1 Year Foundation Course in Acting

Prospectus

1 Year Foundation Courses at Read Dance and Theatre College

Why train at Read College?

Our full-time vocational training has excellent, proven track records. Since 2013, almost 90% of our

Acting Foundation Course graduates have secured places at top UK Drama Colleges for their

further training, giving them the best possible start to their career. Our exam results are also

exceptional - 100% success rate with 70% of those being Distinctions.

Our Foundation Course in Acting offers students aged 17+ the chance to train with some of the

top tutors in the theatre industry, whilst at the same time rigorously preparing to audition at 3-year

colleges. All training is done vocationally, which means he emphasis is very much on learning by

‘doing’ and most elements of the course are taught by working on extracts from plays and

developing the various techniques and disciplines needed. Students are given a broad base of

training from Classical to Contemporary and from Shakespeare to Mamet, and smaller elements

of singing and dance are included in the working week to increase future employability.

Students work towards the ATCL Level 4 Diploma in Performing (Speech and Drama), awarded by

Trinity College London, which is accredited as the equivalent of 1st Year Degree studies.

Regular visits by tutors from leading Drama Schools and by top industry professionals such as

performers, directors, and writers, are an integral part of the course, leading to our excellent

examination and college entry results.

“Read has already taught me a lot about drama schools that I was never taught at school. I

realise now where I was going wrong in auditions, giving me the confidence to go further with my

acting education.” Adam – 2014 Graduate

Course Content and Structure

The Foundation Course in Acting at Read College is a 1 year, full-time course running from

Monday to Friday for 36 weeks. Students benefit from at least 27.5 hours of contact time with tutors

every week.

The aim of the course is that students will graduate having been offered a places or places at 3-

year schools, and so our curriculum is broad and balanced across technique, practical

experience, voice, physicality, improvisation and script work. Students are helped with audition

repertoire, preparing monologues, and also skills like acting through song and vocal technique, as

so the large majority of drama schools require you to sing at audition.

Our students are trained by leading industry experts in their field, and the weekly timetable of

classes also includes Audition Preparation, during which students will be advised on where, when

and how to apply; what repertoire to use; what styles to expect; what each school is most likely to

look for; etc. Guest teachers from top schools also provide a valuable insight into each college

and what to expect from it.

During a regular working week, the timetable of class will include:

Improvisation, Shakespeare, Audition Repertoire, Contemporary British Drama,

American Drama, Voice, Classical Acting, Singing, Body Conditioning, Dance,

Performance Class, Theatre History, Guest Workshops, Audition Preparation…

What Else Should a Student Expect?

Our high level of pastoral care at Read College is something that we are very proud of, and we

take a deliberately small number of students (10-20 on the Foundation Course in Acting and a

maximum of 50 in total across the college) so that we can get to know each and every student

and help them to make the most out of their training with us.

As well as regular tutorial sessions with senior members of staff to ensure the students’ wellbeing,

we also have a range of support services available which are subsidised by the college. These

include:

Massage (Sports/Holistic), Osteopathy, Counselling, Nutrition

When joining Read College, students auditioning from outside of the area or outside of the UK will

also benefit from a full accommodation support service, provided by our partners at Host-Link

International. This will include placing you in vetted and assured halls of residence with other

Read College students, or placing you with a host family in the area who will have had a full

background check carried out as well as having their accommodation inspected by Host-Link.

Our recent students have had offers to train from:

Central School of Speech and Drama, Mountview, GSA, East 15, Le Coq, Drama Centre, Rose

Bruford, ALRA, PPA…

“My overall experience at Read is one I will never forget. I have matured so much in myself and

gained confidence to be a better performer – I am so grateful to every teacher at the college” –

Josh, 2011 Graduate now on a full DaDA in London

What Now?

Entry to Read Dance and Theatre College is by audition only, and auditions run regularly from

January to July each year.

Further details of the college, including location, fees, teaching faculty, and our other courses can

be found on our website at www.rdtc.org.uk.

Open days are organised on a one-to-one basis, and if you would like to book an appointment to

come and visit the college then please contact our Administration and Admissions department on

admin@rdtc.org.uk or 08451 307408 (local rate call from anywhere in the UK) or 0118 9512204.

To apply for an audition for our Foundation Course in Acting you can use our online application

service at www.rtdc.org.uk or you can fill in the application form overleaf and return it, with a

cheque for £35 made payable to Read Dance and Theatre College, to:

Read College

Administration & Admissions

PO Box 6271

Reading

RG19 9JZ

Application for Audition

Details of your previous Performing Arts training (please give as much information as possible):

Which course are you auditioning for?

1 Year Foundation Course in Musical Theatre

1 Year Foundation Course in Acting

2 Year Vocational 6th Form in Performing Arts

First Name:

Last Name:

Home Address:

Post Code:

Date of Birth:

Telephone:

Email:

(Note – we will use this to send your audition letter where possible so please only provide an

address you check regularly)

Your previous education, including GCSE/AS/A-level/equivalent grades:

Please tell us why you want to audition for this course:

How did you hear about Read College?

Website The Stage Move It

Local Newspaper Recommendation Other

Details of any relevant experience, e.g. Performances, Work Experience etc:

Do you have any disabilities that we need to know about?

No Yes (Please give details below)

Details:

Declaration and Audition Fee:

Please note that your Application will not be processed unless you enclose your audition fee of

£35 made payable to ‘Read Dance and Theatre College’ with this form.

I confirm that I would like to audition for Read Dance and Theatre College and that:

*I have parental permission to do so as I am under the age of 18

*I am 18 years old or over

(Please delete as appropriate)

Signed (by applicant if over 18, or parent/guardian if under 18)__________________________

Date _________________________