Fees & Funding

Fees & Funding Information
Funding Options
Other Funding Information

Information for the Course Fees for all ALRA courses can be found on the relevant Fees & Dates tab for each course:

Fees for 2020 Entry	Term	Annual	Deposit	TOTAL
BA (Hons) Acting North	3,367	10,100	400	10,500
BA (Hons) Acting South	4,500	13,500	400	13,900
Foundation Acting North	1,750	5,250	400	5,650
Foundation Acting South	1,917	5,750	400	6,150
MA Professional Acting North	2,600	13,000	400	13,400
MA Professional Acting South	3,100	15,500	400	15,900
MA Directing	2,500	7,500	400	7,900
MA Teaching (Creative Performance Practice)	3,333	10,000	400	10,400
MFA Linklater Teaching Practice	3,000	9,000	400	9,400

Fees for 2020 Entry	Term
BA (Hons) Acting North	3,367
BA (Hons) Acting South	4,500
Foundation Acting North	1,750
Foundation Acting South	1,917
MA Professional Acting North	2,600
MA Professional Acting South	3,100
MA Directing	2,500
MA Teaching (Creative Performance Practice)	3,333
MFA Linklater Teaching Practice	3,000

Fees for 2020 Entry	Annual
BA (Hons) Acting North	10,100
BA (Hons) Acting South	13,500
Foundation Acting North	5,250
Foundation Acting South	5,750
MA Professional Acting North	13,000
MA Professional Acting South	15,500
MA Directing	7,500
MA Teaching (Creative Performance Practice)	10,000
MFA Linklater Teaching Practice	9,000

Fees for 2020 Entry	Deposit
BA (Hons) Acting North	400
BA (Hons) Acting South	400
Foundation Acting North	400
Foundation Acting South	400
MA Professional Acting North	400
MA Professional Acting South	400
MA Directing	400
MA Teaching (Creative Performance Practice)	400
MFA Linklater Teaching Practice	400

Fees for 2020 Entry	TOTAL
BA (Hons) Acting North	10,500
BA (Hons) Acting South	13,900
Foundation Acting North	5,650
Foundation Acting South	6,150
MA Professional Acting North	13,400
MA Professional Acting South	15,900
MA Directing	7,900
MA Teaching (Creative Performance Practice)	10,400
MFA Linklater Teaching Practice	9,400

ALRA is a private school, working with partners in Higher Education classed as an Alternative Provider (AP), depending on personal circumstances and the course undertaken, students can access funding from a variety of sources.

	BA / L6 Acting	MA / L5 Acting	MA Dir	FND
Dance & Drama Award
Student Loan
Private Finance
Post Graduate Loan

	BA / L6 Acting
Dance & Drama Award
Student Loan
Private Finance
Post Graduate Loan
	MA / L5 Acting
Dance & Drama Award
Student Loan
Private Finance
Post Graduate Loan
	MA Dir
Dance & Drama Award
Student Loan
Private Finance
Post Graduate Loan
	FND
Dance & Drama Award
Student Loan
Private Finance
Post Graduate Loan

The Stefan Thegeby Foundation Bursary - Foundation students can also apply for the ALRA Stefan Thegeby Foundation Bursary (£250.00) This is given to one student in the North and one in the South campus each year in recognition of the bravery of former student, Stefan Thegeby.

Dance and Drama Award (DaDA)

DaDA are scholarships funded by the Education Funding Agency. DaDA can offer greatly reduced tuition fees and access to an income-assessed student support fund.

DaDA is merit-based and means-tested. DaDA are offered only to the applicants who show the most potential to succeed in the profession based on their audition, and the value of the award is determined on the basis of a national scale and by the circumstances and household income of the student; students from lower income families contribute less (towards fees and maintenance) and those from higher income families contribute more.

DaDA are available for new students starting courses as well as continuing students in their second or third year of study. There are only a very limited number of DaDA available for new students at ALRA, 1 in 4 Acting Students are currently DaDA funded.

Students who are in receipt of DaDA are not eligible to apply for a Student or Maintenance Loan.

Students who are in receipt of DaDA must be means-tested and assessed each year throughout their time at ALRA.

https://www.gov.uk/dance-drama-awards

Student Loan

Students who are not offered Dance and Drama Awards are entitled to apply for a Student Loan to assist them with the cost of tuition. ALRA is classed as an Alternative Provider which means that the government places a cap on the amount of tuition fee loan available. Please note the student loan does not cover the whole tuition fee; the maximum tuition fee Student Loan currently available is £6,165.

All students who are eligible to receive Student Loan funding are also eligible to apply for a means-tested Maintenance Loan to help with living expenses. The amount of Maintenance Loan you are entitled to depends on your income (or that of your parents) and where you are living while studying.

https://www.gov.uk/student-finance

http://www.hefce.ac.uk/reg/desig/cdforstudents/

Private Finance

ALRA is a private school and classed as an Alternative Provider, which can mean that despite being in receipt of DaDA or Loan a student needs to clear the remaining balance of fees. A number of our previous students have been able to do this with the help of family or through various fundraising activities.

As our Foundation Course is Professionally Accredited and not part of the Further or Higher Education framework, unfortunately there is no funding support available for students on the Foundation Acting courses.

Post Graduate Loan

Students who are not offered Dance and Drama Awards are now entitled to apply for a Post Graduate Loan to assist them with the cost of tuition and living expenses. The maximum Post Graduate Loan currently available is £10,200.

Students who are in receipt of DaDA are not eligible to apply for a Post Graduate Loan.

https://www.gov.uk/student-finance

http://www.hefce.ac.uk/reg/desig/cdforstudents/

Once the student is enrolled at ALRA each and every student is considered for various internal and external competitive scholarships, bursaries and awards. The student is supported by Administrative staff and Faculty throughout the application and in preparation of any performance or interview as required by the scholarship, bursary or award.

Students are nominated by ALRA for bursaries from the following:

- - The Laurence Olivier Bursary
  - The Stanley Picker Trust
  - The Lilian Baylis Award
  - The Sir John Gielgud Charitable Trust

A number of charities and funding organisations will also consider acting students and those taking allied courses for awards, but the majority that do tend to focus on undergraduates. ALRA is committed to assisting students wishing to apply for funding from charitable organisations. It is important that you approach funders whose priorities and concerns match your situation, so please ensure that you research the organisation and how they support individuals prior to making any application or writing a letter.

ALRA is also one of the few Drama Schools whose training times (outside of public performances) are kept to a normal working week in order to allow all of our students the option to fund themselves further through part-time work.

ALRA understands that choosing to go to drama school is a big decision. We have put together some useful information to help you through the application process and beyond.

Here is some useful information for applicants:

FAQs

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Next Interview / Audition Dates

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Audition Guidelines
Auditions Guidelines

For information on Free Auditions please see this page.
Your Audition

Audition Format

For Acting Courses

There are new guidelines for 2020 entry, set out below:

Each applicant is asked to prepare three audition pieces.

a contemporary monologue (from a play written post 2000)

a piece of poetry OR spoken word OR a second contemporary monologue (this piece should be contrasting from your first and can but does not have to be self-written)

a classical monologue (this can be Shakespearean/Jacobean/Elizabethan or an equivalent text that may be from cultures other than western classical text but contain elements of rhythm and poetry

Please make sure you have read the whole plays your monologues come from and that it works as a stand-alone speech, not requiring input from another character.

Ensure that you:

Prepare and learn your pieces thoroughly

Choose pieces that are close to you in age

Do not use props or costume

Use only your natural accent

Wear clothing that's easy to move in (i.e. no tight jeans/skirts etc.)

ALRA is assessing you on the following qualities and abilities throughout the day:

Truth, focus and concentration

Potential to express thought and feeling through text, movement and voice

Openness and responsiveness to others, imagination and creativity

Ability to take direction

For further help and advice, please see our FAQ Audition Advice Videos

Other Courses

MA Directing

Applicants for the MA Directing course must sign up to an assessment day for the course here.

On the application they must provide 500 words (in the personal statement section) on their interest and experience in Directing/Theatre.

On the assessment day applicants will complete the following:

A workshop

A directing task

An interview

In the workshop, the applicant will be assessed on ensemble, performance and skill.

The directing task (with ALRA acting students or graduates) is designed to explore communication as well as investigate the applicant’s artistic concept. This task will be presented then artistic rationale of the task will be discussed with the Course Leader and other senior members of faculty.

Finally, at interview, applicants will demonstrate sufficient potential to develop their personal creative process within the field of directing. The applicant will discuss their reasons for wanting to take the course and discuss their experience which demonstrates aspects of the relevant work.

MA Teaching (Creative Performance Practice)

Applicants can sign up to an interview date of their choice and once this is complete they will be emailed with a time. This can be done here.

Applicants are asked to send their CV along with 500 words about their experience and interest in teaching to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. at least 24 hours in advance of their interview.

At interview, applicants will demonstrate sufficient potential to develop their personal creative process within the field of teaching. The applicant will discuss their reasons for wanting to take the course and discuss their CV and experience which demonstrates aspects of the relevant work.

MFA Linklater Teaching Practice (Voice and Theatre Arts)

On the assessment day applicants will present the following:

A Classical Speech (this can be Shakespearean/Jacobean/Elizabethan or an equivalent text that may be from cultures other than western classical text but contain elements of rhythm and poetry)

A Haiku

A Song (unaccompanied verse and chorus of any chosen song)

Applicants will then take part in a workshop where they will be assessed on ensemble, performance and skill.

Finally, applicants will be invited to interview.

ALRA offers various provisions for access to our full-time courses for applicants:

Auditions, Interviews & Workshops at ALRA North & South Campus

Workshops & Auditions at Private Outreach Venues

Auditions, Interviews & Workshops at Regional UK Venues

Preliminary Online Assessments for International Students

Auditions, Interviews & Workshops at International Venues

Collaborative Partnerships

ALRA follows the ‘Auditioning and interviewing for Dance & Drama Code of Practice’ as detailed on the CDMT and EFA websites.

Audition Days (All Acting Courses)

Selection is made by audition that takes place over one day. Applicants will be considered based on performance of text, vocal and physical suitability and individual interview.

The day will consist of two stages.

Stage 1 all applicants will perform their two contrasting contemporary audition pieces (see Your Audition tab above).

At this point the panel will consider all applicants and decide who will progress to the next stage.

Stage 2 applicants will participate in a workshop, perform their classical monologue and finally be invited to interview.

There are opportunities to talk to staff and students throughout the audition process.

Audition Day Format

This is a rough format of how a typical audition day runs.*

Stage 1

9.00 – 9.30: Arrival and Registration

9.30 – 10.15: Warm Up

10.15 – 11.15: Audition Piece One

11.30 – 12.30: Audition Piece Two

Stage Two (for applicants who progress onto this stage)

1.00 – 2.00: Workshop

2.00 – 3.30: Audition Piece Three

3.30: Interview

*Please note that the times given may vary, dependant on numbers.

Audition Results

ALRA operates an Equal Opportunities Policy: all candidates will be assessed on their potential to meet the demands of the course and considered entirely on the basis of merit. Those showing the most aptitude at audition will be considered for Dance and Drama Awards.

The audition panel for all full-time courses are run by Course Leaders, Lead Tutors and Senior Staff members, final selection is completed by the Principal and Registrar.

Successful applicants will have demonstrated a significant degree of talent, ability, preparation, aptitude and commitment as well as the ability to make a positive contribution to, and benefit from training with ALRA.

Audition results are usually processed and sent out via email as well as available on the Audition Management System within ten working days of the date of audition. ALRA always aspires to inform applicants of the audition result within this timeframe but during busier times results can take longer and we ask for patience and understanding in these circumstances.
Feedback from Auditionees
- Thank you for the opportunity, and for providing a thoroughly enjoyable experience... even if I don't get a place I have loved the experience.
  Natasha Davidson
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