Branch Scholarships - BADA — British American Drama Academy

The Branch Scholarships, open to early-career actors with UK residence, cover full tuition on our flagship London Theatre Programme. The Scholarships are named after BADA’s founder Tony Branch (1939-2023) and are awarded competitively through an application and interview process.

The British American Drama AcademyJonnie Broadbent

The British American Drama AcademyScott Handy

The British American Drama AcademyEvelyn Miller

The British American Drama AcademyJimmy Garnon

London Theatre Programme Spring 2024 production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream"

Programme Overview

The Branch Scholarships are open only to those with UK residence, and will be awarded competitively through an application and interview process.

The Branch Scholarships will cover full tuition fees for the London Theatre Programme, as well as theatre tickets and social events. Scholars will be responsible for their own accommodation, transport and subsistence. Candidates should be prepared to undertake a rigorous ensemble training programme with up to 35 hours per week of classes: due to the intensive nature of the course, it should be noted that students could only undertake intermittent shift work alongside the training.

BADA operates strict policies around timekeeping and professionalism, and inculcates an ethos of collaboration, consent and creative generosity. We expect recipients of the Branch Scholarships to live up to the highest standards of professional behaviour. As the majority of students on the London Theatre Programme are from the USA, we are looking for candidates who are sensitive to cultural difference, and who are passionate both about building an international creative network, and about taking the initiative in sharing London with talented and creative visitors.

BADA’s home at 14 Gloucester Gate

This historic Crown Estate building, designed by John Nash in 1837 is located in one of London’s most beautiful and historic residential areas, adjacent to the beautiful Regent’s Park and close to vibrant Camden Town. 14 Gloucester Gate, Regent’s Park, London NW1 4HG, United Kingdom

14 Gloucester Gate, Regent’s Park, London NW1 4HG, United Kingdom

Get directions

Curriculum Details

We are looking for exceptional acting candidates to be the Spring 2027 Branch Scholars.

Applications for Spring 2027 are open.

How to Apply:

All applicants must send an email to BADA’s Programmes and Recruitment Manager Jen Pollard at branch@bada.org.uk expressing their interest in the Branch Scholarships.

Applicants must also include:

Acting Applicants

A private link to a recorded online (Youtube/Vimeo, etc.) self-tape audition. Your audition should include:
- Some words about yourself: your name, age, when you began studying acting; how you heard about the Branch Scholarship and why you are applying.
- A memorized speech by Shakespeare or one of his contemporaries (not a sonnet), no longer than 2 minutes.
- A memorized speech from a modern or contemporary text, no longer than 2 minutes.
- One speech should be delivered in close-up, the other in mid-shot (waist up).
CV detailing your acting experience (PDF preferred)
2 letters of reference, one personal and one professional

Directing Applicants

Personal statement (approximately 500 words): Tell us about your interest in and experience directing and why you are interested in attending this programme. (PDF preferred)
CV detailing your directing experience (PDF preferred)

If you have any questions about the Branch Scholarships, the London Theatre Programme or BADA, please email BADA’s Programmes and Recruitment Manager Jen Pollard at branch@bada.org.uk.

If you would like to be notified about future application cycles, signup for our mailing list.

Eligibility

Open to any actor with UK residence (candidates will need to organize their own accommodations in London for the duration of the program)
The Spring semester runs January through April and candidates must be available to study and rehearse full-time throughout this period
Due to the intensive nature of the course, students could only undertake intermittent shift work alongside the training

Based at BADA’s home next to Regent’s Park, the London Theatre Program is the longest-running semester programme in London offering conservatoire actor and director training. For over thirty years, the LTP has delivered a rigorous and progressive 14-week course focused on classical theatre skills, aimed at undergraduate theatre students from America and around the world. Our internationally-renowned faculty of teaching artists includes faculty from RADA, Central, LAMDA, Guildhall and other major drama schools.

For more information about the course, visit our London Theatre Programme page.

For Acting Track students, the first eight weeks of the semester comprise classes in Acting, Shakespeare, Physical Theatre, Comedy, Movement, Voice, Stage Combat, Dramatic Criticism and Analysis. Following a one-week midterm break, the semester concludes with a five-week rehearsal process for a studio production of a classic play, led by a professional creative team and culminating with performance in a London studio theatre.

For Directing Track students, the first eight weeks of the semester comprise classes in Directing, Acting, Shakespeare, Physical Theatre, Comedy, Movement, Voice, Dramatic Criticism and Analysis. Following a one-week midterm break, the semester concludes with a five-week rehearsal process where each directing student will serve as assistant director for one of the end-of-term productions, led by a professional director and creative team. Students assist with rehearsal planning and organisation, keep detailed notes of rehearsals and run occasional calls for individual actors or small groups in breakout spaces.

During the first eight weeks, both Acting and Directing Track students will participate in weekly theatre trips, tutorials and masterclasses, and introductory workshops on boundaries and consent.

Candidates must be available to study and rehearse full-time throughout this programme.

Anthony “Tony” Branch (1939- 2023) Tony founded BADA along with Carolyn Sands in 1984. Tony’s vision of providing an American and international student body with access to top British theatrical practitioners remains a unique offering to this day.

Tony Branch with BADA Co-Founder Carolyn Sands

“My time at BADA was incredible! Being able to immerse myself in the drama school culture and practice, whilst still being able to keep my agents and go up for auditions, was truly the best of both worlds. In fact it was with the help of the BADA faculty that I was able to land my London stage debut right after training! Would highly recommend to any actor looking to develop their professional skillset.”

Louis Martino

“BADA enabled me to grow into a varied and confident actor while giving me the amazing experience of meeting new friends from all over America, many of whom I’m still close with today. The one-on-one tutoring in both acting and Shakespeare helped me immensely in refining my craft, guided by tutors who were empathetic, focused, and understood our potential. Between the theatre trips and the range of teachers, the scope of what we learned was vast, and finishing the term with the chance to work on a professional show is something I look back on fondly. I would truly recommend this program to anyone looking to advance their training in a knowledgeable and welcoming environment.”

Ellie Banks

“It’s not easy to find a place where the act of being challenged, being placed out of your comfort zone in order to grow as a performer and an artist, is so strongly promoted. BADA is this rare gem. The whole of BADA works in such a beautiful and brilliant way. The program is highly challenging and incredibly demanding of us actors and directors, but it is also built in such a way that you become infatuated with the pace of how much you’re learning every single day. I don’t think I could have conceived how many tools I would be taught, on so many different subjects, and how every subject complemented each other so well…”

Tiago da Ponte Alves

“My 14 weeks at BADA were special. I got to learn alongside people who share a similar passion for the arts as I do. In that time we were taught by experts in their field, learning a bunch every lesson. Every lesson was a safe space, where we were pressured to fail and make mistakes. Our reward for hard work was the opportunity to see a new show weekly, which always became a topic of discussion between peers. As we transitioned from learning to making, I had the honour to work with a great director, a very likable and professional stage manager and a cast of incredibly talented actors. As the cherry on top, I made friendships that will last a life-time. And what makes it even more wonderful is that I’ve had the chance to create art with them after BADA.”

Ruben Zastserinski