Bristol Old Vic Theatre School

• Location: Bristol, England,
• Year of foundation: 1946,
• Number of students: about 210,
• Language of instruction: English,
• Type: mixed.

Bristol Old Vic Theatre School (BOVTS) is one of the uk's most successful and respected theatre schools.

The educational institution was opened in 1946 by Laurence Olivier and was part of the Bristol Old Vic Company. The education took place in a beautiful but cramped building near the fruit and vegetable markets. In 1954, the school staged the musical "Salad Days", which became the starting point for the popularity of the institution: the production was replicated for a long time as in the West End, and on Broadway. In 1956, BOVTS moved to its current campus. In 2003, the school's merits and reputation were noticed by the government, now providing it with funding.

BOVTS provides quality education in the field of theatrical art, teaching students in full-time and short-term programs.

The school does not provide accommodation on campus, but staff can help with finding rooms, flats and apartments in Bristol areas for rent.

The institution boasts tremendous opportunities it has to offer its students. In 2020 and 2021, the costume and dough design departments collaborated with various specialists, including a professional in make-up and wigs – Sofia Khan. Specialists conduct master classes on the history, theory of work practice. 

BOVTS is committed to engaging the wider community, which is why it offers a number of free student theatre performances. Events are organised by pupils for children from bristol areas. Also, pupils put on performances with lower volume and lighting in the Hall for the Hearing Impaired and Deaf.

• Branch of the Conservatory of Dance and Drama,
• Member of the Federation of Drama Schools,
• Student performances at a variety of city venues,
• Several dozen current celebrity actors are BOVTS graduates.

BOVTS is located in Bristol, in the south-west of England. The road to London and Birmingham takes only an hour and a half by train. The city is built in the middle of the countryside, but has excellent transport links and modern infrastructure.

The theatre school conducts classes at three venues. The main campus of three buildings on Downside Road offers equipped facilities:

• Rehearsal classes,
• Music and sound studios,
• Sets and props workshops,
• Weapon
• Computer lab,
• Lecture halls,
• Library
• Dance studios,
• Costume design studio,
• Light and Sound Studio, Stage Control
• Electrical Engineering Workshop
• Rest rooms.

A large recording studio in Christchurch was owned by the BBC until 2001. It now has a large live recording area, post-production and control rooms. The studio operates as a school campus and as a commercial recording facility working on voice acting, radio, recording of band and orchestra music. On the second and third floors there is a cinema department with equipment for editing video and sound. production office, shop and several auditoriums.

The stage art and construction workshops on Shin Road are designed to create scenery. The school also owns a large store of props and furniture used as production resources.

The campuses are accessible to students with disabilities and are equipped with wheelchair lifts, elevators, and employee call buttons.

BOVTS students organise and participate in productions at many venues in the UK. Some of the places where students practice their skills are:

• Bristol Old Vic is the oldest continuous theatre in the UK,
• St Paul's Church in Portland Square, run by Bristol Circus Company Circomedia,
• Redgrave School Theatre, owned by Clifton College,
• The Royal Academy of the West of England (RWA) is an architectural monument of the II degree,
• Loco Club at Temple Meads railway station,
• Silver Street Fire Station is a youth center that is part of the Creative Youth Network,
• Main Auditorium of the Tobacco Factory Theatre,
• The Wardrobe Theatre with a studio for 100 seats,
• Part of the Drama Department of the University of Bristol with the Wickham Theatre.

There are several semesters in the academic year:

• Autumn: September 25-December 15,
• Spring: January 9-March 22,
• Summer: April 22-July 5. Students of several master's programs finish their studies on August 16.

During the year, there are holidays and weekends in honor of national and international holidays. Several practical weeks for bachelors and masters are held in the spring.

The list of additional expenses includes deposits, registration fee, fee for using the campus infrastructure.

All applicants go through a two-stage admissions process after completing the application. The first step is a preliminary audition organized on Zoom or another online platform with the participation of two students. If the future student is successful, he will be asked to visit the campus to show his skills to the admissions committee and teachers. The first hearing is held from November to April, invitations to visit the school come in January-June. Each audition lasts. about 15 minutes. The applicant needs to perform two contrasting monologues of two minutes, taken from films, novels, television scripts.

BOVTS annually accepts between 4 and 28 people out of approximately 2500 applications depending on the program, making it one of the most selective theatre schools in the world.

Graduates of the institution have a great future, because over the years of work, BOVTS has produced a huge number of famous and successful actors, theater and television workers. Among them are three Oscar winners: Daniel Day-Lewis, Jeremy Irons and Olivia Colman, as well as several nominees for this award: Miranda Richardson, Gene Wilder, Mark Strong, Naomi Harris and others.

After graduation, students either stay in England or go to other countries. Over the past few years, students have chosen the following places for employment:

• Barely Methodical Troupe,
• BBC Productions,
• Danish Dance Company,
• Cinevox Junior Company in Switzerland,
• Circus Maximus,
• K Ballet in Japan.

Applications are accepted from September to February. All applicants must meet the requirements of:

• Over 18 years of age at the beginning of education,
• Audition and interview (regardless of past education and experience),
• Personal documents: passport, visa or residence permit, health insurance.

BOVTS offers a number of free listening places. To get this opportunity, you must meet the following criteria:

• Lack of qualification,
• The annual family income is less than £25,000 before taxes.

All students are eligible to apply for government loans and credits.

Each year, the school awards several scholarships based on the low income of students, their exceptional academic success and social activities.

• Guardianship services during the studies
• Student supervision