Drama and Performance Practice

Drama and Performance Practice is the study of theatre, live performance, and the creative processes that bring them into being. It combines the practical work of performance, direction, and devising with critical and historical perspectives on what theatre is, how it functions, and why it matters. The best graduates from this kind of programme are not simply trained performers: they are thinking artists who can generate original work, analyse what they see, and communicate ideas through the specific languages of the stage.

At the University of Gloucestershire, this three-year full-time programme gives you hands-on experience in performance alongside the theoretical frameworks that help you understand and contextualise that experience. You will explore acting techniques and devising methodologies, study the history of theatre from Greek tragedy to contemporary practice, and investigate the social and political dimensions of performance. Practical projects, productions, and collaborations are central to the experience, and you will build a portfolio of work that reflects your development as a practitioner and thinker.

Gloucestershire's creative environment and strong links with regional arts organisations provide additional context and opportunity.

Career paths for Drama graduates are genuinely diverse. Performance, direction, and producing are obvious destinations for those who want to work in theatre and related live arts. Teaching is a major employer, at all levels from primary school to higher education.

Community arts, applied theatre, and drama therapy represent the discipline's social dimensions, using performance as a tool for education, health, and community development. Many graduates also move into arts administration, marketing, and cultural journalism, where their understanding of performance culture is an asset. Postgraduate study in performance practice, applied theatre, or drama education is a common progression.