Interview Process - BA Theatre Practice courses

Interview Process - BA Theatre Practice courses

Interviews for the BA (Hons) Theatre Practice courses will predominantly take place in person for those looking to start their course in 2023. Should you require the need to interview online, then we might be able to arrange this. 

If you are selected for an interview for a place on one of the specialist BA (Hons) Theatre Practice courses (Costume ConstructionDesign for PerformanceProduction LightingProp MakingScenic Painting for Stage and ScreenSet Construction for Stage and ScreenStage Management and Technical TheatreLighting Design, and Sound Design and Production), we will email you with an invitation for you to select the most appropriate interview date.

We ask you to submit a digital portfolio (or folder) a week before your interview date containing examples of your work that you feel demonstrates why you are suitable for the course. These do not all have to be linked directly to your chosen specialism. Further suggestions about portfolio content are provided below.

Interview Process - BA Theatre Practice courses accordion

  • Interview Day Structure

    Part 1 - The interview day will start with a welcome presentation about the course, from the programme leader and course teaching staff. It gives you a chance to hear more about how the programme and your chosen course will be delivered over the three years. There will be examples of previous and current student work, a chance to learn about the placement opportunities students have had and where some alumni are now working. It also gives you the opportunity to ask any questions that spring to mind immediately.

    The welcome presentation will be held as a group meeting for all candidates interviewing on the same day as you, so you get a chance to understand what sort of community you will be a part of, at Central. 

    Following the welcome presentation, you will participate in a group ice breaker collaborative activity to get you working together on a mini project. This gives you an opportunity to experience the sort of teaching you will encounter at Central and the approach we bring to collaborative working together.

    You will then be invited on a tour of the building with student ambassadors, giving you a chance to see the facilities and meet the students. Please take this time to ask questions about student life at Central and in London. 

    Part 2 - The final part of the day will be your individual interview:

    • Individual Interview

      invitations@cssd.ac.uk Your interview will be an individual one-to-one meeting, with a tutor from the course you have applied for. If you wish to interview via zoom, we will send you an appropriate link for the interview prior to this taking place.

      Your interview is a two-way conversation, during which we will discuss the items included in your portfolio and more about your passion for the specialist course you have applied for. If you wish to be considered for more than one specialist course within the BA (Hons) Theatre Practice degree, please let the course tutor know after the welcome talk. We encourage you to read up on any of the other BA (Hons) Theatre Practice courses you may be considering prior to the day and to let us know prior to your interview if possible. 

      We want to get to know you better as an individual and for you to understand more about the course and Central as a learning community, preparing you for the professional industry. The tutor will have looked through your portfolio in advance so it will be a bespoke interview, structured around your work and interests. If you have other items not in your portfolio, please be prepared to show them to the tutor, if the opportunity presents itself.

      In addition to discussing items in your portfolio, interview questions will include asking you about:

      • What excites and interests you about working in the performing arts and why;
      • Shows, performances or cultural events you have experienced (whether live, streamed or recorded) and why the significance for you; 
      • What it is that attracts you to the specific course; 
      • What experiences you have had that will help you when undertaking the course (please note, such experiences do not always need to be theatre-related).

      Throughout the interview we will be looking for your potential to:

      • Be a committed and enquiring practitioner within the creative industries;
      • Reflect on and discuss your experiences and view;
      • Develop the knowledge and understanding to succeed in your chosen area;
      • Develop creatively, personally and intellectually;
      • Communicate ideas and collaborate effectively within a group or team;
      • Manage your own work and development.
      • Digital Portfolio Guidelines

        All applicants for our theatre practice courses are required to attend an interview.

        Ahead of the interview we ask you to prepare some examples of your work in a ‘digital portfolio’ form. This should be submitted at latest one week before your interview date.

        The portfolio should contain examples of your work that you feel demonstrate your broad interest in the performing arts and why you are suitable for the course.

        They may include photos, recordings, writing from projects that you have worked on in school or in a theatre setting. They may also be things that you have developed in your own time, work in progress or ideas for future projects. They do not have to be linked directly to your chosen specialism or examples of ‘professional’ experience, but they should help us to get a feeling for your interests and any experience you may have had. Don’t worry if you aren’t currently studying a subject relating to the course you have applied to or aren’t able to be involved in a practical sense.

        The main thing to remember is that we want to find out about your ideas and interest in your chosen specialism. The portfolio can take the form of a PDF, a PowerPoint presentation, or a website. The purpose of this is to give the course team an indication of the skills you already have, your interests, and your ideas for the future and the direction you are hoping to develop in.

        You will then have an opportunity to discuss your work in more detail at the interview. 

        You will also be able to bring a physical portfolio to your interview.

        Further suggestions about portfolio content are provided below.

        A portfolio is a visual, audio or audio-visual collection of some of your best work from school or college, your hobby or workplace. It should not contain everything that you have ever done but be a focussed selection of relevant items. A portfolio will differ depending on the subject you are applying for. A good portfolio will demonstrate a passion for theatre, live performance and the cultural industries and illustrate why you are suitable for the course. 

        The portfolio should give us an idea of your skills and interests and any experience you have had so far.

        Examples of portfolio content might include some of the following depending upon your specialist interest and the experience you have had:

        • Photographs, drawings, sketches, etc., illustrating your process, visual awareness and practical ability;
        • Production notes, photographs of productions and/or production programmes that you have been involved in;
        • Technical drawings of your plans;
        • A list of the shows you have seen, reviews of productions or performances that have excited you (whether seen live or via streaming services) or other writing including course work;
        • Paintings, examples of sewing, use of textiles, small artefacts or models, puppets, technical and/or working drawings;
        • Props lists, setting lists, prompt copies, cue sheets, schedules or any other paperwork that you have produced, or have been given, that has helped you to organise your tasks;
        • Sound recordings;
        • Other ‘off-the-wall’ items that you think somehow relate to your specialist interest;

        Top Tips:

        • We recommend fewer, strong items (with six as a minimum) rather than overfilling a portfolio. 
        • Think of your portfolio as a way of storytelling. One item might have a significant relevance for you for whatever reason. Use it to tell us that story. 
        • You need to organise your portfolio in a logical way, clearly laid out and easy to navigate.
        • We are interested in seeing your process, the stages that you went through to get from the initial idea or brief.
        • If you were collaborating on a project as member of a team then you should draw attention to your own contribution and acknowledge the work of your team members.
        • Not all items in your portfolio need to be finished and polished. If you are midway through a project but feel proud of it, include that too. 
        • Feel free to annotate items in your portfolio to say why you have included them. 
        • We want to know more about you, so choose items that you feel really represent you and your interests in every possible way.

        Read our BA (Hons) Theatre Practice portfolio tips blog

        Once you have booked yourself onto an interview date, you will be invited to share your portfolio with us via a form link. Details of the link will be included in the Eventbrite confirmation email. The portfolio should be submitted as PDF and/or PowerPoint files, no larger than 15mb in total. You can include links to relevant videos that demonstrate your work within your portfolio files(s). Please check that any such links work and can be easily accessed before you submit your portfolio. We will not be able to view any links that require a password.

      • Other Information

        If you are an applicant with a disability and feel that you need support during the interview process, it is important that you contact our Neuro-Inclusion and Disability Service as early as possible. They can be reached at NDS@cssd.ac.uk.

        Finally you will be advised of the result of your interview via the UCAS system at a later date, which could be up to several weeks after the interview to allow us time to assess as many candidates as possible. 

      • International Interviews

        International students will undertake the exact same process as other students. We may schedule interviews for students from particular countries on selected dates. Such dates will be scheduled taking into account time differences and other factors.