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- BA (Hons) Performance*
BA (Hons) Performance*
Now more than ever, the world needs innovative performance makers. BA (Hons) Performance allows you to harness the professional skills and experimental versatility needed for the arts sector.
- Duration: 3 or 4 years full-time
- Placement year: Optional 1 year
- Course code: W711 (UCAS)
- Institution code: A66 (UCAS)
- Duration: 3 or 4 years full-time
- Placement year: Optional 1 year
- Course code: W711 (UCAS)
- Institution code: A66 (UCAS)
Overview
This course will run from September 2026.
A course like no other, on a campus like no other.
Now more than ever, the world needs innovative performance makers. BA (Hons) Performance allows you to harness the professional skills and experimental versatility needed for the arts sector. You’ll find your unique creative identity and be part of a course that's focused on making work, making artists, making change.
* This course is subject to validation.
BA (Hons) Performance course information
Join us and become a creator, performer and change-maker at the forefront of interdisciplinary performance. Your body, your movement, your imagination and your creativity have the power to shape the future of the arts.
From day one, you'll be at the centre of a campus like no other – a playground of possibilities. You’ll be enhancing your skills as you collaborate with other art forms and industry professionals on projects that blur traditional boundaries. You’ll develop a unique performance portfolio, ready to jump into wide range of creative projects. It’s a competitive market, but you’ll be an artist with an edge.
Placement year
All undergraduate courses at AUB offer an optional placement year, to be taken between your second and third years of study.
If you’re unsure about this optional placement, you don’t need to decide now. Once you’re here and studying with us, the course team will discuss the placement options with you, so when the time comes, you can make a decision that’s right for you.
Level 4 (first year)
You’ll begin to explore how to use the body as the primary tool in performance, storytelling and improvisation. You’ll be introduced to interdisciplinary collaboration and begin to develop your skills alongside other artists from a variety of disciplines, including visual arts, design and digital media.
From day one, live performance and making is embedded in the course and you’ll explore creating, producing and performing original works in a variety of settings, from theatres to non-traditional spaces. You’ll have the chance to explore the basics of technical theatre and design, as you develop a strong understanding of the technologies that inform and enhance performance.
Level 5 (second year)
You’ll continue to develop your physical and movement-based skills, exploring interdisciplinary performance, movement direction and choreography. You’ll be supported to explore these via more diverse performance-based projects with additional responsibilities for production and design. Whether it’s with community, education and engagement-based work or via Health and Wellbeing Arts projects. You’ll explore more options for pathways into performance work as you begin to think about your identity and brand as a creative maker.
You’ll be given the chance to develop skills for facilitating workshops and creative experiences for diverse groups, focusing on inclusion and accessibility, highlighting how performance and movement can be used as a tool for empowerment, social change and education.
Level 6 (third year)
The focus of your final year will be on defining your own artistic voice and brand. You’ll be given the freedom to propose final year projects that are as bold and dynamic as you are. By collaborating across disciplines and challenging traditional performance boundaries you can immerse yourself fully in your own vision. You’ll be given the freedom to take control of the entire performance toolkit, from technical aspects, to production, to brand. You’ll be supported to bring your idea to life in a real-world setting to experiment, innovate and re-define what performance can be.
Course gallery
Open Days
Open Days are a great way to get a feel for undergraduate life at AUB. At an Open Day, you'll be able to explore the campus, talk to course teams and discover our industry-standard facilities.
Visit us on:
- 7 December 2024
AUB SHOWCASE
We're proud of our alumni, and rightfully so.
Explore the incredible work of our freshly graduated 'Class of 2024' in our online AUB Showcase.
Browse work by course, student or theme.
Meet the BA (Hons) Performance course team
BA, MA
BA (Hons), PGCHE, MSc (Student), FHEA
Application process
Once you've found the perfect Undergraduate course, you can apply to study via UCAS, including direct entry applications to second and third year.
When applying through UCAS, use the institution code A66 for courses taught at Arts University Bournemouth. For courses based at Bournemouth and Poole College, use code B49. We'll then use your completed UCAS form to make decisions about your application. You can find out more on entry requirements in our apply section.
When you apply to one of our courses, it's important that you help us get a good picture of both you and your work – so you'll need a great personal statement. We want to know more about why you're interested in the course, your key influences, and what you hope to do after your studies.
If you're invited for an interview, many of our courses will ask to see a portfolio of your work so we can get more insight into your ideas and abilities. To help you, we've created guidelines outlining what we expect from your portfolio for each course.
The fee that you pay the Arts University Bournemouth provides the necessary equipment and training for you to complete your course.
You may also choose to buy some items of personal equipment such as a laptop or tablet computer, but this is not required; desktop and laptop computers are available for you to use in common study areas, including a loan system in the Library.
If you decide to undertake an optional placement year, the tuition fee is £1,850. This is subject to inflationary increases based on government policy, and providing you progress through the course in the normal timeframe (no repeat years or breaks in study).
For the majority of our courses, we'll ask you to digitally submit a portfolio as part of the application process.
Portfolios should show examples of your work – both finished and work in progress – that demonstrate your interests and skills. We expect to see around 10 slides/images in your portfolio that shows your identity as an artist.
If we ask for a digital portfolio then we'll give you 30 days to submit it. Sometimes we'll need a portfolio submitted quickly if there's a UCAS set deadline approaching, but if you need more time, just let us know and we'll try to help.
We've created specific portfolio guidelines for each of our courses, you can take a look at these below.
If you've applied to study an online postgraduate (MA) degree, please refer to the AUB Online portfolio guidelines.
This course will require you to attend an in-person audition and/or interview. If you're invited to one, you'll be given at least 10 days notice.
This course will run from September 2026.
Studios and resources
Dance Studios
AUB has three purpose-built dance studios for learning and practice
Palace Court Theatre
The Palace Court Theatre is a 1930s Art Deco theatre building, situated in Bournemouth town centre.
Drawing Studio
Our iconic blue Drawing Studio is used by student from all courses and was designed by alumnus Sir Peter Cook...
Teaching, learning and assessment
The course looks strategically at the needs of the performance industry and offers an authentic understanding of the opportunities available in this sector. By studying performance at AUB, you'll develop the skills and experience you'll need in these areas in order to gain employment.
The course offers regular and sustained contact with and delivery by national and international performers, choreographers, practitioners and producers; all of whom have worked across these professions and related industries.
Experiential learning is a key principle of study throughout the course and your work will reflect the collaborative nature of performance. Throughout this degree, you'll experience both tutor-led learning with specialist teachers and self-directed study. You'll be able to develop an increasing independence and a positive attitude to lifelong learning.
The course objectives are met by deploying a wide variety of teaching and learning methods including rehearsal, ensemble working, workshops, lectures, seminars, group critiques and tutorials. In consultation with the Course Leader, the teaching team is responsible for co-ordinating individual units of study, and for selecting appropriate methods of delivery according to subject matter and student experience.
The delivery methods are informed by the University’s Creative Learning Plan and share the overarching aims:
- To enable each student to realise their potential.
- To develop and support individual learner autonomy.
- To promote the acquisition of transferable/key skills.
- To develop and promote best practice in approaches to teaching, learning and assessment.
- To promote the sharing of good practice across the University, building on best practice both within the University and nationally.
The course uses a variety of assessment methods to test your knowledge and understanding of all aspects of contemporary performance practice:
- Continuous assessment in technique classes
- Live performance work and studio sharings
- Presentations to industry panels
- Choreographic process
- Reflective writing
- Essays
- Intensive Practical Industry Projects
For every unit of your course, we'll inform you of what you're expected to learn; what you have to submit; how your work will be assessed; and the deadline for presenting your work for assessment. This is made available through Unit Information, which is on your course blog.
You'll receive a final mark for each unit in the form of a percentage, which will be recorded on your formal record of achievement (transcript). Each component of assessment is graded using a notched marking scale, whereby only certain marks are used within each grade. The only marks available within any 10-point band are *2, *5 and *8 (e.g. 62, 65, 68). These marks correspond to a low, mid, and high level of achievement within each grade band.
All learning outcomes must be passed to successfully complete the unit.
Career destinations
Graduates of this course will be equipped to pursue a wide range of careers across arts, education and wellbeing sectors.
Possible career paths include:
- Performer
- Interdisciplinary movement artist
- Community arts facilitator or arts educator
- Health and wellbeing practitioner in the creative arts sector
- Movement direction for stage and screen
- Performance designer or production team member
- Socially engaged artist working in community development and outreach programs
