Studying Performance at Salford

Learning and assessment happens in many ways. You'll be assessed practically around 60% of the time, but you'll also write essays, deliver presentations, create journals or blogs, and take part in vivas. Generally, practical work amounts to 60%, written 20% and presentations 20%. This means you have a varied set of assessment methods that give learners multiple ways to express themselves.

The University of Salford has internships across many different departments where you can enhance and learn new skills. 

After you graduate with us, you could apply to be working with the New Adelphi Theatre team or work in the performance department, helping schedule and manage productions. 

Our performance graduates have gone on to do many things, such as acting for TV, theatre, and film.  Many have become casting directors, theatre directors and ran their own small scale theatre companies. Alumni have also become drama facilitators, scriptwriters, playwrights and worked as educators.

For technical theatre, there is a work placement module where you spend 60 hours in a professional organisation such as The Royal Exchange or independent technical practitioners or designers. Technical theatre students are also encouraged to be involved with the professional technical staff in the running of shows at the New Adelphi Theatre, and they also are heavily involved with Almost Famous, the university drama society. 

You'll have the opportunity to shape your own content and future. During your second year, we'll help build your confidence, and you'll work under the direction of a theatre or film director to show your work to an external audience. 

During the third year, you'll be making your own performances, films, or developing your own scripts.  These will be presented at the Debut Festival of Theatre and Comedy, or part of our public screening festival at the New Adelphi Theatre, and potentially also at the creative culture hub HOME, in Manchester.

We give you the opportunity to showcase your work both publically and privately. Our students have performed at TaPP Fest, a public performance festival for second year theatre students. There's also the option to show video projects and screenings for Media and Performance students, to perform at the Debut Theatre and Comedy Festival, and there's more film screenings in the third year.

We have strong working relationships with agents. We host 'agent showcases' so you have the opportunity to be audition and present your skills to industry. 

Well, coming to university gives you the chance to explore new things and expand your skills and knowledge in a wide range of theatre, media, academia. We encourage you to learn new skills and pursue new interests. Many of our students discover a passion for something new; however, you can still specialise and develop your own work as you move through the degree. We hold one-to-one tutorials with students so we can work all of this out together.

This really depends on the module or the performance you're in. Our Technical Theatre students support a lot of our performances. You may take on some extra responsibility for the performance you're in, for example in lighting design, production management, costume, and set production elements including camera, edit, and multi-media. We encourage students to get involved in all aspects of the performance, from devising and working on a script to the 'get-in and get-out.' We champion the motto: the more you put in, the more you get out!

We're researchers writing new books and academic papers that contribute to the national and international landscape of performance. We're actors, voice-over artists, theatre-makers, filmmakers, directors, radio presenters, writers, sound artists, lighting designers, physical theatre and clowning specialists, young people's theatre facilitators, impro specialists, and more. And most importantly, we're here to get the best performer out of you and will support you throughout your degree. 

Unfortunately, we don't have any formal placement opportunities because it is so difficult to secure placements for all our students. However, University of Salford has great connections with industry professionals who put on masterclasses for our students. We also advertise lots of casting calls which students can apply and audition for which enables them to gain more industry practice. 

There is quite a lot of cross-over as students from all courses will get the chance to study the same modules throughout their degree. In the first year, the theory module is the same for all courses, but you will look at a specific area. For example, Theatre and Performance Practice will look at it from a theatre point of view.

Our BA (Hons) Theatre and Performance Practice is classed as professional training by Spotlight which enables you to join as a professional member.