About East 15
Southend Campus
Life at Southend
Our Southend Campus is based in the heart of Southend-on-Sea. A vibrant and modern British seaside town with excellent transport links.
With its lively, state-of-the-art facilities and a close-knit international community, Southend is the perfect environment for living and learning.
Take a virtual tour
Explore the Campus and its facilities or learn more on the University of Essex website.
Famous for its beach resort and pier, Southend-on-Sea stretches along seven miles of award-winning coastline. There are also over 650 acres of parks and gardens, a fun park, leisure centres, pubs, clubs, cafés and restaurants.
Southend Central railway station is opposite our Campus and the journey to central London takes less than an hour. London Southend Airport, with flights to many European and UK destinations is just three miles away. We are also just one hour away from London’s Stansted Airport.
![BA Acting & Stage Combat Skills Class]()
I could not have made a better choice than to join the East 15 'Combat family'. I've gone on to work on Theatre productions, acting for TV and film, as well as being a member of some incredible stunt teams for Game of Thrones, Disney, BBC and ITV.
Facilities and Resources
Gateway Building
The Gateway Building houses a purpose-built suite specifically for East 15 students. This includes fully equipped, state-of-the art rehearsal studios with panoramic views across Southend-on-Sea, plus seminar rooms, computer labs and media production resources including an Apple Mac edit suite for our BA Creative Producing (Theatre & Short Film) students.
Clifftown Theatre and Studios
A magnificent Victorian former church in the heart of Southend’s conservation area was converted into the Clifftown Theatre. It also houses a variety of unique spaces for rehearsals, technical and practical work and performances. The church nave, with its original organ and stained glass windows now provides an inspirational and atmospheric environment, re-designed to accommodate the needs of a twenty-first century performance space.
The Forum
In ‘The Forum’ building, students have round the clock, secure access to the Learning Hub, which provides innovative IT and study spaces. The Forum also houses an integrated public and academic library, carrying books and other support materials. Students in Southend also have access to the East 15 Loughton Campus library and the University’s Colchester Campus library.
The Student's Union
The Students’ Union at our Southend Campus provides a dedicated space for students to meet, have a coffee, relax and watch films or sport. It runs a wide variety of entertainment throughout the term, such as international nights and open mic nights.
Accommodation
Our state-of-the-art student residences in University Square offer 561 modern en-suite rooms arranged in flats, within seven houses around a central enclosed courtyard. You apply for accommodation directly to the University of Essex which aims to guarantee accommodation to all first-year undergraduates.
Getting here
Our address:
East 15 Acting School
Elmer Approach
Southend-on-Sea, SS1 1LW
United Kingdom
Bus, coach and taxi
As the campus is located in the town centre, most local buses stop nearby throughout the day and at weekends.
National Express operate coach services to Southend Bus Station from all over Britain.
Andrews Airport Cars operates from London Southend Airport. There are also a number of of local taxi services based in Southend.
Car and parking
Southend is just half an hour from the M25 via the A13 or A127. If you’re using a satellite navigation device, please use the postcode SS1 1LW for the correct route directions.
There is plenty of town centre parking in public car parks. The closest car park is located underneath University Square student accommodation which accessed via College Way and is payable by phone only.
There is currently a parking offer at the Victoria Shopping Centre whereby University of Essex students (once registered) can sign up for term-time parking of £3 a day, Monday to Friday. Payment is by cheque for your initial pass card which costs £35 (includes a one-off £5 charge for the card) and then can be topped up at the car parking payment machine. All you need to do is to go to the parking management office on the first floor of the Centre with University ID and the pass can be set up immediately.
Blue badge holders with Southend on Sea issued blue badges can park for free. Badge holders with badges issued by other authorities will need to pay the appropriate car park charges, however on street parking bays remain available and free of charge to all badge holders.
Train
Trains from London to Southend take less than an hour and there are two stations in Southend:
- Southend Central Station is opposite our Southend Campus. c2c operate trains to and from London Fenchurch Street
- Southend Victoria Station is a short walk away and is served by Abellio Greater Anglia
- National Rail provide train timetables and fares
Travelling from airports
London Southend
Our Southend Campus is just three miles from London Southend Airport. You can travel from the airport by bus or train.
London Stansted
London Stansted Airport is an hour away by road and you can catch the X30 Aircoach which takes you direct to Southend Bus Station. Services run hourly and will normally take 1 hour 30 minutes approximately.
You cannot travel directly from Stansted to Southend by train. We therefore recommend that you travel by coach as this will be much quicker.
London Heathrow and Gatwick
New international students arriving at the start of the academic year via London Heathrow Airport can use our airport transfer coach service to travel to our Southend Campus. You’ll need to book your seat in advance.
Get full travel directions to our Southend Campus from all London airports.
