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BA FILM & THEATRE

  • UCAS code
    W480
  • Typical offer
    BBB
  • Year of entry
    2021
  • Course duration
     3 years
  • Year of entry
    2021
  • Course duration
     3 years
View all

COVID-19 update


Find out about how we'll be delivering our courses in 2020.

Study BA Film and Theatre and pursue your passion for film and theatre in a course that combines critical approaches and the opportunity to create films and performances.

Drawing from the same varied and creative options offered on BA Film and BA Theatre, this course allows you to combine your study of theatre and film, and includes the opportunity to engage with television, enabling you to specialise in line with your developing expertise and interests. You will experience all three mediums through practice, and be given a variety of opportunities to collaborate in the production of films, television programmes or theatre performances. You will also have the option of following a critical-only route.

Your first year will introduce you to the breadth of film and theatre, giving you a grounding in the histories and critical frameworks that inform each medium. You will begin to develop a range of academic and practical skills (for both film and theatre) that will prove invaluable throughout the degree and beyond.

For example, you will have the opportunity to watch, interpret and debate a wide range of film and television, including documentary, Soviet cinema and the work of Alfred Hitchcock. You will also explore a variety of 'channels of communication', and be introduced to work across Chinese, Greek, Shakespearean and Noh theatre. We provide you with a thorough understanding of theatre conventions in order that your own experiments can have an even stronger impact. Throughout your first-year practical work, you will explore how theatre, film and television have been effected by different social and historical contexts, developing your responses to this in group-based projects.

The second year of the degree will examine work within and beyond classical and conventional narrative traditions from both theoretical and practical perspectives. This enables you to understand the application of theory and how it impacts the creative process. Optional modules allow you to investigate a variety of areas in detail, from nationhood and identity in performance to genre and authorship in Hollywood – as well as avant-garde, political and radical work from across the worlds of theatre and film. Throughout this you will engage with group-based practical work in either theatre or film/television, which develops your ability to creatively respond to different movements, practitioners and historical periods, and allows you to develop your own storytelling and practical skills.

The final year presents you with the choice to diversify your focus or further develop your knowledge in your chosen specialism. These modules are based around our academics’ current world-leading research and are all discussion-based, allowing you to rigorously engage with cutting-edge thought. Your practical work across the degree now culminates in either a collaborative 10-minute film, a 40-minute theatre piece or a written dissertation.

This degree is designed with the interaction between theory and practical work at its core, giving you plenty of opportunities to develop both your critical and technical skills. You will be based in Minghella Studios, a purpose-built study environment that reflects the way in which we think about and teach film, theatre and television. Your practical work allows you to try out different production roles and develop a range of skills and techniques while also developing a strong academic knowledge of their histories and meanings.

A key benefit of studying at Reading is our close proximity to London – undoubtedly the UK’s premier hub for all things film and theatre. You will have numerous opportunities to visit theatres and see performances as part of your degree; London is only 30 minutes away by train, meaning it’s easy to see a show or visit one of its many independent cinemas in your own time. Please be aware theatre tickets and travel are additional costs for any theatre module and you should plan accordingly.

For more information, please visit the Film, Theatre & Television Department website.

Overview

Drawing from the same varied and creative options offered on BA Film and BA Theatre, this course allows you to combine your study of theatre and film, and includes the opportunity to engage with television, enabling you to specialise in line with your developing expertise and interests. You will experience all three mediums through practice, and be given a variety of opportunities to collaborate in the production of films, television programmes or theatre performances. You will also have the option of following a critical-only route.

Your first year will introduce you to the breadth of film and theatre, giving you a grounding in the histories and critical frameworks that inform each medium. You will begin to develop a range of academic and practical skills (for both film and theatre) that will prove invaluable throughout the degree and beyond.

For example, you will have the opportunity to watch, interpret and debate a wide range of film and television, including documentary, Soviet cinema and the work of Alfred Hitchcock. You will also explore a variety of 'channels of communication', and be introduced to work across Chinese, Greek, Shakespearean and Noh theatre. We provide you with a thorough understanding of theatre conventions in order that your own experiments can have an even stronger impact. Throughout your first-year practical work, you will explore how theatre, film and television have been effected by different social and historical contexts, developing your responses to this in group-based projects.

The second year of the degree will examine work within and beyond classical and conventional narrative traditions from both theoretical and practical perspectives. This enables you to understand the application of theory and how it impacts the creative process. Optional modules allow you to investigate a variety of areas in detail, from nationhood and identity in performance to genre and authorship in Hollywood – as well as avant-garde, political and radical work from across the worlds of theatre and film. Throughout this you will engage with group-based practical work in either theatre or film/television, which develops your ability to creatively respond to different movements, practitioners and historical periods, and allows you to develop your own storytelling and practical skills.

The final year presents you with the choice to diversify your focus or further develop your knowledge in your chosen specialism. These modules are based around our academics’ current world-leading research and are all discussion-based, allowing you to rigorously engage with cutting-edge thought. Your practical work across the degree now culminates in either a collaborative 10-minute film, a 40-minute theatre piece or a written dissertation.

This degree is designed with the interaction between theory and practical work at its core, giving you plenty of opportunities to develop both your critical and technical skills. You will be based in Minghella Studios, a purpose-built study environment that reflects the way in which we think about and teach film, theatre and television. Your practical work allows you to try out different production roles and develop a range of skills and techniques while also developing a strong academic knowledge of their histories and meanings.

A key benefit of studying at Reading is our close proximity to London – undoubtedly the UK’s premier hub for all things film and theatre. You will have numerous opportunities to visit theatres and see performances as part of your degree; London is only 30 minutes away by train, meaning it’s easy to see a show or visit one of its many independent cinemas in your own time. Please be aware theatre tickets and travel are additional costs for any theatre module and you should plan accordingly.

For more information, please visit the Film, Theatre & Television Department website.

Entry requirements A Level BBB | IB 30 points overall

Select Reading as your firm choice on UCAS and we will guarantee you a place if you achieve one grade lower than the published offer.

Typical offer

BBB

All suitable applicants will be interviewed.

International Baccalaureate

30 points overall

Extended Project Qualification

In recognition of the excellent preparation that the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) provides to students for University study, we can now include achievement in the EPQ as part of a formal offer.

BTEC Extended Diploma

DDM

English language requirements

IELTS 6.5, with no component below 5.5

For information on other English language qualifications, please visit our international student pages.

Alternative entry requirements for International and EU students

For country specific entry requirements look at entry requirements by country.

Pre-sessional English language programme

If you need to improve your English language score you can take a pre-sessional English course prior to entry onto your degree.

  • Find out the English language requirements for our courses and our pre-sessional English programme

Structure

  • Year 1
  • Year 2
  • Year 3

Core modules include:

  • Introduction to Filmmaking
  • Devising Performance: Politics and Citizenship
  • Approaches to Film
  • Analysing Theatre and Performance
  • Approaches to Television

Optional modules include:

  • English for Arts and Communication Design

Please note that all modules are subject to change.

Core modules include:

  • EITHER Screen Production Roles and Creative Screen Practice OR Community and Collaborative Practice
  • EITHER Film Forms and Cultures OR Identity, Performance and Culture Placements and Employment Skills.

Optional modules include:

  • EITHER Fim Forms and Cultures OR Identity, Performance and Culture
  • Screen Storytelling and Criticism 
  • Performance Skill: Acting and Directing
  • Television and Contemporary Culture Identity, Performance and Culture B

Please note that all modules are subject to change.

Core module

Advanced Filmmaking project/Ensemble Performance OR Creative Research Project

Choose from a range of optional modues which vary in response to developments in film, television and theatre research, and student demand. Some include elements of practical work. Recent examples have included: 

Optional modules

Choose from a range of optional modules, which vary in response to developments in theatre, film and television research, and student demand. Some include elements of practical work. Recent examples have included:

  • Children's Television
  • World Cinemas
  • Identity, Agency, Adovocacy
  • Performing Ecology
  • Videographic Criticism
  • Cinema, Spectacle and Technology
  • Representing Conflict on Stage and Screen
  • Theatres of Crisis
  • Placements and Employment Skills

Fees

New UK/Republic of Ireland students: £9,250* per year

New international students: £17,320 per year

* UK/Republic of Ireland fee changes

UK/Republic of Ireland undergraduate tuition fees are regulated by the UK government. These fees are subject to parliamentary approval and any decision on raising the tuition fees cap for new UK students would require the formal approval of both Houses of Parliament before it becomes law.

EU student fees

With effect from 1 August 2021, new EU students will pay international tuition fees. For exceptions, please read the UK government’s guidance for EU students.

Additional costs

Some courses will require additional payments for field trips and extra resources. You will also need to budget for your accommodation and living costs. See our information on living costs for more details.

Financial support for your studies

You may be eligible for a scholarship or bursary to help pay for your study. Students from the UK may also be eligible for a student loan to help cover these costs. See our fees and funding information for more information on what's available.

* UK and EU Fee Changes

Subject to the Government passing legislation to raise the minimum fee cap, we will raise undergraduate tuition fees from £9,000 to £9,250 for new UK/EU students applying to start courses in the 2017/18 academic year. You will not be affected by this rise if you have deferred entry to the 2017/18 academic year. The Government will confirm future arrangements for EU students in due course.

The tuition fee will remain £9,000 per year for the full duration of this course if you start in the 2016/17 academic year or have accepted an offer but deferred your entry until the 2017/18 academic year. This is unlike other institutions who are planning to raise fees midway through courses.

For further information, please see our webpage on the Teaching Excellence Framework and future tuition fees.

Additional costs

These course fees cover the cost of your tuition. Some courses will require additional payments for field trips and extra resources. You will also need to budget for your accommodation and living costs. See our information on living costs for more details.

Financial support for your studies

You may be eligible for a scholarship or bursary to help pay for your study. Students from the UK and other EU countries may also be eligible for a student loan to help cover these costs. See our fees and funding information for more information on what's available.

Careers

97% of our graduates are in work or further study within 15 months of the end of their course [1].

Our flexible degrees are designed to develop the confidence and skills valued by both creative and commercial industries, providing you with a diverse range of career opportunities following graduation.

Our degrees are designed to develop the skills valued by both creative and commercial industries, providing you with a wide range of career opportunities following graduation.

Careers learning, an emphasis on professional skills, and work-based modules are built into the course to prepare you for your future career.

Many of our alumni work in the creative industries and their roles include the following:

  • theatre directors
  • actors
  • playwrights
  • film producers and directors
  • visual FX experts
  • cinematographers
  • television producers
  • critics

Graduates also go on to work in:

  • commercial marketing and media
  • advertising
  • journalism
  • teaching

[1] Graduate Outcomes Survey 2017/18; First Degree responders from Film, Theatre & Television.

Contextual offers


We make contextual offers for all our courses.

Take the next step


How to apply

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    Full Time: 4 Years
  • BA Art and Film WW60
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  • BA English Literature and Film QW36
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  • BA English Literature and Theatre QW35
    Full Time: 3 Years
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CHOOSE A SUBJECT
2020
2021
Undergraduates
Postgraduates
Undergraduates
Postgraduates

Subjects A-B

  • Agriculture
  • Ancient History
  • Animal Science
  • Anthropology
  • Archaeology
  • Architectural Engineering
  • Architecture
  • Art
  • Biological Sciences
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Biomedical Sciences
  • Building and Surveying
  • Business and Management, Accounting and Finance

Subjects C-E

  • Chemistry
  • Classics and Classical Studies
  • Climate Science
  • Computer Science
  • Construction Management
  • Consumer Behaviour and Marketing
  • Creative Writing
  • Drama
  • Ecology
  • Economics
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • English Language and Applied Linguistics
  • English Literature
  • Environment

Subjects F-G

  • Film & Television
  • Food and Nutritional Sciences
  • Foundation programmes
  • French
  • Geography
  • German
  • Graphic Communication and Design

Subjects H-M

  • Healthcare
  • History
  • International Development
  • International Foundation Programme (IFP)
  • International Relations
  • Italian
  • Languages and Cultures
  • Law
  • Linguistics
  • Marketing
  • Mathematics
  • Medical Sciences
  • Meteorology and Climate
  • Museum Studies

Subjects N-T

  • Nutrition
  • Pharmacology
  • Pharmacy
  • Philosophy
  • Physician Associate Studies
  • Politics and International Relations
  • Psychology
  • Real Estate and Planning
  • Spanish
  • Speech and Language Therapy
  • Surveying and Construction
  • Teaching
  • Theatre

Subjects U-Z

  • Wildlife Conservation
  • Zoology

Subjects A-C

  • Agriculture
  • Ancient History
  • Animal Sciences
  • Archaeology
  • Architecture
  • Art
  • Biological Sciences
  • Biomedical Sciences
  • Business (Post-Experience)
  • Business and Management (Pre-Experience)
  • Chemistry
  • Classics and Ancient History
  • Climate Science
  • Computer Science
  • Construction Management and Engineering
  • Consumer Behaviour
  • Creative Enterprise

Subjects D-G

  • Data Science
  • Economics
  • Education
  • Energy and Environmental Engineering
  • Engineering
  • English Language and Applied Linguistics
  • English Literature
  • Environmental Science
  • Film, Theatre and Television
  • Finance
  • Food and Nutritional Sciences
  • Geography and Environmental Science
  • Graphic Design

Subjects H-P

  • Healthcare
  • History
  • Information Management and Digital Business
  • Information Technology
  • International Development and Applied Economics
  • Languages and Cultures
  • Law
  • Linguistics
  • Management
  • Medieval History
  • Meteorology and Climate
  • Microbiology
  • Nutritional Sciences
  • Pharmacy
  • Philosophy
  • Physician Associate
  • Politics and International Relations
  • Project Management
  • Psychology
  • Public Policy

Subjects Q-Z

  • Real Estate and Planning
  • Social Policy
  • Speech and Language Therapy
  • Strategic Studies
  • Teaching
  • Theatre
  • Typography and Graphic Communication
  • War and Peace Studies
  • Zoology

Subjects A-B

  • Agriculture
  • Ancient History
  • Animal Science
  • Anthropology
  • Archaeology
  • Architectural Engineering
  • Architecture
  • Art
  • Biological Sciences
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Biomedical Sciences
  • Building and Surveying
  • Business and Management, Accounting and Finance

Subjects C-E

  • Chemistry
  • Classics and Classical Studies
  • Climate Science
  • Computer Science
  • Construction Management
  • Consumer Behaviour and Marketing
  • Creative Writing
  • Drama
  • Ecology
  • Economics
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • English Language and Applied Linguistics
  • English Literature
  • Environment

Subjects F-G

  • Film & Television
  • Food and Nutritional Sciences
  • Foundation programmes
  • French
  • Geography
  • German
  • Graphic Communication and Design

Subjects H-M

  • Healthcare
  • History
  • International Development
  • International Foundation Programme (IFP)
  • International Relations
  • Italian
  • Languages and Cultures
  • Law
  • Linguistics
  • Marketing
  • Mathematics
  • Medical Sciences
  • Meteorology and Climate
  • Museum Studies

Subjects N-T

  • Nutrition
  • Pharmacology
  • Pharmacy
  • Philosophy
  • Physician Associate Studies
  • Politics and International Relations
  • Psychology
  • Real Estate and Planning
  • Spanish
  • Speech and Language Therapy
  • Surveying and Construction
  • Teaching
  • Theatre

Subjects U-Z

  • Wildlife Conservation
  • Zoology

Subjects A-C

  • Agriculture
  • Ancient History
  • Animal Sciences
  • Archaeology
  • Architecture
  • Art
  • Biological Sciences
  • Biomedical Sciences
  • Business (Post-Experience)
  • Business and Management (Pre-Experience)
  • Chemistry
  • Classics and Ancient History
  • Climate Science
  • Computer Science
  • Construction Management and Engineering
  • Consumer Behaviour
  • Creative Enterprise

Subjects D-G

  • Data Science
  • Economics
  • Education
  • Energy and Environmental Engineering
  • Engineering
  • English Language and Applied Linguistics
  • English Literature
  • Environmental Science
  • Film, Theatre and Television
  • Finance
  • Food and Nutritional Sciences
  • Geography and Environmental Science
  • Graphic Design

Subjects H-P

  • Healthcare
  • History
  • Information Management and Digital Business
  • Information Technology
  • International Development and Applied Economics
  • Languages and Cultures
  • Law
  • Linguistics
  • Management
  • Medieval History
  • Meteorology and Climate
  • Microbiology
  • Nutritional Sciences
  • Pharmacy
  • Philosophy
  • Physician Associate
  • Politics and International Relations
  • Project Management
  • Psychology
  • Public Policy

Subjects Q-Z

  • Real Estate and Planning
  • Social Policy
  • Speech and Language Therapy
  • Strategic Studies
  • Teaching
  • Theatre
  • Typography and Graphic Communication
  • War and Peace Studies
  • Zoology

Ready for more?

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