Performing Arts

Did You Know...?

The Academy has been established as a specialist school for over 30 years delivering quality performing arts and media education based in our professional 344 seat Melton Theatre.
 
We offer a wide range of courses allowing us to create bespoke learning packages for each individual’s needs and circumstances. In the BMC Academy of Performing Arts and Media you can choose to study with us from one to six years following a progression from level 2 to level 4. You can access courses that are all week full time or part time for one day a week.
 
The cross-over and collaboration across our courses reflects the nature of the creative industries. This will help you to become a well rounded performer, technician or film maker and you'll leave with lifelong contacts and friends.
 
We have strong team of teaching staff that bring a range of industry experience, research interests, specialist skills and teaching excellence to the department. 

The core teaching staff are complimented by a range of guest industry practitioners to ensure our course content is informed by current industry practices.
 
"There are mutual benefits working with students.  The students have an opportunity to work at a professional level and with the same expectations I would place on professional performers, whilst as their director I have an opportunity  to work with a large ensemble seeding a project in an experimental laboratory." Triangle Theatre Artistic Director Carran Waterfield working with BMC performing arts students in 2010

Creative professional development (CPD) is essential to the success of our department for both staff and students. Teaching staff continually develop and update their skills and expertise by completing workshops with professional companies, attending conferences and further qualifications. Similarly students are expected to develop a portfolio of creative professional development that documents their work and illustrates the many activities they have completed above and beyond their course.
 
The Melton Theatre master class series has been designed to offer our students access to a range of specialist skill workshops in dance, drama, singing, production and film. This enables the students to access a wider range of skills and builds their professional portfolio making them more employable and appealing to universities.
 
Employability and enterprise is central to our curriculum design, content, choice in resources and delivery to ensure that you are better equipped to sustain employment in the creative industries. We work on projects that mirror industry briefs in a range of styles and genres. All students are expected to pick up additional qualifications, participate in extracurricular activities and broaden their skills in to new disciplines.
 
Our resources include the 344 seat professional Melton Theatre, large mirrored fully sprung dance studio, an intimate studio theatre, 2 Mac editing suites, 8 additional practical rehearsal rooms and a fully equipped TV and film studio all providing a work based environment to learn in.

 
In the 2010 Ofsted Performing Arts and Media were graded as 2: Good
‘Lessons are often dynamic and fast moving; learners strive to succeed and are often immersed in their learning’.
‘Success rates are high. Learners develop good technical and professional skills that enable them to produce high quality work’. 
 
The 2010 IQER (full confidence status) has identified as good practice ‘The showcasing of students’ work in performing arts is supported by the use of e-portfolios and a website.
The virtual learning environment offers continuous anonymous feedback throughout the year and for audio and visual feedback on filmed evidence of students’ work’. ‘The students stated that teaching is challenging, interesting and informative’.