All applicants will need to undertake an audition or interview when we will assess your experience (both academic and practical) and your potential for success.

Applicants should have either academic qualifications equivalent to the entry requirements for their chosen course, or provide evidence of suitable experience and skills in their audition or interview.

We encourage applicants to upload a copy of their CV or Resume detailing experience in any field, not necessarily in theatre or acting, when completing their application. We do not ask applicants to provide references and you do not need to complete this section on the application form.

There is no upper age limit for applicants to any programme. 

Applicants may only apply and audition or interview once in each admissions cycle.

Our Research Degrees page has further information on these courses and how to apply.

Follow the steps below to apply for our masters programmes:

Step 1 

Read our Application and Audition terms and conditions (.pdf download). Please note our terms and conditions are subject to change.

Step 2

Prepare your Round 1 video audition: All our acting based masters courses require a video audition. You will need to prepare this before you can move to the next step as we cannot process your application without a URL link to your video audition.

Full details on what to prepare can be found on the Auditions page

If you are only applying for MA or MFA Theatre Directing you do not need to complete this step and should go straight to Step 3. Once we receive your application you will be sent an email with further information on your interview. 

Step 3

Complete the University of Essex Application Form: On this application, you will let us know the course you are most interested, enter the URL link for your video audition, and tell us why you want to study at East 15.

Your preferred course should be the one that you are most interested in. If applying for a course that has MA and MFA options, you only need to enter your preferred route as any offer made will cover both options.

If you are very interested in another one of our courses, let us know in your personal statement. We automatically consider applicants for all our courses, taking into account the course preference that you have entered on your application.

Please upload a head and shoulders photograph of yourself, and if you are able to, supporting documents (for example, a copy of your CV or Resume, your degree certificate and final transcript) with your application. You can submit your application without supporting documents but should include a headshot, which can be one taken on your phone and does not need to be a professional photo.

Step 4 

Pay the £15 Round 1 audition fee: You can pay your £15 video audition fee online here. This link is also available in the audition section of the application form itself and in the confirmation email that you will receive when the form is submitted.

Please do not pay the fee without submitting your East 15 application form.

This fee is non-refundable. Download the E15 Application and Audition terms and conditions here (.pdf).

Applicants applying only to MA/MFA Theatre Directing do not need to pay the audition fee.  If you are also applying for one of our auditioning masters courses, you will need to submit a video audition with your application and pay the £15 fee.

Overseas applicants are likely to require a Student visa to study in the UK. If you think this applies to you, and you are offered a place following audition or interview, you may be asked to provide the following documentation:

• A copy of your passport
• A personal statement which states clearly why you wish to study at East 15 Acting School
• Colour copies of your final degree (or your highest level of qualification) transcripts and certificate
• If you do not hold a degree or equivalent academic qualification, evidence that you have at least 2 years work experience, for example a CV or resume that includes dates and address of the place you worked at.
• Proof that you have undertaken an approved English language test (for example, Academic IELTS with a score of 6.0 overall and a 5.5 minimum in each component) if English is not your first language

Further information about the documents you will need to provide will be sent to you by the Admissions Office at the University of Essex as part of your formal offer. These documents are not required as part of your application and audition.

Audition or interview date

Following submission of your application to East 15, you will receive confirmation that it has been received. If we require any further information from you, our Admissions Team will contact you by email.

If you have applied for an auditioning course, our tutors will review your Round 1 video audition and we will notify you of the outcome. If you are successful, we will invite you to a Round 2 audition.

If you have applied for an interviewing course only, we will be in touch as soon as possible following receipt of your application to arrange your interview.  

Please read our audition guidance and the Application and Audition terms and conditions (.pdf) for more details.

All correspondence from East 15 and admissions will be via email. Please ensure that you check your inbox regularly (we also recommend that you check junk or spam folders just in case your email provider filters our emails).

Outcome

You should expect to hear from us via email within 10 working days of your application - at busy times (usually January to April), this may take longer. The outcome of your audition or interview will be one of the outcomes below.

If you are offered a place on your preferred course, you will not be considered for any other courses.  East 15 will consider you for all courses, taking note of your course preferences. You could, therefore, be recalled and offered a place on a course that you have not applied for but is one that our tutors feel would best suit your skills. If an alternative course is offered, then you have been unsuccessful in your application for your other course choices.

Receiving an offer

You will receive an email from us informing you of your offer and directing you to your myEssex applicant portal where you will be able download your offer letter. Your letter will include the conditions of our offer and important response deadline information.

It is important that you respond to any requests for further information within the period given as our offer may be withdrawn if we do not hear from you.

Successful applicants must submit a response to the University (accepting or declining the offer). To do this, applicants should login to their myEssex applicant portal, click on the Applying tab and then on "Reply to offer" in the task list.

You must also pay a refundable £200 course deposit (refunds subject to Terms and Conditions for Course Deposit (.pdf) by the deadline stated in your offer in order to secure your place at East 15. 

Need a question answering about our audition process or preparation? Want to know the difference between some of our courses?

Find an answer on our FAQ page.