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About this course
This course explores all aspects and possibilities of Sound Design and Production. Grounded in theatre, you’ll learn the art of creating sonic worlds integral to dramatic narratives. You will develop the technical ability to control the sound environment of live performance, using state-of-the-art equipment and working with tutors who are active professionals.
Studying on the Sound Design and Production specialism of the BA (Hons) Theatre Practice degree course, you will:
- Learn the skills and techniques of contemporary Sound Design for performance
- Undertake production and engineering work to realise Sound Systems for performance and installation
- Develop skills for Mixing Musicals and Sound Operation for plays
- Grow your understanding of acoustic and technical theory
- Gain experience in one of the most rapidly evolving theatre disciplines
- Get real world experience through professional placement opportunities and industry networks
- Collaborate on projects and work independently at the highest level
You’ll explore the newest professional performance technologies, including computer-based show control, audio recording, waveform editing, digital mixing, audio and computer networking, MIDI, scripting and OSC. Relevant acoustic and technical theory helps you use this equipment effectively in practice and allows you to adapt to emerging technologies in the future.
You’ll work with state-of-the-art equipment companies including d&b Audiotechnik, Yamaha, Shure and Autograph Sound
The course also includes projects in Immersive and Spatial Audio, Film Sound Design and Composition, Game Audio, Sound Art and Audio Drama.
BA (Hons) Theatre Practice: Sound Design and Production will prepare you for all elements of Audio work in a diverse range of settings and industry areas.
If you are interested in composition for performance, the relationship between the fields of sound design and music composition may be explored.
Read more from Course Tutor Donato Wharton on what’s involved in becoming a Sound Designer or Foley Artist.
Cutting edge practice and thinking is the norm at Central. Exciting research activity ongoing in this area and led by Dr Duska Radosavljevic can be found here
Second-year Entry
You can apply for second-year entry to this course if you have already undertaken first-year study at another institution on a relevant course, taken a HND and HNC qualification or have relevant experience. Please contact openevents@cssd.ac.uk to find out more.
Course Video
Accordion
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Course Detail
Year 1: Developing and extending your skill base
In year one you will learn the core aesthetic and technical aspects of content design and sound production.
Activity
What’s involved
Audio Fundamentals
You will learn the art of deep listening, analogue and digital signal flow, gain structure and beyond.
Studio Techniques - Introduction
You will learn the fundamentals of studio equipment including analogue and digital sound systems, digital audio workstations, microphone and recording techniques, editing and production skills.
Sound Design – Introduction
You will learn the process of dramaturgy to inform sound design and choice. Working with a range of materials from poems, plays, images, and films you will develop the artistic skills to consider and create sound design.
Production Sound - Introduction
You will begin to learn the core techniques of production sound. Working as sound crew on shows, installing and rigging the sound systems and shadowing those in role. You will develop skills in soldering and equipment maintenance, paperwork, cad drawing and hire protocols.
Typical Projects – Sound Design and Production
What’s involved
Field Recording Project
In this project we will explore the basics of deep listening, soundwalks, field recordings, microphone and field recorders, audio editing, sequencing and present the work in a multi speaker installation.
Sound to still image
Provided with a static image you will create a sound design articulating your artistic response.
Sound to short film
Given a short, non-dialogue, film of around 3 minutes you will create all the sound elements employing Foley, sources sounds, manipulated sounds, sonic creations, and composition
Sound for Radio/Audio books
We will undertake a project focused on recording for Radio/Audio books, including mic placement, voice editing, sound effect design and post-production for broadcast
Foley
You will undertake a Foley project, examining the history, technique and skill, culminating in a performance of a sequence for a small audience.
Typical Projects – Collaborating with students from other Theatre Practice courses
What’s involved
Speculative Project
You will create all audio, plans and paperwork for an un-staged piece in a chosen venue. Presenting the whole package at the end of term
Bridge Project
You will realise a full sound design and sound system for a show at the end of the year. Covering all bases your will feel prepared to take on a Deputy role in the second-year productions
Site Visits
Theatre/Show
We will undertake site visits each term to leading theatres (often West End) to meet the sound team and designers to discuss the show
Manufacturer
We will visit equipment manufacturers and distributers for close examination and training of their products
Year 2: Identifying an individualised career path
Year 2 builds upon the foundation skills learnt in Year 1, and provides opportunities to apply this to performance settings. This will include numerous opportunities to work in role on live public productions.
Activity
What’s involved
Studio Techniques - Advanced
Building on skills developed in first year you will advance your ability with further training. Focusing on Networking for Audio, Dante level 3, Advanced Ableton, Binaural and Spatial audio introductions.
Sound Design – Advanced
Building on your learning you will continue to develop your skills and experience in Sound Design. Examining practicing Sound Designers and design styles you will adopt and replicate skills and techniques to build your creative skills base and begin to find your own aesthetic.
Production Sound – Advanced
Continuing to develop techniques of a Production Sound engineer including 3D drawing in Vectorworks and CAD, Apple Script, Excel, CadConnect, Draw i-o, complex schematics, kit lists, hire store liaisons and crew management.
Typical Projects – Sound Design and Production
What’s involved
Game Audio
Working with industry professionals you will learn software like Unreal Engine, Unity, FMOD and Reaper
Sound to short film 2
Given a short dialogue film of around 12 minutes you will create all the sound element needed including Foley, sources sounds, manipulated sounds, sonic creations, and composition
Sound for Screen
Working with industry professionals you will experiment with recording for screen, examining the differences of radio mic’s for this format, boom mic, production mixing and post production voice editing.
Radio Mic skills
You will learn the skills required to work as a Radio Mic technician for musicals. Supervised by industry leading, West End Sound #2 you will learn all the essential skills to undertake this role in productions
Typical Projects – Collaborating with students from other Theatre Practice courses
What’s involved
Production Role
Each term, working on productions, you will take on a role, normally a Deputy role in your second year, as Sound Designer, Engineer, Operator or Radio Mic technician
Site Visits
What’s involved
Theatre/Show
We will undertake site visits each term to leading theatres (often West End) to meet the sound team and designers to discuss the show
Manufacturer
We will visit equipment manufacturers and distributers for close examination and training of their products
Year 3: Focus on professional development
Year 3 sees a significant focus on professional preparation and building industry contacts, undertaking key sound design and production roles including the management of sound teams and budgets.
Activity
What’s involved
Advanced research
Working your third year you will direct your own research around the sound industry examining technology, design and the practice of professionals working in industry. Each term focusing on a specified outcome which will count towards your portfolio. In the past this has been subjects such as Festival Audio, Sound Art, Beamforming Speaker Systems, Spatial Sound and Sound Designers of the World.
Typical Projects – Sound Design and Production
What’s involved
Binaural Sound
You will undertake a binaural sound project with one of the country’s leading binaural designer/engineers. Learning about the technology, recording with a binaural head and producing a short piece for your portfolio
Advanced Desk programming
You will learn industry leading techniques for desk programming, focusing on Digico and Yamaha, from West End and National Tour Sound #1’s
Spatial Sound
Researching and utilising the leading spatial sound engines you will develop a project using this technology, either in a school production or in an independent project
Typical Projects – Collaborating with students from other Theatre Practice courses
What’s involved
Production Role
Each term, working on productions you will take on a role, normally a Head of Department role, as Sound Designer, Production Sound Engineer, or Sound #1.
Placement
You will undertake at least one placement in your final year, this may be one longer placement or several shorter placements offering varying experiences of work. Previous work experience has been at the National Theatre, Autograph, West End, London Fringe, Young Vic and Secret Cinema.
Future Practice
You will undertake a rigorous process of industry research and build a portfolio for future employment. This will include a website and social media assets which, in conjunction with your portfolio and industry contacts, will see you into employment in the working world.
Site Visits
What’s involved
Theatre/Show
We will undertake site visits each term to leading theatres (often West End) to meet the sound team and designers to discuss the show
Manufacturer
We will visit equipment manufacturers and distributers for close examination and training of their products
How we assess you
Our assessment is a mix of practical and reflection. Each term you will submit a Reflective Portfolio of your work. This will include any items you create for any term’s projects and an additional reflection document examining the process’ you have undertaken, what you have learned, and what you might do differently in the future.
Submission formats including Portfolio - Comprising of images, recordings, film, and slides; a Presentation - Either live or recorded, Audio - Such as a podcast; Written - Such as an essay. The Reflective Portfolio may be submitted in any of these ways to best meet the learning and delivery needs of the individual.
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Industry Links and Partnerships
Theatre Sound was one of the first courses to incorporate the concept of industry partnerships at Central, looking at ways in which collaboration between audio and theatre industries could be mutually beneficial.
The programme is generously supported by major industry partners, including:
- d&b audiotechnik
- Autograph Sound
- DiGiCo
- HAVEsound
- Show Works
- Out Board Electronics
- Stage Sight
- and a variety of other companies and individuals.
Central played a major role in the establishment of the Association of Sound Designers (ASD), which provides a platform for continuing professional development and community support.
Many opportunities for sound students come through the network of graduates already well placed in the industry.
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Graduate Employment
There is a strong transitional path from training in this course to working in this industry. In academic year 2020/21 all students in the graduating year were in work before the end of their studies. These included roles in The Lion King, Ocean at the End of the Lane, 2:22, Life of Pi, Beauty and the Beast; Regents Park Theatre, The Almeida, Young Vic, The Coronet Theatre, Southwalk Playhouse and Autograph Sound Hire.
Graduate employment and career pathways include:
Sound Designer
- West Side Story (Ivo van Hove - Broadway)
- Hamlet (Robert Ike - Almeida, West End & Park Avenue Armoury/New York)
- Scene’s with Girls (Lucy Morrison - Royal Court Theatre)
- Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Jon Tiffany - West End, Broadway, Worldwide)
- Life of Pi (Max Webber – Sheffield Theatre & West End)
- All My Sons (Marianne Elliot & Miranda Cromwell, Young Vic & West End)
- Death of England (Clint Dyer - National Theatre)
- King John (Eleanor Rhode - Royal Shakespeare Company)
Production Sound
- National Theatre
- Royal Court Theatre
- Young Vic
- West End
- Autograph Sound
- Show Works
- Have Sound
Teaching and freelance Staff as professional practitioners:
- Peter Rice / Course Leader / Sound Designer / Jesus Hopped the A-Train / Young Vic
- Peter Rice / Course Leader / Sound Designer / Avalanche : A Love Story / Barbican
- Peter Rice / Course Leader / Sound Designer / The Tragedy of Richard II / Almeida
- Peter Rice / Course Leader / Associate Sound Designer / Yerma (Simon Stone – Young Vic, Park Avenue Armoury/New York)
- Donato Wharton / Course Tutor / Sound Designer / Three Sisters (Nadia Fall - National Theatre)
- Donato Wharton / Course Tutor / Sound Designer / Norma Jean Baker of Troy (Katie Mitchell - The Shed/New York)
- Helen Skiera / Course Tutor / Sound Designer / The Effect / (Anthony Neilson, Boulevard Theatre – West End)
- Dom Bilkey / Visiting Lecturer / Head of National Theatre Sound & Video / Sound Designer / The Lehman Trilogy (Sam Mendes – National Theatre / Park Avenue Armoury/New York)
- Claire Windsor / Visiting Lecturer / Royal Shakespeare Company / Sound Designer / Imperium (Gregory Doran – RSC, West End)
- Roisine Mamdani / Visiting Lecturer / #1 Sound / Company; The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
- Emma Laxton / Visiting Lecturer / Sound Designer / Emilia (Nicole Charles – The Globe / West End)
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Notable Alumni
Tom Gibbons (2008) provides sound design and composition for theatre, musical theatre, film and live installation. He won the Olivier Award in 2016 for Best Sound Design for his work on Duncan Macmillan’s People, Places and Things, and his other credits include; West Side Story (Broadway); Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (Broadway); 1984 (West End and Broadway), for which he was nominated for a Tony Award; All About Eve (Harold Pinter); Hello, I’m Darling (Duke of York’s); The Doctor (Almeida Theatre), and A View from the Bridge (Young Vic).
Gareth Fry (1996) is an Olivier and Tony award-winning sound designer. His credits include Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (West End) and Complicité’s The Encounter. He has years of experience designing plays, musicals, dance and opera productions worldwide, including over 20 productions at the National Theatre and has also created work for exhibitions and events, from the V&A’s David Bowie Is exhibition, to the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games.
Carolyn Downing (2002) is an Olivier Award-winning Sound Designer working in a variety of fields both nationally and internationally. She has amassed a large number of theatre credits to her name, most recently; Death of a Salesman (Young Vic); All My Sons (Old Vic); Downstate (Steppenwolf Chicago and The National theatre): Fiddler On The Roof (Chichester Festival Theatre); Mother Courage (Royal Exchange Theatre); A Woman of No Importance (Vaudeville); and Coriolanus, Julius Caesar, Antony And Cleopatra, King John (RSC).
David McSeveney (2002) is Head of Sound at Royal Court and productions he’s worked on there include; Cyprus Avenue (& Abbey, Dublin/Public, NYC); The Cane, Girls & Boys (& Minetta Lane, NYC); Father Comes Home from the Wars (Parts 1, 2 & 3); Open Court 2016; Lela & Co.; Constellations (& West End/Broadway/UK tour). He also regularly works for other theatre companies, and credits elsewhere include; The Skriker (Manchester International Festival/Royal Exchange, Manchester); A Doll’s House (& West End/BAM, NYC) and Macbeth, The Changeling (Young Vic).
Laura Gingell (2016) worked on RSC’s Matilda The Musical for a number of years after graduating from Central. Since then she has worked in the sound department for a number of productions including Julius Caesar, Nightfall (Bridge Theatre), and The Lieutenant of Inishmore (Michael Grandage Company).
Pete Malkin (2012) won a Tony Award for his work as a sound designer on Complicité’s The Encounter, and his other credits include; Death of England (National Theatre); The Cherry Orchard (Simon McBurney, Toneelgroep Amsterdam)’; Death of a Salesman (Manchester Royal Exchange); The Tempest (Donmar Warehouse/St Ann’s Warehouse), and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (West End).
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Recent Visiting Professionals
- Dominic Bilkey (Head of Sound & Video, National Theatre)
- Gareth Fry (freelance Sound Designer, Olivier Award Winner – Best Sound 2007 for Waves, 2009 for Black Watch and 2017 for Harry Potter and The Cursed Child)
- Tim Lynn (Owner, Showsound)
- Zoe Milton, (NT Live)
- Ruth Sullivan (Foley Artist)
- Rich Walsh (freelance Sound Designer, All That You Hear).
- Claire Windsor (RSC)
- Roisine Mamdani (West End Sound #1)
- Emma Laxton (Freelance Sound Designer, Olivier Award Nominee – Emilia)
- Mathew Smethurst-Evans (Theatreplan)
- Avgoustos Psillas – (Autograph Sound)
- Luke Swaffield – (Secret Cinema)
- Theo Holloway – (War of the World – Immersive Experience)
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Entry Requirements and Admissions
Minimum Entry Requirements
Our standard academic entry requirements range between 120 and 64 UCAS tariff points. As part of meeting these tariff points, we consider a range of qualifications including A Levels, BTECs, T Levels and many more. You can see how many tariff points your qualifications would gain on the UCAS Tariff Calculator. International qualifications and others not covered within the UCAS tariff can also be accepted. Please email us if you need further clarification.
Please note that we make lower offers (including unconditional) to exceptional candidates and those who have alternative or prior experience to offer. All candidates invited to interview are asked to bring a portfolio. Interview and portfolio are key factors in determining which applicants are accepted on to the course.
Admission with Academic Credit
For information on alternative entry requirements please see www.ucas.com.
Application Details
See How to Apply section for Undergraduate courses.
We particularly encourage applications from groups currently under-represented in higher education, such as students with disabilities and members of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic groups. Find out more information on Central’s commitment to equality and diversity.
Interviews
Find out more about the interview process for this course.
International Interviews
Each year Central hosts a number of interviews outside of the UK, with a team of tutors from Central travelling to meet applicants. The international interviews are designed to replicate the London-based interview experience in every aspect (other than a tour of our site!). See our Event Finder for listings of upcoming interview locations and dates.
International Students
Visit the International Students section to view details of English language requirements for Central’s courses.
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Tuition Fees, Bursaries and Scholarships
Tuition Fees for 2024 Entry
UK (Home) students: £9,250 per year*
Overseas students: £25,200 per yearPlease note that there may be additional costs that you need to incur as part of the training for the course.
Full information is available on the Tuition Fees and Additional Costs page.
Bursaries and Scholarships
Central offers a range of bursaries and scholarships. If you are holding an offer for a place on a course then you will be invited to apply for a bursary or scholarship.
UK-based undergraduate students who are applying for a student maintenance loan and have a household income under £35,000 will automatically be awarded our Access to Central Bursary.
*If you are a UK student but already hold a qualification at the equivalent or higher level to the one that you are applying for, then you may be classed as an ELQ student and be required to pay the same fee as an overseas student.
Student Feedback
“Doing the Theatre Sound course at Central allowed me to meet a community of sound professionals and theatre practitioners that have continued to help me in my career today. The course opened up opportunities both inside and outside of the university as the learning environment runs parallel to industry. The community at Central, from my peers to the tutors and visiting professionals, are still people who I communicate and work with today. I’m so grateful for my time there and the knowledge and experience I gained from the course.”
Beth Duke
Graduated in 2019, credits include sound design for, ‘Scenes with Girls’ at The Royal Court and, ‘One Jewish Boy’ at Trafalgar Studios.
“Central allowed me to access parts of the Theatre Industry that I didn’t know existed. I had the opportunity to learn from great visiting professionals at the top of their field, whether as designers, operators or engineers. The staff and students at Central made me feel so welcome from day one, allowing me to concentrate on developing into a working professional.”
Jack Vincent
Graduated in 2019, credits include; Sound No.1 ‘Mr Gum and the Dancing Bear’ (Dorfman Theatre), Sound No.1 ‘A Taste of Honey’ (Trafalgar Studios), Sound No.1 ‘Malory Towers’ (UK Tour).
Staff On The Course
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