20-507: The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama , commonly shortened to Central , is a drama school founded by Elsie Fogerty in 1906, as the Central School of Speech Training and Dramatic Art , to offer a new form of training in speech and drama for young actors and other students. It became a constituent college of the University of London in 2005 and is a member of Conservatoires UK and
40-481: A Master of Arts, Master of Acting, Master of Science, Master of Fine Arts , Doctor of Arts , Doctor of Fine Arts , or Doctor of Philosophy degree. Entry to drama school is usually through a competitive audition process. Some schools make this a two-stage process. Places on an acting course are limited (usually well below 100) so those who fare best at the audition are selected. Most academies state that applicants must be over 18 years of age. Auditions usually involve
60-640: A Trust created by her late father, Captain Cathal Ryan. This plan went ahead and the academy, known as The Lir Academy , opened in September 2011. The Lir is part of Trinity College and is situated in the Grand Canal Dock area. It is officially associated with RADA . Doctor of Fine Arts Doctor of Fine Arts ( DFA ) is a professional doctoral degree in fine arts . It may also be awarded as an honorary degree. Doctoral programmes leading to DFAs in
80-403: A role in recommending the institution for the title. The school is located at Swiss Cottage in north London , an area which is being redeveloped as a "civic and cultural quarter" which includes a new extension building for the school, replacing 1960s accommodation. The school's theatre is located inside the new building, which was awarded a BREEAM rating of "very good". Past presidents of
100-551: A single national authority Drama UK responsible for both the provision of Drama Training and accreditation of official courses. In 2017, Drama UK was replaced by the Federation of Drama Schools . Top drama schools in the UK are members of the mission group Conservatoires UK , which also includes the country's world-leading music schools. In the UK, funding varies from drama school to drama school. Historically drama schools were not part of
120-810: A written report. At Yale University in the US, the DFA may be conferred as an earned degree on students who have graduated with a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Yale School of Drama and who have completed a dissertation . In 2016 ELIA (European League of the Institutes of the Arts) launched the Florence Principles on the Doctorate in the Arts . The Florence Principles, relating to
140-698: Is an undergraduate and/or graduate school or department at a college or university, or a free-standing institution (such as the Drama section at the Juilliard School ) that specializes in the pre-professional training in drama and theatre arts, such as acting, design and technical theatre , arts administration , and related subjects. If the drama school is part of a degree-granting institution, undergraduates typically take an Associate degree , Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts , or, occasionally, Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Design . Graduate students may take
160-478: The Federation of Drama Schools . The school offers undergraduate, postgraduate, research degrees and short courses in acting, actor training, applied theatre, theatre crafts and making, design, drama therapy , movement, musical theatre, performance, producing, research, scenography, stage management, teacher training, technical arts, voice and writing. In 2006, the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art
180-816: The Salzburg Principles and the Salzburg Recommendations of the European University Association , name seven points of attention to specify PhDs and other doctorates in the arts. The Florence Principles were endorsed by the European Association of Conservatoires , the International Association of Film and Television Schools , the International Association of Universities and Colleges of Art, Design and Media,
200-432: The UK are of equivalent level to a PhD, with the same requirement to demonstrate new knowledge, but typically contain a practical component and a more structured programme of learning than a PhD. DFA programmes are offered by universities including the University of Hertfordshire and the University of East London . The research outputs required may include a thesis and an exhibited body of work or an exhibition combined with
220-722: The UK are the Dance and Drama Awards . This is a government scheme which subsidises the training offered at a selection of the leading performing arts schools in the fields of dance, drama, musical theatre and stage management. A number of third-level institutions provide courses in Drama and Theatre Studies, including Trinity College, Dublin , NUI Maynooth, and Dublin City University. A decision by Trinity in January 2007 to drop its BA in Acting Studies to cut costs met with disappointment from
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#1732848240386240-410: The UK's and the world's oldest drama school still in existence and was established in 1861. The Conference of Drama Schools was an organisation that comprised Britain's 22 leading Drama Schools. CDS existed to strengthen the voice of the member schools, to set and maintain the highest standards of training within the vocational drama sector, and to make it easier for prospective students to understand
260-668: The future of the graduates and serves as a showcase of what the students can do. In 1833, actress Frances Maria Kelly managed the Royal Strand Theatre where she funded and operated a dramatic school, the earliest record of a drama school in England. In 1840 she financed the building of the Royalty Theatre in Soho which opened as Miss Kelly's Theatre and Dramatic School. The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) remains both
280-676: The mainstream academic system, and therefore were not funded on the same basis as universities. Some drama schools are now part of a university, such as Guildhall School of Music and Drama , which is part of the City University of London , and Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance, which is part of the University of Manchester, and these tend to charge similar tuition fees to universities. Student loans, drama awards and scholarships may help to provide students with their funding. The most prominent funding scheme for performing arts education in
300-459: The performance of monologues , singing, and group workshops. The courses offered by drama schools focus on practical courses, rather than theoretical classes. Their aim is to train students as professional actors for stage, film, and television. At the beginning of the final year (usually the third), most drama schools stage a series of performances throughout the academic year to which agents and casting directors are invited. This helps to build
320-523: The range of courses on offer and the application process. Founded in 1969, the 22 member schools continue to offer courses in Acting, Musical Theatre, Directing and Technical Theatre training. Graduates of CDS courses are currently working on stage, in front of the camera and behind the scenes in theatres and studios across Britain. In 2012, CDS was merged with the National Council for Drama Training to create
340-496: The school include Laurence Olivier , Peggy Ashcroft and Judi Dench . In October 2008 Harold Pinter , who attended the school in 1950–51, became its president, succeeding Peter Mandelson . He was to receive an honorary fellowship in December 2008, but had to receive it in absentia because of ill health; he died two weeks later. Michael Grandage was president from 2009 to 2022. Theatre producer and Central graduate Sonia Friedman
360-580: The theatre sector. A Forum for Acting Training was convened with leading professionals who recommended in a 2008 report, that an Academy for Dramatic Arts, independent of a University, but with third level accreditation should be created. The report was submitted to the Irish Government. On 1 August 2008, The Irish Times reported that a RADA graduate, Danielle Ryan , granddaughter of the late Tony Ryan who founded Ryanair , had announced plans to develop an Irish Academy of Dramatic Arts part-funded from
380-433: Was absorbed into Central. On 29 November 2012, the 'Royal' title was bestowed on the school by Queen Elizabeth II in recognition of its reputation as a "world-class institution for exceptional professional training in theatre and performance studies". It is entitled to use it in official documentation, although it continues to be colloquially referred to as "Central". The school's Patron, Princess Alexandra of Kent , played
400-593: Was appointed after Grandage stepped down from the role. In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise the majority of Central's submission was judged "world leading" or "internationally excellent". The school has been ranked sixth in its league of specialist institutions by The Guardian , and ninth for drama and dance. The school has over 20 doctoral candidates. The first PhD was awarded in 2010. 51°32′39″N 0°10′26″W / 51.5442°N 0.1738°W / 51.5442; -0.1738 Drama school A drama school , stage school or theatre school
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