Course information

Entry requirements

UCAS code

LL0W

Entry requirements

A-level: BBB
BTEC: DDM
IB: 33 points overall with Three HL subjects at 655

Length

3 years full-time, 6 years part-time

Course overview

This degree is ideal if you have a passion for using performance for social change. You will learn performance and facilitation skills, while exploring the ideas that underpin them. The degree equips you in a wide range of careers in the arts, charities, education, and beyond.

  • The BA Drama: Performance, Politics, and Society has been running since 2017 and is highly valued by its students, alumni, staff, theatre professionals, and external examiners. Our students come from diverse backgrounds and enthusiastically embrace our blend of practice and theory, producing their own innovative and original work. Students on the programme contribute substantially to the vibrance of the Theatre & Performance Department, as well as College life more widely.
  • You will be offered a grounding in the skills and understanding of theatre in socially engaged contexts. As well as working in theatres and other arts settings, you will engage with work in schools, community settings, the criminal justice system, and festivals. You will have access to unique workplace networks in inner London through the work placement option and outward-facing modules. Students often undertake both paid and voluntary opportunities to enhance their career profile. In the third year, you will develop your own independent research and produce practical projects that can be a launching pad for your future career.
  • Our staff are exceptionally well qualified to deliver the degree. The research, teaching, and professional profiles of staff are wide-ranging and tuned into student aspirations. 

The field of socially engaged performance

  • There are many ways that performance is used for change. As individual audience members, artists, participants, or students, we engage our imaginations and creativity to help us understand ourselves and the world around us. Performance is a part of our identity, sense of community and learning.
  • Performance fulfils many functions – including as entertainment, education, ritual, celebration, and protest. In a wider sense we also ‘perform’ every day. As sociologist Erving Goffman said: “We are all just actors trying to control and manage our public image, we act based on how others might see us.”
  • At a time when the politics of climate, disability, economics, gender, race, and sexuality are increasingly contended, performance has a unique role to play in creating a better, fairer future.
  • In all these contexts, performance has the capacity to be an agent of positive change. We have a conviction that our students can play a crucial role as the next generation creating that change.

Why study the BA Drama: Performance, Politics and Society at Goldsmiths

  • Work alongside students from all backgrounds, and learn from each other’s different perspectives.
  • Join a community – our alumni are involved as mentors and allies, our staff are friendly and accessible, and we promote a supportive and generous working culture.
  • Be an independent learner and create your own learning pathways supported by tutors.
  • Study in a democratic environment, and have a say in decision-making about course content and ways of learning.
  • Build links and partnerships with our local community in South-East London, arts organisations, and increasingly through international networks.

Contact the department

If you have specific questions about the degree, contact Ben Levitas.

Watch videos about your course

What you'll study

Over the course of your degree, you'll undertake practical workshops and projects that include public performance and workshop leading. You'll also attend lectures and seminars from leading artists and scholars, and undertake case studies and work experience. Assignments include presentations, performances, and portfolios as well as traditional essays.

Year 1 will introduce you to a dazzling array of ideas and practical disciplines that form the foundation for your three-year journey.

Year 2 presents more option choices as you dig deeper into particular areas of interest. You'll focus particularly on developing your skills as a facilitator/workshop leader.

Year 3 emphasises your own self-defined pathway– your Major Research Project (MRP) gives you the opportunity to investigate a personal passion. The content of previous MRPs has included post-colonial education in Ivory Coast, Boris Johnson as clown, gender and drill music, trans representation in musical theatre, drag and masculinity, and the authentic voice of Romani women. These projects have included practical explorations as well as traditional dissertations – the choice is yours. At the end of your degree, you'll create a public performance as part of our Year 3 showcase.

After graduation, you'll still be part of the course family – graduates can apply to be associate artists and researchers, and we provide mentoring support for your career and further study.

Year 1 (credit level 4)

In your first year you'll take the following compulsory modules:

Module title Credits
Critical Dialogues A 15 credits
Introduction to Dramaturgy 15 credits
The Ensemble 15 credits
Critical Dialogues B 15 credits
Scenography 15 credits
Processes of Performance: Politics of Play, Plays and Playing 15 credits
Theatre Making 1 30 credits

Year 2 (credit level 5)

In your second year, you'll study these compulsory modules:

Module title Credits
Modernisms and Postmodernity A 15 credits
Questions of Performance 30 credits
Contexts of Practice 15 credits
Participatory Arts 30 credits
The Goldsmiths Elective 15 credits

and the following compulsory module:

Module title Credits
Modernisms and Postmodernity B: Options 15 credits
or
The Goldsmiths Elective 15 credits

Year 3 (credit level 6)

In your final year, you'll take the following compulsory modules:

Module title Credits
Culture and Performance A 15 Credits
Theatre Making 3: Laboratory – Text and Performance 15 credits
Theatre Making 3: Projects 30 credits
Research Methodologies 15 credits
Independent Research Project 30 credits

You will also choose one of the following Performing Cultures modules:

Module title Credits
Culture and Performance B: Art and Japan 15 Credits
Culture and Performance B: Ecological Theatre 15 Credits
Culture and Performance B: Modern Black, British and American Drama 15 Credits
Culture and Performance B: Musical Theatre in a Multicultural Society 15 credits
Culture and Performance B: Performances of Protest, Resistance and Revolution 15 credits

You'll also complete 45 credits of optional modules from Theatre Making Three Laboratories and Projects, and 15 credits of optional modules from Culture and Performance B. Optional modules change annually and will be provided by the department.

Teaching style

This programme is taught through scheduled learning - a mixture of lectures, seminars and workshops.

The programme is a blend of learning that is 50% practical and 50% theoretical.

How you’ll be assessed

You will be assessed by a range of methods depending on your module choices. These include coursework assignments such as essays, portfolios, research statements and exams, as well as practical assignments such as practice-based presentations and oral presentations, and in your third year, a 10,000-word dissertation, and participation in a public performance festival.

The following information gives an indication of how you can typically expect to be assessed on each year of this programme*:

Year 1 - 31% coursework, 13% written exam, 56% practical
Year 2 - 55% coursework, 45% practical
Year 3 - 70% coursework, 30% practical

*Please note that these are averages are based on enrolments for 2022/23. Each student’s time in teaching, learning and assessment activities will differ based on individual module choices. Find out more about how this information is calculated.

Credits and levels of learning

An undergraduate honours degree is made up of 360 credits – 120 at Level 4, 120 at Level 5 and 120 at Level 6. If you are a full-time student, you will usually take Level 4 modules in the first year, Level 5 in the second, and Level 6 modules in your final year. A standard module is worth 30 credits. Some programmes also contain 15-credit half modules or can be made up of higher-value parts, such as a dissertation or a Major Project.

Download the programme specification.

Please note that due to staff research commitments not all of these modules may be available every year.

What our students say

Millie Cooper

Studying at Goldsmiths changed my view on higher education, I never saw myself ever completing university or ever being able to achieve a BA and Goldsmiths helped me to achieve that.

Millie's time at Goldsmiths

I really enjoyed my time at Goldsmiths, I found the experience supportive throughout and my lecturers really helped me to grow. I have always struggled with formal education and I always felt as though I could express these emotions and felt guided in the best direction.

The Theatre and Performance department gave me to tools to get be a versatile creative, I have knowledge of lots of different departments within theatre and beyond.

Studying at Goldsmiths changed my view on higher education, I never saw myself ever completing university or ever being able to achieve a BA and Goldsmiths helped me to achieve that.

The best part of studying at Goldsmiths

In all honesty, my friends, I would not have been able to get through university if it wasn't for the support I got from the people I met.

Work created at Goldsmiths

For my third year Major Research Project I created a documentary. This documentary has led me to all of the opportunities that have changed my life from writing articles for newspapers, speaking at conferences and giving a voice to my community.

The documentary is an in-depth look at the lives of Romany women in Britain, throughout this film we discuss topics of feminism, racism, discrimination and what it means to be a Romany woman in the 21st century. A huge thanks to all the women involved and everyone involved in the project so far, this is only the beginning.

You can watch Millie's film: Conversations with Romany Women on YouTube.

Life since graduating

I am working at Warner Brothers Studios in the VFX department, I am also on a scriptwriting scheme for Channel 4's Ackley Bridge. I would love to get into script writing for TV and Film.

Advice for future students

Be influenced by everything around you! you can find inspiration everywhere and Goldsmiths will help you realise this. I come from Romany Gypsy heritage, I would say that if you are from that community that higher education is for you, and you can feel included in educational spaces. Make your voice heard.

Entry requirements

We accept the following qualifications:

A-level: BBB
BTEC: DDM
International Baccalaureate: 33 points overall with Three HL subjects at 655
Access: Pass with 45 Level 3 credits including 30 Distinctions and a number of merits/passes in subject-specific modules
Scottish qualifications: BBBBC (Higher) or BBC (Advanced Higher)
European Baccalaureate: 75%
Irish Leaving Certificate: H2 H2 H2 H2

Additional requirements

You must be able to express a well-informed interest in theatre and performance theory and practice.

International qualifications

We also accept a wide range of international qualifications. Find out more about the qualifications we accept from around the world.

If English isn’t your first language, you will need an IELTS score (or equivalent English language qualification) of 6.0 with a 6.0 in writing and no element lower than 5.5 to study this programme. If you need assistance with your English language, we offer a range of courses that can help prepare you for degree-level study.

Selection process

The Department of Theatre and Performance at Goldsmiths does not offer applicants auditions, although some – but not all – candidates will be invited for interview.

The degree doesn't aim to provide a vocational training in acting and comedy but rather the opportunity to engage in a broad creative and critical study, exploring the possibilities of comedy in a wide historical and cultural context to provide transferable skills for a richly diverse array of career choices. This is why we're not looking for performing skills alone but for a range of intellectual, creative, critical and inquisitive qualities when we select candidates for a place.

 

Alternative qualifications

See our full list of undergraduate entry qualifications.

Fees & funding

To find out more about your fees, please check our undergraduate fees guidance or contact the Fees Office, who can also advise you about how to pay your fees.

Additional costs

In addition to your tuition fees, you'll be responsible for any additional costs associated with your course, such as buying stationery and paying for photocopying. You can find out more about what you need to budget for on our study costs page.

There may also be specific additional costs associated with your programme. This can include things like paying for field trips or specialist materials for your assignments. Please check the programme specification for more information.

Funding opportunities

We offer a wide range of scholarships and bursaries, and our careers service can also offer advice on finding work during your studies. Find out more about funding your studies with us.

Careers

Graduates of this programme have progressed to post-graduate teaching and masters courses, as well as paid work in drama facilitation, journalism, TV scriptwriting, and academia.

Students have also completed work experience with Actors Touring Company, Boundless Theatre, Emergency Exit Arts, Half Moon Young People’s Theatre, Theatre Centre, Theatre Peckham, and Theatre Royal Stratford East.

Find out more about employability at Goldsmiths.

About the department

Goldsmiths Theater and Performance Department Tour

Staff

The following staff teach on this programme:

Facilities

As a student on the BA Drama: Performance, Politics and Society programme, you will have access to dedicated facilities in the Theatre and Performance Department, including the newly refurbished George Wood Theatre and six studios, as well as various workshops and teaching spaces for technical practice.  

Our diverse range of spaces is mostly in the Richard Hoggart Building on Goldsmiths’ campus. Your programme offers you a hands-on experience, allowing you to be trained in lighting, costume, set design, and stage and theatre management.