Drama

Actor Training Academy

The Actor Training Academy (ATA)

Are you seriously interested in becoming a professional actor? If so, the Actor Training Academy is for you.

The Academy will stretch and challenge you, allowing you the opportunity to decide whether you want a professional career and if so, helping you take the first steps to make that dream come true.

Sessions involve workshops focusing on developing you as an individual professional; you will also have numerous opportunities from various drama schools, as well as in depth work on specific acting techniques relating to the preparation of a professional standard audition. Professional standards of practice and industry etiquette are adopted. We work towards various auditions throughout the year, such as the National Youth Theatre, as well as working towards the LAMDA Acting and Devising grade examinations.

The National Youth Theatre comes to Hereford Sixth Form College each year to audition our students, meaning you get to audition in a space you’re familiar with. We have a very high success rate with students gaining a place.

Many of our former Actor Training Academy students are currently in professional training at top drama schools or working as professional actors.

Entry into the Academy is based on an audition, typically during the summer before enrolment.
Successful applicants are given one lesson a week dedicated to acting training, exploring a range of skills such as vocals and characterisation and in depth preparations for auditions.
Opportunities to receive headshots and trips to see graduate shows at drama schools.
Students have the opportunity to be entered for LAMDA Acting or Devising Grade 6 or 8 examinations, depending on ability and experience.
We have several good working relationships with schools and organisations that come to deliver Q&A sessions and workshops, such as The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and The Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts.

For additional information, please contact us at sixth-form@hereford.ac.uk.

College Productions – Upstage Production Company

Due to the vast number of productions, including cabaret and showcase evenings and student created and directed performances, Hereford Sixth Form College has its own theatre company: Upstage Production Company.

Upstage Production Company has an outstanding reputation for highly acclaimed and professional standard productions. In recent years these have been large cast musicals, large cast plays, smaller scale student directed productions and more intimate, experimental performances.

Our productions are open to audition for all students, regardless of experience or subjects studied. Rehearsals take place on Wednesday afternoons during enrichment time and evening rehearsals after college as needed.

The productions are run by student presidency with support from college tutors. Upstage Production Company has many opportunities to take part, whether you are an actor, singer, dancer, someone who is capable of all three, or someone interested in getting involved in lighting, sound, set design, costume and make up.

Getting involved is great fun and a truly rewarding experience, helping you to develop your performance, design, directing and technical skills and to meet and make new friends. They are a central part of life at the College and being involved in one, in whatever capacity, is an excellent point to have on your CV.

Upstage Connections

In 2021, like all theatres, we realised that producing work in a traditional way was not going to be possible. One thing we are very passionate about is creating original work, involving as wide a range of talent as possible and experimenting with performance styles. With this in mind, we have created new material for a series of digital performance pieces which audiences can view on the College YouTube channel.

Each piece ranges in style and content, but all were started with the stimulus word, ‘connections’. It seemed to us that at a time when so many of our usual connections with people, places and activities had been disrupted that this was a good starting point.

This series of digital performances reflect the range of skills and talent that we nurture as part of Upstage Productions. Staff have worked with students to write, compose, act, film, edit, draw, dance, choreograph, tell stories and animate work that all explores our connections to each other, to art, to the wider world and to our shared histories.