APPLICATION & PORTFOLIO GUIDE

Applying to study a creative subject can feel like a big step. At The Northern School of Art, your portfolio review is a friendly conversation with a member of our specialist team about your work, your interests and what you would like to develop.

We are not expecting a perfect portfolio or finished professional work. We are interested in your potential: your ideas, curiosity, willingness to experiment and the way you approach creative work. Everyone’s portfolio will look different, and that is exactly as it should be.

Portfolio reviews can take place in person or online, depending on your preference. We will explain the arrangements clearly in your invitation.

More detailed, subject specific porfolio guides can be found on our course pages for both undergraduate and postgraduate.

Applicants for Acting for Stage and Screen will be invited to an audition and short conversation with the course team. Please refer to the specific Acting guidance on the course page for details of what to prepare.

If you have any questions, please contact Admissions at admissions@northernart.ac.uk or call 01642 288888.

 

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

We consider your application as a whole. Your potential, creative interests, current skills, commitment and readiness to develop are all important - not just your academic profile.

For undergraduate programmes, our standard academic entry requirement is 96-112 UCAS Tariff points. The exact offer will depend on the programme you apply for and will be in any offer we make.

Your portfolio review is an important part of our assessment. It gives you the opportunity to show us your work, talk about your ideas and demonstrate the interests and experience you could bring to the programme.

We recognise that applicants have different educational backgrounds, experiences and access to creative opportunities. We do not expect everyone to arrive with the same type or amount of work.

If you are a mature applicant aged 21 or over, we will place particular value on the skills, experience and potential you demonstrate through your portfolio review.

You should also be able to demonstrate appropriate written communication, literacy and numeracy skills. This may be through relevant qualifications or other evidence, such as written work, sketchbook annotations or discussion at your portfolio review. If you are unsure what evidence to provide, please contact Admissions and we will be happy to advise.

 

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER YOU APPLY

1. Portfolio review or audition

You will be invited to a portfolio review, or an audition if you have applied for Acting for Stage and Screen. This can take place in person or online. You will also have the opportunity to see our facilities, either during your visit or virtually.

2. Decision and offer

We will let you know the outcome of your application and, where appropriate, make you an offer.

3. Keeping in touch

If you accept an offer, we will keep in touch at key points throughout the year with useful information, events and opportunities to meet staff and future classmates.

4. Enrolment

Before you join us, we will share everything you need to know about getting started, Welcome Week and student life at The Northern School of Art.

 

WHAT TO BRING OR SHARE

It is good to bring a small selection of work that gives us a picture of you and your creative interests. This could include:

· sketchbooks, drawings or paintings

· photographs, designs or illustrations

· models, samples or images of larger pieces

· digital work, moving image or animation

· writing, scripts, research or project reflections

· work in progress, experiments and early ideas.

Choose work you can talk about. We are often as interested in the ideas, research, changes of direction and experiments behind a piece as we are in a final outcome.

You do not need to include everything on this list, and you do not need work in every format. Your course page includes examples that may be especially relevant to your chosen subject.

If your work is digital, you can bring a laptop or tablet, share a link, or send material in advance where requested. Photographs of large, fragile or difficult-to-transport work are absolutely fine.

 

WRITTEN WORK

Our degrees are practical and creative, but you will also read, reflect, take notes and complete written work during your studies.

Please bring one example of writing if you can. This could be an essay extract, project reflection, journal, blog, review, script or another piece of writing that is your own. Around 500 to 1,000 words is a helpful guide, but you do not need to create something new if you already have a suitable example.

If you are unable to provide a conventional written example, please contact us before your review. We can discuss the best way for you to demonstrate your written communication.

 

YOUR PORTFOLIO REVIEW

Your portfolio review is relaxed and informal. It is an opportunity for us to get to know you, your work and your ambitions, as well as a chance for you to decide whether the course feels right for you.

We may ask about work that inspires you, creative things you enjoy, or experiences that have shaped your interests. There are no “right” cultural references. We simply want to understand what interests you and why.

Come with any questions you have about the course, facilities, student life, accommodation or studying in Hartlepool. It is completely fine not to know everything yet.

If you would like help preparing, need an adjustment, or are worried about travelling or joining online, please contact Admissions before your review. We want you to be able to show your best self.

 

YOUR OWN WORK AND USE OF AI

All work submitted in support of your application must be your own.

If you have used digital or AI-assisted tools as part of your creative process, please tell us how you used them. We may ask you to talk through your process or verify authorship.

Deliberately misrepresenting work may lead to an application or offer being withdrawn in line with our Admissions Policy.