ACT Cape Town was established in 2004 by Candice Poole as a specialist academy for acting for film, based at Sunrise House, 55 Morningside Street, Pinelands, Cape Town. It describes itself as the leading acting-for-film academy in South Africa, focusing exclusively on training actors for camera and film performance. ACT Cape Town is registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) as a private higher education institution under the Higher Education Act, 1997 (registration certificate number 2013/HE07/002), having received provisional registration in April 2013 and full registration in November 2017. It also holds an educational partnership with the New York Film Academy (NYFA) and offers a LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art)-affiliated qualification. Its flagship offering is a two-year, NQF-aligned Acting for Film programme, supplemented by a one-year professional production programme, short courses, and a teens programme.
Qualifications & Programmes
- Two Year Acting for Film Program – Year 1: Higher Certificate in Acting for Film (NQF 5) – 16 modules including Introduction to Acting I & II, Casting for Commercials, Acting Technique (Meisner I), Acting for Film, Finding Emotional Truth, Auditioning I, Accent Training (Standard English / Standard American), Character Creation I, Live Performance I, Acting for Film Production I, Voice Production & Oral Interpretation I, Improvisation I, Movement I, Presenting for Camera I
- Two Year Acting for Film Program – Year 2: Advanced Certificate in Acting for Film (NQF 6) – 13 modules including Character Creation II, Voice Production & Oral Interpretation II, Acting for Film – Style & Genre, Acting Technique (The Method), Live Performance II, Acting Technique (Meisner II), Acting for Film – Monologues on Camera, Acting for Film Production II, Voice and the Actor, Presenting for Camera II, Improvisation II, Movement II, Auditioning II
- ACT Professional Program – 1-year, LAMDA-affiliated, fully immersive production/industry-bridge programme; entry requires a minimum NQF level 6 acting qualification (or 2+ years informal training/industry experience) plus a successful audition
- Short Course: Acting for Camera – The Fundamentals of Performance (6 weeks)
- Short Course: Acting for Camera – Accessing Emotions (6 weeks)
- Short Course: Acting for Camera – On Camera Bootcamp (6 weeks)
- Acting for Film – Teens (Grades 8-12, year-round, four terms) – covers Acting for Camera, Live Performance, Acting Technique, Creative Movement, Voice & Speech, Auditioning for Camera, Casting for Commercials, and Improvisation; culminates in a professional film production; optional LAMDA graded examination available