Entrepreneurship and Theatre

Focus on developing your creativity and theatre makings skills whilst building a solid basis in entrepreneurship, allowing you to launch your own business or bring innovation to an existing one.

You’ll combine theatre practice with theoretical research and analysis, exploring key themes such as workshop preparations, rehearsal strategies, directing and stagecraft.

Entrepreneurship is an essentially practical subject and the course places great emphasis on real world learning. We’ll use our academic expertise to make the links between theoretical business and enterprise, entrepreneurship frameworks and the practicalities of the real business world.

Learn in Derby Theatre

The majority of your Theatre modules will be based in Derby Theatre where you can enjoy the benefit of working and studying in a professional theatre environment. You’ll share the Derby Theatre building with professional artists which offers exciting opportunities for work-based learning placements. You can also catch them performing in both the studio and on the main stage. We have a successful history of working with outside organisations and artists, both from the Derby area and further afield, including many international collaborations.

Put theory into practice

You’ll have the opportunity to gain valuable work experience before you graduate to boost your employability. Our Theatre courses offer great opportunities to network with industry professionals, and you could undertake a placement within the Theatre in the Artistic, Programming, Business Management, Marketing, Education, Technical, Producing, Front of House, Finance, or Creative Learning departments. Alternatively choose to take an Entrepreneurship- based placement year between your second and third year to put your skills into practice in a real business environment.

Choose your pathway

In order to provide you with the best experience, this course is available through a joint pathway only. You cannot choose to major or minor in a subject, but you can choose to study certain modules in your second and third year.

What is a Joint Honours degree?

A Joint Honours degree offers students the opportunity to study two subjects.

A Joint Honours degree is a great option if:

• You want to study two subjects you’re passionate about
• You’ve got a specific career in mind and want to create a tailored degree to prepare you for the future
• You want to study a new subject alongside one you’re already familiar with

Please note that our modules are subject to change - we review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects.

The Theatre Arts programme involves a combination of practice-led, studio-based exercises and lecture or seminar activity. You’ll learn about the wide variety of professional roles within theatre and have the opportunity to explore these through work placements at Derby Theatre. You can explore your skills as a theatre maker or develop skills in Applied Theatre and working in educational settings. The work will be underpinned by research, academic criticism and the professional production programme of Derby Theatre. You’ll carry out coursework that will be subject to academic criticism both written and practical.

Our Entrepreneurship programme incorporates a number of learning and teaching methods, such as:

• formal lectures which will at times include expert speakers
• Seminars which can be tutor-led or student-led and can include discussions, critical analysis of reading, presentations, group work, debates and general problem solving, interaction with real businesses, case study analysis, computer lab work, practical analysis and formative assessment
• tutorials which are one-to-one sessions with a tutor to discuss the development of assignments
• work experience projects
• self-directed study

How you are assessed

For Theatre Arts, assessment is through a range of methods including written coursework, presentations, creative portfolios, assessed rehearsals, practical workshops and public performance.

Our Entrepreneurship assessment methods could include:

• business reports
• research and consultancy projects
• presentations
• design of digital materials such as videos, blogs or augmented reality posters
• computer-based assessments

Students from a Theatre Arts discipline regularly go on to successful careers in the theatre industries for example as actors, directors, theatre crew, artistic directors of their own theatre companies and other arts professionals. Alternatively, many students go on to postgraduate study and employment in a wide variety of professions such as teaching, marketing and public relations.

Your entrepreneurship modules are designed to prepare you for an employed or self-employed career, this could be in fields such as:

• Business
• Human resource management
• Finance
• Marketing
• PR
• Sales
• Project management

2025 entry

These are the typical qualification requirements for September 2025 entry.

Contextual offers may apply to students who meet certain criteria.

2025/26

Further information about our fees and support you may be entitled to.

Additional costs and optional extras

Additional information about your studies

You will typically study your two subjects equally at stage one, before choosing whether you want to major in one subject at stages two and three.

Teaching hours

Like most universities, we operate extended teaching hours at the University of Derby, so contact time with your lecturers and tutors could be anytime between 9am and 9pm. Your timetable will usually be available on the website 24 hours after enrolment on to your course.

Course updates

The information provided on this page is correct at the time of publication but course content, costs and other individual course details do change from time to time and are updated as often as possible, so please do check these pages again when making your final decision to apply for a course. Any updated course details will also be confirmed to you at application, enrolment and in your offer letter.

If you are thinking about transferring onto this course (into the second year for example), you should contact the programme leader for the relevant course information as modules may vary from those shown on this page.

Other courses you might like

• Business Management and Entrepreneurship BA (Hons)
• Psychology and Theatre Arts BA (Hons)
• Theatre Arts BA (Hons)

Contact us

If you need any more information from us, eg on courses, accommodation, applying, car parking, fees or funding, please contact us and we will do everything we can to help you.