BA (Hons) Drama & Theatre Studies

This degree reflects the diversity and excitement of the subject in the new millennium, and gives you the opportunity to study the theory and practice of theatre and performance in a range of media.

Why study BA Drama & Theatre Arts at Goldsmiths?
You’ll study in a dynamic department that offers you a balanced mix of theoretical and practical work – both constantly inform each other

We’re located within easy travelling distance of central London, offering you access to the city’s fantastic theatres and performance spaces

Many of our staff are professional theatre-makers and committed researchers, and we have strong links with theatres, companies and professional organisations

You’ll benefit from our excellent on-campus facilities, including a 160-seat theatre, four performance studios, scenic workshops an open-access media suite and sound studio

From the second year you’ll be supported by an extra-curricular Personal and Professional Development programme that accelerates in the third year

The degree provides training for working in the performing arts and creative industries; also the independent thinking and initiative, collaborative skills, and ability to conceive and develop ideas in an articulate and organised manner that will qualify you for a wide range of careers

Our graduates have won prestigious awards as playwrights, directors, creators of new work, and cultural leaders in the UK and internationally

Our distinctive emphasis on performance and production work alongside and informed by theoretical and critical study (and vice versa), the stimulating atmosphere created by staff with diverse research expertise, and our location in the heart of London’s performance culture, mean that we offer a unique approach to drama and theatre arts.

The degree programme leads you through a range of study including:

theatre making
production processes and performance
close analysis of performances and written texts
the history of theatres across a range of cultures
critical vocabularies for reading, writing and analysing texts as well as performances
physical investigation of – and reflection on – modes of performance
the acquisition of technical skills
understanding how performance affects audiences
theatre, studio and site-specific practice
understanding of theatre in terms of its social engagement
an ability to define and critique what falls under the broad term ‘performance’
Throughout your learning you benefit from the Library, department theatre and studio spaces, open access to the department’s digital (media and sound) and scenographic workshops, supported by the department’s team of professional technicians.

The department is also part of the Erasmus Scheme and has a wide international professional network, including a new Association with LIFT.

The department’s Special Project Fund supports students’ own productions and workshop projects.

The degree is based on a balanced combination of modules in the theory, practice and history of drama, theatre, performance and related media. You take four modules of study a year, but any one module may include within it two or more options.

Year 1 (credit level 4)