Bristol School of Acting: a success story that continues to thrive

Founded in 2020, Bristol School of Acting is one of the UK’s youngest drama schools – but it has already established itself as an innovative and prestigious institution. Now entering its fifth year of operations, it continues to go from strength to strength.

“This is a challenging time for drama schools, but Bristol School of Acting is thriving,” says head of school and co-artistic director Stuart Wood. “We are achieving impressive results thanks to the quality of our teaching and the care we take of our students.”

Bristol School of Acting offers four programmes: a three-year BA (hons) in Acting for Stage and Screen, a three-year BA (hons) in Acting for Screen, a two-year BA (hons) in Acting and Devised Theatre, and a two-year BA (hons) in Technical Theatre Arts.

“Our degree in Acting for Stage and Screen is unique,” Wood explains. “The default training is still largely based on Stanislavski. We base ours on Michael Chekhov. We think his techniques offer a more imaginative, dynamic and physical approach to acting that chimes with what a lot of people in the industry are looking for at the moment.

“Our Acting for Screen degree is also unique, providing that highly focused training that is already being valued in the industry and a quality that is seeing our graduating films being invited to film festivals,” he adds. “It has been developed by Matthew Humphreys, who set up Pace University’s pioneering programme before joining us here in Bristol.”

Bristol School of Acting’s degree in Acting and Devised Theatre, meanwhile, is delivered in partnership with locally based, internationally acclaimed company the Wardrobe Ensemble, while its degree in Technical Theatre Arts is delivered in partnership with Tobacco Factory Theatres. Both, explains Wood, are accelerated, two-year courses.

“With Technical Theatre Arts there is a national shortage in technical skills,” he says. “It makes sense for students to get skilled up and into the workplace quickly. Plus, completing a degree in two years, rather than three, makes it much more cost-effective, for the student too, which is really important.”

‘Bristol School of Acting provides the training that every drama school should strive to achieve’ – Student Salome Haertel

Teaching at Bristol School of Acting is delivered by an experienced faculty led by Wood and Olivier award-winning director Miranda Cromwell, and the school’s activity is overseen by a board of acclaimed theatre practitioners, including Olivier award-winning playwright John Retallack and BAFTA-winning screen director Philippa Lowthorpe.

Students will find themselves right at the heart of Bristol’s thriving cultural scene, too, learning and working at Tobacco Factory Theatres, Bristol Old Vic and elsewhere.  And, as Bristol School of Acting is relatively small, students will get more individual attention, which helps to engender a family feel around the institution.

“Bristol School of Acting provides the training that every drama school should strive towards achieving,” says Salome Haertel, a second-year student. “You will be pushed and nurtured in ways that bring you to levels in your art that you didn’t even realise you were capable of. The staff are wonderful at pinpointing your needs as an individual and all of the courses go above and beyond to provide the highest quality training.”

“We are really proud of what we have done as a staff team so far at Bristol School of Acting,” adds Wood. “The school has become a real success story.”

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