The historic drama school counts major stars including Gene Wilder and Oliver Coleman among its alumni
Bristol Old Vic Theatre School has relaunched a range of courses just 12 months after it ended undergraduate training due to funding issues.
The historic drama institution, whose alumni includes stars such as Olivia Coleman, Helen Baxendale and Jeremy Irons, paused applications to its three-year BA Professional Acting course a year ago.
The school has now announced a new suite of Acting Foundation Courses designed for aspiring actors who are seeking a pathway into professional training.
Bristol Old Vic Theatre School said the launch of the new two-term and three-term courses, alongside its 10-week intensive summer foundation, marked “an important step” towards its long-term future ambitions.
School principal Stuart Harvey said: “A year ago we made some very difficult decisions, which ricocheted around the drama school community and echoed far beyond.
“This was based on our financial stability and the vulnerability of the Higher Education sector and the funding model we have to deliver against.
“Like many Higher Education institutions we are not out of choppy waters yet, but we’re doing everything we can to build a route to a stable and positive future for our school. The new Acting Foundation courses are the first step in that roadmap, and we’re very excited to be launching them now.”
Mr Harvey said it was the school’s “aspiration” to make the foundation of professional training “as accessible and beneficial as possible”.
The school has scrapped audition fees for these courses and says it is working towards a target of 50% of all places on the two-term and three-term courses having 50% bursary funding for the student’s fees.
Jonathan Grosberg, foundation course leader, said: “This course is the perfect preparation for students wishing to go on to study further at drama school or university, or as a stand alone programme that equips them with the tools needed to begin their journey in the creative industries.”
Applications close on March 26 for a start date of September this year.
Mr Harvey added: “To be able to share this news, exactly one year after we revealed we wouldn’t be recruiting for undergraduate courses, and begin this brand-new chapter is amazing. It is a testament to our growth and the fact that Bristol Old Vic Theatre School is moving forward with energy and purpose.”
