BA Hons Degree in Circus Arts

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Course overview

Award: BA (Hons) Degree in Circus Arts

UCAS Code: We do not go through UCAS.

Applications are through us directly.

Location: National Centre for Circus Arts – London

Awarding body: University of Kent

Duration: 1 year (full-time), 35 hours a week, 33 weeks in the year

Academic year: September – July

Timetables: Timetables are weekly and normally available one week before and emailed directly to the students.

Applicants should hold an appropriate qualification from one of the recognised circus schools listed under entry requirements below.

This one year course consolidates the technical level of a specific circus discipline and its integration with a personal artistic approach. The training is intensive; weeks are 35 hours long with a mix of taught sessions and scheduled independent learning. Each year is 33 weeks in length in order to sustain physical progression. As well as physical skill development there is a strong focus on artistic exploration and creativity, contextual studies and business planning.

The course is divided into modules for assessment purposes, details of which can be found by clicking on the programme content links below. The course will focus on continuous assessment of each student’s individual progress, as well as performance related assessment both as an individual and as part of an ensemble. Students analytical and critical skills are also assessed through research projects and presentations.

The degree is delivered at the National Centre for Circus Arts (except for the Ensemble Performance Task module) and is awarded by the University of Kent. Students must complete and pass all modules in order to obtain the qualification.

Module Map

This module map provides a list of the modules that make up your course. Each module is worth a specified number of credits: enabling you to cover key subject knowledge while developing your own interests. You must take modules worth a total of 120 credits at each level of the course.

Our teaching is informed by research, and active performers and directors who are already working in the professional industry. Modules change periodically to reflect developments in the discipline.

You can always find the most up-to-date information about your modules and who is teaching them on Moodle, our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), once you have registered onto the course.

The modules available on the course are as follows.

BA (Hons) in Circus Arts (Level 6)
Compulsory modules

CA311 Circus in the 21st Century  10 credits Autumn term
CA306 The Business Plan  10 credits Autumn & Spring term
CA308 Negotiated Performance Task  25 credits Autumn & Spring
CA312 Directing  15 credits  Autumn & Spring
CA313 Movement & Composition 2  15 credits Autumn & Spring
CA310 Circus Discipline Level 2  30 credits  Autumn, Spring & Summer
CA307 The Ensemble  15 credits Summer

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Entry requirements

Applicants should hold a Foundation Degree from the National Centre for Circus Arts or another school listed below which is a recognised Full Type 1 member of FEDEC:

National Centre for Circus Arts, London

Académie Fratellini (St. Denis, France)

Centre National des Arts du Cirque (Châlons-en-Champagne, France)

Circomedia (Bristol, UK)

Codarts Rotterdam – Circus Arts (Rotterdam, The Netherlands)

Dans och Cirkushögskolan (DOCH, Stockholm, Sweden)

Ecole Nationale de Cirque (Montreal, Canada)

École Supérieure des Arts du Cirque (ESAC, Brussels, Belgium)

Fontys academy for circus and performance art- ACaPA (Tilburg, The Netherlands)

National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA, Melbourne, Australia)

Université de Sciences Appliquées de Turku – Département Cirque (Turku, Finland)

Any candidate applying for direct entry to the BA (Hons) Programme from any of these institutions must provide evidence that they have successfully completed two years training on a relevant course, equivalent to a Foundation Degree, along with details of their previous study (for example a student handbook or module guide).

Direct entry applicants will be interviewed at audition, and will be expected to provide an additional reference, a sample of written work and their transcript to date. This is to ensure that they are being assessed for entry on the same basis as internal applicants from the National Centre Foundation Degree.

Applicants will be required to demonstrate a proficiency in both written and verbal English language which would normally be GCSE English or equivalent International English Language Testing System (IELTS) at 6.5 pass level or higher.

We define BA level in this context as someone who can formulate and communicate his or her technical and artistic needs at a level consistent with a view to entering the profession as a young practitioner. We also expect candidates to be capable of working at a level of autonomy not necessarily present, or acquired at, Foundation Degree level.

Open Days

We will be running a virtual open day in January 2021. For more information please see → Find out more

How to apply/audition

For more information about the audition and how to apply → Find out more

If you'd like any more information, please get in touch by email or call us on +44 (0)20 7613 8244.

National Centre for Circus Arts reserves the right to refuse admission to an undergraduate or programme of study or, if already registered, terminate registration if information provided by an applicant is fraudulent, inaccurate or incomplete.

National Centre for Circus Arts expects that all information provided to it by applicants will be complete, true and accurate, with no misleading omissions or inaccuracies. Any submission of fraudulent, inaccurate or misleading information on the application, or the omission of relevant information, will result in the immediate cancellation of the application and/or the withdrawal of any offer made. Where information comes to light that an application may contain false, fraudulent or misleading information from a successful applicant who has already registered as a student on a programme of study with National Centre, the student’s registration may be terminated and student status withdrawn, or the student may be subject to disciplinary action.