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Introduction to Acting

8 Week Short Course

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Overview

Have you ever wanted to dip your toes in to acting but not sure about committing to a year-long course? Well, here’s your chance with this 8-week taster course.

Explore improvisation skills and character work through games and exercises, take part in vocal and physical warm-ups and build confidence.

Led by one of our experienced and supportive tutors, you will meet like-minded people and have a chance to explore in a safe and welcoming environment.

This is a great stepping stone to our year-long Acting for Beginners course where you can explore everything from this course in more depth.

 

Courses you may be interested in
We run a variety of different courses throughout the year, and update our programme regularly – you can find all courses by clicking here.

Mailing List
Sign up to our mailing list to receive the latest updates of courses, offers and news from Short Courses. You can do this by completing this short online form found here.

Contact us
If you have any questions about this course before you book it, please get in touch with us at shortcourses@rcs.ac.uk.

The important details

Age:
16+

Cost:
£175

Dates:
Thursdays, 5 February - 26 March 2026

Time:
6:30pm - 8:30pm

Venue:
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, 100 Renfrew Street, Glasgow, G2 3DB

Course Information

This course is suitable for students aged 16+, with no or little experience. Students should be keen to learn and plan to attend all classes. This course is for beginners, therefore no previous drama experience or qualification is necessary.

The course is designed so that motivated students will benefit from the training. We expect you to undertake a certain amount of self-directed study and preparation outwith class times.

Students should be open, honest, generous, respectful, hard-working and willing to work as part of a team.

  • Plan and prepare to attend all classes.
  • Dress comfortably in clothes which are suitable for the activity you are taking part in.
  • Bring a notepad and pen/pencil in case you wish to make notes.
  • Please bring a bottle of water to stay hydrated during your class.

Further Information

We want to ensure as many children, young people and adult learners as possible can access the performing and production arts education that is offered through Short Courses at RCS. Financial support options available for Short Courses include:

Agnes Allan Bursary

Agnes Allan was a teacher, passionate about inclusion, and this bursary scheme exists to offer support to students to participate in the performing or production arts.

The Agnes Allan Bursary provides some support to students who may require financial assistance to take part in a short course in dance, drama, music, production or screen.

Anyone who wishes to take part in our Short Courses and faces a financial barrier can apply for bursary support to help meet the cost of tuition fees.

James McAvoy Drama Scholarships

BAFTA-winning and Golden Globe nominated actor James McAvoy is committed to nurturing the creative potential of young Scots who experience barriers to access and participate in drama at RCS Short Courses.

James is a graduate of the BA Acting programme at RCS and Patron of the Junior Conservatoire of Drama. The Glasgow-born actor has funded the new James McAvoy Drama Scholarships to enable young people to experience the world-class drama training at RCS as he did.

The scholarship aims to support applicants who would otherwise find meeting the cost of tuition fees at RCS a barrier to accessing pre-Higher Education drama training at the Royal Conservatoire.

You can find more information about these funds on our Financial Support page.

We run various promotional offers for our Short Courses and Summer Schools. You can view our current offers on our Promotional Offers page.

You should contact us at shortcourses@rcs.ac.uk to request your discount code before booking a course.

Please note, only one promotional offer can be applied per course and should be used at the time of booking as we are unable to apply a discounts retrospectively.

Please see our Short Course FAQs for more information about all aspects of choosing, booking and attending your course.

Please see our Short Courses – Terms and Conditions for more information about your contract with Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and Cancellation and Refund policies.

Sign up to our mailing list to receive the latest updates of courses, offers and news from Short Courses. You can do this by completing this short online form found here.

Short Courses
shortcourses@rcs.ac.uk

Summer Schools
summerschools@rcs.ac.uk

Credit-Rated
credit-rated@rcs.ac.uk

Bursary and Scholarship
bursaryscholarship@rcs.ac.uk

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Short Courses Photo Gallery

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Short Courses Photo Gallery

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Short Courses students are reading scripts in a rehearsal room.
Short courses music students are performing in the Stevenson Hall. A string quartet and an accordion player sit in a semi-circle while a pianist performs behind them.
A group of short courses students are playing accordions. They are sitting in a semi-circle.
A group of short courses students are playing saxophones.
A group of short courses students are playing string instruments.
Short courses students are reading scripts in a rehearsal room. They are smiling and laughing with each other.
Short courses students are using a film camera.
Short courses students are reading lines from printed scripts. They are in a rehearsal room.
A person is smiling off-camera. They are holding a pencil and a book. Another person looks on intently.
Three actors are performing on stage. They are standing next to two chairs that have been toppled over. They are gesturing off camera.
A group of actors are performing on stage. They are wearing brightly coloured clothes.
A tutor directs two short courses students. They are all smiling.