Curious about studying Performing Arts - BA (Hons)at Leeds Beckett University? We've gathered all the key details—entry requirements, modules, fees, and more. Hear from real students by checking out reviews, or take the next step by booking an open day to explore it for yourself.
Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Leeds Beckett University-City Campus
Full Time
Sep 2026
3 Year
Performance can provoke change, spark conversation, amplify untold stories, and bring people together through unforgettable shared experiences. BA (Hons) Performing Arts is a dynamic, practice-led degree where creativity, collaboration, and experimentation are at the heart of everything you do. You’ll explore what performance means to you while developing the practical, creative, and professional skills needed to thrive in today’s evolving creative industries. Whether you’re passionate about acting, dance, live art, directing, devising, choreography, or writing, you’ll be encouraged to take creative risks, think boldly, and produce work that reflects your artistic identity. As part of this course, you’ll: - Create bold, original performance work through hands-on workshops, rehearsals, live projects, and collaborative production - Develop your creative voice across performance, movement, writing, directing, choreography, and live art - Experiment with contemporary boundary-pushing performance techniques - Learn from practising artists and industry professionals with real-world creative experience - Undertake a professional placement in your second year to gain invaluable industry experience - Showcase your work to artists, producers, programmers, and public audiences at the Leeds School of Arts annual festival From technique classes and collaborative devising to public performances and professional placements, this course prepares you to become a creative, adaptable, and socially engaged practitioner.
Find out moreStudy in Leeds – your creative playground
Leeds is a city powered by creativity, culture, and collaboration. With its vibrant network of independent theatres, dance companies, festivals, galleries, live art events, and grassroots performance spaces, the city becomes an extension of your studio. You’ll be surrounded by opportunities to experience inspiring live work, build professional connections, and become part of an exciting artistic community.
Build industry experienceIn your second year, you’ll step into the professional world through an industry placement designed to expand your experience and creative network. You could work with theatre companies, festivals, arts organisations, or community projects in the UK or abroad. Previous students have completed placements with Company Chameleon in Manchester, BMotion Festival in Italy, and Sheffield-based theatre company Third Angel.
Learn from practising artistsYour tutors are active practitioners working across performance, theatre, dance, live art, and creative production. Their professional experience shapes teaching that’s ambitious, industry-informed, and connected to the realities of today’s arts sector.
Collaborate with creative partnersThrough partnerships with organisations such as Compass Live Art Festival and Yorkshire Dance, you’ll engage with artists and creative professionals shaping contemporary performance practice.
Develop your voice in specialist facilitiesYou’ll rehearse, experiment, and perform in professional-standard facilities designed to support your creative work. This includes specialist studios used by renowned organisations such as Northern Ballet and Yorkshire Dance, alongside dedicated spaces within our £80-million Leeds School of Arts building.
Why study the BA Performing Arts course at Leeds Beckett University?-
Gain real-world industry experiencethrough professional placements and live projects -
Learn from practising artistsand experienced creative professionals -
Take part in masterclasses, workshops, and guest talks from visiting creatives - Collaborate with
leading arts organisations, festivals, and cultural partners- Access
industry-standard performance and rehearsal facilities
Performing Arts 1 is the foundational module for this course. Offering you an introduction to key principles of performing arts training, you'll study areas like dance, movement, theatre, musicianship, and voice. During this highly practical module, you'll explore core techniques that support a range of performing arts practices, including acting, choreography, music, theatre, design, dance theatre, writing, movement, devising and directing. Combining focused training with performance projects, you'll begin to build a solid understanding of performance techniques, gaining the skills to work across different disciplines, styles, media and forms. You'll engage in hands-on, immersive learning that encourages creativity, collaboration and self-expression. All of this will lay the foundations for your journey throughout the rest of the course. Optional modules may also be available for this course.
Performing Arts 2 builds on the skills you gained in Performing Arts 1, pushing you to deepen your training and expand your creative range. This module focuses on adding versatility, complexity and depth to your technical capabilities. You'll continue honing your technique while applying those skills to devising and performing work across a range of disciplines, styles, media and forms. As you progress, you'll become confident, reflective and expressive in your embodied practice, as well as more tuned in to how you connect with your audience. Through collaborative projects and creative challenges, you'll strengthen your understanding of creativity, teamwork, and self-expression, preparing you for more independent, self-directed practice in your second year. Optional modules may also be available for this course.
Examine the dual role of the intelligent performance maker who is able to read performance effectively: both as a spectator (a thinking body) and as a maker of performance (a body that thinks). This module will enable you to develop a questioning and curious approach to performance analysis. Optional modules may also be available for this course.
Your first opportunity to embark on a journey of self/group-determined practical study, you will learn how to creatively pool your practices toward the realisation of a creative performance project. Optional modules may also be available for this course.
Explore key concepts of production design and technical support through practice in studio spaces and technical workshops on this practical module. This module will be delivered in a range of settings that could include workshops focusing on ‘back stage’ competency, design and the use of technical equipment. You'll learn how to safely set up and use key technical equipment in order to facilitate the development and rehearsals of a theatrical event. This module will culminate in the opportunity to take on design and technical roles for another student's project, under the guidance of the your tutors. On completion of this module, you'll have developed the building blocks you'll need to become an independent, creative and intelligent maker in performing arts. Optional modules may also be available for this course.
Embark on a practical exploration of musical theatre. You'll undertake acting, singing and dance technique classes, which are bought together through studying 20th and 21st century musical theatre texts. Throughout the module, you'll be offered approaches that allow you to access a huge variety of genres within musical theatre. Your project will culminate in a cabaret evening, where you'll perform a selection of works you’ve studied during the module. Upon completion, you'll be able to successfully integrate singing, dance and theatre techniques into a series of performances. Optional modules may also be available for this course.
This module will provide the opportunity to pursue an independent research project that engages with the cultural and critical contexts of contemporary performance. Optional modules may also be available for this course.
Create informed, intelligent and independent performance work while building a clear understanding of what it means to be a practitioner. This module introduces practical tools to explore how creative ideas take shape, as well as the administrative and support processes that surround them. You'll work with your tutors to identify and develop an independent, practice-based performance project. This could be a solo piece or part of a collaborative ensemble. Together, we'll define the scope and direction of your creative practice, with your completed work showcased in a festival setting to invited guests, professionals and academics. In addition to presenting your performance, you'll take an active role in preparing and delivering the festival itself. You'll gain practical insight into how practitioners operate in real-world settings – including making and presenting work, engaging participants, promoting and funding work, and navigating both professional and community contexts. The module concludes with a focus on your next steps, so you can begin planning for future employment and creative opportunities. Optional modules may also be available for this course.
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