursaries at ArtsEd (it’s DC top choice so done lots of research on this). If you have DaDa funding though you can’t get the maintenance student finance loan so there is still the need for bank of Mum.

Emil Dale offer the uni of Bedfordshire degree with around an extra £3k of fees payable with the rest covered by student finance (the full £9535), the extra fees are for ‘private sector tuition’ but apparently you don’t ‘have’ to do those additional hours. ED is DC 2nd choice!

The full title is City St George’s, University of London, I just couldn’t be bothered to type it all out earlier as I was on my lunch hour.

Yes, students can either receive Dada funding for the diploma, or student finance for the degree, not both together. Dada/diploma students can choose to pay an extra £595 to register for the degree as well as the diploma. On a Dada you get fees paid on a sliding scale according to household income but no maintenance unless you are very low income & a max grant of about £5k

there are indeed scholarships but not enough for everyone.

we were very lucky when my daughter did her diploma (elsewhere) we could afford to pay her rent & give her an allowance to live. Many can’t. Most of her fees were covered by the Dada.

Does anyone know anything about the Rose Bruford auditions? Are they in-person? My DD applied through UCAS and she hasn't heard from them yet. Also, is it a good college? Do the students get work? Thank you

Some courses at rose Bruford do in person auditions - acting and actor muso for sure.

yes it has a lot of success - Jessica dunning who was in baby reindeer, Gary Oldman etc. it’s not a musical theatre place tho

My DD applied through UCAS (she submitted mid January) and got an email on 22nd Jan, saying next steps. Which was to complete an audition form and book audition date. If you haven’t heard, I would give them a ring.

RB has a good rep in the industry, particularly for acting. I would say it’s slightly behind RADA and Royal Central, but is known for their quality.

Whether you get work depends on the person you are and not always the most talented, but RB on your CV, may get you into an audition. DD knows someone who completed their acting there and now works in retail, but he’s not really a get out there and look for it type of person. A friend who just finished last year is working on a regional theatre production with a small company, but she’s the type who throws herself into everything.

I saw one in benjamin button recently! I always read the programmes 😂

We're also in process with RB. DC submitted self tape for actor muso at beginning of January. Heard about 2 weeks ago they have a recall in April. They are quite slow on the admin side, I know of others waiting a long time for news since their initial applications went in.

However it is a good school with a solid reputation. Often see alumni in programmes 😀

Does anyone have any insight regarding the acting foundation at Royal Birmingham/bcu?
Family member has had an offer, having auditioned for the BA.

Thanks for the info about fees etc

@Tickledtrout I don't know about the foundation course, but a friend of ours did the BA and really rates the BA course. He's doing really well now!

Thank you. That's reassuring, at least. She certainly felt she got her money's worth at the audition as it was a full day. And she liked the space and people.

Foundation at BCU - not very positive if honest. Met some great people on the course but very few make it to the BA and no support after leaving. Also, you have to pay £6K plus, it’s not funded via student loans so students leave in March after what feels like a very short and expensive experience. They also advised a late UCAS application, saying that everyone will offer a recall because of being a student on the BCU foundation. Not the case. Rumours that the Head of the BA course is leaving, which might make a difference. Some good teachers there but think some of those have also left recently.

So glad to have found this thread! Congrats on all offers and reserves so far. DS is currently on a foundation acting course which he loves. He’s applied to East 15 - no recall, GSA - recall, Italia Conti - recall, Bristol school of drama - no recall and PPA - auditioning. I think I’m more nervous than he is. He has a plan if he doesn’t get in anywhere and he’s seen a part time course in Bristol that has a showcase at the end, so he might audition for that in June/july (I think)

DDs been home for the week, reading week, and had her Mountview audition. Anyone know how long they take to get back? Thanks.

My DD auditioned there last week also. She has no idea how long they take with outcomes either I’m afraid.

Was it in Manchester? DD thought there would be more there. The pianist and messed up her music, but she kept going 🙄