RADA Admissions Policy 2022-23 entry

Purpose

This policy sets out the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art’s aims for the recruitment and admission of
students on its full-time higher education programmes. It also describes the principles and
processes by which RADA selects and admits students to undergraduate and postgraduate
programmes.
Responsibility

The Deputy Registrar (Admissions and Student Services) is responsible for the annual review and
monitoring of this policy and that the principles are adhered to in implementing RADA’s admissions
procedures. This policy takes into account relevant legislation, such as the Data Protection Act 2018,
Equality Act 2010, Freedom of Information Act 2000, Human Rights Act 1998 and Consumer Rights’
Act 2015.
Definitions

We use both ‘prospective students’ and ‘applicants’ in this document to refer to individuals who may
or do apply to become students on RADA’s programmes. You will also find that we use both
‘programmes’ and ‘courses’ within this document and other information to denote our higher
education provision, such as the BA (Hons) Acting.

Contents

Recruitment and admission aims 2

Responsibilities 2

Information for prospective candidates 3

Entry requirements 3

Audition and Interview 3

Audition and Admissions Panels 4

Application process 5

Disabled students 7

Application fees 7

Non-standard entry, direct entry and transfer 7

Students wishing to transfer out of RADA 8

Offers 8

Feedback 8

Deferred applications 8

Appeals and complaints 9

Criminal convictions 9

Fraud and omitted details 9

Recruitment and Admissions Aims

1 RADA offers world-leading vocational training for actors, stage managers, designers and
technical theatre craft specialists. We enable learning that nurtures and extends the potential of
our students, preparing them for tomorrow’s industry. We want our graduates to be:

 equipped with all the skills and techniques that will help them thrive in the theatre, film and
recorded media industries
 confident in exploring and using their creativity in their chosen field of work
 adaptable and prepared to manage a portfolio career.

2 In admitting students to RADA we are looking for applicants with:

 the talent, potential and the willingness to explore and realise the fullest extent of that
potential;
 intellectual and emotional capacity to meet the challenges of their programme and
discipline;
 the necessary fluency in the English language as described for each programme (see the
Entry Requirements at www.rada.ac.uk/courses).

3 To select appropriate prospective students, RADA will:

 offer an appropriate admissions and interview procedure, fit for each programme;
 audition or interview every candidate who applies (with the exception of the MA Theatre
Lab, please see paragraph 20 below);
 ensure that candidates understand the audition and interview process and what to expect.
 make reasonable adjustments for disabled candidates attending for audition or interview
and encourage them to disclose any impairments in advance so that adjustments can be
offered.

4 We are committed to providing a transparent, fair, effective, professional recruitment,

selection and admissions service which aligns with the QAA UK Quality Code for Higher
Education and the Office for Students Regulatory Framework.

Responsibilities

5 A number of RADA departments work together in support of the recruitment process.

6 RADA’s Academic Board approves the admissions policy and core principles associated with
admission to the Academy.

7 Student and Academic Services is responsible for managing and administering RADA’s
admissions policy and procedures, for providing advice and support to academic staff and
members of the audition/admissions panels, coordinating training and briefing about
admissions and liaising with other departments within RADA to ensure that the information
provided to prospective students is accurate. The Access and Participation department are
responsible for advising on matters concerning equality, diversity and inclusion in the conduct
of RADA’s admissions process.

8 The Acting Auditions Panel and Technical Theatre Admissions Panel are responsible,
within each discipline, for the admissions and interview assessment processes, how members
of these Panels conduct themselves and for ensuring consistency, transparency and quality in
their judgments about candidates. These panels take advice from staff within Student and
Academic Services. Each Panel has a chair who works closely with the Directors of Actor and
Technical Training and relevant course directors or leaders. Please see paragraphs 15 and 16

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 for more information about the Audition/Admission Panels.

9 RADA reports to King’s College London as its validating university.

Information for prospective candidates

10 RADA is committed to providing accurate information for prospective students about its
courses, which gives them a realistic perspective about the nature and demands of
conservatoire-level training. We publish course information, admissions and entry information
on the RADA website by course (www.rada.ac.uk). We advise prospective students always to
check the website for the most up-to-date information, including details about audition dates
and venues. The Communications & Marketing Department at RADA is happy to receive
feedback about published information. As a small institution, should a prospective student with
a particular impairment request information in a different format, we will always do our best to
make reasonable adjustments to accommodate them, for example by having someone speak in
person or by telephone to a prospective student who is visually-impaired and cannot use the
prospectus or website information.

Entry requirements

11 RADA welcomes applications from prospective students who can demonstrate that they will
benefit from their chosen course, and from the professional preparation that RADA provides its
students. General entry requirements are set out in RADA’s Academic Regulations, and are as
follows:

i. satisfy the entrance requirements of the Academy for the level and programme of
study in Academic Regulations 2020/2024 section 8 to 22;

ii. have demonstrated to the Academy’s satisfaction, taking into account individual
circumstances, the intellectual maturity necessary to gain full advantage from the
educational experience offered by the programme of study;

iii. be 18 years of age on 1 September in the year that they start their programme of study;

iv. satisfy the additional academic and non-academic criteria for the relevant programme;

v. have an appropriate student Visa, where applicable;

vi. comply with the registration procedure laid down by the Academy.

12 RADA also requires prospective students to show that their English language is at a level which
allows them to complete their course successfully as outlined in each programme entry
requirements. These can be found on the relevant course pages of the RADA website:
www.rada.ac.uk/courses.
Audition and Interview

13 Admission to RADA is by audition (for acting programmes) or interview for technical theatre arts
programmes. For our BA (Hons) in Acting, FdA/BA (Hons) Technical Theatre and Stage
Management, PgD Theatre Costume and Foundation Course in Acting, all prospective students
will be auditioned or interviewed.

14 For the MA Theatre Lab, Auditions Panel members will review each application to determine
whether the prospective student has sufficient prior professional/practical experience to be a
suitable candidate for the programme. All candidates meeting that requirement will then be
offered an audition, which they can complete either in-person or in the form of a self-taped
creative task. Those auditioning in person will be interviewed and submit a short reflective
assignment on the day of their audition. Digital auditionees will be invited to an online
interview after successful viewing of their self-taped task by the Panel. Prior to said interview,
they will also submit a short reflective assignment. Following interviews, applicants will be

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 contacted to let them know if their application has been successful or otherwise.

Audition and Admissions Panels

15 The admissions process for RADA’s acting and performance programmes is conducted by
members of the Acting Auditions Panel. The terms of reference for this panel are as follows:

i. The Chair or Chairs of the Panel are appointed by the Director of RADA having taken
advice from the Director of Actor Training, members of the RADA Council (governing
body) and acting faculty members of the Academic Board.

ii. The members of the Panel are appointed by the Director, the Chair(s) of the Auditions
Panel and the Director of Actor Training.

iii. Panel members will be individuals with direct experience of RADA training, or identified
as members of the profession with significant experience in one or more relevant areas
including, but not limited to, acting, actor training, producing, casting or directing.
Members of RADA’s faculty will be included within the panel and the Director and
Director of Actor Training are automatically members of the Panel.

iv. Panel members may be invited to join the audition of specific programmes such as
the BA in Acting, the Foundation Course in Acting and the MA Theatre Lab, or be
appointed to participate in audition panels for all of these programmes.

v. Panel members will be invited to join RADA’s Auditions Panel for a period of five years.
They may be reappointed at the end of this term and RADA may choose to extend the
period of appointment by up to a further two years, especially if this assists in managing
the rotation of Panel members. Extension or reappointment is at the discretion of the
Director, Chair(s) of the Auditions Panel and Director of Actor Training.

vi. Panel members will be required to participate in relevant training and briefing sessions,
including the use of the auditions mark scheme and Equality training. New Panel
members who have not attended a recent training session will not be able to participate
in audition panels.

vii. Panel members new to RADA in their first period of service will be limited to participating
in recall (second stage) auditions and must be accompanied by one of the Director,
Director of Actor Training, Chair(s) of the Auditions Panel or another experienced
member appointed at the discretion of the Chair of the Auditions Panel.

viii. Panel members will be required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest in
discharging their responsibilities or in relation to any particular applicants and remove
themselves from that process where necessary.

16 Technical theatre admissions are conducted by the Technical Theatre Admissions Panel
whose terms of reference are:

i. The Chair of the Panel is the Director of Technical Training.

ii. All members of the technical theatre faculty and the Director of RADA are automatically
members of the Technical Theatre Admissions Panel.

iii. Additional external members of the Panel are drawn from relevant members of the
profession with experience in one or more technical theatre disciplines and/or of
technical theatre training. Such appointments are nominated by the Director of Technical
Training and should be approved by them and the Director of RADA.

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 iv. All interviews should be chaired by either the Director of Technical Training or the
Production Manager and include one other member of faculty and another member
nominated by the Director of Technical Training.

v. Panel members will be required to participate in relevant training and briefing

sessions. New panel members will not be chairs of panels.

vi. For the PgD Theatre Costume, the Panel will include the Head or Deputy Head of
Theatre Costume.

vii. Panel members will be required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest in
discharging their responsibilities or in relation to any particular applicants and remove
themselves from that process where necessary.

Application process

17 The detailed processes for application for each programme are outlined on the RADA website
at www.rada.ac.uk/courses. Paragraphs 18 – 22 summarise the application process for each
programme.

18 BA Acting applicants go through a four-stage audition process, with the length and complexity
of the audition process increasing at each stage. Preliminary and recall auditions include the
delivery of short audition speeches and an unaccompanied song. The third stage is a three-
hour session with workshops and at the fourth stage, there is an all-day process*. Candidates
are informed at each stage whether they will proceed to the next audition. Auditions are
conducted by members of RADA’s Auditions Panel, which includes members of the acting
faculty. The final decision is made by the Chair of the Auditions Panel and the Director of Actor
Training. There are usually 14 places for male students and 14 places for female students on
this programme annually. Please note, we specify the gender of students to indicate that RADA
seeks to balance its cohort, and to communicate that we do not favour one gender over another
in numbers. We recognise that students on application and attendance may prefer not to be
identified in binary terms.

*Changes due to Covid-19

We take the government’s guidance on social distancing very seriously and our priority is the
health and wellbeing of RADA staff, students and applicants. While our intention is that the
final full day workshop stage will take place in-person at RADA, we recognise that this may
not be possible and, if not, an alternative workshop day will take place via Zoom or other
suitable platform.

19 Technical Theatre applicants attend an interview or audition (this can be in person or online),
which will include at least one panel member drawn from the technical theatre faculty, but
usually two. For the BA Technical Theatre and Stage Management, the interview will include a
panellist not drawn from the faculty, who may be an industry member. Candidates who are
successful in the interview stage will usually progress to a workshop (which is expected to be in
person). This could take the form of a set task or group work, but we will never ask any
candidate to take a formal written test or exam. We may ask candidates to answer a
questionnaire, which is not marked, but informs discussion at interview. Prospective students
may be asked to bring a portfolio of prior work experience. RADA FdA TTSM students will be
required to complete an application form for consideration for the BA TTSM and will be required
to attend an interview or auditions (in person or online). RADA requires that PgD Theatre
Costume applicants bring a portfolio to their interview or auditions (in person or online).
20 MA Theatre Lab. This is the only course where not all applicants are auditioned. This is
because the course is designed for students with more substantive prior experience as well
as meeting the entry requirements for postgraduate study. Applications will be reviewed by
members of the Audition Panel to determine whether the prospective student has
communicated sufficient prior acting experience in a professional or amateur capacity and
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 those candidates will be invited to audition. In cases where the application information is
insufficient to determine prior experience, the Panel will favour auditioning an applicant. The
audition takes two different possible forms. A workshop approach conducted by the Head of
MA Courses with designated staff from the Acting Auditions Panel. Or the digital submission
of an extensive self-taped ‘creative task’, physical piece and audition speeches (additional
time is allocated to students who have disclosed a specific learning difficulty). Prospective
students auditioning in person are interviewed on the day of their audition following the
workshop.

Digital applicants will be only invited to interview after members of the Panel have viewed
their submissions and consider them demonstrable of the candidate’s potential for study on
the programme. Such candidates will be offered a selection of possible online interview
dates. The interview constitutes part of the application process and an invitation to interview
does not guarantee an offer. The MA Theatre Lab audition process also includes an unseen
and timed 30-minute reflective assignment. This is either completed on the day of the
audition for candidates participating in-person or online for digital applicants, at a time offered
by the Academy.

*Changes due to Covid-19

We take the government’s guidance on social distancing very seriously and our priority is the
health and wellbeing of RADA staff and applicants. While our intention is that the audition
workshop will take place in person at RADA, we recognise that this may not be possible and, if
not, applicants may choose to submit the alternative digital task.

21 Foundation Course in Acting: this course is not accredited and is, therefore, non-award
bearing. The audition process follows the same principles as for the BA (Hons) Acting, but
with a three-stage process. Prospective students may indicate that they wish to apply for
the Foundation Course alone or at the same time as the BA (Hons) Acting. Prospective
students for both courses are seen at the first and second rounds and then those for whom
the Foundation Course is a better option in the view of the panel will be directed towards a
group workshop day. Students may also be directed to the Foundation Course in Acting at
any of the recall stages of auditions for the BA Acting.

22 All prospective students are asked to provide a personal statement on the application form,
which will be considered as part of the process.

23 Applications open in November for all undergraduate courses and the PgDip in Theatre
Costume. Closing dates for applications are listed on the RADA website. This information is
held on the website on each course page.

24 The MA Lab application opens in March each year for January commencement. Note: MA Lab
runs over a calendar year.

25 Applications are submitted directly to RADA using the appropriate application form.
Applications received after the deadline will not normally be considered. RADA does not use
the UCAS service for any admissions. Applicants may apply to other programmes and
universities on the UCAS system as well as applying to RADA.

26 At every stage of the process, prospective students will hear from the Admissions team about
the status of their application. Owing to volume, we are unable to confirm receipt of an
application until the form and payment have been processed.

27 The other information we will send to prospective students is:

 Details about how to submit their video audition or notification of their audition
workshop/interview date
 Confirmation that a decision has been made and whether an applicant will progress
through the process.

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  An offer letter or confirmation that the applicant has been unsuccessful and any conditions
of offer.
 Confirmation where an applicant may be placed on a waiting list and updates on the status
of their position.
 Once a place has been accepted, prospective students will receive information throughout
the summer prior to entry in preparation for coming to RADA including their first ‘Call to the
Academy’.

28 Once an applicant has accepted an audition workshop/interview date RADA will not usually
agree to change that date unless there are exceptional circumstances and only once.

Should a prospective student miss an audition workshop or interview owing to unavoidable

circumstances, we will endeavour to rearrange the workshop/interview. This will depend upon
the stage in the process. We encourage all prospective students to let us know in advance if,
for any reason, they are not able to attend their audition or interview. We will not normally
accept transport problems or illness as a basis for appealing a decision if you have not notified
us in advance of the workshop/interview taking place.

Should RADA be required to cancel an audition workshop or interview (for example owing to
weather conditions, travel disruptions, illness), we will offer applicants a fresh date. We will
normally only offer one opportunity to change an audition/interview date.
Disabled students

29 RADA welcomes disabled students into its courses. Prospective students with a disability or
impairment (for example dyslexia, a physical or sensory disability or mental health condition)
are encouraged to disclose information which will help us in making reasonable adjustments
ahead of any interview or audition. There is space on the application form to disclose any
relevant information which will help RADA to make adjustments.
Application fees

30 RADA charges an application fee for the BA in Acting and MA Theatre Lab courses. The
admissions process is not automated, and may involve considerable individual contact with an
individual applicant, especially where there are multiple processes or day-long auditions and
interviews for MA Theatre Lab applications. Application fees are not refundable.

31 RADA also may choose to offer free applications for undergraduate programmes to candidates
who meet certain requirements. These requirements will be published with application
information on the RADA website. They include candidates who have completed the RADA
Foundation Course in Acting, Youth Company or other partnerships. We will provide travel
bursaries for low-income UK applicants reaching the final stage of the BA Acting application
process.

Non-standard entry, direct entry and transfer

32 Entry to each of our degree programmes is set out in the respective admissions requirements.
We accept direct entry to the BA Technical Theatre and Stage Management (equivalent to
Year 3 of a degree programme) if the entry requirements are met. Unfortunately, we are
unable to offer direct entry into subsequent years or progression stages of our BA Acting,
Postgraduate Diploma (PgDip) in Theatre Costume and MA Theatre Lab programmes due to
the specific nature of the training. We are also unable to accept direct entry into Year 2 of the
FdA Technical Theatre and Stage Management for the same reason.

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Students wishing to transfer out of RADA

32 We support any student wishing to transfer from RADA who is seeking to study at another
institution. This includes the provision of advice and guidance on student funding, study
options and visas.

Offers

33 Successful candidates will receive an offer usually by email from the Deputy Registrar
(Admissions and Student Services). The offer will state the conditions on which it is made. In
normal circumstances, the only qualification upon which an offer will be conditional is an
English language test result for international students. It is possible that RADA might make a
conditional offer to prospective students joining the BA Technical Theatre and Stage
Management completion programme (e.g. successful completion of a previous course of
study). When an offer is made, the prospective student will receive a copy of RADA’s Terms
and Conditions for accepting a place at RADA. RADA’s Terms and Conditions can be found at
https://www.rada.ac.uk/documents/608/Terms_and_conditions_2022-23_FINAL.pdf.

Feedback

34 Owing to the volume of applicants (for the BA Acting, the usual application: place rate is 121:1)
and the nature of the process, RADA does not automatically provide feedback to all applicants.
We strive to provide feedback to those not offered a place at the final round of an audition
process for the BA Acting. For other courses, it will be at the discretion of the course
leader/director. Generally, feedback will not be supplied.
Deferred applications
35 RADA does not usually permit prospective students to defer a place once an offer has been
made. That said, RADA will consider requests for deferral on a case by case basis, but
applicants should be aware that deferral will only usually be granted in exceptional
circumstances. In such cases deferral will be granted for a maximum of one calendar year.
Appeals and complaints

36 If an applicant feels that they have grounds for an appeal or complaint on an application
decision, RADA has a process in place to consider this. The process is available to download
from the RADA website:
https://www.rada.ac.uk/documents/607/Admissions_Appeals__Complaints_22-
23_FINAL.pdf.

Criminal convictions

37 RADA will ask students at the point of offer if they have any relevant criminal convictions.
Having a criminal record is not a bar to applicants training at RADA. It will depend upon the
circumstances and background of the offence. RADA’s BA (Hons) Acting and FdA Technical
Theatre and Stage Management courses require that students perform or work within a
secondary school context, so we need to ensure that there is no reason why a school would not
permit RADA students, although accompanied by staff, to be present in the school. RADA will
not take into account, when dealing with existing students and selecting applicants for
admission, criminal convictions which are deemed spent under the terms of the Rehabilitation
of Offenders Act 1974 unless such convictions are deemed as ‘exceptions’ under the terms of
the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975. For 2022-23 entry, RADA
will process any information in line with its Disclosure of Criminal Convictions Policy for
Applicants and Students (Appendix 14 to the Regulations and Policies).

Fraud and omitted details

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38 RADA reserves the right to withdraw any offer made on the basis of an application which is
found to have contained fraudulent information. RADA may also withdraw the offer of a place if
an applicant has been found to have omitted key information from their application. Any
enrolled student who is subsequently found to have been admitted on the basis of fraudulent
information may have their studies terminated.

Original Policy October 2016

created
Last approved by May 2021
RADA Academic
Board
Policy Updated November 2021
Document Chairs Action
Approved by
Date Approved 04/11/2021
Version v8
Review date May 2022