What Our Students Say
“The tutors here, they are really interactive and they’re always there, even outside of lessons whenever you need something, we don’t go around calling everyone Sir or Miss, second names – we use first names for everything and there’s a more relaxed and friendly communication between the tutors and the students.”
Harry
“I’m working really well with my tutors – they’re really supportive and we just have a laugh. It’s like a really nice atmosphere. I think the facilities are really fantastic.”
Dan
“The tutors here, they are really interactive and they’re always there, even outside of lessons whenever you need something, we don’t go around calling everyone Sir or Miss, second names – we use first names for everything and there’s a more relaxed and friendly communication between the tutors and the students.”
Harry
Did you know!
- English and maths will be built into your course if your grades are below 4.
- We provide full-time arts education to over 1,000 students every year, from level 1 through to BA Honours degrees. If you are successful in gaining a place on one of our specialist courses, we will work with you to develop your creative skills and prepare you for the next big step – either to university, drama school, art college or the world of work.
Course Information
Introduction
Let your career take centre stage as you gain professional performance skills and industry experience. You’ll be given the opportunity to develop sector-specific knowledge, technical and practical skills, and will be able to apply these in work-related environments.
You’ll explore various styles and techniques in improvisation, movement and voice, as well as create performance work and collaborate with other disciplines, perform in different spaces throughout the year and execute your final performance in the Chroma-Q Theatre, all of which will prepare you for the working world or progression onto level 3.
You will learn how to:
- Develop acting skills and styles
- Explore professional development needs
- Develop and create a collaborative performance
- Present an audition portfolio
- Apply your skills to a performance
Overview
Video Transcript
Print Download FullscreenInterviewee - Rachel. Student, Acting [course title] (SPEAKING) Music - A soft, uplifting acoustic guitar melody with a soft string accompaniment plays. Scenery - The camera pans across a learner speaking expressively to an off-screen audience with his right hand raised. He wears a black puffer jacket, glasses and has a rich tanned complexion and type 3 brown hair with short sides. The camera flashes to a row of three learners on a dark stage; they wear white Venetian full-face masks. The camera cuts to a learner sitting in a chair on stage. Holding a drink in his left hand, he stands and shouts to a learner next to him before they shakes hands forcefully. The camera cuts to a learner sitting on stage. He wears thick-framed black glasses and looks down in sadness as a learner walks towards him determinedly and stops. The camera cuts to a student with pale, rosy skin, dark blonde, type 2 hair and braces. She sits slightly adjacent to the camera and softly smiles as she speaks. Speaker: Rachel - "I'm Rachel, and I'm studying Acting at Leeds City College..." Scenery - The camera cuts to Rachel performing on stage with a partner. They sit on the floor with their backs against each other and slowly push themselves closer. Rachel leans and turns to her right, peering around her co-actress nervously. They look around each other before standing. The camera cuts back to Rachel, and she speaks with a subtle Yorkshire Accent. Music - The instrumental continues. Speaker: Rachel - "I decided to study at Leeds City College because I liked the equipment and the rooms that they had, and I liked how it was a whole new space. It'd only recently been built, so everything was brand spanking new, and it looked really clean and really nice..." Scenery - The camera cuts to a theatre suite. A group of learners wearing black T-shirts and tops stand apart. In the centre of the group, two learners speak to each other; one tucks her hair behind her ear. The camera cuts to show two learners sitting on the floor cross legged, frozen in a moment of deep conversation. Another two learners come into view; one moves and freezes into a position as if leaning on a counter; the other looks at him disconcertingly. The camera cuts to a close-up of two students rehearsing an argument. To the right, a learner with a fair, warm complexion and short brown hair speaks aggressively with his hand raised, making pointing gestures towards his partner. She has long dark blonde hair, fair skin and points her finger upwards at him while looking indignant. The camera cuts to the same two actors, now performing on stage in costume. With their faces close to each other, she stares into his eyes before walking off in disgust. Music - A gentle kick drum adds to the uplifting instrumental. Speaker: Rachel - "Well, what stood out about this course was the fact that they did loads of different types of acting. It wasn't just natural or screen or theatre- they did every type, and they also looked at scriptwriting, which is something that I'm interested in. So it covered all bases that I was interested in..." Scenery - The camera cuts to a dark stage. In the foreground, a learner wearing a white full-face mask holds up a white sign. A group of learners wearing white face masks kneel in front of her. Four maskless students stand between them looking at an off-screen audience. The camera cuts to a front view of the same group to show the masked learners holding two large signs that read "GUILTY" in black text. The camera cuts to two students sitting cross-legged. To the right, a learner with fair, pink-toned skin and brown hair with a fringe looks fondly at the learner to her right. He has warm olive-tanned skin, a short brown beard and a side-swept fringe. He speaks expressively, looking in the distance as she breaks into a smile. The camera cuts to a learner in a rehearsal suite, performing an intense conversation with a partner while a tutor observes. Music - Toms and hi-hats add vibrance to the instrumental. Speaker: Rachel - "What I've enjoyed the most is definitely the performances and being able to put together so many different pieces from so many different stimuli..." Scenery - The camera pans across a circle of learners facing each other. They lean in as a learner with short brown hair speaks in heated discussion to a learner opposite them. The camera cuts to a close-up of a learner with deep, tanned skin and black hair in a low ponytail. He lifts his head back and, with a pained expression, deeply exhales before looking down. The camera cuts to a group of learners wearing all black and standing in position. A learner wearing a trench coat darts across the middle and kneels, mimicking shooting a machine gun. The learners all shake and convulse while standing, and two slyly smile. A row of learners stand to the side and watch. Music - The uplifting instrumental continues. Speaker: Rachel - "It's... you get to work on so many different things and so many different topics and cover literally everything in chu-such a short amount of time..." Scenery - Cut to a theatre suite with students frozen in scene, focused on a brown-haired student with a warm fair complexion standing as if leaning against a bar. The camera cuts and pans across two learners performing on a pink-lit stage with a large screen behind and text that reads "LOVESTRUCK". A learner with blonde hair speaks while gesturing her hands in a blasé manner to someone off-screen. To her left, a learner looks at her, unimpressed. A third student comes into frame; she has a hand on her hip and smirks. The camera cuts back to Rachel speaking in a pale grey room. There’s a monitor screen in the background. Music - The instrumental continues. A bass guitar joins. Speaker: Rachel - "I mean, I only got here in September, and I've already covered, like, every topic you could probably think of within this little one, and it's... yeah, it's good..." Scenery - Cut to a close-up of a student with a fair complexion and long brown hair partly covering her face. She holds her right hand over her mouth and cries. A learner with a deep, tanned complexion, glasses and long brown hair sits beside her and looks at her in deep concern. To her left, a learner sits while resting her face on her hand, looking behind in disinterest. They then break out of character, lean back and smile together excitedly. The camera cuts to a learner holding her hands to her face. Her fingers and thumbs are pinched and she appears to be deep in explanation. Music - The uplifting instrumental continues. Speaker: Rachel - "So, equipment's great. The studios are brand new, and they're really clean, and they're big, so you don't feel cramped at all. My group's quite big, but we never feel like we're stepping on each other's toes..." Scenery - Cut to a spotlit stage with two learners stood speaking to an off-screen audience. A learner with red hair wears a T-shirt that reads "No.1 fan" and gestures enthusiastically towards her co-actor, who stands beside her in a black suit, holding presenter prompt cards. A large screen behind them shows an image of the suit-wearing learner and reads "The Man who Knows Everything". Two learners stand in front of the screen with their arms crossed, wearing all black and sunglasses like security guards. The camera cuts to the suited learner; he waves his arms as if shooing while a peer is dragged towards the back of the stage by the security duo. The camera cuts to a different angle of the same performance, panning down a row of kneeling learners. A second row stands behind them, and they all wear black clothing and white Venetian face masks Music - The instrumental continues. Speaker: Rachel - "I, erm, I know that a few people have been able to borrow Chromebooks from college. I don't personally because I already have one, but I know that it's really helpful for them to be able to do their work at home. So especially with the current pandemic, it's great because they're not having to be in college all the time. They can do it from home and be safe..." Scenery - The camera pans across a stage performance. Frozen in scene, couples stand in loving positions. In the centre, three learners sit and look serious as another learner walks in front. The camera cuts to a previously described learner with a short brown beard; he stands and talks with deep emotion to an off-screen camera. The camera cuts to a dark blue-lit stage performance. A circle of students reel back then lean forward while pointing at each other in an argument. A learner stands in the middle with arms outspread. The camera cuts back to the performance with "Lovestruck" on a screen. A learner enthusiastically spins an unengaged partner around and dances in glee as three others look on, amused. The camera cuts to a spotlit stage, with a learner sitting on the floor mimicking playing a game. He leaps up and scrambles away as another learner holds his hands out to show something. Music - All instruments drop out except for guitars. Speaker: Rachel - "So, the tutors are great for a number of reasons. They're casual, they don't-you don't feel like you're being forced to do anything that's uncomfortable..." Scenery - Cut to a stage with three learners sitting on a grey sofa. The middle learner condescendingly looks at the learner to her left, who wears glasses and a white T-shirt. A learner approaches them from behind, walking quickly and with determination. The camera cuts to the same performance; the learner in the white T-shirt comforts the middle learner as she cries and looks at a piece of paper. A learner wearing a grey shirt and flat cap approaches the sofa and speaks. The camera cuts back to Rachel. Music - The instrumental continues, joined by a simple kick drum. Speaker: Rachel - "They're not strict, they'll have a laugh with you- if you want to, and the-they know how to get stuff done when they need to if we're on a bit of a time crunch..." Scenery - The camera cuts to a dark stage. A learner wearing a pink apron kneels and sprays a cleaning product on the floor before scrubbing it. The camera zooms out from an audience's perspective, showing the backs of people's heads. The learner wearing the pink apron raises his finger and talks angrily to another. The camera cuts to a student with a fair complexion, wearing a grey shirt and flat cap; he peels a potato and looks wistfully into the distance while speaking. Next to him, a learner with a fair complexion and wearing a polka dot apron looks down and smiles softly before turning to him. The camera cuts to a wider view of the performance; two men talk in a scene to the left and three women sit on a sofa in another scene to the right. Music - The uplifting instrumental returns with added percussion and guitars. Speaker: Rachel - "But they also know how to be-have a bit of fun and not fa-put pressure on you and...they're-they're great. They're always there to give you information if you need it for at-home tasks. And they're always on Google hangouts to message you if you need anything, and they get back to you really quickly... so they're great..." Scenery - The camera cuts to a dark stage. A learner with brown wavy hair and glasses speaks passionately as another stands with his arms on his hips and an indignant expression. The camera cuts to a spotlit stage; a seated learner in a red basketball vest leans back and uses a remote as a learner approaches him with a can. He speaks and raises his hands to make a "two” sign. The camera cuts to a learner in a trenchcoat kicking someone on the floor, as a learner being held by the person in the basketball vest looks on in horror before being thrown to the ground. The camera cuts to a group sitting around a table looking upset, as a learner with a painted black eye speaks to an off-screen audience. The camera cuts to a student crouching and sadly looking into the distance. Three learners stand behind him; one stands to the side, looking upset. Music - The full band, uplifting instrumental returns. Speaker: Rachel - "Well, I have a huge passion for acting as it is, and before, erm, I came to college, I was primarily looking at screen acting, which is a lot more naturalistic, and you don't really get to experiment much with different, like, types of movement and things..." Scenery - The camera cuts to the theatre rehearsal suite and a large group of students. In the centre, three students face each other before turning around with different expressions of joy and one concern. The camera cuts to a previously described learner couple, seated cross-legged on the floor in the middle of students frozen-in-place. The student wearing a hairband, speaks to her partner as he looks into the distance. Music - The instrumental loops and continues. Speaker: Rachel - "But, coming here has allowed me to experiment with movement and sound and loads of different types of theatre, which is amazing..." Scenery - The camera cuts to a brightly-lit rehearsal room focusing on a student with short brown hair, a fair complexion, and a black Adidas track jacket. He looks at the learner to his right, who is out of focus, before pausing and looking down in thought. In the background, four learners observe. The camera cuts to the same two students, now performing on a stage lit with warm spotlights. The previously described student laughs and looks up towards the audience as his partner jabs his shoulder in jest and smiles. Music - The uplifting instrumental continues. Speaker: Rachel - "And, like, if-when you get to show people that, you just feel like, so amazing cos you've come up with this piece that you feel so proud of..." Scenery - The camera cuts to a lively group of students wearing all-black in the theatre suite. They dance and laugh as if in a club. The camera cuts to the same group, now performing on a dark stage lit with red lighting. They joyously move across and around each other as they dance and some clap. The camera cuts back to Rachel as she smiles enthusiastically. Music - All instruments drop out. A single piano plays the melody. Speaker: Rachel - "And it's just great to see on everyone's faces, that they're really happy with your piece." Scenery - A white screen with a red footer has large black text across the centre. The text reads, "Applications are open for September 2021. For more information, visit: www.leedscitycollege.ac.uk. Instagram: @creativeartslcc" Music - The instrumental fades to silence.
Video Transcript
Print Download FullscreenInterviewee – Jayne Exton. Programme Manager, Performing Arts (SPEAKING) / Charlie. Student, Dance [course title] (SPEAKING) / Rachel. Student, Acting [course title] (SPEAKING) / Dan. Student, Level Three Musical Theatre (SPEAKING).
Music – A soft, uplifting acoustic guitar melody with a soft string accompaniment plays.
Scenery – A large group of learners stand, stretch and chat together in the corner of a brightly lit room with rubber flooring. A tutor wearing black leggings with a floral print section runs to the front of the room and gains their attention. The camera cuts to the learners evenly spaced across the room, spinning and turning in synchronicity. They perform a second spin in the opposite direction, with their arms held above their heads. The camera cuts to a trio of learners dancing together in hip-hop/new-style choreography while looking directly at the camera and smiling. They wear black jogging bottoms and cropped T-shirts. The camera cuts to a woman with chin-length, auburn hair in a side parting. She has a fair pink-tinted complexion and wears a grey and silver scarf.
Music – A gentle kick drum adds to the uplifting instrumental.
Speaker: Jayne Exton – “Hi, I’m Jane Exton; I’m a Programme Manager of Performing Arts in the School of Creative Arts at Leeds City College…”
Scenery – The camera cuts to a large rehearsal room, with pairs of students standing in situ, creating a scene. In the middle, a pair of students sit on the floor.
Speaker: Jayne Exton – “On our performing arts courses, we specialise in different pathways in acting, dance and musical theatre…”
Scenery – The camera cuts to the two students sitting cross-legged with their knees to their chests and arms wrapped around them. To the right, a student with fair, rosy-tinted skin and brown hair with a blunt fringe and headband fondly looks at the learner to her right. He has warm olive-tanned skin, a short beard and short brown hair with a long side-swept fringe. He speaks expressively, looking at an off-screen audience. The camera cuts to a dark, red-light stage view. Two learners sit on a sofa in period, gentleman’s costume, as a third learner clambers over to sit in the middle.
Music – The uplifting instrumental continues.
Speaker: Jayne Exton – “We have Level One courses which help to build enthusiasm and social skills. Our Level Two course is a foundation year to prepare for the Level Three, which is equivalent to our A Level standard at College…”
Scenery – As Jane speaks, the camera cuts to a close-up of a stage lit with warm red and orange lights. A line of learners perform in costume, dancing behind a single student with arm and hand-focused choreography. The camera cuts to a brightly-lit dance rehearsal room with a full class. A tutor stands to the front and shouts encouragement as she and the learners high kick on the spot with their arms by their hips. The camera cuts to a dark stage with a deep pink glow. A line of ballet dancers elegantly move their arms between the fifth and first positions. The camera cuts to a close-up of a group of dancers, backlit by bright natural light from a window. They hit clear positions and move from side to side in hip-hop/new-style choreography.
Scenery – The camera cuts to a white, light room. A woman with a pale, rose-toned complexion and light auburn hair sits in front of a mirrored wall and ballet barre.
Speaker: Charlie – “Hi, my name’s Charlie, and I’m studying Dance at Leeds City College…”
Scenery – A bright glare backlights a group of learners who vigorously step and jump together. The camera cuts to a group of learners with their arms extended high above their heads, before sweeping them down and standing tall.
Music – Toms and hi-hats add vibrance to the instrumental. More instruments join.
Speaker: Charlie – “Well, I think if you’re wanting to do Dance at Leeds City College, I think that one of the things you need to remember is that you’re not just focusing on one style. So like, I- I’ve come from, like, a contemporary background, so that’s all I’ve ever done…”
Scenery – The camera cuts to a close-up of Charlie dancing in a group. She sweeps up from a low position, rolls her body forward and continues with her right arm raised at her shoulder.
Speaker: Charlie – “And then I started the year, and I’ve never done Jazz before, I’ve never done Urban before, so I was literally kind of thrown in the deep end…”
Scenery – The camera cuts to a tutor in a dance studio wearing a clear full-face guard, instructing a group of students who stand in a semi-circle in front of her. The tutor has her hands vertically raised above her head, with fists clenched, and the students begin to mimic her. The camera cuts to a high angle showing the top of students’ heads. A sea of hands slowly appears as they raise their arms and outstretch their fingers.
Speaker: Charlie – “But actually, it was a fun experience because, like, everyone’s really supportive. Like the students are really supportive, the teachers are really supportive – like they’ll help you when you need help…”
Scenery – The camera cuts to a group of learners performing urban choreography on a pink-lit stage. They jump and front-kick together, pulling faces with attitude. The camera cuts to the same group of students, wearing different clothing, spinning and pirouetting across a red-lit stage in ballet-style choreography. The camera cuts to the same group of students, now wearing all black, on an orange-lit stage, dancing in a contemporary style. The camera cuts a learner dancing in the centre and others towards the back. She pirouettes in place as four learners stride and plié towards her.
Music – The uplifting instrumental continues.
Speaker: Charlie – “And I think it’s just a good idea to have, like, a broad aspect of all the different styles to make you more kind of diverse. And, like, the more diverse you are, the more work you’re gonna get when you leave.”
Scenery – The camera cuts to a group of learners dancing in a contemporary style, focusing on a dancer with fair, slightly tanned skin wearing a grey vest. He slowly rises from a crouched position and tilts his head upwards and to the right. The camera cuts to a student with pale, rosy skin, dark blonde, type 2 hair and braces. She sits in a grey, light room with a monitor in the background.
Music – The uplifting instrumental continues.
Speaker: Rachel – “I’m Rachel, and I’m studying Acting at Leeds City College…”
Scenery – The camera cuts to three learners performing on stage. A learner sits in the middle on a grey sofa and looks upset as the others speak; she holds a microphone and looks up before speaking.
Speaker: Rachel – “So, the unique selling point to the course is definitely the tutors. The tutors are great, they’re all really kind and comforting, and you never feel embarrassed to do anything…”
Scenery – The camera cuts to a learner performing to the camera, on stage. He has a rich tanned complexion, type 3 brown hair with short sides and wears a black puffer jacket. He gestures his hands and speaks expressively. The camera cuts and pans to the same learner, now practising with a peer while being observed by a tutor. The camera cuts to a theatre rehearsal room filled with students all frozen in frame. In the forefront, a student with short brown hair and a warm fair complexion stands with his arms raised as if pushing against a door. The camera cuts back to Rachel.
Music – The uplifting instrumental continues.
Speaker: Rachel – “And I feel like my confidence has really grown because of the tutors, and how they encourage you to step out your comfort zone and work with different people…”
Scenery – The camera rises from a stage floor to show three costumed learners performing while sitting on a sofa. Two learners comfort the third, who sits in the middle, and another costumed learner approaches and points at them. The camera cuts to two students sitting with their backs against each other on a purple-lit stage floor; they move to look around before swirling around each other to stand.
Music – The original, stripped-back instrumental returns.
Speaker: Rachel – “As well as the classes; they’re quite big classes, so you get to work with loads of different types of people and loads of different types of actors…”
Scenery – The camera cuts to a spotlit stage. Two learners perform so close to each other that their faces almost touch. They appear to have been arguing; the learner on the left storms off with disgust. The camera cuts to a learner sitting and performing on stage. He wears thick-framed black glasses and looks down in sadness. A learner wearing a green shirt approaches him. The camera cuts to a student sitting in a light grey room; he has a fair complexion, light blonde hair and a fine, short beard. He speaks with a Yorkshire Accent.
Speaker: Dan – “Hi, my name’s Dan. I’m studying Level Three Musical Theatre at Leeds City College…”
Scenery – The camera cuts to focus on Dan rehearsing with a group of learners. In sync, they clutch their fists together, wave and then spiral their arms to the side before crouching and turning back to the front with their hands positioned over their mouth. The camera cuts back to Dan.
Speaker: Dan – “So, the average structure of the week is, basically, we just focus on all three disciplines of singing, acting and dancing, and we go into detail about them…”
Scenery – The camera cuts to a stage performance in period costume. A learner stands on a chair while others surround and clamour to reach him while shaking their outstretched hands. The camera cuts to three learners in front of red velvet curtains, turning and dancing next to old-fashioned microphones.
Music – Additional instruments join the uplifting melody.
Speaker: Dan – “Erm, a lot of circuit training, it’s very intense. A lot of warm-ups. I’m, er, currently struggling on my flexibility, but I’m developing that skill, erm, over time…”
Scenery – The camera cuts to a red-lit stage with a projection in the background. A learner performs a cartwheel, spins to the front and turns to stride away. The camera cuts to a learner on stage, passionately performing and singing. The camera cuts to a tutor moving her hands expressively and speaking as she walks through a rehearsal studio of learners standing behind chairs. The camera cuts to the same tutor demonstrating a clasped hand and arm move to the learners. The camera cuts to the tutor, now guiding Dan, as other students watch in the background. She claps her hands together, then raises her arm vertically in demonstration as he focuses intensely and nods. The camera cuts back to Dan as he speaks expressively.
Speaker: Dan – “Erm, and with acting, just looking at focusing on so many different skills like concentration, erm, spatial awareness, eye contact and how, like, subtle things can have such an effect on performances. And we just go into so much detail, and there’s so much knowledge that I’ve acquired over these past few months. I just think it’s incredible.”
Scenery – A white screen with a red footer has large black text across the centre. The text reads, “Applications are open for September 2021. For more information, visit: www.leedscitycollege.ac.uk. Instagram: @creativeartslcc”
Music – The uplifting instrumental fades to silence.
Who is this course for?
Those with an interest in acting who wish to build their skills and confidence in a professional environment with skilled practitioners. You will work alongside similarly motivated students to devise, rehearse and create work that can be shared with an audience. Most of the students who complete this course of study will move on to the Level 3 Acting programme.
Course units/modules
- Skills Development for Performing Arts
- Creative Interpretation
- Audition and Portfolio Process
- Preparing for a Performing Arts Production
- Performing Arts Production
Benefits and skills
Entry requirements
Four GCSEs at grade 3 or equivalent
Available apprenticeships and progression options
Progression may include a level 3 qualification, an apprenticeship or relevant employment
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