Course summary

Overview With Worcester you’ll train with world-renowned contemporary artists as you explore contemporary circus practice and devise new and innovative performance pieces. Experience performing in a variety of performance venues and festival settings, preparing you for a future in performance, choreography, directing, producing and more. As one of the few Circus Arts and Physical Theatre courses in the country, you’ll have the rare chance to train with professionals from across the globe. This course will provide the opportunity to have aerial training, fitness and conditioning, choreography and direction for both solo and group performance. Through lectures you will discover the history of contemporary circus and develop your business and health and safety knowledge; preparing you for working in the entertainment industry. You’ll be able to specialise in various circus disciplines such as aerial hoop, silk, rope, straps, handstands, acrobatics and contortion, and become confident in safely rigging a show. You will also explore human anatomy and physiology to provide you with injury prevention techniques. Through learning at West Midlands Circus Centre (WMCC) you’ll have access to indoor and outdoor training facilities and multi-discipline equipment, which will be available to book outside of seminars. You’ll also have the opportunity to work with RoguePlay Theatre, a resident theatre company who has worked with Dua Lipa, Beyonce and Disneyland Paris and the Commonwealth games. WMCC also hosts the annual circus & physical theatre festival TILT, where you’ll be taught by and perform alongside industry professionals from across the globe. Worcester is currently one of the few universities to offer this course, and with high employer demand for performers and artists, this specialist course will help you stand out against other theatre and performance students. The transferable skills gained on this course will also provide the experience and qualifications needed for a wide variety of jobs, either within circus artistry and performing arts, producing and directing or teaching the next generation of performers. Why the University of Worcester? The University of Worcester is a campus university, meaning everything you need is on site. We’re based in a vibrant cathedral city just 40 mins south of Birmingham and an hour north of Bristol, and our beautiful green campuses have plenty of parking and quality on-site accommodation. At Worcester, small class sizes, supportive tutors, and professionally focused courses mean you’ll be prepared for your dream career. These are just some of the reasons why we’re first in the UK for both graduate employment and quality education.

• University of the Year finalist in the Times Higher Education Awards 2025.

• First in the UK for sustained employment, further study or both, from any multidisciplinary university – Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) 2017 to 2025.

• First in the UK for quality education – Joint 1st in the Times Higher Education’s University Impact Rankings 2025.