A Part-Time Program

The Foundation Year is Melbourne’s #1 Part-Time Screen Acting Program. We accept a maximum of 14 students annually. It is highly competitive, and placements are strictly limited. There is an extensive waiting list each year for this program, so if you are serious about being a participant, we suggest you give yourself plenty of time for the application process. Applications for the 2025 Intake are now open and are processed on a rolling basis.
Commencing on Sunday 4th of May 2025, the Foundation Year is an outstanding television based professional program designed exclusively for the student actor that wants a more intensive and steady training program but cannot commit or afford full-time training. This structured 30-week course is affordable and will meet weekly on Sundays from 10:00am to 2:30pm, for 30 contact weeks. Actors will be working with some of the finest professionals in the business including working actors, award winning television directors, executive producers, show creators and casting directors, sourced Australia wide.
Upon receipt of your application, you will be invited to have a meeting with the Artistic Director and further instructions and course materials will be given.
This is an outstanding opportunity and an exceptional program that will give you the extra edge, support, mentorship and networking opportunities needed for a successful and long-lasting career.
The total contact hours for this program is 135 hours. The tuition is an initial payment of $790 to secure your placement and then $97 per week.
Please Download Prospectus for full term dates and times.
Please read our full terms and conditions here.
An Actor Prepares

This unit encourages you to identify with yourself as artists: building meaningful and truthful screen characters, stretching and accessing your imagination, becoming more present, impulsive and in the moment. Term 1 is focused on giving you strong techniques and foundations to approach all performance work. It is about finding what works for you.
This is a powerful term that introduces you to aspects of the Stanislavski Technique. Students will engage in principals from Practical Aesthetics, Chubbuck and Lee Strasberg, all of which are taught by leading actor trainers in these specific fields and techniques sourced Australia wide. Students will also explore archetypes and mask work to further engage as actors.
You will be encouraged to identify your strengths and weaknesses as an actor and articulate your own personal plan for improvement over the next 30 weeks.
Objectives for term 1:
- The company (the student actors) working towards being free and in your bodies, releasing imagination, spontaneity and becoming playful, inventive actors in the space.
- To ensure that after your first 10 weeks you are able to apply some of your script analysis work, voice and improvisation techniques to a monologue/scene to camera with the outcome of being more connected, in the moment, embodied and truthful.
- Students should be able to demonstrate an understanding of (or well on the way towards) an approach to text, to a rehearsal process, and show signs of being able to connect to the language and their given circumstances.
Excellent Craft = Confident Performers

Applying the principals learned in Term 1, students will be working alongside key industry professionals and will be given due time to connect and be mentored by working screen performers from around Australia. Each week actors will perform in genres with the appropriate actor and/or special guest director. Each genre will match an appropriate profile working professional. This term will expose you to a variety of scripts and performance styles, so you are equipped with the knowledge of the many types of genres and are able to approach it effectively in future work or employment opportunities.
The focus is to build on the basics, and then advance your technique work with more complex material; to expose you to the widest range of script genres, and experience working with a range of professional actors and directors, all at the top of their game. It includes an introduction to the more technical aspects of working on set and how to use the camera and work with a crew. Your afternoon units will see you go deeper into script interpretation, character building and using language with confidence and precision. Actors will apply these techniques to a variety of genres – training under industry professionals outstanding in their individual fields that include:
- Television Soaps
- Children’s Television
- Police Drama
- Social Drama
- Tele-movies
- Feature Films
- Period Drama
- Shakespeare
- Chekhov
Term 2 will see actors get physical and focused through training in:
- Archery
- Fencing
- Screen Combat
- Firearms
Focus & Preparation Meets Opportunity

Students will delve deeper and revisit the core techniques from Term 1 and 2, working with a variety of trainers. This term will see you consolidate this work as you will revisit the core technique areas to further deepen this work and ensure your firm grounding remains. Therefore, actors will refine the skills acquired in Term 1 and worked through in Term 2 by revisiting/reviewing key elements of study, including the various acting techniques studied.
In the final weeks, students will show class work systematically to invited casting directors who will provide feedback. This gives you access to them while preparing you for future opportunities.
The focus of this term is to provide for the actor maximum opportunity to practice their craft in industry conditions. Actors will demonstrate the ability to prepare a role and always deliver interesting, inventive and authentic performances.