About us
Performance: An Evening of Extraordinary Theatre
Each year, our first-year Acting students culminate their studies with a major assessed performance – the Unit 8 Collaborative Project. This ambitious final project challenges students to research, devise, develop, and perform a completely original 20-minute piece of theatre. Working in groups of seven, each ensemble explores a theme, time period, or social issue of their choosing and brings it to life on stage for a live audience in a professional theatre.
This unit isn’t just about performance – it’s about preparing for the future. Through ownership of work, professional-level collaboration, and a clear understanding of real-world industry expectations, our students leave their first year empowered, equipped, and inspired to take the next step in their training and careers.
This year’s performances took place at Unity Theatre, offering a truly professional setting in which students could showcase their work. The project is a key milestone, requiring students to take full ownership of their creative process while navigating the rigours of industry-relevant performance standards.
During this project, the students experience collaborative devising and research, company-style rehearsal processes, development of a unique theatrical style, vocal and physical technique application, professional-level production planning as well as live performance in a professional theatre setting. The skills developed go far beyond the stage. From critical thinking and academic research to team-building, time management, and creative resilience, this unit reflects the realities of working in the performing arts industry.
Performing at Unity Theatre gave students a chance to step into the shoes of working actors. With full access to professional dressing rooms, lighting rigs, and sound equipment and the support of expert theatre technicians. Students were able to fully realise their artistic visions in a space that matched their ambition.
As student Dominic Burke put it, “One of the really fun parts of working at the Unity was the dressing rooms. It felt really nice. Almost foreboding, but in a good way, like that could be the future for you… It felt really professional, like I was genuinely on the steps to becoming a real actor one day.”
We look forward to welcoming back our students in the new academic year for their second year as well as getting to know our brand new first years. Open Day tickets are now live!
All photography by Brian Roberts Photography