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The Performer

Six colourful tarot-style cards scattered on dark surface. Centre card shows person in red outfit on teal background, labelled "Performer".

You're the Performer

Woman in red tracksuit sitting on metal suitcase against turquoise background, framed by blue and yellow geometric shapes.

The Performer thrives in front of a crowd.

You see the world as a stage and find dramatic potential in the everyday. No stranger to the spotlight, you know when to blend in and how to stand out.

Your courses

As the Performer, you can discover your potential and find your path to a creative career on one of these courses.

You'll collaborate across disciplines, engage with your course's Industry Patron, and even gain professional experience on an optional placement year.

Film still of a young musician playing the saxophone with a surprised expression.

BA (Hons) Acting

Study Acting at Arts University Bournemouth. Find out about the course, fees, how to apply, and Open Days.

An Arts University Bournemouth student performer kneeling in a dark space with their arms and hands raised.

BA (Hons) Dance, Movement and Creative Practice*

Study Dance, Movement and Creative Practice at Arts University Bournemouth. Find out about the course, fees, how to apply...

Mock-up of promotional posters, featuring the 3D Zoetrope, for AUB Workshops.

Integrated Foundation Year

At Arts University Bournemouth, you’ll have the option to undertake a specialised Foundation year in a subject area you’re interested in...

# 2

Art and design specialist in the country

(The Times Good University Guide and The Guardian University Guide 2026)

92 %

of our graduates are in employment or further education

(Graduate Outcomes Survey 2025)

£ 1.25 M

OfS capital funding invested in Bournemouth Film School

Children and adults on concrete steps and plaza area in front of modern building with glass and brown panels under blue sky.

Come visit us on campus

The best way to experience AUB is to visit us in person. At an Open Day, you'll find out more about our courses; meet current students and course teams; explore our facilities, studios and accommodation; and ask any burning questions.

Discover Open Days
Seven models on catwalk wearing colourful knitwear and patterned garments in reds, blues, greys and whites at fashion show.

Find the creative course for you

We offer more than 30 creative undergraduate degrees spanning art, design, media and performance. Whatever your passion, your background, your career aspirations... we've got the course for you.

Explore our courses
Behind the scenes still of "All My Blues", showing the director guiding a camera operator on set, while an actor sits at the edge of a bar.

Start your application journey

If you've decided to begin your creative journey at AUB, take that next step. We've got plenty of guidance on making a start on your application to help you on your way.

How to apply

Meet the photographer

Ruth Virgo

Ruth Virgo is a final-year BA (Hons) Commercial Photography student at AUB, specialising in portraiture through both fashion and documentary storytelling. Her work explores themes of identity, creative expression and sustainability, with a focus on amplifying underrepresented voices and communities.

Ruth enjoys creating dynamic images on location, often photographing in natural environments across both fashion and documentary contexts. Her interests in textiles, colour and craft traditions lead her to see clothing as more than simply fabric stitched together, but as a form of self-expression that carries personal weight and cultural meaning. Her project Making Spaces, which documented artists in their studios across Dorset and southwest Ireland, led to a university commission to photograph the eight AUB archetypes for the 2026–27 prospectus.

Raised in Southeast Asia and frequently returning to the region, Ruth’s work is informed by cross-cultural experiences and textile heritage. These influences shape her visual storytelling, combining bold colour with thoughtful narratives around culture, identity and connections to nature.

Want to see more of Ruth's work? Visit her website and also on Instagram @ruthvirgophoto.

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