Acting & Performance (16-18)
What is Acting & Performance?
Acting & Performance is a two-year, full-time Level 3 course for students in Years 12 and 13 who are serious about developing as actors and preparing for the next stage of their training.
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At the heart of the course is rigorous, practical actor training. Students develop their skills in acting technique, voice, movement, text work, devising, screen acting and performance, while working towards an Extended RSL Diploma in Creative and Performing Arts.
Alongside their core acting training, students choose an elective pathway in either Musical Theatre or Stage & Screen, allowing them to shape their development towards the drama school, conservatoire or professional training routes that best reflect their ambitions.
Why study on this course?
For students who are ready to take their training seriously, Acting & Performance offers far more than a general sixth form experience. Training takes place in small, focused groups, creating an environment where each student is known as an individual — challenged, supported and encouraged to develop the confidence, discipline and creative identity needed for the next stage of their journey.
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Students are taught by experienced industry specialists and perform regularly across our main house theatre, studio spaces and external events. Alongside this, dedicated one-to-one drama school preparation supports each student with monologue selection, audition technique, interview preparation and choosing the right training routes. It is a practical, ambitious and highly personalised pathway for young performers looking ahead to drama school, conservatoire training and beyond.
Current AP cohort have 100% success rate of being offered places including at Arts Ed, Mountview, GSA, Central School of Speech and Drama, Trinity Laban and Leeds Conservatoire.
What are the pathways?
Alongside their core actor training, students on Acting & Performance choose a specialist pathway that supports their individual ambitions and future training routes.
The Musical Theatre pathway is designed for students who are interested in progressing to conservatoire-level musical theatre training. Students develop their skills through specialist classes in ballet and jazz with The Hammond’s dance faculty, alongside integrated musical theatre and acting through song.
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This pathway supports students in building the versatility, technical grounding and performance confidence needed for competitive musical theatre auditions.
The Stage & Screen pathway is designed for students who are considering progression to acting courses, including acting for stage, acting for screen, actor-musicianship and related specialist routes. Students deepen their training through classes in acting for camera, classical acting and practitioner study, developing the range, intelligence and individuality needed to approach contemporary drama school auditions with confidence.
Chester Life
As a future Cestrian, it’s important you know the what, which and why of this ancient, vibrant city. Whether you’re grabbing a bite to eat in the Market, enjoying a picnic in Grosvenor Park, or indulging in some culture at the Storyhouse, a day in Chester is always sure to be a place that inspires.