Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Drama

at University of the West of England - Bristol - City Campus United Kingdom

Write your own dramas and feature films, tap into Bristol's vibrant screen sector, and gain the grounding you need to succeed as a professional scriptwriter.

Why study screen production (screenwriting)?

• The boom in film drama, powered by companies such as Netflix, and the advent of streamed media and web content, is opening up new opportunities for scriptwriters.
• Imaginative and skilled collaborators are needed to work on dramas, web series and films across diverse genres and with the right skills and experience, you could get your work commissioned on TV or online.

Why UWE Bristol?

• Aimed at students with some experience of writing their own scripts already, our MA Screen Production (Screenwriting) supports you to develop scripts for your own dramas and feature films.
• Focusing on the professional practices of writing, you'll learn about the structures, relationships and business environment of the screen industry, as you hone and develop your scripts. 
• UWE Bristol has sector-leading expertise in film, standing at third in the UK in the Guardian League Tables 2020. 
• You'll be taught by award-winning film and TV screenwriters, and trained in the individual and collaborative practices of scriptwriting. 
• Studying this in Bristol means you'll be part of the city's rapidly expanding screen business sector. The city is home to the renowned Bottle Yard Studios, and many leading independent production companies, as well as being one of two Channel 4 regional hubs, and the new production base for Netflix.
• Working with Bristol Business School, you'll also gain the entrepreneurial skills to operate as a professional screenwriter, learning to work with producers, and developing skills in parallel professions such as script editing. 
• There'll be opportunities to network with other future creative leaders, working alongside students on our other postgraduate screen courses.
• The course includes guest lectures by leading industry experts.

Where can it take me?

• You'll be equipped to pursue a career as a professional scriptwriter in TV or film, to write web-series or pursue other modes of writing in the screen industries.
• You could go on to be a writer or showrunner on a TV drama, or script your own original feature films. Or move into script editing or producing.

Learn in a creative and supportive studio environment with professional-standard facilities and a focus on helping you gain real-world skills for the workplace.

Why study illustration?

• Studying illustration opens the door to diverse careers in the creative industries.
• You will respond to ideas, explore narratives and work across a range of media, including 2D, 3D and moving image.
• Self-directed projects could range from editorial to narrative, 3D model-making to film, animation to artists' books, providing excellent preparation for the commercial world.

Why UWE Bristol?

• BA(Hons) Illustration encourages you to create and develop your own personal visual language. Problem-solving through drawing and making is core.
• You'll be based at Bower Ashton Studios, part of the City Campus. Exceptional facilities and resources include industry-standard digital media studios and production and fabrication workshops.
• Explore a range of media and deepen your awareness of the ideas, concepts and contexts of illustration through theoretical studies. Build an awareness of the professional world and develop core skills through individual experimentation.
• Innovation and individualism are celebrated. Investigate potential contexts and audiences for your work and test yourself against industry expectations through live briefs, and national and international competitions.
• City Campus is a creative powerhouse that spans the city of Bristol and is made up of Bower Ashton, Spike Island, Arnolfini and Watershed.
• Our strong industry links with the thriving city of Bristol ensure input from illustrators and creatives. Visits from respected practitioners will keep you up to date with contemporary illustration practice.
• Attend lectures and seminars at the Arnolfini and Watershed and work in our production and fabrication workshops, equipped with traditional tools and the latest technology.
• Showcase your work to talent scouts and potential employers at the final year Creative Industries Degree Show and D&AD New Blood, London.
• Focusing on the avenues that interest you, you'll graduate with an impressive portfolio of work, ready to make your mark as an illustrator.

Where can it take me?

• This course prepares you for a sustainable and flexible career in illustration.
• Alongside established freelance illustration career paths, our graduates work as film directors, set designers, art/creative directors, illustration agents, visualisers, designers, model-makers, animators, storyboard artists, puppeteers and theatrical/film costume and prop designers.

Gain valuable practical experience through live briefs, group work, placements and networking events and graduate ready to make your mark in the industry.

Why study animation?

• Animation is a broad creative subject that offers opportunities to all kinds of creatives, including storytellers, designers, artists, technologists and performers.
• It reaches audiences young and old right across the globe. It educates, entertains and informs. It shows us things we could never see with our own eyes; buildings not yet built, the workings of a heart, a dying star.
• It can help us visualise the dynamics of an unfolding news event, place long-extinct creatures into your very hands, and breathe life into those that have never existed.

Why UWE Bristol?

• BA(Hons) Animation is based in the Bristol School of Animation at Bower Ashton Studios, part of our City Campus. Our new animation studio spaces and facilities include digital media studios, production studios and fabrication workshops, offering both traditional tools and the latest technology.
• Studying this in Bristol means you'll be based in a centre of animation production excellence in Europe, with our animation courses forming an integral part of the city's success.
• This practice-based production degree not only develops your creative flair but also provides you with highly sought-after technical skills.
• Learn through making using industry-standard equipment. Practical work is balanced by theoretical study, work experience and research activities, all designed to prepare you for work in a commercial environment. Live briefs, work-based placements and networking events support your transition into professional practice.
• Join a long-established, highly creative animation community in which students are known and valued for their individual creative flair. You'll be taught by a team with extensive commercial animation experience, with regular contributions from commercial practitioners. This, coupled with our strong links with the UK's major animation companies, will ensure you benefit from professional expertise throughout the course.
• Our City Campus is a creative powerhouse. It spans Bristol and is made up of Bower Ashton and renowned contemporary arts centres Spike Island, Arnolfini and Watershed.
• Be a part of Bristol's vibrant arts and cultural scene and make friendships that continue long after graduation, developing into partnerships, startups and larger businesses.
• Showcase your work through our online presence, regular networking events and final year Creative Industries Degree Show to impress talent scouts and potential employers.
• Focus on the avenues that most interest you, and graduate with an impressive portfolio of work.
• See some of the work our students produced over the past few years, including a recent project with Avon and Somerset Police.

Where can it take me?

• Animation is a growing sector that extends way beyond traditional TV based media, one that will continue to need a wide range of creatives of all kinds.
• Our graduates have gone on to form careers in the animation industry, graphic design, computer games, illustration and so on, both throughout the UK and across the world.
• Some choose further study at master's level, including our own MA in Animation.
• Read about our graduate Elise's career in stop-motion animation and Sam's career in digital animation.

Every student is placed within one of our partner institutions alongside a curator who will mentor the student through the year. Our industry partners are all renowned creative and cultural organisations.
This well-connected degree is for those wishing to explore curating and develop curatorial skills in one or more of the following areas: fine art, digital media, film, festivals and social history.

Why study this course?

• You will study alongside an intentionally small and supportive group of students with backgrounds in areas including fine art, sculpture, art history, architecture, 3D design, film studies and history, sharing practice and ideas and providing opportunities to work creatively and collaboratively on group projects.
• Our students value and thrive in a highly professional and creative learning environment led by experienced tutors in a lively and dynamic city with active and engaging cultural communities.
• Curating is based on Bristol's historic waterfront at Arnolfini. Situated above this internationally renowned centre for contemporary art you will be at the heart of Bristol's creative and cultural community, with access to UWE Bristol's City Campus and all it has to offer. Have a look at our UWE Curating blog to find out more.

Build an impressive portfolio, real-world experience, project management skills and the technical expertise needed for a successful career in interior design.

Why study interior design?

• Interior design is an exciting field that bridges the boundaries between architecture, art and design.
• Interior designers take a holistic approach to space, designing every element from structural interventions to specifying materials. Working to a level similar to that of an architect, they design for the retail industry, commercial offices, art galleries, private homes and the hotel and leisure sector.
• Working in this industry is exciting and varied. To succeed, you'll need creative flair, professional acumen and real practical skills.

Why UWE Bristol?

• BA(Hons) Interior Design degree teaches you the professional skills you need to work in the interior design industry.
• You'll be based at Bower Ashton Studios, as part of our City Campus, which includes renowned contemporary arts centres Spike Island, Arnolfini and Watershed. Exceptional facilities and resources include industry-standard digital studios and fabrication workshops.
• This is a technical learning course, with a focus on lighting, heating, ventilation and acoustics. You'll learn to work with traditional tools and the latest technology, and develop the skills to design lighting, furniture, materials and entire interior projects.
• Learn to view spaces differently and seek new design opportunities within them. Push the boundaries of what interior design means and what it can achieve.
• Regular guest lectures and events will help you explore work opportunities. Develop your own independent projects and follow live briefs set and assessed by professionals in the field. This Interior Design course gives you the opportunity to spend a year in industry gaining real-world experience. You can also take on work experience and placements throughout the degree, including international exchange.
• Focusing on the areas that most interest you, you'll graduate with an impressive portfolio, and the skills to succeed as an interior designer.

Where can it take me?

• This Interior Design degree course offers excellent preparation for a professional career in commercial and domestic interiors, retail, leisure and exhibition design.
• You could also choose to specialize in furniture, product or lighting design, materials or architecture-scale projects.
• You could go onto postgraduate study, including our MA Design.
• Read how Emily's three-month placement is boosting her confidence and employability.

This production-based course gives you the practical and intellectual skills you need for a successful career in today's creative industries.

Why study filmmaking?

• Our everyday lives are filled with moving images through social media, TV streaming, broadcast TV and cinema to mention just a few.
• Traditional cinema is still a huge and vibrant industry, and the surge in streaming services has created more opportunities for filmmakers to reach their audiences and produce truly cinematic storytelling.
• We're also seeing the expansion of virtual and augmented reality and starting to discover how filmmakers will use this technology in the future.
• The industry needs creative new filmmakers to produce adverts, music videos, social media campaigns, political films, documentaries big and small, TV series, independent titles and big summer blockbusters

Why UWE Bristol?

• BA(Hons) Filmmaking is based at Bower Ashton Studios, part of the City Campus. Exceptional facilities and resources include digital media studios and production and fabrication workshops offering traditional tools and the latest technology.
• This is a production-based degree - you'll learn by making. Our teaching team works at the cutting edge of contemporary media practice, with high levels of practical experience and expertise.
• Attend lectures and seminars at the Arnolfini and Watershed. Develop drama and documentary storytelling skills by developing advanced craft techniques used in the professional media. Gain an in-depth understanding of culture and context.
• The course pushes boundaries, intellectually and imaginatively. Explore filmmaking for the 21st century through development of eclectic short form projects that span the vast opportunities for audience and presentation in the modern industry. Build the knowledge to navigate the industry as it changes over the next 10 to 20 years by applying cutting-edge techniques.
• Our City Campus is a creative powerhouse. It spans across Bristol and is made up of Bower Ashton and renowned contemporary arts centres Spike Island, Arnolfini and Watershed.
• In 2017, Bristol was named UNESCO City of Film because of the strength of the city's moving image culture and industry. The city boasts a strong, skilled-pool of locally-based crew and facilities companies, which includes award-winning freelancers, production and post-production companies.
• Be a part of Bristol's vibrant arts and cultural scene, where students and workers in the creative industries often collaborate.
• Our strong industry contacts include the BBC, ITV, Aardman, Films@59, Bottle Yard Film Studios and E3 Media. They provide ongoing professional input and work experience opportunities.
• Attend talks from broadcast commissioners, cinematographers, directors, composers and coders/designers who will share their influences and techniques. Recent guest speakers include director Ben Wheatley (High Rise), writer and director Gurindha Chandha (Bend It Like Beckham). We have also held masterclasses with editor St John O'Rorke (The White Princess) and art director Sarah Hauldron (Gosford Park).
• Showcase your work to talent scouts and potential employers at the final year Creative Industries Degree Show and graduate with an impressive portfolio of work.

Where can it take me?

• The filmmaking industry is in a hugely exciting period covering a vast array sectors and outputs, and it doesn't seem to be slowing down any time soon.
• Our multi-skilled graduates go on to work in the creative industries for a range of media and multimedia production companies - as researchers, camera operators, editors, assistant directors/producers, mixers, graders and cinematographers.
• Others go on to further study on MA or doctoral research projects.

Combine extensive practical experience with underlying theory and graduate confident, creative and ready for an exciting future as a performer.

Why study drama and acting?

• Contemporary acting is competitive. You need know your strengths as a performer and develop them to the highest level possible through practice and direction.
• When you audition for a role or drama school, you need to be able to demonstrate your range and ability in as little as three minutes.
• Being prepared isn't just about learning your lines, it's about choosing the right one and being ready for changes and questions on the day.
• Studying drama and acting prepares you for these challenges so you have the best chance to make an impression.

Why UWE Bristol?

• BA(Hons) Drama and Acting is for those who love performing live and appreciate a challenge. You'll develop your performance skills through core modules in acting for stage and screen, and physical theatre.
• Work closely with our supportive theatre community to share ideas and work as collectively on productions.
• Build your skills in all aspects of performing and gain plenty of practical experience.
• Play a part in Bristol's vibrant culture, with regular exchanges between the university and local theatre network. Get support to form your own theatre company, producing your own extra-curricular work and making the most of rehearsal and performance space.
• As an actor, you will devise and perform original pieces of theatre. Specialist workshops led by staff and industry professionals will give you the chance to develop skills such as auditioning for theatre, film and television, and you'll showcase your work at the New Performance Festival.
• City Campus is a creative powerhouse that spans the city of Bristol and is made up of Bower Ashton, Spike Island, Arnolfini and Watershed.
• BA(Hons) Drama and Acting is based at the City Campus, and uses theatres and specialist spaces at the Arnolfini and Bower Ashton Studios.
• Shaping the course towards the type of acting, or area of theatre making you're most interested in, you'll emerge as a confident and creative practitioner, ready to thrive in your career.
• Showcase your work to potential employers at the final year Creative Industries Degree Show and build an impressive portfolio of work.

Where can it take me?

• Graduate in a confident position for a career performing for theatre, television and film.
• You could also progress to further study with one of the country's prestigious theatre schools such as the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) and Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA).

Art and industry combine on this innovative, practice-based postgraduate course, designed to develop your creative promise, deepen your experience of photography and moving image, and optimise both your artistic and professional potential.

Taught by award-winning artists, photographers and leading academics in the field, our distinctive, practice-based MA in Photography will allow you to explore the diverse applications of the medium, and to deepen your understanding of photography as a discipline.

Through a course of intensive study, creative practice, and professional engagement, you will develop the passion that brought you to photography in the first place, and will be supported in the development and production of innovative work, whilst also building skills to maximise and contextualise your creative outputs.

This course is affiliated with the leading professional body for photographers in the UK and beyond, the Association of Photographers.

Why study photography?

• Images are everywhere. Studying photography enables you to understand the language of images and develop your 'visual voice' to communicate effectively and with confidence.
• It helps you understand the contexts in which images exist and circulate, and locate opportunities to get your images published, exhibited and commissioned.
• Becoming a photography professional opens doors to a wide range of careers within a global landscape of creative industries.

Why UWE Bristol?

• BA(Hons) Photography is based in the city of Bristol, a vibrant arts and media community that will challenge and inspire you.
• The course offers a vibrant, collaborative environment, modern facilities, supportive workshop instruction and expert input, all underpinned by theory and critique.
• Study at Bower Ashton Studios, part of our City Campus, where exceptional facilities and resources include industry standard digital media studios.
• Explore traditional tools and the latest technology in our production and fabrication workshops. Develop your creativity and the high-level practical skills needed to become a successful photographer. Work across all areas of the discipline, from editorial and documentary to fashion, advertising and fine art.
• We'll encourage you to transform your broad-based photographic practice into an individual visual style. On graduation, you'll have a unique and compelling body of work for the marketplace.
• Work to briefs set and assessed by external individuals and organisations, including photographers, filmmakers, publishers, clothing labels, product designers, theatre groups, musicians and festivals. Build your CV with work experience, and access to job opportunities, throughout the course.  
• Our partnerships with Bristol Photography Festival and IC Visual Lab, two highly reputable Bristol-based photography organisations with national and international influence, will provide you with a wide range of work experience placements and live briefs to work on. You'll also have access to industry talks, events and opportunities to display your work at prestigious exhibitions and venues.

Where can it take me?

• Our graduates work in fields from editorial and fashion to movie stills and medical photography. Employers include the BBC, Sunday Times Magazine and the Tate.  
• Past students have assisted photographers such as Steve McCurry, Zed Nelson and Tim Walker, and have been published and exhibited in FT Weekend, Vogue Italia, Oh Comely, The Photographers Gallery, National Portrait Gallery and the Tate.
• Graduates have also established important collectives and exhibiting networks such as The Lost Light Recordings, Loupe Magazine and Splash and Grab.
• Some graduates go on to further study at Master's level, including our own postgraduate MA Photography programme

Staff from The Centre for Fine Print Research form the key teaching team on MA Design. The CFPR is one of the country's leading university research centres in Art and Design, combining a multi-technology approach towards novel surface print, design and fabrication in 2 and 3 dimensions.

The broad and practice-based MA Design takes students on a creative journey where you will explore process, materials and context. You will challenge and extend your existing design practice at an advanced level whilst developing a range of artistic and practical skills.

The course is delivered through a series of project-based modules 'Make', 'Play' and 'Live', through which you will engage with real-world problems and issues of relevance to contemporary design practice and work towards the production of a physical object.

The course attracts a diverse range of practicing designers, makers and industry professionals from a range of disciplines, including but not exclusively: ceramics, fashion design, jewellery design, product design, lighting, fine art and architecture and equally broad ranging staff backgrounds in robotics, graphics, product design and fine art. You will work both independently and collaboratively, pushing boundaries and exchanging ideas across design disciplines.

Why study this course?
The course is based at Bower Ashton Campus, part of City Campus, where exceptional facilities and resources include state-of-the-art digital media, production and fabrication workshops offer a combination of traditional tools and the latest technology.