Performing Arts

Explore your theatrical flair in our inspirational performance and technical theatre facilities.

Newcastle College University Centre’s performance and technical theatre facilities provide you with everything you need to become a top actor, dancer, performer or stage and production manager.

Our Performance Academy, a specialist facility for Music and Performing Arts, is where you will develop essential skills needed for working in the entertainment industry. Hosting regular shows and concerts, this venue combines stunning architecture, exciting courses and creative-minded students looking to pursue careers in the performance industry.

Newcastle College University Centre’s Performance Academy is home to:

The Peter Sarah Theatre, our 200-seat performance venue with fly tower
The Venue, our music performance facility
a 4k TV studio with pre and post-production
a studio theatre
recording studios
nine dancing and acting studios with sprung floors, barres and mirrors.

Where you’ll study

You will be studying in the Performance Academy at our Rye Hill campus, one of the best facilities for the performing arts in the North East. Our Performance Academy hosts regular gigs and shows and our acting and musical theatre students put on regular productions. Up-and-coming University Centre bands also perform in the Venue – so keep your eyes peeled for the next big thing!

Rye Hill Campus is set in the heart of Newcastle and offers an unrivalled student experience. It is just a short walk from Newcastle’s main train station, allowing you to benefit from the city’s thriving student scene. Newcastle has something for everyone, whether you’re looking for a great night out, a thriving restaurant scene or award-winning culture.

Are there places to eat and socialise on campus?

Degree students at Newcastle College University Centre have access to a number of in-house catering outlets across the sites. All of our catering facilities have a five-star Food Hygiene Rating and all of our outlets have been awarded the Heart of Newcastle Award for outstanding hygiene and healthy eating options.

Restaurants

Restaurants are available within Parsons and Trevelyan on our Rye Hill campus which serve a wide range of affordable hot and cold food including jacket potatoes, made to order sandwiches and pastries, along with a number of snacks.

The HE Hub

The upper floor of the HE Hub is perfect for meeting up with friends, grabbing a bite to eat, or relaxing. There is a wide range of lunch options available, from soups to sandwiches, as well as a well-stocked bar offering alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks – perfect for when you’re catching up with friends or before a big night out!

The Bistro

Based on the ground floor of the Lifestyle Academy, our bistro is run by staff and students of the Lifestyle Academy. It offers a wide range of freshly made hot and cold dishes, sandwiches and snacks. A selection of hot and cold drinks are also available.

The Chefs’ Academy

This is our gourmet á la carte restaurant on the third floor of the Lifestyle Academy and offers panoramic views across the city. Ideal if you want to give yourself or your family a treat, it offers two and three-course meals cooked and served to the highest quality with competitive set menu prices.

Is the University Centre safe?

Newcastle College University Centre has a range of security measures in place to ensure that all students and staff remain safe while on campus.

Security

We employ a team of security operatives providing 24-hour cover, 365 days a year. Optimum staffing levels are in place to ensure proactive foot patrols are conducted around the college estate, both internally and externally. All of our security staff can be identified by their hi-visibility clothing which is identified with SECURITY on the back which serves to distinguish them from other day-to-day contractors and suppliers who may also may be wearing hi-visibility clothing.

These security provisions run across all Newcastle College University Centre and NCG campuses.

CCTV

CCTV is extensively situated around Newcastle College and Newcastle College University Centre, both externally and internally in some buildings for the purpose of crime prevention and public safety with a dedicated CCTV control room that is staffed continually. The CCTV control room has a dedicated emergency line number in addition to two other phone lines.

Identification System

In addition to general college staff challenging people without a valid college or University Centre ID, security staff do this as part of their specific duties and conduct ad-hoc ID checks at the point of entry to buildings. We also have close liaison with our local neighbourhood police officers.

Do you have study areas for degree students?

Our University Centre offers dedicated spaces for higher education students. Our HE Hub is an ideal place for you to study, socialise or collaborate with friends. You can also study in our new HE learning space on the ground floor of the HE Hub, The Turnbull Suite, with PCs, private meeting pods and seating space – perfect for group projects.

The tenth floor of our Parsons Building is a great place to study with stunning views of the city too. It is fully equipped with PCs, breakout areas for group work and a chill-out area to relax in between studying. As a degree student, you will also have access to laptops and tablets for use on campus.

We also have a great Library on campus for you to use - here you will have access to over 40,000 books and hundreds of journals, magazines, DVDs, e-books and e-journal resources.