Guildford School of Acting
Encyclopedia
Guildford School of Acting (GSA) is a drama school
located in Guildford
, Surrey
, England
. It is an affiliate of the University of Surrey
and is an accredited member of the National Council for Drama Training
and The Conference of Drama Schools.
in 1935 by Pauline Grant and Bice Bellairs. The school was relocated to Guildford in 1945 as a result of World War II
. In 1964, the school became a charitable organisation and was renamed Guildford School of Acting & Dance. In the early 1990s the '& Dance' was dropped. Today the school is a limited company
. Its head office is on the University of Surrey's Stag Hill Campus, Guildford, Surrey.
The school offers professional training in drama
, musical theatre
and production skills
such as stage management
, lighting
and sound design
. All full time courses lead towards further and higher education
qualifications validated by either Trinity College, London or the University of Surrey
. Being recognised as a leading performing arts institution, the school is one of only twenty one specialist schools selected to award the government Dance and Drama Awards
for courses validated by Trinity College.
Until November 2009, the School occupied several sites in central Guildford, with facilities including drama, dance and music studios, technical workshops, IT facilities, a specialist library and resource centre, a wardrobe department, rehearsal rooms and two in-house theatres. As part of its merger with the University of Surrey, the school has moved to a completely new building which houses all faculties of the school on one site on the university campus. Peter Barlow, GSA Director (until December 2010), was handed the keys by project manager David Austin (VolkerFitzpatrick) on 13 November 2009, marking a new era for GSA, with the first classes at the new building started on 16 November. The phased relocation is due to be completed in 2011 with the construction of a new Performing Arts Centre.
The school stages regular private and public performances at various venues, including the Bellairs Playhouse, the Electric Theatre, the Mill Studio Theatre, and an annual production at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre
.
In addition to its full time courses, the school runs summer schools which include intensive courses in acting, singing and dance. Other summer school courses focus on specific aspects of performance arts, such as musical theatre, audition technique, acting for camera, directing a musical and youth theatre.
Drama school
A drama school or theatre school is an undergraduate and/or graduate school or department at a college or university; or a free-standing institution ; which specialises in the pre-professional training in drama and theatre arts, such as acting, design and technical theatre, arts administration, and...
located in Guildford
Guildford
Guildford is the county town of Surrey. England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is an affiliate of the University of Surrey
University of Surrey
The University of Surrey is a university located within the county town of Guildford, Surrey in the South East of England. It received its charter on 9 September 1966, and was previously situated near Battersea Park in south-west London. The institution was known as Battersea College of Technology...
and is an accredited member of the National Council for Drama Training
National Council for Drama Training
The National Council for Drama Training is a partnership of employers in the theatre, broadcast and media industry, employee representatives and training providers....
and The Conference of Drama Schools.
Overview
Guildford School of Acting was originally known as the Grant-Bellairs School of Dance and Drama, which was founded in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1935 by Pauline Grant and Bice Bellairs. The school was relocated to Guildford in 1945 as a result of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. In 1964, the school became a charitable organisation and was renamed Guildford School of Acting & Dance. In the early 1990s the '& Dance' was dropped. Today the school is a limited company
Limited company
A limited company is a company in which the liability of the members or subscribers of the company is limited to what they have invested or guaranteed to the company. Limited companies may be limited by shares or by guarantee. And the former of these, a limited company limited by shares, may be...
. Its head office is on the University of Surrey's Stag Hill Campus, Guildford, Surrey.
The school offers professional training in drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
, musical theatre
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
and production skills
Stagecraft
Stagecraft is a generic term referring to the technical aspects of theatrical, film, and video production. It includes, but is not limited to, constructing and rigging scenery, hanging and focusing of lighting, design and procurement of costumes, makeup, procurement of props, stage management, and...
such as stage management
Stage management
Stage management is the practice of organizing and coordinating a theatrical production. It encompasses a variety of activities, including organizing the production and coordinating communications between various personnel...
, lighting
Lighting designer
The role of the lighting designer within theatre is to work with the director, choreographer, set designer, costume designer, and sound designer to create an overall 'look' for the show in response to the text, while keeping in mind issues of visibility, safety and cost...
and sound design
Sound design
Sound design is the process of specifying, acquiring, manipulating or generating audio elements. It is employed in a variety of disciplines including filmmaking, television production, theatre, sound recording and reproduction, live performance, sound art, post-production and video game software...
. All full time courses lead towards further and higher education
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
qualifications validated by either Trinity College, London or the University of Surrey
University of Surrey
The University of Surrey is a university located within the county town of Guildford, Surrey in the South East of England. It received its charter on 9 September 1966, and was previously situated near Battersea Park in south-west London. The institution was known as Battersea College of Technology...
. Being recognised as a leading performing arts institution, the school is one of only twenty one specialist schools selected to award the government Dance and Drama Awards
Dance and Drama Awards
The Dance and Drama Awards are a scholarship scheme which subsidises professional vocational training at some of the leading performing arts schools in the United Kingdom...
for courses validated by Trinity College.
Until November 2009, the School occupied several sites in central Guildford, with facilities including drama, dance and music studios, technical workshops, IT facilities, a specialist library and resource centre, a wardrobe department, rehearsal rooms and two in-house theatres. As part of its merger with the University of Surrey, the school has moved to a completely new building which houses all faculties of the school on one site on the university campus. Peter Barlow, GSA Director (until December 2010), was handed the keys by project manager David Austin (VolkerFitzpatrick) on 13 November 2009, marking a new era for GSA, with the first classes at the new building started on 16 November. The phased relocation is due to be completed in 2011 with the construction of a new Performing Arts Centre.
The school stages regular private and public performances at various venues, including the Bellairs Playhouse, the Electric Theatre, the Mill Studio Theatre, and an annual production at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre
Yvonne Arnaud Theatre
The Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in Guildford, Surrey presents in-house productions which often tour and transfer to London's West End. Other performances include opera, ballet and pantomime. Named after the actress Yvonne Arnaud, the company has two performance venues, a main theatre and the smaller Mill...
.
Courses
The following is a list of full time, professional courses:- BA Honours Degree in Professional Acting
- BA Honours Degree in Musical Theatre
- BA Honours Degree in Professional Production Skills
- Two Year Diploma in Professional Production Skills
- National Diploma to BA Honours Conversion Course
- Master of Arts, Acting
- Master of Arts, Musical Theatre
- Master of Arts, Practice of Voice and Singing
In addition to its full time courses, the school runs summer schools which include intensive courses in acting, singing and dance. Other summer school courses focus on specific aspects of performance arts, such as musical theatre, audition technique, acting for camera, directing a musical and youth theatre.