BA Creative Writing and Film & Theatre

Develop and hone your writing skills, and explore the important relationships between film and theatre, in our BA Creative Writing and Film & Theatre course.

Taught jointly by the Department of English Literature and the Department of Film, Theatre and Television, this multi-faceted course will:

• develop your creative writing in a small-group environment
• explore a variety of literary, dramatic and film texts
• provide practical and theoretical approaches to film and theatre.

Creative writing, film and theatre complement each other perfectly. Developing characters and narratives in your creative writing, and working to improve and refine them, will make you a better writer. This will enhance your ability to create compelling characters and narratives in your filmmaking and theatre work.

94% of students in the Department of English Literature said our teaching staff were good or very good at explaining things (National Student Survey, 2023).

Creative writing

Creative writing allows you to explore your creativity from all angles: creating characters, shaping poems, drawing on your imagination. 

We offer a specially curated group of English literature modules, which are designed to complement your creative writing. You’ll gain knowledge of a variety of literary, dramatic and film texts, from a range of different periods. The course aims to foster your independent thinking, using the close reading and analytical skills that are fundamental to English literature, film and theatre.

We place a strong emphasis on small-group learning within a friendly and supportive environment. Workshops are central to our creative writing community, helping you to form relationships with your peers and feel more confident about your work.

Your learning environment

Modules are taught by practising, published authors who have strong links with professional writing communities. We regularly invite published authors to read from their work and participate in teaching.

We’ll help you develop your creative writing skills in a variety of settings:

• lectures concentrate on specific, practical issues such as how to construct a character or tackle a specific literary form
• seminars involve small group discussions, led by one of the teaching team, with short practical writing exercises
• workshops allow you to explore and develop your writing in small peer groups.

Creative community

The Department of English Literature fosters a creative writing community that is friendly, cohesive and committed. As well as learning from lecturers, you’ll learn from each other by sharing your work in progress.

Outside the classroom, you can share your ideas with the University’s creative writing group, Scribblers, which is run by and for students from across the University.

You will also have the opportunity to publish your work – and gain experience in editing and publishing – by participating in our online creative magazine.

Film and theatre

Your film and theatre modules will allow you to explore your passion for both mediums. You’ll also have the opportunity to study modules in television.

During your studies, you will:

• examine critical approaches to film, theatre and television
• have the opportunity to develop your practical and technical skills
• discover how theatre, film and television have been affected by different social and historical contexts.

You’ll be introduced to film and theatre from across the world and study narrative traditions from both theoretical and practical perspectives. This will enable you to understand how theoretical ideas are applied to, and have an impact on, the creative process. You’ll watch, interpret and debate a wide range of film, theatre and television.

You’ll have the opportunity to undertake selected group-based practical work, which will help you develop your creativity, storytelling and practical skills, and you’ll learn in the dynamic, fully-equipped spaces of Minghella Studios.

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.

Placements with BA Creative Writing and Film & Theatre

Our innovative placement scheme gives you the chance to undertake an academic placement in commerce, industry or the arts.

Study abroad

In your second year, you can spend a semester studying abroad at one of our partner institutions in the USA, Canada, Australia, or countries across Europe. To find out more, visit our Study Abroad site.