Studies
Head of course: Benedikt Haubrich
Tutors: Benedikt Haubrich, Antje Siebers, Wulf Twiehaus, Anne Greta Weber|Caspar Weimann
Key objectives of the Acting course at ADK
The Acting curriculum at ADK has been structured to ensure that by the end of their 8-semester course students can acquire the qualification they need to exercise the acting profession. The professional profile of the actor is broadly geared to the diverse techniques and organisational forms of the contemporary stage. (This includes working under a director or as a collective in standard national and municipal repertory companies or in independent structures).
Fostering and training an artistic identity, authorship and responsibility is a particular hallmark of the Acting course at the ADK. Being able to make our own decisions in the work environment, deepening our interest in and fundamental understanding of themes and subject-matter, constantly self-monitoring and growing, honing critical skills, an ability to reflect and a desire to engage with the rest of the company are all essential features in the work of an actor, and consequently they play an important part in training for actors at ADK. The major artistic disciplines foster solid skills and confidence as students analyse texts, study standard monologues and scenes, take part in course-year productions and develop projects.
Cultivating and training the voice, learning speech and breathing techniques, fostering musical skills and tuning into movement are essential to the craft of an actor. They are a permanent thread in this course with regular teaching at all stages. Great value is attached to transferring the skills acquired in these regular classes across to the major artistic disciplines.
The theoretical component – history of theatre, music, fine arts and philosophy – serves to develop intellectual and reflective skills, the ability to think in abstract terms and a cognitive understanding of political, historical and aesthetic questions. These provide an essential foundation for actors to identify their position and evolve an independent artistic personality.
Training for actors in the major artistic disciplines combines teaching formats that reflect the production cycles in a theatre (scene study, stage workshop, graduate production) with ongoing classes in basic subjects (speech, movement, singing). In the major artistic disciplines, the process is supported by integrating active professionals in the training. Work encounters with outstanding contemporary practitioners enable students to develop a relationship with top-quality practice. At the same time, they are encouraged to actively explore a broad range of theatre aesthetics.
Another component here is training for the screen. The stage, the screen and digital media make very different demands of actors today. It is hugely beneficial, therefore, to acquire professional skills and competence in all these fields while training. It is also a fact that video and digital media have long since established a foothold in the theatre, resulting in very particular aesthetic narratives, and this process is set to continue. Students therefore need the skills and an uninhibited artistic response to working with film and digital media. The Screen Acting course is spread across all eight semesters and ranges from basic camera experience and film studies to involvement in professional TV and cinema formats. Students meet experienced cinema professionals working on the international circuit. The Screen Acting course factors in encounters with students at the Film Academy. This encourages and forges professional links that persist long after graduation.
True to ADK’s founding motto Forge Bonds, the training for our Acting students regularly overlaps with and complements the courses devoted to Directing, Dramaturgy and Stage & Costume Design (the latter based at ABK Stuttgart). At the start of the course, students of Directing, Dramaturgy and Acting attend the same basic lessons. From the 2nd year onwards, Acting students regularly perform in the technical exercises and graduate shows of fellow students on the Directing course. One intended benefit of this collaboration is that researching together results in fresh formats, theatre idioms and new approaches to the theatre as an organism and other working environments, over and above existing models and structures.
The Acting course is enriched by input from working experience with other techniques: physical theatre, dance, clowns, performance, documentary theatre, etc. This input occurs both during the principal course (up until the graduate production in the 7th semester) and in the 8th semester.
Aptitude test, duration of course and graduation project: After passing the admission test by convincing ADK teachers that they possess enough acting talent and development potential, 8–12 Acting students will form a class and remain together for eight semesters. At the end of their training, in the 7th semester, students take part in a graduation project, productions by fellow-students and a final show, giving them an opportunity to showcase their work to theatre managers, directors, producers and agencies etc. The Acting course at ADK leads after eight semesters to a Bachelor of Arts.
lessContact
Academic Office
Dr. Claudia Wolf
Phone: +49 7141 / 30 99 6 – 41
Mail: claudia.wolf@adk-bw.de
Application
- 1. Course Catalogues
For further informations, please contact the Academic Office Acting (claudia.wolf@adk-bw.de)
The Course Catalogues for Acting Studies (1st-4th year) 2021|22
see pdf Downloads hereafter. - 2. Start of studies
The study programme beginns in the winter semester.
Start of studies of winter semester 2022|23: Monday, 19th, September 2022
- 3. Admission
- The admission is based on auditions in two levels (we offer up to 12 places to study)
- No age limit.
- Applicants without certificate qualifying for university admission can be admitted to the studies with additional examination according to § 9 «Additional examination for applicants without Allgemeine Hochschulreife (university-entrance diploma)«.
- 4. Admission exams
Admission exams for study year 2022|23:
1st level entrance examinations takes place digitally. For more details follow this link to our german website.
2nd level entrance examinations / final level entrance examination
May 31st until June 3rd, 2022 – LIVE. For more details follow this link to our german website. - 4.1. Informations on the 1st level examinations
If the applicant is invited to the 1st level auditions, the audit commission expects you to perform two independently developed role extracts and a musical or acrobatic performance (without playback, CD-player or similar).
It is followed by an individual interview with short feedback to the performed roles and questions in the field of the performing arts.
The role extracts should consist of a scene from the classical drama and one from contemporary drama.
The duration of the extracts should be max. 5 minutes.
The audit commission decides right after the auditions if the applicant will be invited for the 2nd level audition.
The results will also be communicated to the applicants after the auditions. - 4.2. Informations on the 2nd level and final entrance examinations
The 2nd level auditions are divided in two stages:
In stage one the board will examine the classical and contemporary roles on one of the first two days. Possibly it will be worked on either of them. The duration of each role/ scene should be max 3 minutes. The board reserves the right to come back to the musical performance of the 1st level audition.
The decision on continuing auditions in stage two will be told in the end of level one.
Stage two consists of single and group improvisations as well as individual work.
In the end of the day of stage two the board will decide on the admission of the acting studies at ADK and tell the applicants in person.One Table and two chairs are allowed, any other props are not permitted.
Accommodation and travelling expenses are not refunded.
- 5. Repetition of admission exam
If the admission exam is not passed once it can be repeated at earliest one year later.
Further repetitions are not permitted.
- 6. Head of course/ tutors
Head of course: Benedikt Haubrich
Tutor 1st year of study: Wulf Twiehaus
Tutor 2nd year of study: Benedikt Haubrich
Tutor 3rd year of study: Antje Siebers
Tutor 4th year of study: Anne Greta Weber | Caspar Weimann - 7. Duration of studies
The duration of study is eight semesters.
- 8. Tuition fees
The state of Baden-Württemberg has not been charging tuition fees since the summer semester 2012.
As of the winter semester 2017|18, international students who come from outside the EU for the purpose of studying will make a contribution of € 1.500 per semester. For the second degree, € 650 are charged per semester
Informations for educational support BAFöG: here (in German)
Each semester a contribution of € 121,- for the Studierendenwerk and an administration and AStA fee of € 35.- is mandatory.
Informations of the Studierendenwerk Stuttgart
see here: www.studierendenwerk-stuttgart.de/en
++ For the application process please visit the german version of our website! ++
The application and related documents must be submitted in German, since entrance examinations and studies at the Academy of Performing Arts are held in German.
For all degree programmes, the application cycle for 2022|23 starts from December 6th, 2021.
Online registration will be possible from this date. The current checklists for preparing the documents will then be available for download.
The 1st level entrance examinations have taken place from March 7th to March 17th, 2022 in digital form.
The 2nd and 3rd level will take place LIVE from May 31st until June 3rd, 2022.
++ Important information to the application process ++
- Online-Registration
Print registration form and send the form together with related documents (see checklist) to the ADK. Please no registered mail. - Upon receipt and verification of the documents, you will receive an email inviting you to the 1st level examinations.
(Please also check your Spam folder in your mail account). - After having successfully passed the 1st level you will get an invitation (email) for the 2nd level and final entrance examinations.
- The submitted documents will not be returned.
- For an online registration please follow this link to our german website.