About the Course
Being creative is God’s gift to us as His ‘workmanship’. Made in God’s image, we are all freely given the ability to ‘make’.
Being creative is also evident in many different ways, and as Christians some may have a more specific calling to the arts and performance.
With that in mind, Regents Theological College offers a three year BA (Hons) degree in Applied Theology and Performing Arts, taught by some of the best professional Christian actors, writers, and directors in the country.
As more and more churches realise the need to connect with 21st century culture, performance has become both the forum and language for contemporary debate. In order to speak to the wider community beyond the church, it is vital that we become fluent in performance, open to its importance, and well-versed in the use of the arts.
The vision of the Regents course is to enable those whom God has gifted in performance with the opportunity to hone those skills in an affirming atmosphere; and in a place that puts Christ at the centre of all we do. As well as teaching practical professional skills, the course explores the interaction between performance and theology, in seeing how these two disciplines enrich and inform one another.
The goal of the course is that the graduates will not only obtain a degree in Applied Theology and the Performing Arts, but become the actors, communicators, storytellers, church leaders, and performers of the future; those who will help revitalise both the Church and the Arts.
In the 12 years the Applied Theology and Performing Arts degree has been running, students have gone on to work in professional theatre with companies that include 4front Theatre, Riding Lights, Searchlight, and Attic Ladder. Others have started their own theatre companies or are involved in drama departments teaching theatre skills; some have also become writers and directors. They have taken shows to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, toured nationally, and are involved in creative work throughout the country.
With a high recommendation from the wider creative world, the course has been commended as ‘ … extremely rare to find a degree that combines theatre practice, theatre studies, and theological studies so well. This integration is both intellectually robust and strongly responsive to the needs of the church and religious institutions more broadly, and I know of no other provision like it anywhere around Britain – indeed, anywhere else in the English-speaking world’.
Applied Theology and Performing Arts Modules
Level 4 (yr 1)
Compulsory Modules
Biblical Interpretation
Introduction to Christian Doctrine
Introduction to Practical Theology
Performance and the Church
Acting Techniques
Devised Theatre
* Language modules are only available for campus students
** The availability of some optional modules is subject to timetabling
Level 5 (yr 2)
Compulsory Modules
Ethics and Performance Theory
Ethics and Performance Practice
Movement
Students must also take at least two of the following:
The Torah: Genesis-Deuteronomy in
Christian Perspective
Gospel and Acts
Pentecostal Theology
Optional Modules
(choose 1)
Biblical Language (Hebrew or Greek)
Pastoral Care: Theory & Skills
World Religions
Level 6 (yr 3)
Compulsory Modules
Creating Performance
Directing
Large Scale Production
Theology Dissertation
(2 modules)
Optional Modules
(choose 1)
Models of Youth Ministry
Church and Mission
Pauline Theology
The Old Testament Prophetic Literature: Theologies and Applications
Mode of Learning
Campus based learning (full-time)
Our classic community based approach to studying on a full-time basis, whilst living on campus in the College’s spectacularly situated halls-of-residence in the Malvern Hills. Students study 6 modules each year, as they work towards their degree, with focused lecture weeks supported by tutorials, seminars and self-learning, within the College’s comprehensive spiritual environment. Students have the opportunity to undertake placements and/or serve in local churches as their studies progress.
Employability and Professional Practice
During the three years study there are various opportunities to work with professional theatre companies, putting into practice what students learn, thereby acquiring deeper skills.
As already mentioned, in previous years students have toured with Searchlight Theatre Company, performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and been part of rehearsal and devising processes with Saltmine Theatre Company.
Other companies such as 4Front Theatre Company (a company that was set up by graduates from the course) often audition students for their Christmas tour and various children’s shows. These opportunities, and others, ensure that the skill and knowledge students learn on the course are embedded within professional practice.
The course is recognised by Equity and students are eligible for a student equity card.
In addition to roles and positions within church and parachurch organisations, this degree is applicable to the following careers:
Track Leaders
Rich Hasnip MA
Performing Arts Track Leader
Ollie Ward, BA (Hons), MA
Youth Track Course Leader and Performing Arts Track tutor
Validation and Entry Requirements
Regents Theological College is an approved academic partner of the University of Chester. The BA in Applied Theology and Perfoming Arts is validated by the University of Chester and students who successfully complete the programme will be eligible for a University of Chester award.
If you are under 21 years of age, the entry requirements are GCSE English at C grade or above (or equivalent), and two A levels. If you are over 21, the requirement is GCSE English at C grade or above (or equivalent), and with the discretion of Regents Theological College. In both cases a place on the Performing Arts course is also dependent on a successful audition.
Awards
Three year Bachelors of Arts with Honours in Applied Theology, with an optional exit Certificate of Higher Education after year one, or a Diploma of Higher Education after year two.
Course Fees
As an approved academic partner of the University of Chester, Regents Theological College undergraduate courses are open to full student finance loans for residents in England, Northern Ireland (with some restrictions), Scotland and Wales. They are also open to maintenance loans, although those are dependent upon personal and/or family financial circumstances.
For course fees, please visit our college fees page here.
For specific finance codes for the course, please visit our college finance code page here.
How to Apply
To apply online, please click here or visit the Apply Now page on the College admissions page, or contact our Academic Administrator, Shelley Cave via email or on 01684 588979 or 01684 588965.
You can also ask to have an application form sent to you.