Acting

Acting is a craft that demands the simultaneous development of physical, emotional, imaginative, and technical capabilities. Great acting requires precise control of voice and body, the ability to inhabit another person's inner life convincingly, an understanding of text and dramatic structure, and the resilience and discipline to sustain performance under professional conditions. Training at degree level provides the intensive environment in which all these capacities can be developed together, and the programme at Manchester Metropolitan University has an established reputation for preparing actors for the demands of professional theatre, radio, television, and film.

At Manchester Metropolitan University, this three-year full-time Acting programme takes a vocational approach, meaning the training is grounded in the realities of the acting profession from the outset. You will develop your skills across theatre performance, voice work, movement, and text analysis, and will build experience in the specific demands of radio and screen acting as well as stage. The programme also engages with newer areas of the industry, including motion capture and animation performance, which are growing employment sectors for trained actors.

You will work with experienced practitioners and directors, take part in productions, and develop your professional practice through increasing engagement with the demands of real performance.

Manchester's vibrant theatre and media sector provides a relevant professional context throughout the degree, and the city's production companies, theatres, and broadcast facilities connect your training to the industry in which you will work.

Graduates from acting programmes pursue careers in professional theatre, television and film, radio, voice-over work, and the expanding areas of motion capture, live events, and digital performance. Many supplement their acting work with roles in teaching, directing, writing, and arts facilitation, and the communication, collaboration, and performance skills developed during training are valued in a wider range of professional contexts. Postgraduate training, including specialist programmes in stage or screen, is an option for those who wish to focus further.