Birkbeck, University of London has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.
Course summary
Are you drawn to storytelling on stage and screen? When you study this BA Performance and Digital Arts at Birkbeck, you will investigate how performance and screen media practices shape the world, learning from world-leading academics while based in the heart of central London’s vibrant cultural scene. You will explore theatre histories and theories in depth alongside the many ways in which it is possible to tell stories. From the perspectives of spectator and practitioner, you will examine performance and screen media in context and test the intersections between the live and the recorded. Option modules offer you knowledge of other areas of the arts, literature and languages, or the opportunity to produce your own creative work independently and in collaboration with others. Throughout your degree, you will visit the world’s most exciting theatre institutions and analyse live and digital performance. Your final full-length dissertation project examines a topic of your choosing under the guidance of our world-leading theatre and film specialists. If you opt for the Foundation Year route, this will fully prepare you for undergraduate study. It is ideal if you are returning to study after a gap, or if you have not previously studied the relevant subjects, or if you didn't achieve the grades you need for a place on your chosen undergraduate degree. This course has an evening timetable with lectures, seminars and classes taking place in the evening. Highlights
- Our BA Performance and Digital Arts makes full use of the rich context of Birkbeck's position in Bloomsbury, in London's West End, allowing us to engage with guest speakers and practitioners and make analysis of live performance and cinema screenings a central focus.
- Birkbeck is located in the heart of literary London and writers and academics maintain strong links with publishers, broadcasters and the creative industries. You could be studying in a building that was once home to Virginia Woolf and frequented by members of the Bloomsbury Group. The building houses our own creative hub which includes the Peltz Gallery, the Gordon Square Cinema and a theatre and performance space.
- You will be eligible to submit work to the Scratch Night as part of Birkbeck Arts Week, and attend public events and performances curated by Birkbeck Institute of the Moving Image and Birkbeck Centre for Contemporary Theatre.
- Birkbeck was ranked 2nd in the UK for its English Language and Literature research and in the top four for its Art and Design research in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework.
- author
- journalist
- arts administrator
- charity officer
- theatre director
- higher education lecturer.
Modules
For information about course structure and the modules you will be studying, please visit Birkbeck’s online prospectus.
Assessment method
Assessment methods include research essays, research exercises, performance presentations, creative projects, critical reflections on practical work, group presentations, group vivas and individual vivas.
How to apply
29Jan
This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.
Points of entry
The following entry points are available for this course:
- Year 1
International applicants
If English is not your first language or you have not previously studied in English, our usual requirement is the equivalent of an International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic Test) score of 6.5, with not less than 6.0 in each of the sub-tests. We also accept other English language tests.
Entry requirements
Qualification requirements
A level
We welcome applicants without traditional entry qualifications as we base decisions on our own assessment of qualifications, knowledge and previous work experience. We may waive formal entry requirements based on judgement of academic potential. FOUNDATION YEAR DEGREES Our 'with Foundation Year' route is designed to give you extra support as it provides you with an additional year (full-time) or two years (part-time) of supported study. This is an ideal route if you are returning to study after a gap, or if you have not previously studied this subject, or if you did not achieve the grades you need for a place on this degree. Once you successfully complete your Foundation Year studies, you will automatically advance onto the main degree.
Student Outcomes
Operated by the Office for Students
There is no data available for this course. For further information visit the Discover Uni website.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
| England | £7145 | Year 1 |
| Northern Ireland | £7145 | Year 1 |
| Scotland | £7145 | Year 1 |
| Wales | £7145 | Year 1 |
| International | £13545 | Year 1 |
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .
Additional fee information
Students are charged a tuition fee in each year of their course. Tuition fees for students continuing on their course in following years may be subject to annual inflationary increases.
Provider information
Birkbeck, University of London
Malet Street
Bloomsbury
London
WC1E 7HX
Course contact details
Visit our course pageBirkbeck Student Advice Service
0203 907 0700