Theatre and Performance with Enterprise BA

Course overview

Taught by the School of Performance and Cultural Industries, in collaboration with Leeds University Business School, this course will develop your knowledge and understanding of theatre, performance, cultural industries and entrepreneurship.

You’ll develop your own creative practice working collaboratively in our specialist studios, in our on-campus professional theatre, stage@leeds, and through using digital technologies. You’ll also work with external partners and community groups and be introduced to a range of devising, creative, organisational and management techniques.

The course will explore the historical and cultural contexts of theatre, innovations in practice, performance design, arts management, cultural theory, performance technologies, composition and devising, and the wider impact of the creative and cultural industries.

A distinctive feature of the course is an engagement with the social impact agenda. You'll be invited to interrogate and practice the ways in which performance can make a difference to society and to consider themes such as sustainability, ethics, responsibility and inclusivity. You reflect on the impact that performance has on societies and to develop a range of skills so that you can become an advocate of the creative arts and an entrepreneurial global citizen.

Entry requirements

A-level: ABB

We would normally expect at least one essay/discursive subject within the range of A-level subjects taken.

If you’re taking an EPQ qualification, we may make an alternative offer one A-level grade below that of our standard offer with a grade A in the EPQ.

GCSE: usually 5 at 4-9, including English at grade 4 or above.

Other course specific tests:

We interview all eligible applicants for this programme.

International Baccalaureate

Career opportunities

A degree in Theatre and Performance with Enterprise equips you with valuable subject knowledge, cultural awareness and an understanding of the performance and cultural industries. It also gives you transferable skills that are particularly attractive to employers. These include leadership, working collaboratively as part of a creative team, presentational and organisational skills, people and resources management, critical analysis, negotiation and conflict resolution, and digital creativity.

As well as your understanding of performance and the theories behind it, you’ll develop strong research and analytical skills. You’ll be a confident communicator, who can present and defend your point of view clearly, either verbally or in writing. You’ll be able to collaborate with others or work independently and you’ll understand how your experiences on the course and in co-curricular activities can translate to future employment opportunities.

The cultural and creative industries offer a wide range of opportunities for our graduates who have gone onto pursue a wide variety of careers in many different sectors. These include: writing, performing, directing, production, teaching, events management, digital technologies, arts administration, marketing, media, cultural policy, PR, community arts work and outreach, education and drama therapy.

However, you’ll also acquire the skills for professional roles outside of the sector such as human resources, health care, social work, finance, law and business. Many of our graduates progress to postgraduate study and research in related disciplines, including our own wide range of MA degrees, that include: Applied Theatre and Intervention, Performance Design, Writing for Performance and Digital Media, Audiences, Engagement & Participation, Culture, Creativity and Entrepreneurship.

Recent graduate job titles include: theatre director (RSC, West-End, Broadway, Regional, Touring), museum interpreter, performer (film, television, theatre), arts administrator, producer, marketing assistant, postgraduate researcher, drama therapist, theatre company director, arts festival assistant producer, teacher, university lecturer, festival co-ordinator, arts outreach worker, recruitment officer, designer, casting agent, disability awareness trainer, corporate relations manager, marketing leadership development graduate, freelance artist and theatre-maker.