Arden School of Theatre
Encyclopedia
The Arden School of Theatre, also known as The Arden,was an independent drama school
located in Manchester
, England
; it is now affiliated as part of the Creative Performance Department of The Manchester College
.
The Arden School of Theatre was founded jointly by the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester and South Manchester College
in 1991, to provide vocational degree level theatrical education in the North of England, one of the first to provide theatrical degrees in the United Kingdom
. The School wanted to expand to provide other theatrical professions, but today only provides courses for actors and musical theatre performers. The Arden name came from the original City College Arden Campus where the drama school was based between 1991 and 2004, in Northenden, South Manchester. It has never been a member of the Conference of Drama Schools
.
The college now provides a foundation course in Contemporary Theatre Practice, validated by Leeds Metropolitan University
. All degree level Bachelor of Arts
courses were validated by the University of Manchester
, under a program called the Professional Stage Practice , which would have enabled enrolled students to train in any of the key areas of the profession such as light, sound, wardrobe, make-up, acting, musical theatre, stage management or design.A new programme with additional focus on live and recorded performance skills and production will be offered from Sept 2010 validated by Leeds Metropolitan University
. In addition to the BA (Hons) programes in Acting and Musical Theatre, the School used to provide a postgraduate diploma level course in Writing for Performance. The College is a founder member of the National Skills Academy for Creative & Cultural Skills and has a wide range of relationships locally with Contact Theatre, Royal Exchange and Manchester Opera House. Showcase events are presented each year both in the region and in London with a number of casting agents.
In 2006 The Arden moved into new premises located over three floors at Universal Square, a development by Frogmore Northern who had renovated the former Great Universal Stores headquarters offices. In Sept 2010 the arden will move into Nicholls House,Ardwick, Manchester a renovated Victorian building with additional sound and recording facilities to complement dance specialist areas, rehearsal space, production rooms and voice and singing rooms.
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 Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, 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 now affiliated as part of the Creative Performance Department of The Manchester College
The Manchester College
The Manchester College is a further education college in Manchester, England. It opened on 1 August 2008 as the result of a merger between City College Manchester and Manchester College of Arts and Technology to form a 'supercollege'...
.
The Arden School of Theatre was founded jointly by the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester and South Manchester College
City College Manchester
City College Manchester was a network of further education campuses in Manchester, England.It was the largest provider of "Offender Learning" in the Greater Manchester region.-Merger with MANCAT in 2008:...
in 1991, to provide vocational degree level theatrical education in the North of England, one of the first to provide theatrical degrees in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The School wanted to expand to provide other theatrical professions, but today only provides courses for actors and musical theatre performers. The Arden name came from the original City College Arden Campus where the drama school was based between 1991 and 2004, in Northenden, South Manchester. It has never been a member of the Conference of Drama Schools
Conference of Drama Schools
The Conference of Drama Schools comprises 22 accredited drama schools in Britain. Founded in 1969, the 22 member schools offer courses in Acting, Musical Theatre, Directing and Technical Theatre training.-Members:...
.
The college now provides a foundation course in Contemporary Theatre Practice, validated by Leeds Metropolitan University
Leeds Metropolitan University
Leeds Metropolitan University is a British University with three campuses. Two are situated in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England while the third is situated in Bhopal, India...
. All degree level Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
courses were validated by the University of Manchester
University of Manchester
The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
, under a program called the Professional Stage Practice , which would have enabled enrolled students to train in any of the key areas of the profession such as light, sound, wardrobe, make-up, acting, musical theatre, stage management or design.A new programme with additional focus on live and recorded performance skills and production will be offered from Sept 2010 validated by Leeds Metropolitan University
Leeds Metropolitan University
Leeds Metropolitan University is a British University with three campuses. Two are situated in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England while the third is situated in Bhopal, India...
. In addition to the BA (Hons) programes in Acting and Musical Theatre, the School used to provide a postgraduate diploma level course in Writing for Performance. The College is a founder member of the National Skills Academy for Creative & Cultural Skills and has a wide range of relationships locally with Contact Theatre, Royal Exchange and Manchester Opera House. Showcase events are presented each year both in the region and in London with a number of casting agents.
In 2006 The Arden moved into new premises located over three floors at Universal Square, a development by Frogmore Northern who had renovated the former Great Universal Stores headquarters offices. In Sept 2010 the arden will move into Nicholls House,Ardwick, Manchester a renovated Victorian building with additional sound and recording facilities to complement dance specialist areas, rehearsal space, production rooms and voice and singing rooms.
Alumni
Graduates of the school include:- Zöe LuckerZöe LuckerZöe Elizabeth Lucker is an English actress best known for playing the roles of Tanya Turner on ITV's Footballers' Wives and Vanessa Gold in EastEnders.-Career:...
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- actress HollyoaksHollyoaksHollyoaks is a long-running British television soap opera, first broadcast on Channel 4 on 23 October 1995. It was originally devised by Phil Redmond, who has also devised shows including Brookside and Grange Hill... - Shaun DooleyShaun DooleyShaun Dooley is a British actor who regularly appears on television and in British Films.-Biography:Shaun Dooley was born in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. He studied at the Arden School of Theatre in Manchester between 1992 and 1995....
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