Bachelor in Stage Management and Technical Theatre

Complete the application form by selecting the "Apply Now" option at the top of the page. At the end of the application form, you can select your interview date and time. Please make sure you write down and save your interview appointment on your diary.

Once you submit your application, The Lir Academy's Admissions Manager will be in touch with further information within two to three weeks.

Everyone who applies for this course will be interviewed.

The interview is an opportunity for you to demonstrate your passion, ability and understanding for this training and the type of work it will lead to. No previous experience in theatre is necessary - we welcome participants from all backgrounds who are committed and interested in pursuing this path.

Year 1

First year builds a strong base of skills which allows students to choose their career path in year two and year three. The year starts with a six week set of introduction classes in key skills and safety then progresses to work on The Lir Academy’s ten annual theatrical productions and two fully produced short films.

Students work on Lir Academy productions as crew. This is designed to give students practical experience and a broad grounding in theatre skills.

Training as crew includes:

• Technical Theatre
• Set Construction
• Costume Department
• Scenic Art & Prop Making
• Film

Through a combination of taught skills and practical classes, students will also learn about and work on the following:

• Access Training
• CAD - Autocad - Computer Aided Design
• Electrical Safety
• Film
• Writing Skills
• Physical Health
• Meet the industry
• Prop Making
• Stage Craft
• Stage Management

Year 2

The aim of the second year of the course is to enable students to apply skills acquired in their first year to a series of theatre productions directed and designed by professional theatre practitioners as a student ‘Head of Department’ (HOD).

Students will work on four productions and a film over the year in a variety of roles. Selection of these options will be chosen in consultation with the Director of Technical Training through regular tutorials.

Accompanying this is a six week block of classes that cover:

• Life and career skills through Professional Development
• Further work in CAD
• Further work in Prop Making
• Set design
• Costume Design
• Lighting Design
• Sound Design
• AV - Video Technology
• Production Management
• Further work in Physical Health
• Theatre History and further work in writing skills

The roles students undertake in their second year are:

Stage Management in Production

Students will be assigned in the role of Stage Manager, Deputy Stage Manager, or a Film role and Assistant Stage Manager in two of the final year productions of the Bachelor in Acting degree.

Production electrician / Chief LX

Working closely with a professional lighting designer, students will be required to realise a lighting design in one of our studio theatres for a final year Bachelor in Acting production.

Sound Design Coordinator

Working closely with the professional director and/or Sound Designer of one of the final year Bachelor in Acting productions, students will be responsible for researching, collaborating on, and recording the sound design for the production.

Assistant Production Manager & Technical Stage Manager

Students who opt for this option will work with the production manager on the management of an entire production process for one of the final year Bachelor in Acting productions.

Prop Maker/Supervisor

Working closely with the Technical Manager, Stage Manager and Deputy Stage Manager, students will be responsible for designing and making props to a professional standard for use in one of the final year Bachelor in Acting productions.

Costume Supervisor

Students will work closely with the professional Costume Designer and will be responsible for the oversight of the costume department of a final year Bachelor in Acting production.

Scenic Construction Roles

Working alongside the set designer, students will realise the construction and fit up of a theatre set on one of the final year Bachelor in Acting productions.

Scenic Artist

Working alongside the set designer, students will realise the scenic paint and texture finish of a theatrical set on one of the final year Bachelor in Acting productions.

Film/TV

Students will work in a technical capacity in the production of a short film. The process will replicate the working environment of film or television recording.

Specialised Roles

Based around the productions being hosted several other roles may become available to students.

Year 3

In year three students will get two further heads of department (HOD) roles on Lir Academy productions and undertake work placements with prominent theatre companies, festivals and industry related companies in order to further develop their chosen area of specialism. Past students have worked on placement at the Abbey Theatre, the Gate Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company, Dancing With the Stars, Macnas and more.

Students will also be required to develop a fully original research project in the form of a dissertation. Research projects will be assigned according to the preferred career choice of each individual student. These projects can be theoretical or practical in nature. For example, writing a research paper on a chosen topic, or designing the sound for a theatre production. Students will be encouraged to keep a journal of reflective practices throughout their final year.

A series of elective specialised classes will cover the areas of Stage Management, Lighting Technology, Costume, Sound Technology, Prop Making, Set Construction, Scenic Art & Production Management; students will be required to complete further compulsory modules in Professional Development, Dissertation Writing and Physical Health.

• Candidates must have complete fluency in the English language
• The minimum age for admission is 17 years old
• 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.

No experience is necessary for this course, however we do ask that students are able to demonstrate a passion, creative ability and understanding of the type of work this training leads to.

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 TCD 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.

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