Study at Northern School of Contemporary Dance

Why study at Northern School of Contemporary Dance

Training is intensive, practical and performance-led, with students appearing in the school's own Riley Theatre and postgraduate dancers touring with VERVE, the school's postgraduate performance company. NSCD occupies a distinctive site including the Grade II listed former New Synagogue, a domed red-brick building on Chapeltown Road. Its small scale makes for a close-knit community in which students across year groups train and live alongside one another.

Location and student life

NSCD is based on a single site at 98 Chapeltown Road, in Chapeltown, just north of Leeds city centre. The school describes Leeds as one of the UK's most student-friendly and fastest-growing cities, and students share it with several other universities, colleges and conservatoires. Most NSCD students live within walking distance of the school in shared houses in Chapeltown and neighbouring areas such as Chapel Allerton, Harehills and Roundhay.

With only a few hundred students, day-to-day life is close-knit: students train together in small cohorts and commonly live in mixed-year households, so new starters quickly meet students from across the school.

Courses and subjects

NSCD offers a narrow, specialist portfolio. At undergraduate level there is a BA (Hons) in Contemporary Dance Performance, a BA (Hons) in Dance: Choreography, Producing and Teaching, and a one-year Certificate of Higher Education (CertHE) in Dance. Postgraduate options include an MA in Contemporary Dance Performance taken with the VERVE company, alongside MAs in Dance and Creative Enterprise, Professional Dance Pedagogy, the Professional Placement Scheme in Dance, and Teaching and Facilitating (Creative Subjects).

The school also runs a Centre for Advanced Training for talented young dancers, plus youth, adult and community classes. Applicants should note that this is a dance-only institution, so anyone wanting a broader subject choice should look elsewhere.

Entry requirements for international students

Every NSCD course selects by audition or interview alongside academic requirements. Undergraduate applicants usually need five GCSEs including English Language plus two A levels or an equivalent vocational qualification, and postgraduates normally need an undergraduate degree. Overseas qualifications are checked for equivalence, and documents must be translated into English.

International applicants whose first language is not English typically need IELTS 5.5 overall (no skill below 5.0) for undergraduate study or 6.0 for postgraduate study. Overseas students who need a Student visa must be 18 on entry. Exact requirements vary by course, so check the relevant course page and the overseas-students pages before applying.

Accommodation

NSCD owns no student accommodation and publishes no halls guarantee. Instead it works with Unipol, a student housing charity, which lists accredited rooms and shared houses for incoming students, usually published in late May or June and supported by a house-hunting event around May.

Most students live in local private houses within walking distance, typically shared by four to eight students across year groups. The school reports average rents of about £115 to £135 per week, with most including bills. Some students opt for other halls in Leeds, a homestay, or living at home.

Scholarships and funding

NSCD publishes several funding strands on its bursaries and financial assistance page, though most are assessed on household income. Named schemes include the Leverhulme Arts Scholarship for new entrants to selected BA and MA performance courses, with only four awards each year; a Tuition Fee Waiver of up to £3,000; the Nadine Senior Legacy Fund; and a Refugee Bursary of £1,000 per year.

International applicants should check the eligibility criteria for each strand carefully, as some depend on UK funding rules. Awards and values change each year, so confirm the current position on the school's funding pages before applying.