The Department of Performing Arts offers three 180 ECTS study programmes at the undergraduate level and one 90 ECTS study programme at the graduate level. The department educates artists for the field of performing arts in Iceland and beyond. The DoPA’s mission is to educate resourceful, creative and caring performing artists who possess necessary skills, courage and confidence to make their mark on the everchanging landscape of the performing arts field and to act ethically in a complex world of different needs and perspectives. Graduated students find work in the established and independent dance, theatre and performance arts institutions, groups and collectives. In addition to participating, to different capacities, in a cutting-edge independent live arts scene in Iceland and abroad. 

Acting

Application process

A special audition panel is appointed to select students from the group of applicants for the acting programme. The panel’s decision is based on auditions and interviews. The process is as follows:

  • Evaluation of the applications with respect to formal requirements
  • Audition, round one (applicants divided into groups, half day each group)
  • Audition, round two, selected groups (half day each group)
  • Audition, round three, selected group (three days)

All applicants are asked to prepare three audition pieces of their own choosing, which may not last more than six minutes in total. At least one piece should be in verse (from a play, NOT poetry). One or two pieces should be either monologues, or a routine or performance that applicants consider to be a reflection of themselves and their interests. This may be in a form that the applicant considers appropriate. During the preparation process, applicants are advised to consider aspects that the audition panel takes into account in its assessment.

Emphasis should be placed on having the audition pieces as diverse as possible.
Applicants are required to hand in a copy of the monologues to the audition panel as they arrive for the audition. In addition, the applicants participate in physical training and acting exercises.

Applicants are advised to wear suitable clothing to the auditions.

Contemporary Dance

Application process

Students are required to have completed University Entrance Examination (Icelandic “stúdentspróf”) or an equivalent programme. In addition they must have completed a preliminary dance study or a preparatory dance course.

An audition panel selects the candidates from a group of applicants who are evaluated on the basis of formal requirements, as well as an audition consisting of practical exercises, an interview and an evaluation of applicants’ portfolios. Up to eight applicants are admitted to the programme at the end of the selection process.

Applicants for the dance programme are asked to compile samples of their work into a portfolio that they send in with the application. The portfolio must include a minimum of five samples and a maximum of ten, intended to reflect applicants’ personalities, their interests, talent for original creation and presentation of ideas. Anything can belong in the portfolio; as long as applicants believe it may in some way describe what they want to achieve in their work in a particular area.

 

Theatre and Performance Making

Application process

Students are required to have completed University Entrance Examination (Icelandic “stúdentspróf”) or an equivalent programme. Those who have not completed the UEE must define the programme of study they consider equivalent. Studies in artistic fields other than theatre will be considered in the evaluation of applications. A special audition panel selects students from the group of applicants, who are invited for interviews and auditions. Up to ten individuals will then be accepted into the programme.

The application

Applicants for Theory and Practice are asked to collect samples of their work in a portfolio that they send in with the application form. The portfolio should contain five samples of the applicants’ work, intended to reflect his/hers personality, interests, talent for original creation and presentation of ideas. The content of the portfolio may have a very broad range, as long as the applicant believes it may in some way represent his/hers artistic personality, such as essays, poems, stories, short films, photos, theatre or film scripts, music, artworks etc.

 

Language of Instruction

Please, notice that the instruction on the Bachelor level at the Iceland Academy of the Arts takes place in ICELANDIC, with the exception of classes taught by foreign guest teachers.

For further information contact: Steinunn Ketilsdóttir, Dean, steinunnketils [at] lhi.is