Certificate of HE Acting for Stage and Screen
Overview
This course is subject to final aproval.
The Cert HE Acting for Stage & Screen is an intensive one-year programme designed to give you a practical foundation in acting for both live and recorded performance. This can prepare you for further study, either at East 15 or at other acclaimed acting schools in the UK or Europe.
Through focused, conservatoire training, you’ll develop your performance skills, deepen your understanding of the acting process, and widen your intellectual curiosity. Over three terms, you’ll build your skills in acting as well as voice, movement, improvisation, text work, and devising. You’ll also receive training in audition technique.
The course is taught in Malta and delivered by a joint faculty from East 15 Acting School and our partner institution in Malta, MUV College. East 15 tutors teach as part of a ‘flying faculty’ model, travelling internationally to deliver training. This way, you’ll get to work with the same tutors who teach at East 15’s campuses in the UK, as well as with professionals based in the EU.
This course is taught at MUV College’s Birkirkara campus, which is located 5 km from the Maltese capital city, Valletta.
This course has received endorsement from Arts Council Malta and the Malta Film Commission.
View more undergraduate courses from East 15 Acting School, including further Actor training programs as well as behind the scenes courses in Creative Producing and Stage Management.
- One-year intensive acting skills development for both stage and film.
- International campus and tuition, in an ideal European location.
- Developing your audition technique and preparation for further actor training.
Our expert staff
Our training is by professionals and for professionals, allowing our graduates to work successfully across the globe.
Our international, outstanding teaching faculty is made up of professionals from all areas of live and recorded performance.
The joint delivery between East 15's Flying Faculty and MUV College's academics provides you with a unique learning experience. This model brings together East 15's long-standing expertise in delivering high-standard conservatoire training, with MUV College's experience in providing a robust creative training rooted in the Maltese and wider Mediterranean contexts.
Specialist facilities
MUV College is home to a bespoke training space just outside Valletta, featuring a newly refurbished acting and performance studio with sprung wooden flooring, adjustable lighting, and a flexible black-box set-up with tracks and curtains. The site also includes a seminar and text-based rehearsal room, dedicated study and meeting areas, an on-site café, and a foyer featuring a a student social space with a bar. You'll also have access to an open-air pool, and an additional social and gathering space on the building's roof.
MUV is also a member of the Valletta Design Cluster, a community hub for cultural and creative practice located in central Valletta, which can be booked for specialist classes and events. The Design Cluster offers a great opportunity for you to meet and engage with other artists. The space also boasts of a rooftop garden,which you can book for events.
Your future
During the year,you can audition for places on one of the acting courses at East 15. East 15 Cert HE students also frequently go on to train at other drama schools or at university drama department across the worlds. You will be supportede to choose and prepare scenes for audition purposes.
“The CertHE course [at East 15] was one of the best years of my life, I learnt so much in a very intensive, safe and fun environment. The course is headed by an incredible teaching staff who all have or still work in the industry, giving the best possible up to date advice and training.”
“It’s an excellent course for anyone wanting to gain groundwork in actor training or wanting to further their studies to a three year course at drama school.”
Nadia Devereux, UK-based Certificate of Higher Education in Acting for Stage and Screen (who went on to study BA Acting at East 15)
Entry requirements
UK entry requirements
- A-levels: E, or equivalent in UCAS tariff points.
- BTEC: PPP, or equivalent in UCAS tariff points.
- T-levels: Pass with E in core
- IB: A Higher Level certificate grade 3
- IB Career-related Programme: We consider combinations of IB Diploma Programme courses with BTECs or other qualifications.
Applicants will need to be successful in an interview. Applicants should also have, or expect to have:
International & EU entry requirements
We accept a wide range of qualifications from applicants studying in the EU and other countries. Get in touch with any questions you may have about the qualifications we accept. Remember to tell us about the qualifications you have already completed or are currently taking.
Sorry, the entry requirements for the country that you have selected are not available here. Please contact our Undergraduate Admissions team at ugquery@essex.ac.uk to request the entry requirements for this country.
English language requirements
If you do not require a student visa to study in the UK then we will assess your English language proficiency/ability at your interview or audition.
If your first language is not English and you are an international student that requires a student visa to study in the UK then you will need IELTS 5.0 overall, with a minimum of 4.0 in each component. IELTS tests must be a UKVI IELTS taken at an approved IELTS test centre on the UKVI’s list, available here, in order to be accepted for entry to below degree-level courses. Tests must be taken within two years of the start of your course.
Please see our immigration webpages for the latest Home Office guidance on English language qualifications.
Structure
Course structure
Our training draws upon more than 60 years of East 15 traditions, while being continuously updated to stay in tune with latest developments and emerging opportunities in the acting industry. This course combines training from both East 15’s faculty and European professionals and tutors engaged by MUV.
Each week, you'll receive training in key skills such as voice and movement alongside practical sessions in acting. Through classes, workshops and small projects, you'll explore topics such as rehearsal techniques, audition technique, approaches to text, screen acting, acting honestly under imaginary circumstances, and devising performances.
As you progress through the course, you will build upon what you've learned each term, honing your craft. Our carefully selected modules will enable you to develop a grounded and personal process, equipping you to succeed in future studies.
We understand that deciding where and what to study is a very important decision for you. We'll make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the courses, services and facilities as described on our website and in line with your contract with us. However, if we need to make material changes, for example due to significant disruption, we'll let our applicants and students know as soon as possible.
Teaching
The joint delivery between East 15's Flying Faculty and MUV College's academics provides you with a unique learning experience. This model brings together East 15's long-standing expertise in delivering high-standard conservatoire training, with MUV College's experience in providing a robust creative training rooted in the Maltese and wider Mediterranean contexts.
Term 1
In the first term you explore different means of communication imaginatively while learning about the roots of the craft of acting. You will:
- Focus on acting, voice, singing and movement studies
- Work on audition technique
- Storytelling through performance.
Term 2
Your second term focuses on:
- Continued focus on acting, voice and movement studies.
- Understanding different approaches to analysing texts (including heightened, poetic and classical texts and characters)
- Working on Devised Theatre
Term 3
Your third term brings together the skills and experience you have developed through the course. You will:
- Have dedicated sessions on acting for camera
- Take part in a final, directed performance
Fees and funding
Home/UK fee
TBC
International fee
TBC
What's next
Applying
To apply for our Cert HE Acting for Stage and Screen (Malta) course, based at MUV in Malta, you should submit the University of Essex Direct Application Form.
In addition to your University of Essex application, you must also submit an East 15 Application Form.
For full details on how to apply, please visit the Applying for an Undergraduate Course page on the East 15 website.
Auditioning
Applicants to this course must submit a Round 1 video audition as part of your East 15 Application Form. If successful at this stage, you'll be invited to a Round 2 audition, which may take place on our campus, online, or at an international audition.
We no longer charge an audition fee for Round 1 auditions. There is a £10 administration fee for Round 2 auditions. Administration fee waivers are available for eligible applicants. You can check your eligibility for a waiver on the Applying for an Undergraduate Course page.
Our staff regularly travel to conduct auditions worldwide. So if you're not based in the UK, it's likely that we may hold auditions near you. These will be one-on-one auditions. You can find the locations and dates of these auditions on our International Auditions page.
Offers for this course are made only after successful auditions.
For details of what to prepare for our auditions, please visit our Preparing for Auditions page.
Open Days
Our events are a great way to find out more about studying at East 15. We run Open Days at our Loughton and Southend campuses each year, which give you the chance to:
- tour our campus
- get answers to your questions about our courses, student finance, student support and more
- meet our students and staff
Dates for our Open Days for 2025 have now passed.
At Essex we pride ourselves on being a welcoming and inclusive student community. We offer a wide range of support to individuals and groups of student members who may have specific requirements, interests or responsibilities.
The University makes every effort to ensure that this information on its programme specification is accurate and up-to-date. Exceptionally it can be necessary to make changes, for example to courses, facilities or fees. Examples of such reasons might include, but are not limited to: strikes, other industrial action, staff illness, severe weather, fire, civil commotion, riot, invasion, terrorist attack or threat of terrorist attack (whether declared or not), natural disaster, restrictions imposed by government or public authorities, epidemic or pandemic disease, failure of public utilities or transport systems or the withdrawal/reduction of funding. Changes to courses may for example consist of variations to the content and method of delivery of programmes, courses and other services, to discontinue programmes, courses and other services and to merge or combine programmes or courses. The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will also keep students informed appropriately by updating our programme specifications. The University would inform and engage with you if your course was to be discontinued, and would provide you with options, where appropriate, in line with our Compensation and Refund Policy.
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