CertHE Foundation Musical Theatre
Course Overview
This one-year intensive and industry-driven programme aims to prepare aspiring performers for further training within the musical theatre sector. Driven by industry trends and innovation, the CertHE Foundation Musical Theatre course, delivered by Shockout, will provide you with a foundational understanding of core acting, voice, and dance techniques and styles, preparing you to undertake an undergraduate degree course. The partnership between Shockout Arts and the University of Bolton offers you access to a number of undergraduate opportunities through our audition process.You'll be based at Shockout Arts, studying and training in their world-class, purpose-built, high-specification studios that are equal to professional industry standards. This demanding and intense CertHE offers students the opportunity to acquire and develop essential foundation technical, artistic and theoretical skills to enable them to progress to a degree programme. Delivered by a range of highly qualified expert industry specialists and faculty, it will ensure you receive the highest possible standard of foundation training that reflects the current needs and requirements of the sector to enable you to progress onto a degree course. Progression onto a Shockout degree is not guaranteed.
Shockout's teaching staff are professional and world-renowned practitioners and choreographers. They are keen to make your time with them as stimulating and rewarding as possible and enjoy a well-deserved reputation for being approachable and interested in your progress. As teaching often takes place in small groups, you'll have access to individual support and guidance at every stage.
For full details about Shockout, their open days and accommodation, please visit http://www.weareshockout.com/.
The course venue is:
Shockout Arts
Valo Building
Brian Statham Way
Old Trafford
Manchester, M16 0PU
Highlights
- You'll have regular classes with professional artists from the performing arts, film and TV, and dance industries, such as professional actors and dancers, directors, producers and choreographers.
- You can gain additional insights and knowledge of the performing arts industry by attending our 'master class' sessions and guest workshops given by renowned industry experts from the performing arts industry, including musical theatre, TV and film.
- We aim to immerse you in the current performing arts, TV, film, and live theatre/performance arenas so you can understand and prepare for the industry's constant changes and innovations.
- You'll be based at Shockout in Manchester and train in their purpose-built, high-specification performing arts studios.
Key Features
- We'll focus on helping you gain a wide range of relevant knowledge and skills, such as singing techniques, voice and speech, movement and acting techniques for actors, storytelling, and improvisation, as well as jazz, ballet, tap, and commercial dance techniques.
- We'll guide you as you explore musical theatre, allowing you to gain experience in the history, traditions, practitioners, and innovators that form the foundations of contemporary and future performing arts.
- You'll have the chance to learn specialist techniques for performance, rehearsal and audition scenarios.
- We'll help prepare you for the practicalities of paperwork and self-promotion that professional musical theatre artists face. We'll cover how to perfect your CV and job applications, deal with agencies, tackle the tax and self-assessment system, create showreels and develop your online and social media presence.
- We'll encourage you to develop essential transferable skills and attributes, such as effective communication, creative problem-solving, working collaboratively with others, resilience, adaptability, self-awareness and confidence.
Entry Requirements
- 64 UCAS points
- Any subjects are acceptable at Level 3. Subjects that include experience of dance, drama or performing arts are preferred.
- You should also have five GCSEs at grade C or above or grade 4 to 9 (or equivalent), including English and Mathematics.
- You'll be required to attend an audition and interview, staged at Shockout.
- If you don't have the above qualifications but possess equivalent qualifications or experience, we'll be happy to consider your application. In addition to attending an audition and interview, we may require you to provide a portfolio of work or complete another form of test so that we can assess your application.
- You'll need to provide a satisfactory medical report signed by your GP to confirm you are fit and well to undertake full-time intensive and rigorous physical training.
- If English isn’t your first language, you’ll also need IELTS 6.0 with no less than 5.5 in any band (or equivalent). We also accept a range of other English language qualifications – please visit our English Language Requirements web page for more details.
- This course is open to Home students only. Applications from International and EU students cannot usually be accepted because the study location for this course is not licenced by UKVI to sponsor students. Therefore, if you require sponsorship under the Student Visa Route to study in the UK, then, unfortunately, we'll be unable to consider your application for this course. Some EU students are eligible to study this course under the EU Settlement Scheme or Common Travel Area arrangement – for details, please visit https://www.gov.uk/guidance/studying-in-the-uk-guidance-for-eu-students.
Where changes are made to material information contained in this course description or a decision is taken to suspend a course between the offer of admissions and enrolment, we will inform applicants at the earliest possible opportunity and will outline the various options available to the applicant.
Career Opportunities
This CertHE aims to provide an industry-relevant specialised education that will develop your skills, knowledge, and expertise in singing, dancing, and acting to the university foundation level. In addition, you could gain a range of key transferable skills such as confidence, self-presentation, teamwork, self-awareness, communication skills, and the ability to cope with criticism.
What can I do with this qualification?
Successfully completing this one-year CertHE provides a platform for aspiring musical theatre performers to progress into a degree programme to continue their training. There is the option to continue your training on one of our degree programmes through our audition process. Progression to a Shockout degree is not guaranteed. However, this course will give you an insight into what we look for in a degree student whilst also preparing you for a range of progression opportunities.
Fees & Funding
You’ll be required to pay a one-off enrichment fee. The enrichment fee is refundable if you do not gain the UCAS points required for entry to the course or a satisfactory medical report.
Successful applicants and students on the course will need to wear suitable dance attire (a list of items will be provided). You may well have many of these items, but for an estimate of the cost if you need to buy them new, please contact Admissions at Shockout.
Home/EU Fees
No fee information is currently available, please contact the University of Bolton’s Academic Fees team by emailing AcademicFees@bolton.ac.uk for more information.
International Fees
International applications are not possible for this course
As an international student you are not allowed to study this course because of the restrictions on your visa.
We offer a wide range of full-time courses in lots of different subjects, many of our courses start in September and January. If you would like to see what courses are available please visit our Course Search.
Important note regarding tuition fees for the 2024-25 academic year: EU nationals who meet residency requirements (have settled or pre-settled status) may be eligible for 'Home' fee status. If you do not meet these residency requirements, overseas fees will apply. Irish citizens living in the UK or Ireland will be eligible for 'Home' fee status under the Common Travel Area arrangement. Please read the student finance for EU students web page on www.gov.uk for information.
The fees for a student's course of study will be set for the normal duration of that course subject only to inflationary increases – measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded in March each year to take effect for subsequent start dates.
How to apply
Home Applicants
If you wish to apply for multiple institutions or multiple courses at Bolton for September entry, then apply through UCAS
You can apply for up to 5 courses through UCAS (at the same or different institutions) for a fee of £27. Alternatively, if you only wish to apply for a single course at a single institution then a reduced applicant's fee of £22.50 is applicable.
The online application form and guidance notes are available on the UCAS website.
You will need the following information to complete your UCAS application form:
Institution Code Name: BOLTN
Institution Code Number: B44
Tel: 0870 1122211
Web: www.ucas.com
If you wish to apply for a single course offered by the University of Bolton for any intake, you can apply directly
If you have carefully considered your course and institution choices and decided that this course is the best option for you, you may apply directly to the University using our online application form shown below.
A direct application to Bolton provides the following features:
Free of charge to apply
Secure, simple and streamlined
Contact us directly for any admissions queries
Regular updates on your application directly from the University
Invites to offer holder events and taster sessions where you can meet your future tutors and get a flavour of university life
NOTE: You cannot apply both through UCAS and directly to Bolton. Submitting an application to any university through UCAS during the same academic year will void any direct application you make to Bolton.
For courses starting in September, please be aware that we are required to share your information with UCAS if we accept you on this course. We will create a simplified UCAS acceptance record on your behalf and return this to UCAS. By submitting your application directly to the University of Bolton, you agree to these terms.
If you are ready to apply directly, please select your chosen start date from the list below.
Before applying, please read the entry requirements section of this page.
If your course runs at multiple locations or has various start dates, please be sure to select the correct application link from the list below.
Before beginning your application, you should have the following information to hand:
Details of the educational establishments you attended and dates
Your certificates for the qualifications you are using to gain entry to the course – you will need to enter the completion date and upload copies
Details of any employment history, including name, address, dates and role
Personal statement – this can be either input into the relevant field or uploaded separately
Details including e-mail addresses of two referees, at least one of which should be someone who can provide an academic reference
Please make sure any documents you wish to upload in support of your application are in pdf or jpeg format. Personal statements may be word documents.
Please ensure your data is correct at each stage of the application before you proceed to the next page. If you use the back button at any time during the application, you should check the validity of the data you have already inputted.
If you experience difficulties during the application process, contact the Undergraduate Admissions Team on 01204 903394 or admissions-team@bolton.ac.uk
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Apply online: MCR Conservatoire of Creative & Performing Arts Certificate of Higher Education Musical Theatre - 09 September 2024
International Applicants
International applications are not possible for this course
As an international student you are not allowed to study this course because of the restrictions on your visa.
We offer a wide range of full-time courses in lots of different subjects, many of our courses start in September and January. If you would like to see what courses are available please visit our Course Search.
Partner Organisation Applicants
University of Bolton Group Partners
Bolton College
University Collegiate School
Alliance Learning
University of Bolton
For valued members of the University of Bolton Group and progressing students, we try to make our application process as simple and as fast as possible.
If you have carefully considered your course and institution choices and decided that this course is the best option for you, you may apply free of charge to the University. By selecting the appropriate link from the list shown below, you will be taken directly to our online application form. Please read the user guidance before completing this, and ensure you upload all supporting documents such as certificates and your personal statement when you apply.
When you are asked to add a contact email address, please ensure you add your college/university email account address as well as your personal address. If you do not add your college address as your contact address, we will be unable to identify you as a partner and offer you the benefits of being part of our group.
NOTE: You cannot apply both through UCAS and directly to Bolton. Submitting an application to any university through UCAS during the same academic year will void any direct application you make to Bolton.
For courses starting in September, please be aware that we are required to share your information with UCAS if we accept you on this course. We will create a simplified UCAS acceptance record on your behalf and return this to UCAS. By submitting your application directly to the University of Bolton, you agree to these terms.
If you are ready to apply directly, please select your chosen start date from the list below.
Before applying, please read the entry requirements section of this page.
If your course runs at multiple locations or has various start dates, please be sure to select the correct application link from the list below.
Before beginning your application, you should have the following information to hand:
Details of the educational establishments you attended and dates
Your certificates for the qualifications you are using to gain entry to the course – you will need to enter the completion date and upload copies
Details of any employment history, including name, address, dates and role
Personal statement – this can be either input into the relevant field or uploaded separately
Details including email addresses of two referees, at least one of which should be someone who can provide an academic reference
Please make sure any documents you wish to upload in support of your application are in pdf or jpeg format. Personal statements may be word documents.
Please ensure your data is correct at each stage of the application before you proceed to the next page. If you use the back button at any time during the application, you should check the validity of the data you have already inputted.
If you experience difficulties during the application process, contact the Undergraduate Admissions Team on 01204 903394 or admissions-team@bolton.ac.uk
-
Apply online: MCR Conservatoire of Creative & Performing Arts Certificate of Higher Education Musical Theatre - 09 September 2024
We look forward to receiving your application and you continuing your academic journey with us!
Teaching & Assessment
We use a variety of teaching and learning strategies throughout the programme to develop appropriate concepts, knowledge and skills and help you achieve the intended learning outcomes. We take a blended learning approach that includes practical sessions, lectures and workshops. Practical sessions are designed to teach each of the core performance techniques and specialist areas within acting, dance and voice. In addition, we'll expect you to spend time on guided independent study, for example, rehearsing and practising for your dance, singing and acting core techniques, engaging in general background reading, preparing for seminar activities, and working on assignments. During the course, we'll also support you in developing employability and information literacy skills and exploring personal development planning (PDP).
We'll expect you to attend traditional lectures, seminars, practical sessions, workshops, and tutorials. You may also have opportunities to work on live projects as part of your practical modules. Through these, you can gain unique insights and a thorough understanding of the performing arts industry operating in international markets and across many sectors.
This programme's key assessment forms include in-studio technical assessments, practical skills assessments, showcase performances, practical project reports, portfolios, oral presentations and written coursework. You'll receive feedback on your assessments to help you understand what you have done well and where you can improve.
The university will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver your course as described in its published material and the programme specification for the academic year in which you begin your course. The university considers changes to courses very carefully and the university will minimise any changes. Please be aware that our courses are subject to review on an ongoing basis and changes may be necessary due to legitimate staffing, financial, regulatory and academic reasons. The content of course modules and mode of associated assessments may be updated on an annual basis. This is to ensure that all modules are up-to-date and responsive to employment and sector needs. The published course material and the programme specification contain indicative ‘optional modules’ that may be subject to change due to circumstances outside of our control. For this reason, we cannot guarantee to run any specific optional module.
