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Introduction
This credit-rated in-person short course is designed to introduce you to foundation acting skills and prepare you for further vocational training. It is inspired by content from the first year BA Acting degree programme and students will benefit from a thorough induction to what is expected in a full-time acting programme.
Introduction to Actor Training is the only credit-rated short course of its kind currently on offer in Scotland. Students will have access to some of the facilities and resources which full-time degree programme students use and will be taught by experienced lecturers and theatre professionals
On successful completion of this course, students will have learnt key acting techniques, have a solid foundation of skills to build upon and earned 20 credits at SCQF level 6.
This course is open to anyone aged 16+ who is considering studying acting at degree level and wants a thorough introduction to basic acting skills. Entry to the course is by audition only – please see Entry Requirements for more information. Please prepare all necessary documents before starting your online application.
By the end of the course, students should have:
- been introduced to a foundation in realistic acting
- developed technical voice and movement skills required of an aspiring actor
- developed their understanding of what is required to study acting at degree-level in a conservatoire training
- worked with some of the Royal Conservatoire’s most respected acting staff
- been assessed on their performance and given critical advice on how to improve
Commitment, focus, energy and professionalism will be expected at all times by the teaching team and your fellow students. In this respect, the experience resembles that of the students on our BA Acting programme and gives you a taste of what life and study is like at drama school.
Please note, the completion of this course does not have any direct articulation with the BA Acting course or any other degree study at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
The course will culminate in a performance exam and an informal sharing of work for family and friends on the final day.
Application deadline: 20 July 2023 *for enquiries about late applications please email credit-rated@rcs.ac.uk
Hear from one of our students:
Contact us
If you have any questions about this course before you book it, please get in touch with us at credit-rated@rcs.ac.uk.
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.FAQs
Please see our FAQs for more information about all aspects of choosing, booking and attending your course. -
Course outline
Under the expert guidance of staff from the Royal Conservatoire, you will explore the notion of the self as the actor’s main resource and learn to use voice and movement to create genuine characters. You will also work with staff from the Centre for Voice in Performance as well as movement specialists to learn the technical movement and voice skills required of an aspiring actor.
As well as focusing on performance, you will be introduced to textual analysis and will use this to explore characterisation and relationships in your performance work.
By the end of this credit-rated short course, you should be able to:
- access, analyse and communicate a character’s inner thoughts, feelings and behaviour to scene partners and an audience
- use voice and movement appropriately in the further exploration of character
- demonstrate the foundations of autonomous and collaborative practice in acting, voice and movement contexts
- evidence reflection on your personal development as an aspiring actor
Teaching will take the form of lectures, seminars and group workshops. Independent study is required to fulfill the course requirements.
This course offers students a bespoke opportunity to study acting intensively at conservatoire level. The style of engagement with this short course is open, supportive and fun, yet it is also challenging and hard work.
Term dates:
Sundays: 24 September 2023 – 17 December 2023 (13 weeks)
Sundays: 7 January 2024 – 24 March 2024 (12 weeks)
Sundays: 21 April 2024 – 2 June 2024 (7 weeks)*
*Saturday: 25 May 2024 – Exam rehearsal
Sunday: 26 May 2024 – Exam
Sunday: 2 June 2024 – Tutorials
Wednesday: 7 June 2024 – Summative essay deadline
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Entry requirements
Applicants must be 16 years or over and should have:
- 6 Standard Grades/4 GCSEs or equivalent
- prior knowledge and experience of drama and acting
Entry to the course is by audition only. All auditions will be via video applications.
Application deadline: 10 July 2022 *for enquiries about late applications please email credit-rated@rcs.ac.uk
Please submit the following through our online booking system:
- one classical and one contemporary monologue*, each monologue should last no longer than two minutes each.
- short two minute video of you introducing yourself your background and why you wish to study on the Introduction to Actor Training course.
- a passport sized photograph of yourself suitable for a student card
- A personal reference (this is not essential at point of application and can be provided at a later date if accepted onto the course)
At the beginning of your monologue videos please introduce yourself and tell us the name of your character and the play that your monologue is from.
Here is a short video from Ali de Souza, lecturer on the BA Acting with some tips on filming your audition.
Your monologues will be assessed by our lecturers and if successful you will be invited to an interview via Zoom. These will take place the week beginning the 24 July 2023. We aim to let you know the outcome within 7 days after your interview.
In exceptional cases, applicants may be admitted to the course whose qualifications do not match the entry requirements, but who clearly satisfy the selection procedures and indicate they have the capacity to complete the course successfully.
* The Contemporary Monologue
It is safe to consider anything written in the latter half of the twentieth century onwards to be contemporary. However, even a period play written in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century if it has been adapted by a living author is considered as contemporary. So for example Tom Stoppard’s adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s Three Sisters or Zinnie Harris’ adaptation of Strindberg’s Miss Julie would both be fine. A good rule is if the author is alive, or could theoretically still be alive if they died young (e.g. Sarah Kane) then you can consider the work as contemporary. Of course finding a speech from a relatively new work (e.g. from the last ten years or so) gives us some indication of your knowledge, understanding and passion for theatre today, so the more recent the work, the better
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Additional information
Credit-rated short courses are designed in accordance with the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF).
By studying a credit-rated short course, students can benchmark their learning against national standards, and credits may be used towards further education programmes at many institutions throughout the world.
The course consists of 160 contact hours as well as additional independent study. It is worth 20 SCQF credits and 10 ECTS credits. This course is set at SCQF level 6.
As this is a credit-rated course, students will be assessed in three components; continuous observation of your working process, a presentation of completed work on set scenes and monologues, and a written Summative Statement. Students must pass all areas to achieve the credits for Introduction to Actor Training.
Students will receive oral feedback from staff and peers throughout the course to inform both learning and reflection.
This will include both instantaneous oral feedback from staff and peers arising continuously during the working process and evaluative oral feedback and discussion, shared in one-to-one tutorials.
On completion of the coursework, students will receive an overall module grade and written report after the exam results have been ratified by the next Exam Board following the course.
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FAQs
Choosing a course
Q) Which course is right for me?
Most of our courses are open access meaning that anyone can attend. We ask that bookers check the age range for the class. Our Adult classes are for ages 16+, our Children and Young People courses are generally split by age/school group.
If your child or young person is not based in Scotland please see the general age equivalents below.
School Group /Age Range in Scotland
Primary 1 – 4/5 years old
Primary 2 – 5/6 years old
Primary 3 – 6/7 years old
Primary 4 – 7/8 years old
Primary 5 – 8/9 years old
Primary 6 – 9/10 years old
Primary 7 – 10/11 years old
Secondary 1 – 11/12 years old
Secondary 2 – 12/13 years old
Secondary 3 – 13/14 years old
Secondary 4 – 14/15 years old
Secondary 5 – 15/16 years old
Secondary 6 – 16/17 years old
Q) I have no previous experience, can I take this course?
Most of our courses are open access – meaning that anyone can take part. If there is an entry requirement or specific previous experience is recommended for the course, there will be a tab on the course webpage to specify this.
Generally, if you have no experience, or have been away from your study for a number of years – we would encourage you to look at courses with Beginner or Introduction in the title.
Q) I’m an adult learner – am I too old for this course?
Never! Our adult classes are for anyone 16+. We often have a range of people aged from their late teens/early twenties to their late sixties and above. Our tutors are adept at creating a comfortable learning atmosphere for all the people in the group. We can’t predict the ages of the people on the course – but we can assure you that now is the right time to learn something new!
Q) Are the courses accredited?
Several of our courses for young people and adults aged 16+ offer an optional credit-rated choice. You can find out more about the credit-rated accreditation we offer on the credit rated courses page, or clicking on your chosen course page for further details.
In general, our courses are unaccredited however you can request a certificate of attendance on completion of your course, if required. Please email shortcourses@rcs.ac.uk to request this 2 weeks prior to your course end date.
Q) English isn’t my first language, can I still take the course?
Yes! Our courses welcome students from across the world. You do not need a certificate in English in order to take Short Courses at the RCS. However, as all classes are delivered in English we do ask that you are comfortable following instructions, discussing ideas and sight-reading English aloud within the class.
Bookings/Booking a course?
Q) What is Schooble? Why do I need it?
The first time you book a short course you will need to set up a Schooble account – this is your customer account for our online booking system, Experios. You need a Schooble account to book your course, change or update your personal information, and check when payments are due/make a payment. Details of all the courses you have attended or are attending can be found on your account.
Q) I’ve not been sent a verification code?
If you are trying to set up a Schooble account or change your password, you might see that you have been sent a verification code. This code will be sent to the email associated with the account and often goes to your junk mail. Please check there first, and then email us if you cannot locate it.
Q) I haven’t received my course confirmation?
You will receive an automated email from our booking operator, Experios, to confirm that you have been successful in booking your course. This may get filtered to your junk mail – so please remember to check. If you are in any doubt – you can email us for further confirmation.
You will receive your course welcome information from us 1 to 2 weeks ahead of the course start date. This includes all the information you will need to attend the course including details of advance preparation is this is required.
Q) How do I update my email/password/address?
Log into your Schooble account by going to rcs.paritor.com. From there click the Clock icon on the left-hand side, and then click My Details. You can click Change Sign-in or Change Password as required. If you are changing your address, click Update.
Q) I’ve forgotten my password?
Go to rcs.paritor.com and click the Forgotten Password button. Enter the email address you used when you set up your account to receive a verification code. Once you have verified your email address you will be able to follow the steps to change your password.
If you are struggling with this, please email shortcourses@rcs.ac.uk for assistance.
Q) Why do I need to put an emergency contact down?
We offer classes to people ages 1-100, and during our courses our student’s safety is our priority. By giving us emergency contact information, you can ensure that should anything happen to you/your child during our courses – we will be able to contact someone to make them aware.
Q) Why are you asking for my age and school?
Our booking form accommodates a wide range of classes, and is the same for children, young people, and adults. As an adult you can click, I’m an Adult to avoid some of these questions.
As a young person, we ask for your age and school to ensure that you are in the correct age group for your class.
Q) Why do you ask for my medical information?
We take our student’s safety and wellbeing seriously and want to support everyone to learn in a way that suits them. If you have listed a medical condition or disability, we will contact to you to ask if there is any specific support we can put in place for you.
Q) What email address should I use for Microsoft Teams?
During your application you will be asked to select an email address to use when we add you to the course Teams group. Microsoft Teams is an online classroom where materials will be posted for your class and you will access the Zoom codes for each session.
Microsoft Teams gets upset by switching emails on a device – so if you already have an account registered for Teams, you should enter that email to avoid confusion.
If you are booking the course for someone else, you should ask them what email they use to access Teams, as only the participant will have access to the Team.
Teams is used by many schools across the UK – so if your child has been accessing Teams for school work, they should use the email already associated with that account – usually their school email address.
Some schools or workplaces do not allow accounts to be used for outside activities, please check, and email us if you wish to change the email address for Teams.
Q) It says the course is full – what do I do?
Courses have a limited number of places available. You can book onto the waiting list by clicking the Book Now button on the webpage. This will take you to the booking form to register your interest but without taking you to the payment page – it does not cost anything to book onto the waiting list.
We encourage all bookers to register for the waiting list if you wish to take the course. We try to respond to demand, and if we have enough people on the waiting list to run another course – we will! So it is worth booking on to register your interest.
Q) How will I be contacted if a space becomes available?
You will be contacted on the email associated with your account. We ask that you respond to your invitation as soon as possible as it allows us to process your application and get you set up for the course. If you no longer wish to take the place, please email us to confirm.
Q) I’ve been invited from the waiting list – do I need to do anything?
Yes! If you have received an automated email saying you have been invited from the waiting list, please log onto rcs.paritor.com and click Accept. This will take you to the payment stage of the booking form to confirm your space. After completing this you should email us so we can confirm your booking and send you over the relevant welcome information.
If you no longer want your place – please email us! We would love to offer the space to someone else and the more notice we are able to give people the better.
Payment
Q) Can I pay by instalment?
Yes, you can. When you reach the payment part of your booking form there are different payment options. We do request that all course fees are paid in full before the end date of your course.
Full – paying the course in full at the time of booking.
By Term – paying the course in three instalments, one for each term (only available for full year courses)
Monthly – this will split the course cost over the remaining months until your course completion date.
Please note these options will depend on how much time there is between the booking date and end of the course.
Q) I’m paying by instalments. Can I change my payment date?
You can log onto your Schooble account by visiting rcs.paritor.com. On your home page you will find your Account Balance. By clicking Pay/Review you will be able to see your current payment schedule and below you are given the option to change your payment day. Please note the options are from the 1st to the- 28th of each month and if you change it to a date beyond the course end date your payments might increase. This is because payment for courses must be complete by the last class.
e.g. – your course finished on the 18th April. You currently pay your fees on the 10th of each month, so you are due to complete your payment for the course on the 10th April. You change it until the 28th of each month. Your instalments will increase to ensure you have paid for the course by 28th March, as the course will already be complete by the 28th April.
Q) How do I change my card details?
You can log onto your Schooble account by visiting rcs.paritor.com. On your home page you should find your Account Balance then Pay/Review. By clicking Amend Schedule you will be able to Make a Payment, which will redirect you to our secure online payment Sagepay and you will have the option to amend your card details at that stage.
Q) Is there any financial support?
Yes! We have bursary and scholarship programmes which all students can apply for. Please see the Financial Support page on the website for more details. Please check your eligibility for each prior to applying.
Q) How do I withdraw from the course?
Please email shortcourses@rcs.ac.uk with to confirm in writing that you wish to withdraw. You can read our Cancellation and Refunds policy online to see if you will be eligible for a refund.
You are entitled to a 14-day cooling off period from the date of booking the course in which you will be entitled to a refund (unless the course has been complete in this period).You should be aware at the time of booking that, out with the statutory 14 day cooling off period, there is no automatic right to cancel, and there will be no refund of fees.
Accessing my course
Q) How do I access my course?
Our online courses are delivered through Microsoft Teams and Zoom. You can read about each of these platforms on their webpages. We advised that all bookers download the desktop versions of the applications for easy access.
Q) What is Teams?
Microsoft Teams is a virtual classroom. Your Team is your RCS course and will be comprised of the other students on the course, your tutor, and Short Courses staff.
Q) Do I need Teams account?
Yes! Our online class are delivered through Teams and Zoom, and we require bookers to have access to both these platforms to participate.
On Teams you will be able to view materials the tutor has posted, ask questions, upload any tasks the tutor has set, and access the Zoom codes for each class.
Your Teams account is linked to the email address you supplied in that section of the booking form. To read more about setting up your Teams, please see below.
Q) How do I set up Teams?
Before the course, you will be sent an invite to your Team to the email address you supplied in your booking form.
If you have never used Teams before:
- Click the purple Open in Microsoft Teams box in the email.
- Your internet browser will take you to a Microsoft page that offer to Create account – with the email listed below. Click Next.
- Create a password – and click Next.
- Fill out the remaining account information (date of birth).
- Follow the information to verify your email. Enter the code into the box.
- Fill out the captcha and click Next.
- You will then be taken to an RCS page. Read the permissions and click Accept.
- Once you have clicked Accept, you will be redirected to a page. On the page there will be two options: Download the Windows/Mac app or Use the web app instead. We advise all users to download the app. Follow the steps to do so.
If you have already downloaded the app, a pop up will appear on the screen and you can click Open Microsoft Teams.
- Once you have done this you will either be directed to the online version or the desktop version as selected. You will then be asked to enter your email to sign in. This is the email you received your Teams invitation to, and the account you have just created.
- Enter the password you just created for this account.
- You may have a ‘Welcome to Teams!’ page. Please select Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (Guest) if not already shown. Click Continue.
- At this point – you are in Teams. You should be automatically taken to the RCS Course Team. You will see a General tab, and a Zoom Codes tab. These are channels where the tutors will post the relevant information.
Q) Where is my RCS email account?
As a Short Courses student you are not a matriculated student of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (other than Introduction to Actor Training). You therefore do not have an RCS email account. If you are asked to select the type of Teams you will be using, please click Personal.
Q) Where do I find the Zoom codes for my class?
You will find the codes in the Zoom Codes channel of Teams. You will see it on the left-hand side of your screen, and by clicking on that Channel you’ll see where the Tutor has posted the Zoom code and password for the session.
Please note that the Zoom codes are different for each week. In order to keep all our customers safe online, we require bookers to log into Teams to access the codes. This limits the amount of people who will see the codes and stops them getting forwarded via email. For this reason, we cannot send you the Zoom codes via email.
Q) When will I have access to my course Team?
Once you have been sent the Welcome Information, you will be added to the Teams group. You will receive an automated message from Microsoft Teams notifying you of this. We will aim to send this information out 1 to 2 weeks ahead of the course start date.
Q) Where is my Teams invite?
If you have received your Welcome Information, you should have received your Teams invite. Please check your Junk Mail before emailing us. Remember that the Teams invite will go to the email address you entered for Teams – this may be different to the email address you have listed for communication from us.
If you have not received an email, it may be due to an error in the email provided to us.
Q) I can’t see my RCS Team?
Sometimes Microsoft Teams can get confused. Please sign out and sign back in by clicking your initials at the top right-hand corner. Try clicking the Open Microsoft Teams in the invitation email again. Try logging in via the Microsoft Teams website. If you are unsuccessful, please email shortcourses@rcs.ac.uk with screenshots and we will endeavour to help you
Q) How long will I have access to the Team?
You will have access to the Team for up to a week after the course ends. On the day of the final class, we ask that you download any materials and save any links you wish to keep from the Team. One week after the course, we will remove all members from the Team and delete it.
Q) How do I upload something to the Team?
You can either upload a file by posting a message in the General Channel, or you can upload it to the Files section, by clicking the Files button at the top.
You need to wait until the full file is uploaded. For video files this can take a number of minutes. You need to keep the Teams page up while your file uploads. You will see a green line crossing the bottom of the File – only once that has completed is the file fully uploaded – and then you are ready to hit post. Remember to check your file works once it has been uploaded.
Please note that anything you upload to Teams can be seen by your classmates – this is great as it offers the opportunity for peer review as you would in a usual classroom setting. If you would rather send something directly to the tutor, you can email it to shortcourses@rcs.ac.uk and we will pass it along.
Q) Is Teams private?
Your RCS Course Team is an invite-only group. The only people who have access to the Team are the participants, the tutors, and the Short Courses staff.
Please be aware that anything you put on Teams – much like the rest of the internet – can be accessed by other members of the Team. If you are uploading a video for feedback from the group, this can be downloaded by other members. We kindly ask students to only download RCS materials and not those uploaded by classmates.
Your classmates will only see your username on Teams. Many of our classes choose to set up Whatsapp groups or share emails to stay connected outside class times – however this is up to the booker if they choose to share that information.
Q) The password isn’t working on Zoom?
If you are copy and pasting the password, please remember not to include spaces either side. It is best to type the password in manually if you are in doubt.
Remember to check that you are entering the password for the correct date. Each week there is a new Zoom code and password.
Q) The Zoom link won’t open?
If you are using the Zoom link the URL should be hyperlinked. This means that the Zoom link will be underlined and in a different colour. For example: https://zoom.us/. If it is in the same colour as the general text, and isn’t underlined – https://zoom.us/ – it has not been hyperlinked. You need to copy and paste it into your internet browser.
To do this highlight the text – and right click, click copy. Open your browser, go to the search bar, right click, hit paste.
Q) Is it a new code each week?
Yes! This helps ensure the privacy of the code and makes the link more secure. Please check that you have the most up to date code. If you are struggling, please ask for help by posting a message on your Teams page or emailing shortcourses@rcs.ac.uk.
Q) Can I do my course on a phone or tablet?
We have found that our online courses work best when you have a screen big enough to see the whole class at once, and the ability to see any shared screens clearly. This generally means that a phone is too small, some tablets might be suitable, but for best participant experience you should use a laptop or desktop computer.
Q) Can I download stuff from the Team?
Please ask your tutor before you download any materials. Any materials downloaded should not be shared without the permission of the tutor. We kindly ask that you do not download the work of other students without their permission.
Q) The tutor shared a class performance – can I put it on social media?
No – as part of our Online Teaching Policy which you agreed to in your booking form, we specify that all performances are for the eyes of the class and their families/friends only. Much like a live ticketed, performance – only those on the day are able to see the work.
This is to respect participants who do not want their image, work, and name shared without their permission.
Online Classes
Q) Are the classes live?
Yes! All our classes are live, and you must participate in real time. We do not record classes, and although there may be tasks to complete off screen/between classes – all our teaching is live.
Q) Can I participate in a different time zone?
Yes, although all our classes are live and in the GMT zone. Please check when the course takes place in your time zone before completing your booking.
Q) Are the classes recorded?
No. Due to GDPR we do not record our classes. If you are going to miss a class, you can ask classmates to recap the class on the Teams page for you. You should also read through the Teams page to see any tasks that have been set, and/or materials from that lesson.
Q) How much space do I need?
If you are attending a Drama course, you will need enough space to lie flat on the floor uninterrupted. This space allows for any breathing exercises or movement work you might participate in. Dance courses will require more space. Film and Production courses are gene