Do you want to become an actor? East 15 Acting School offers both bachelor's and master's degrees, all aimed at film and theatre. The school is one of the largest specialised acting schools in the UK with around 650 students. The school consists of 2 campuses, one in Loughton (London) and one in Southend-on-Sea (Essex).
 

East 15 Acting School

In September 2000, East 15 became part of the University of Essex, which means you will receive a university education. Students at East 15 Acting School receive their diplomas from the University of Essex, one of the UK's leading academic institutions, ranked tenth nationally for outstanding research, and with an international reputation for its quality education.

When East 15 merged with the University of Essex, a new and exciting chapter started. The merger of the two institutions has led to a greater focus on the school's facilities. Millions of pounds have been spent in recent years on developing existing buildings and on buying and building new facilities for East 15 in Loughton and Southend-on-sea, including Clifftown Theatre and Studios. This was once a Victorian Gothic church in Southend which has now been converted into a modern workshop and theatre.

East 15 has three facilities in Loughton: Hatfield, Roding House and The Technical Unit. In addition, East 15 often presents its work in theatres and studios throughout London. The studios at Hatfield include Courtyard Studios (six large rehearsal rooms, a radio studio, and a movie theatre), Orchard Studios (which provides three more rehearsal rooms) and dance studios (which provides first-class facilities for jazz and ballet, among others). The radio studio is equipped to record audio plays and to perform 'voice over'. The cinema room is used to display DVDs and VHSs on the big screen and with stereo speakers. The room is used for lectures, guest lecturers, and to show films produced at East 15. In addition to this, there are 14 extra studios available for students.

At Hatfield you will also find the Corbett Theatre. The building is a medieval barn that was dismantled and transported to Hatfield in 1960. Its unusual origins create a special and unique atmosphere. Combined with complete technical facilities, seating 125 people and changing rooms, the theatre is an excellent venue for public productions. Lectures and rehearsals take place here, while the recently expanded Theater Foyet Bar and Cafe provides a social meeting place for students and staff.

Just five minutes from Hatfield is Roding House, a new facility with ten rehearsal rooms, a green room / cafe, and sound studio. The school's extensive costume department is also located here.
 

Specialist areas

The acting school is leading in its field in the UK, and is rightly proud of the facilities it has to offer its students. East 15 can offer unique study opportunities, such as the bachelor's degree Acting and Stage Combat and Physical Theatre, where movement is an important part of the programme. They also offer the master's degree Acting (International), which is a programme specifically aimed at international students.

Over the years, East 15 has graduated many students who have later made great careers in their field. One example is Stephen Daldry, a famous director who debuted with the film Billy Elliot. Another is Janine Duvitski, who has starred in several famous comedies in the UK, as well as films such as About a Boy with Hugh Grant. Another famous film actor who has starred in East 15 is Alan Ford, who has starred with Guy Ritchie in the films Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch. Maybe you're next?
 

Student Accommodation

There are no student housing facilities on the Loughton campus, but you will get help finding housing that is right for you in the nearby area and there is plenty to choose from. It is even possible to stay with a host family, which will be a cheaper option, if this is something you want. On the Southend campus, you have the opportunity to live in new student housing, but you must make sure to apply by the deadline.
 

The History of East 15 Acting School

East 15 Acting School was founded by Margaret Bury and was created based on the work of Joan Littlewood's famous Theatre Workshop, and is one of the few drama schools with such a background. The Theatre Workshop broke new ground, reinterpreted classics for a more modern era, launched new productions from socially engaged writers, and created an ensemble capable of creating new work such as “Oh! What a Lovely War. ” Littlewood created an outstanding ensemble that combined inspiring, improvisational brilliance with method, technique, research, text, analysis and expression of real emotions. Much of Littlewood's approach was based on theories of Stanislavski, and the company inherited the socially engaged spirit of the Unity Theatre movement, which introduced many new voices to British theatre. East 15 Acting School has a special history as the school was started by a theatre group. This one wanted to interpret classic plays in a different way, and used scripts from new authors, who addressed modern themes. Since its inception in 1961, the school has continued this tradition and has become one of the most respected drama schools in the UK.

Over the years, new teaching methods at East 15 have evolved to include approaches based on Michael Chekhov, Rudolp Laban, Jacques Lecoq, Jerzy Grotowski, and other influential individuals. East 15 continues to evolve, with two exciting campuses in Loughton (London) and Southend (Essex), plus a range of innovative and unique bachelor's and master's degrees, many of which are NCDT credited. Students in both bachelor's and master's programmes answer through surveys that they are very satisfied with their experiences at East 15.
 

Loughton and Southend-on-Sea

East 15 thus has two campuses; Loughton and Southend-on-Sea. Loughton is 25 km north of central London and is a short walk from the nearest tube station, Debden. This is where you who want to study BA Acting will be located, as well as those who will take a master's degree. It is a short distance to central London and that way you do not have to be in the middle of the big city, but can also take advantage of what London has to offer. Loughton is just off the Epping Forest, London's largest forest. Here you can enjoy nature both on foot and by bike. It is a popular place for those who like mountain biking or horseback riding. As a student at East 15, you will have the opportunity to present yourself on a stage in London, which is really a good showcase if you want to make your name known in the acting world. Experience from the London stage can do wonders for your further career!

The second campus of East 15 is located in the town of Southend-on-Sea, which has around 150,000 inhabitants. This is traditionally a British resort town and is located on the coast, about an hour from London by train. On this campus you will also find other courses taught by the University of Essex, which means you will not only be surrounded by students belonging to the East 15 Acting School. The Southend campus is at Southend Central train station, with less than an hour's journey to London Liverpool Street and Fenchurch Street. Southend has long and award winning beaches, four museums, three theatres, countless art galleries, seven libraries, over 650 acres of parks and gardens, an amusement park, a water sports centre, bowling alley, leisure centres, pubs, nightclubs, restaurants, and an airport. The university is located on a side street off the main street, so it is very centrally located, about halfway between the train station and the beach. This is a fairly new campus, so if you study here you will have access to modern facilities.
 

DO YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE?

The information on this page has been submitted by the higher education institution itself, and it varies how frequently they update it. If you want to know more, get in touch and one of our student advisors will answer all your questions!

Across the Pond is the official representative for this teaching institution for selected countries around the world which means we can help you apply to their courses and help with all the documents needed to submit an application. We can help answer questions about their courses and the institution itself as they do not necessarily have the capacity to deal with student enquiries from all around the world on a daily basis. This also means that they can ask us questions about your application and we can help explain if they are not familiar with your grades, academic background or the educational system in your home country. They also appreciate that students who apply through Across the Pond get the help they need, not only in terms of submitting the application and supporting documents, but also with everything needed before arrival in the UK, such as student accommodation, visa information, funding information and well as preparing for departure to the UK.