Train as a professional actor through intensive conservatoire training in acting, voice and movement for stage, screen and audio.
The BA (Hons) Acting at Italia Conti is a three-year, full-time vocational programme for students aged 18+ (17+ for applicants from Scotland), designed to develop the technical skill, creative independence and professional discipline required for a sustained career in the industry.
Training is grounded in text, character and performance, with a strong emphasis on versatility across classical and contemporary work, and across multiple performance mediums. You will build secure technical foundations, develop range and adaptability, and learn to apply your skills in increasingly complex rehearsal and performance contexts.
Across the three years, your training moves from technical development to full integration and finally into industry-facing practice. You will work on a range of intensive projects and productions, culminating in fully staged performances, a West End Industry Showcase, and direct engagement with agents, casting directors and industry professionals.
Alongside studio training, you will develop audition technique, screen performance skills and independent creative practice. You graduate as a confident, adaptable actor, equipped to enter the profession across stage, screen and recorded media.
The first year of the programme provides a solid foundation in acting principles. Students are introduced to core principles of Stanislavski’s system, as interpreted by various 20th-century and contemporary practitioners such as Uta Hagen, Michael Chekhov, Meisner, and Max Stafford-Clarke, alongside non-traditional processes including Viola Spolin, Sharrell D. Luckett, and Tia M. Shaffer through improvisation and text work, students develop the skills and knowledge needed to create convincing characters.
The programme progresses to include increasingly complex texts and genres, and each term features a group project integrating acting, voice, movement, and singing.
Analytical and reflective skills are emphasised through contextual practice, where students evaluate their own and others’ work.
Critically, you will develop your Camera Technique in Year 1 (which provides the foundation for the scene work you do on Camera in Year 2, and your Film Project in Year 3.)
Typical projects in this year may include:
Building on the fundamentals established in the first year, in second you are introduced to non-naturalistic texts and advanced naturalistic texts.
You develop practical skills in stage combat (with the option to take a paid BASSC exam), character voice/accent, and acting through song. You will continue to work on weekly Camera (TV & Film) classes and alongside the addition of Audio (Radio Drama, Voice Over) sessions to continue developing their recorded media skills.
In the final term, students work on two separate plays, with a focus on ensemble and stylised performance. You may also participate in a tour to a Fringe venue (optional).
Typical projects in this year may include:
The focus of the final year is to prepare you for the professional world and enhance your employability.
In year 3 you participate in three varied professional productions and work with industry directors, as well as receiving professional preparation including mock auditions, agent interviews, industry workshops, and seminars. You will be entered into the BBC Carelton Hobbs Radio Competition, which was won by Italia Conti in btoh 2023 and 2024.
Additionally, you will have the opportunity to work on filmed monologues, which provides valuable experience and high-quality material for your showreel and to present to industry on your Spotlight.
You will undertake a practical dissertation, promoting independent and professional working practices; you will write, cast, produce and direct a 20 minute play.
Professional preparation and career development opportunities in this year may include:
Tuition Fees | £9,790 per academic year, paid in advance in termly instalments.
Student Finance | Student finance is available, including access to a Tuition Fee Loan and a Student Maintenance Loan.
Audition Fee | £45 (non-refundable).
Deposit | A deposit of £275 is required to hold and accept a place on the programme.
Fee Waivers | Audition Fee and Deposit Waivers are available for eligible applicants.
An outline of associated programme costs and more Info on Fees Waivers are available on the Fees and Funding page
Scholarships are awarded upon outcome of audition. You may apply for a bursary after receiving an offer of study by contacting admissions@italiaconti.co.uk
For further information on international student fees, please see our International Applications page.
Applications are made directly to Italia Conti and do not require a UCAS application. You must complete the application form and pay a non-refundable £45 audition fee to be considered. These fees act as both an administration fee for processing your application as well as a non-refundable deposit for a place on an audition day.
You are only required to apply for one programme, and encouraged to express on the form if you have interest in any other programmes, in addition to the programme directly being applied for. All applicants are considered for the respective One Year Fully funded CertHE Foundation Programmes, by standard.
Places on our programmes are limited; it is usual for drama schools to make more offers than there are places. Acceptances are dealt with on a first come first serve basis and so early acceptance is advised. Once a programme offer has expired, an offerholder will be moved to the waiting list.
The application deadline for this programme is 28 February 2026. Late applications may be accepted on a case-by-case basis.
After completing the application process, you will be invited to prepare, record and submit an audition self-tape where auditionees will be required to demonstrate a variety of skills. First round applicants will receive the result from their audition submission within 4 weeks of receipt. This is to ensure that every submission deserves our full time and attention.
This stage enables us to explore your work in greater depth, assess your responsiveness to direction, and understand how you engage within a training environment.
The recall day is also an opportunity for you to experience the ethos of the school, meet the faculty and students on our programmes, and gain insight into the training you would undertake.
Check back soon for recall dates for September 2027 entry.
Entry to BA Acting requires the following:
Admission through recognition of non-standard entry qualifications/experience may also be considered on a case-by-case basis for candidates who demonstrate exceptional talent or who can satisfy the panel of their ability to successfully complete the programme. Non-standard entry is assessed at audition and interview. Students without a Level 2 English qualification may be asked to complete a non-standard entry written task.
Applicants must have the legal right to reside/study in the UK for the full period of the programme.
Join us at an Open Day to learn more about the BA Acting programme
Italia Conti offer a range of Audition Ready short courses to prepare for auditions.
These programmes allow students to work with full time faculty, gain feedback, and experience a mock recall audition for the programme.
Italia Conti offers fee waivers to eligible applicants who meet set criteria, helping to ensure that financial circumstances do not act as a barrier to applying.
At Conti I’ve had the opportunity to work with so many different directors and I think this has really really prepared me for the outside world.I’ve experienced different ways that directors can work and the fact that Conti get external directors in, people who are working in the industry, has really set me on the right foot for my future career.
You get to work with people who have different techniques and different ways of working. also people who are in the industry. You’re not only getting taught by industry professionals every day, but you’re getting an insight in the projects from someone who’s actually currently working in the industry.
My training at Italia Conti has truly inspired me. During my time, I felt welcomed into a creative, supportive environment. The facilities are great, they give us everything we need to experiment, rehearse, and perform. Having access to such great studios and performance spaces has really helped me feel more prepared and confident as I grow in my training into becoming a professional artist.
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