Introducing Our Academy
If you want to study circus with physical theatre and develop as a new kind of performer then look no further than Circomedia. Our Circus Academy offers a range of full-time courses delivered in partnership with City of Bristol College and Bath Spa University. We are proudly based in the vibrant city of Bristol, famous for its thriving performance industry and links to the wider circus and theatre community.
Circomedia has been at the forefront of contemporary circus education for over thirty years. Above all, it is one of our core educational beliefs that minds and personalities need developing just as much as physical skill. This is why we nurture our students to take an imaginative and innovative approach to training. In addition, we aim to equip students with the skills and knowledge they need for the existing artistic landscape. This is so they can create their own blend of circus and theatre for the future. We encourage all our students to devise work that challenges and inspires, in the hope that they will discover the fullness of their physical, emotional and creative potential.
“I got so much from my studies. Circomedia gave me a safe place to try things, fail at things and learn from them.”
– Pedro Tochas, street theatre performer and TV actor
BTEC Course
For learners aged 16+ we offer a Level 3 BTEC Extended Diploma in Performing Arts. The course is the only two-year Extended Diploma in the UK that allows students to specialise in circus. Alongside circus, students train in movement, physical theatre and devising. The course features the same academic rigour as A levels whilst also focusing on more practical learning. BTEC students study four days a week. Moreover, the full Extended Diploma provides enough UCAS points for university applications. The course is delivered in partnership with City of Bristol College.
Degree Course
Circomedia’s undergraduate Degree programme is split into a two-year Foundation Degree (FdA) and a BA (Hons) top-up year. Both courses are validated by Bath Spa University.
Circomedia is the only UK-based institution with a rich history of integrating circus with physical theatre and other disciplines. We are one of only two places in the UK to offer circus education at degree level.
Vocational Course
We deliver a privately-funded, unaccredited version of the Degree called the Vocational Course. This course is ideal for people who want to develop their skills in contemporary circus and physical theatre, but who don’t require a formal qualification. An intensive training experience, students have the chance to study a wide range of disciplines and styles, including circus, physical theatre, movement, creativity and devising, and opportunities to perform in a range of settings, to a range of audiences. The Vocational Course directly mirrors the Degree and can be studied as a three-month short course (September – December) or for a full year. For instance, some Vocational Course students stay with us for just three months, whilst others have studied all three years of the BA as a Vocational Student.
Masters Course
In September 2017 Circomedia launched the world’s first Masters Degree in Directing Circus, in partnership with Bath Spa University. This MA was developed to address a recognised need across the global circus community. The course aims to create and support a new kind of performance director; one who is aware of the possibilities and limitations of using circus techniques in an artistic context.
Find out how to apply here.
“Circomedia had a massive influence on all of us. Looking at the possibilities of circus, where it can be taken – and that it’s a free artform, what do you want to do with it – really formed the way I look at it.”
– Charlotte Mooney, co-artistic director of Ockham’s Razor
BTEC
Foundation Degree
BA (Hons) Degree
Master Degree
Vocational Courses
