Further education

Further education and training - 

Places to apply for further education

•         LAMDA
•          RADA
•          Rose Burford
•          Chichester
•          Bath spa

LAMDA is a leading performing arts and technical theatre university situated in the heart of London. During the first year of the two year technical theatre course, students focus on four core disciplines which are stage management, set construction, lighting and sound. Classes are given in stage management, production management, staging, prop making, lighting (design), rigging, sound, set design, scenic construction, health and safety, first aid, fire safety, WYSIWYG and Auto CAD. Along with these aspects of the course, students will be given training in core theatre disciplines and receive an introduction to areas within television and radio. The areas within television and radio include first assistant, director of photography, location manager, also sound recording both on location and post-production. During the second and third terms of the first year, students will then work on LAMDA’s public productions- spending around six weeks in junior roles within stage management, construction, lighting and sound departments.

During the second year of the course, students will undertake ‘head of department’ roles for one of the LAMDA shows which will give them experience to strengthen and gain experience for leadership skills. Along with this training, during their second year, students will also complete two six-week work placements within the entertainment industry.

In order to apply for LAMDA you must pay an audition fee of £31-£42 which makes your application valid. There is not an entry requirement of grades or UCAS points needed for this course.

RADA is a university also situated in London that is mainly a vocational course with the firm focus point of equipping students for a carer within the industry.

The ‘production and design – technical theatre and stage management’ course combines in-depth instruction of technical aspects and a clear insight of the necessary organisational, managerial and ensemble skills which form the core skills needed to build a career within the industry. The course includes a work placement which students will have for six weeks within a theatre company, organisation, practitioner, and full health and safety in the work place training including a First Aid certificate, as well as an exploration of technical and creative film roles, e.g. script supervisor, first assistant director, location manager and other areas which include:

•          Company management
•          Scenic art
•          Set design
•          Stage electrics and lighting design
•          Technical drawings
•         Stage management
•         Scenic constructions
•          Sound production and design
•         Music score reading

Within the first year, students will be given a broad and practical amount of training within areas that contribute to technical theatre productions. Students will work on a RADA production along with various other crew members, also professional directors and designers.

In the second year at RADA, students will choose an area in which they wish to specialise in with a choice of:

•          Construction
•          Costume
•          Lighting
•          Production and technical management
•          Property making
•          Sound
•          Scenic art
•          Stage management

After choosing upon this area, students will then meet with teaching staff to choose upon a senior role in which to work in for a professional production, choosing between:

•        Stage manager
•         Production electrician
•          Head of construction
•          Wardrobe supervisor
•        Property maker

There is not entry grades as such for RADA and all students are welcomed greatly, however if the student is able to achieve a standard of education prior to applying it may help with the successfulness of the application.