Bachelor In Acting

Students are free to apply for both the Bachelor in Acting (Hons) Degree (three years, full-time) and the Foundation Diploma in Acting and Theatre (one year, full-time) - you will be able to select the two options when filling out your application form.

Only one application form and one registration fee is necessary.

Students who apply for the two courses will be considered for both courses based on their audition performance. When attending the first round of auditions, whether you are successful or not, you will receive two separate communications from The Lir Academy Admissions Manager:

• your Result for the 1st Round of Auditions for your recruitment to the BA (Hons) Acting 2025/2026
• your Result for the 1st Round of Auditions for your recruitment to the Foundation Diploma in Acting and Theatre

Please note that even if you are not successful in your first round audition for the BA (Hons) in Acting, you can still be in consideration for the Foundation Diploma in Acting and Theatre.

There is an intake of 16 students each year. All eligible candidates who apply before the closing date of February 1st 2025 will receive an audition.

Audition Process

1st Round Audition

The first round of auditions will be held from November to February. Applicants will have the option of doing their first-round audition in person (at The Lir Academy, Dublin) or online (over Zoom).

All times displayed on the website when selecting an audition slot are GMT, Dublin time.

To participate in the first round audition online you will need:

1. A reliable internet connection
2. A device with a functioning camera and a microphone (PC/smartphone/laptop/iPad)
3. A space/room where you could work independently without major interruption for at least 15 minutes

2nd Round Audition

The 2nd Round of auditions for candidates who are successful at the first stage will be held between February and April. Depending on the date at which you completed your first round audition, you will be assigned a day to attend your second round audition.

The 2nd Round audition will consist of a half-day workshop, where you will be asked to work on your Contemporary and Classical pieces with the direction of The Lir Academy tutors, and observed by our Admissions panel.

Applicants based on the island of Ireland must attend in person, international applicants can attend over Zoom.

Final Round Audition

This will be a full day workshop held on a Saturday or a Sunday. If you are successful at the previous stages, you will be assigned on of the two days to attend.

All candidates - Irish and International - must attend in person at The Lir Academy, Dublin.

Foundation Diploma in Acting and Theatre

Applicants who are successful in their application for the BA (Hons) in Acting at the first stage, and progress to the 2nd Round of auditions for the full-time degree but are not offered a place on the 3rd and Final Round of auditions for this course are still under consideration for the Foundation Diploma in Acting and Theatre. These applicants will be assessed for their suitability to the Foundation Diploma on the basis of their work on their second round audition.

Candidates who are successful up to the final round of auditions for the BA (Hons) in Acting course and have also applied for the Foundation Diploma in Acting and Theatre and are not offered a place on the degree, will still be in consideration for the Foundation Diploma and their results will be communicated in May 2025.

Results

Applicants will be informed on whether they have been admitted to the BA (Hons) in Acting on the first week of May 2025.

Full details on the Audition Procedure can be found here

Choosing Your Monologue

A guide to choosing the right monologue can be found here

Auditions outside Ireland

Applicants from outside of Ireland will be given the opportunity to audition online over Zoom.

All times displayed on our website are GMT (Dublin time).

Changing audition date

Please note that changes to audition dates and/or refunds can only be made in exceptional circumstances. Please book carefully and do not book on behalf of somebody else.

If the dates displayed on the website do not suit you, please contact admissions@thelir.ie to check when new dates might be released.

Equality and Diversity ​

Candidates should feel free to disclose impairment at any time during the audition process if they have not done so on their application form. Disabled applicants who demonstrate talent and potential will be put forward to each stage of the audition process by the panel members who will not concern themselves with the implications the disability may have on subsequent training. The panel will be informed of any disclosed disability on a candidate’s application form unless the candidate has asked for the disability to be kept confidential.

Year 1

In the first year of the course students will take three compulsory modules as follows:

• Acting and Text 1
• Voice Studies 1
• Movement Studies 1

Year 2

In the second year of the course students will take four compulsory modules as follows:

• Acting and Text 2
• Voice Studies 2
• Movement Studies 2
• Ensemble Production

Year 3

In the third year of the course students will take 8 compulsory modules to include 5 public theatre productions and one short film led by professional directors and designers. Professional development classes and an audition showcase will make up the remaining two modules. These are not assessed but are aimed to bridge the gap between the training of The Lir Academy and the world professional theatre, film, radio and television drama.

Public Productions

In their third year, students will be cast in a range of plays (from the classical and modern repertoires) directed by professional directors, including the Artistic Director. Classes will be in the form of rehearsals for a minimum of 30 hours per week and replicate the working environment of a professional theatre. Support in terms of individual tuition on a diagnostic basis in voice and movement will be provided. Students will rehearse for four weeks, followed by a get-in period of technical and dress rehearsals, and between 7-9 public performances to which directors, agents and the general public are invited to attend. Individual feedback from the Director and the Head of Acting, Voice and Movement, or their appointees will follow in the sixth week of each term. Students will perform in six productions over the course of their final year (two per semester). One of these productions will be a short film shot both on set and location that will receive a public showcase.

Core Skills and Career Preparation

Throughout the final year, classes will take place that will enable students to continue to practice the core skills of voice and movement to help sustain them through the rigours and demands of the production modules. Further classes to enable students to prepare for a professional working life (including the preparation of show reels, CVs, auditions etc.) will be included. Classes will expand on the Acting & Text modules of Year Two relating to professional practice (such as Acting for Screen & Microphone).

Audition Showcase

Towards the end of their final academic year students will prepare and rehearse with a professional director a showcase of scenes from a range of dramatic texts and/or songs for public presentation before an audience of agents, artistic directors, casting directors, and producers.

• Candidates must have complete fluency in the English language
• The minimum age for admission is 17 years old (applicants must be 17 years old by the start of the academic year they are applying for)
• Students are expected to have achieved the minimum matriculation requirements for Trinity College Dublin courses, however, exceptions may be made based on the demonstration of exceptional talent and ability at interview stage.
• The standard matriculation requirements for Trinity College Dublin are pass grades in English, Mathematics, a language other than English. If you are enrolled in the Irish Education system, and complete these subjects at Foundation Level and achieve a pass grade, this is accepted.
• You are also expected to have completed a full set of valid subjects for your examination system and be eligible to graduate from the last year of Secondary School in your country.
• Full details of the specific matriculation requirements for the country you're applying from are available on Trinity's website.

Please note, acceptance onto the course is at the discretion of The Lir Academy. If The Lir Academy feels for whatever reason that a participant is not suitable for the course, they will not be accepted. All decisions are final and not subject to appeal.

Students admitted to The Lir Academy will also be admitted to Trinity College Dublin and therefore the fees policy of Trinity will apply, as follows:

Higher Education Authority - Free Fees Initiative

Tuition fees for EU students who have not previously studied at degree level are paid by the Irish Exchequer. The student pays a Student Contribution fee. For the academic year 2024/25, this contribution is set at €3,000.

Students are also required to pay an additional fee for Student Levies & Charges (SLC) (€ 202.75) upon registration.

If a student is awarded a Local Authority grant, the Student Levies & Charges (SLC) fee will be paid by the Local Authority.

There is more information on the criteria for determining eligibility for the Free Fees Initiative on Trinity's website.

Fee Status

If an EU student is not eligible for the Free Fees Initiative, the total cost is €9,550 (2024/25) per year.

A breakdown of undergraduate EU fees can be found on Trinity's website.

To determine your fee status, read below.

You can also consult the two flow charts provided by Trinity College to determine your fee status:

Under 23 - Undergraduate Students

Over 23 - Undergraduate Students

EU Fees Eligibility

A student is considered eligible for EU fees if they meet the following criteria:

An EU applicant is a person

1. who is ordinarily resident¹ in the EU²

AND

• has received full-time post primary education

AND/OR

• has worked full-time³ in the EU for three of the five years immediately preceding admission to Trinity

2. Or a person who has

• official refugee status⁴ or has been granted humanitarian leave to remain in the State

AND

• has been ordinarily resident in the EU² for three of the five years immediately preceding admission to Trinity.

Important notes:

1. For students aged under 23, the student's parent(s) must also have been ordinarily resident in an EU Member State for three of the five years prior to the student's entry to Trinity.

2. EU, EEA countries (Norway, Iceland and Lichtenstein), Swiss Confederation or United Kingdom.

3. Where an applicant can show that they have been in receipt of social welfare payments this may be taken in lieu of full-time employment.

4. Applicants who have written confirmation that they have been allowed to come to Ireland as part of the family re-unification scheme may also be eligible.

5. The Admissions Team may contact some applicants to seek supporting documentation regarding their EU/non-EU status.

6. Children of emigrants may be assessed as EU applicants if they can provide documentary evidence of having completed 5+ years of primary and/or secondary education in the EU/EEA/Swiss Confederation or United Kingdom, and have no previous third-level attendance.

Non-EU Fees

If you do not satisfy the criteria for EU Fees, then you must pay non-EU Fee rate, regardless of nationality or citizenship (€ 24,2000 - AY 2024/25).

Students classified for fee purposes as non-EU will not be permitted to change their fee status following admission. This fee includes tuition fees and the SLC fee.

A breakdown of undergraduate non-EU fees can be found on Trinity's website.

Annual Review of Tuition fees and other charges by Trinity College Dublin:

Please note, tuition fees and other charges are subject to annual review by Trinity College Dublin which may result in a fee increase each year. All students (undergraduate and postgraduate, EU & non EU) on courses/programmes of study of more than one year should be aware that tuition fees and other charges may be subject to increase annually.

The annual revision is approved by Trinity’s Committee and College Board and typically increase by approximately 3% per annum or more in any given year.

The undergraduate EU rate of tuition and student contribution is set by the Department of Education and Skills.

Applications received before December 20th will incur an administration cost of €50 in the form of an application fee.

Applications received from December 20th will incur an administration cost of €75 in the form of an application fee.

First-round auditions will be held from November 2024 until March 2025.

Cancellation policy: Please take care when booking your audition as we do not readily give refunds or offers to reschedule if you cannot attend the date you originally booked. Refunds and/or rescheduling are at the discretion of The Lir Academy. The Lir Academy Admissions team will require you to provide evidence supporting your request for absence, i.e medical certificate, school exam certificate, etc.

In the event that The Lir Academy needs to cancel an audition date, an alternative means of auditioning will be provided.

New audition dates will be released on a rolling basis between the opening date for applications on October 1st 2024 and the deadline to apply, February 1st 2025.

One of the key aims of The Lir Academy is to ensure fair access to training for the most talented and capable students, regardless of their background.

As a result, The Lir Academy has committed to providing application fee waivers to make sure that applicants from lower socio-economic background or who are facing other challenging economic/financial circumstances and who demonstrate they do not have the means to cover the application fee are encouraged to apply.

You can download the application fee waiver below - please note the deadline to submit the application fee waiver is Monday 30th January 2025. Please ensure that you have submitted all the required documents. Failure to submit what is required of you may delay the processing of or affect the outcome of your application.

All decisions are final and not subject to appeal.

Once you have submitted your application fee waiver form to admissions@thelir.ie with all the required documents, The Lir Academy Admissions Manager will be in touch to provide you with a link to fill out an application form. Once you submit your application form you will be able to choose your audition date, and proceed to submission without charge with the link provided to you.

Note: Please be aware that this process may take some time, as your application has to be assessed and we receive a high volume of requests. It can take The Lir Academy Admissions Manager up to four weeks to process an application fee waiver request and assign you with an application link. This should not take away from your preparation time for the audition: you should be preparing your audition pieces from the moment you consider applying, and will be called in for your audition shortly. We will always aim to give you at least two weeks notice when scheduling your audition.

The Lir Academy Student Bursary Fund is open to all EU students who have been offered a place on the Undergraduate Bachelor in Acting, Undergraduate Bachelor in Stage Management and Technical Theatre or any of the Postgraduate courses at The Lir Academy, National Academy of Dramatic Art, or are already studying here.

Students can apply for the bursary once a place has been offered on one of the above courses. The Lir Academy Academic Administration team will be in touch with further details on the Bursary following admission to the course and acceptance of a formal offer from Trinity College.

The Lir Academy Virtual Tour is available HERE. But first, make sure you're familiar with a few ground rules that will help you get the most out of this experience!

1. On the bottom left-hand corner you will find a play button.

You can press that button if you want to be taken to the building automatically, or you can just click through the building to move at your own pace. To move through the building, click on the walls, floor, or use the shortcut links to go directly to a selected part of the building.

2. Throughout the tour you will be guided by our students' voice-overs and have the option to watch videos and photo selections that will transport you straight into life at The Lir Academy. Here's a map for finding your way around this material:

• The purple buttons are voice-overs.
• The red buttons are videos and photo slideshows.
• The green buttons will present you will give some information you may not have known about The Lir Academy.
• At a few different points throughout the building, the green dots will present you with a shortcut to a different area of the building

3. Please note that if you have virtual reality glasses, you can use them to physically walk through the building. All you have to do is click the "View in VR" symbol on the bottom right-hand corner.

5. Want to share your excitement with your friends and family? You can click the share button on the bottom right-hand corner and help us spread the word on social media!

But most of all, enjoy your virtual tour of The Lir Academy!

Download the course handbook here.