The Actors’ Workshop Part-Time Advanced Foundation Course
Do you want to maximise your chances of getting into drama school?
If you are an MA candidate, have already done a Cert HE or cannot access student funding for any other reason, The Actors’ Workshop Bristol’s part-time Advanced Foundation Course offers streamlined training to take your work to the next level, whilst allowing you to work alongside it.
Our extraordinary track record (90% of students are offered places on BA/MA courses at accredited conservatoires every year)
was built on part-time training….
AUDITIONS FOR 2026-27 are OPEN
Apply below!
Our incredible team of experienced industry experts will give you the professional training you need, advise on the right portfolio of auditions for YOU, connect you with our extensive alumni network - and most importantly, help you develop your own unique voice as an artist.
With a curriculum that is rigorous, streamlined and flexible, we are completely focused on helping you to build your future.
You will receive 6 hours of focused training per week,
plus free access to our industry masterclasses and short courses
Why Drama School?
Although it is possible to get into the profession as an actor without going to drama school, in today’s saturated industry it is extremely difficult: most of the time you just won’t get through the door – for jobs or representation – unless you have accredited professional training.
UK drama school training is world-renowned and extremely competitive: with odds of around 5000:1 for every place, you need high level skills, thorough professional preparation in your craft and an insider’s understanding of the audition system to succeed.
Whether you took a gap year, auditioned unsuccessfully for drama school before, are just finishing your BA at university or are planning to change careers and train as an actor, The Actors’ Workshop guides you through the whole process – from choosing the right drama schools all the way to the final recall. We have a proven record of excellence: every year more than 80% of our students are offered BA/MA places at top drama schools.
As experienced, highly-trained working actors/singers/dancers ourselves, all our tutors understand the changing demands of the profession and know what the colleges are looking for from year to year. We are dedicated to helping you acquire the skills you need to achieve your personal best.
Image © Vanessa Dennett Photography
Why Train With Us?
Top Professional Training from Industry Insiders.
Our unique ten-month Foundation Course is rigorous, demanding and joyful! It’s training for the profession, by the profession. Unlike most other courses, it’s not about getting a qualification, it’s about developing YOUR potential and teaching you the key skills YOU need to continue your creative journey at drama school and beyond.
We Beat the Odds
Year after year, 90% of our part-time foundation students are offered places on BA/MA courses at accredited UK conservatoires. Yep, that’s 90%
It’s Part-time, So You Can Work as Well
With 6 hours per week of core training, plus free access to all our industry masterclasses and short courses, you can work part-time alongside the course.
Scholarships and Bursaries
At The Actors’ Workshop Bristol, we believe that everyone with the talent and drive should have the chance to achieve their dreams. Fees are as low as possible; scholarships and bursaries are available where needed.
An Individual, Responsive Curriculum
One size does not fit all! Our flexible and responsive curriculum, with a focus on small groups and individual mentoring maximises your chances of success.
Masterclasses and Short Courses
Students get free access to our Industry-led workshops and short courses - on everything from Commedia dell’Arte to screen acting, Shakespeare to solo performance – that run throughout the academic year. These extend your skills and help you start to build your professional networks.
Performance Opportunities
The course ends in a Theatre-In-Education tour to local primary schools, giving you valuable experience and a professional credit.
“The Actors Workshop has ignited a fire in me that I don’t think will ever burn out. The staff will go to the ends of the earth to ensure that every single person in the class is challenged, motivated and nurtured, giving them a real shot at being successful in their drama school auditions.”
— Lucy Buncombe - BA Acting at Mountview
Fees for our Foundation Course are kept as low as possible in order to make the training accessible.
We are committed to training those with the talent, commitment and work ethic needed to succeed,
regardless of financial circumstances.
*If you are accepted onto any of our courses but demonstrably lack the means to pay full fees,
we will always help you by offering a full or partial scholarship or bursary. *
Minimum age
18 +
Academic requirements
None
Course length
One academic year: September - June.
Course Hours
6 hours per week minimum, plus free masterclasses and short courses. Course hours 6.30-9.30pm two evenings per week.
Tuition Fees for academic year 2026-27
£3,000 (Tuition fees are payable in monthly instalments of £300)
Applications
Applications for 2026-27 are now open.
Admission process
Application and audition/interview
“I just wanted to say thank you. I wouldn’t be here without your support and training.”
“Thankfully, I found The Actors’ Workshop! I was able to get guidance, advice, support and care from their wonderful tutors, all of whom have been to drama school and know the process inside out.”
“The Actor’s Workshop has completely transformed my performance skills in such a short period of time.”
Preparing for Drama School Auditions
We believe that preparing you for drama school auditions should be a key component of your training. We support our students all the way through this process, from choosing the right monologues and the most appropriate portfolio of colleges right through to final recall. We specialise in individual mentoring, empowering you to make good choices and own your personal creative decisions.
Preparing for Auditions Includes:
Speeches
Finding the right speeches can be daunting. We know which ones are overdone, how to negotiate the college lists and how to pick the right ones for you. Our extensive library of modern plays and our detailed knowledge of Shakespeare and his contemporaries are excellent resources
Songs
For acting, you may need an unaccompanied song; for musical theatre, you will need to focus equally on your songs and your speeches. Expert and appropriate vocal coaching (Estill-based) is one of our great strengths. We will teach you how to avoid the clichés and perform a song that is as technically accomplished and truthful as your speeches.
Movement/Voice
Our actor movement (Elements, Laban, Lecoq, Feldenkreis) ensures that you have understanding and control – freeing you to express yourself with fluidity and imagination.
Voice work enables you to translate the work of your imagination into compelling, interesting and audible speech. You will gain a thorough technical grounding so that you can speak safely and with ease.
Screen Acting and Self-Taping
With almost all the first round auditions now online, we give you in-depth training in how to present yourself and your work in the best possible way in self-tapes and Zoom auditions.
Theatre-In-Education Tour
The Course runs from September to June and culminates in a Theatre-In-Education project at local primary schools. Professionally directed and fully staged, this gives you valuable experience and a professional credit.
Further Skills
From audition and interview technique to devised pieces and theatre reviews, we are there to prepare you, helping you understand what works and why. Our extensive alumni network (we have ex-students in practically every accredited drama school in the country) is also available to you for advice and support.
More Info:
Course Schedule: Although the course is designed to allow you to work part-time alongside your training, it is extremely rigorous. You will have to commit to at least six teaching hours per week; most of our students do more than this. On top of this, you will be expected to engage in significant independent study – researching and watching plays/characters/situations, practising voice, singing and movement exercises, working on monologues & songs etc.
Entry Requirements: You must be completely fluent in English to apply for this course. As well as students from all over the UK, we welcome applicants from overseas (recent alumni have hailed from the USA, Australia, South Africa, France, Italy, Romania and The Netherlands) but you must have legal residency in the UK before you apply.
From September 2026 all in-person classes will be held at BSA STUDIOS in Central Bristol.
Fees and Funding: Tuition fees for the academic year 2026-27 are £3000, payable in ten monthly instalments of £300. There is no UK government funding available for this course. If you're thinking of applying, you will therefore need to be self-financing. We have kept fees as low as possible to encourage inclusion and diversity and always help those with the talent and drive who cannot otherwise afford to train with us. All bursaries and scholarships are awarded at the discretion of The Actors’ Workshop and are based on both potential and financial need.
Assessment: There is no formal assessment on this course: your achievement will be measured by your success in gaining a place on a BA/MA course at a UK drama school. Each year, around 90% of students go on to train at degree level at prestigious conservatoires. Although this course is non-accredited, you will, however, receive ongoing verbal assessments, feedback and mentoring throughout the course, so that you can track your progression through the training.
Tutors: All tutors at The Actors Workshops are experienced, active industry professionals. Many also teach on BA/MA Acting courses at conservatoires up and down the country.
Academic Support, Health and Wellbeing: We strive to provide appropriate academic support for learners with dyslexia, dyspraxia or other learning challenges, so that they can access all course materials and activities fully. We underpin all our work with an emphasis on mental health – both through our hugely popular Stress Management classes and on an individual basis.
Auditions: Entry to The Actors’ Workshop Foundation Course is strictly via audition and interview.
We do not charge audition fees.