Bristol Old Vic theatre school attended by Olivia Colman scraps undergraduate degrees

One of the West Country’s leading theatre schools has scrapped its undergraduate degree courses due to “unprecedented funding challenges”.

The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School - whose alumni include Oscar winners Olivia Colman and Sir Daniel Day-Lewis - will no longer accept undergraduate students from September this year.

Other notable stars who were taught at the school, which first opened in 1946, include Sir Patrick Stewart, Jeremy Irons, Gene Wilder, Naomie Harris and Miranda Richardson.

Senior staff said the decision was made with the "students’ best interests at heart”.

Fiona Francombe, Principal and CEO of Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, said: “Along with many Arts and Higher Education organisations, we are facing unprecedented funding challenges which we need to address as our current training model, focusing on teaching undergraduate degree courses, is not viable in the future.

“As a result, we will no longer be offering undergraduate training from September but will continue to provide postgraduate training and other courses.

“By taking this decision now, we are able to plan for the next two academic years calmly, and with our students’ best interests at heart.

“It is our intention to create a long-term sustainable future for the school where we can deliver high calibre training for which the school is renowned but we need time and space to work through the options and our current focus must be on existing students and staff.”

Current undergraduates will be allowed to complete their studies, while the school will continue to offer postgraduate courses in acting, writing, directing and performance design.

The school said the move would not affect Bristol Old Vic, which has operated as a separate organisation since 1986.

It was opened in 1946 by Sir Laurence Olivier eight months after the founding of the theatre.