UK Government - Dance and Drama Award

What the Dance and Drama Award gives you

You will receive support towards your tuition fees, as well as an annual grant towards your living costs, to enable you to train as a professional actor or dancer at one of the 12 private dance and drama schools in England. The amount of funding depends on your household income and where you live. If your household earns less than £21,000,, your tuition fees will be covered in full. You will also receive a living costs allowance of up to around 6,500 euros per year (£5,491) if you are renting accommodation in London, up to around 5,700 euros (£4,818) in other regions, or around 1,800 euros (£1,501) if you live at home. As your income rises, the allowance decreases, and you will have to pay part of your tuition fees yourself. From £90,000 onwards, you will receive no further support. The grant is paid for the duration of your degree, which ranges from 1 to 3 years depending on your course. It is funded by the UK Department for Education.

Who can apply

• Course: You are studying for a Trinity College London Professional Diploma at Level 5 or Level 6 in the subjects of drama, dance (classical ballet or contemporary dance) or musical theatre at one of the 12 recognised schools.
• Age:, 16 to 23 for dance classes, and 18 to 23 for drama classes, measured at the start of the school year.
• Residence: You have lived in the United Kingdom, the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or Gibraltar for the last 3 years.
• Status: You are a British or Irish national, or you have ‘settled’ or ‘pre-settled’ status, an indefinite leave to remain, refugee status or a comparable right of residence.
• Financial need: Your household income is below £90,000.. The lower it is, the more you will receive.
• Talent: Funding is determined by your talent, which is assessed during an audition.
• No double funding: If you are undertaking a degree course at the same time as your diploma, you are not entitled to a student grant for that degree course.

How to apply

You apply directly to the school you wish to attend, stating that you are applying for a ‘Dance and Drama Award’. The school will hold an audition and rank applicants according to their talent. If you are offered a place, you must complete an income declaration form and subsequently submit a full application with proof of income. The university will then calculate your final grant. Provisional offers are made from 1 March each year.

How realistic are your chances?

This funding is strictly limited. You must hold a specific qualification from Trinity College London obtained at one of only 12 schools, be between 16 and 23 years old, and pass the entrance exam. Talent is the decisive factor, and each school awards the grants in order of merit until the budget is exhausted. If you perform well in the entrance exam, meet the residence requirements and your household income is at the lower end of the scale, your chances are good. Apply early and do your best in the entrance exam.