The BA (Hons) Performing Arts degree draws on the unique strengths of Music and Drama within the University, allowing you the opportunity to explore their connections and the creative potential of both disciplines. The emphasis of the course is on developing students as confident, versatile and exciting practitioners, who are able to work across music and drama in innovative and dynamic ways.
To support this, we offer an exciting and stimulating environment for Performing Arts students. Our outstanding facilities include two dedicated Drama Centres, complete with a flexible black-box performance space, the Mumford Theatre, a full-size receiving house for professional touring companies, and a purpose-built Music Centre with lecture and practice rooms, recital hall, and five state-of-the-art computer music studios. Plus there are countless opportunities to engage in performance locally.
Performance activities lie at the heart of the Performing Arts degree and you will encounter an extensive and varied range of events to complement your academic studies. A team of visiting specialists of national and international repute provides free, individual instrumental and vocal tuition throughout the course, and visiting performers, practitioners and academics provide additional workshops, master classes and lectures.
We are especially proud of our interdisciplinary performance events, where staff and students collaborate on projects across our disciplines. This has culminated in full-scale opera productions, such as Turandot, Peter Grimes, La Traviata, and La Bohème, alongside music-theatre projects, which have involved such things as dance, sensor technologies and actors.
When you graduate you will be able to:
display a thorough understanding of the interrelationship between music and drama, both in theory and practice
display significant skills in the areas of production, design and rehearsal techniques for music and drama
demonstrate an understanding of performance techniques, structures and working methods as applicable to working across drama and music
The chance to develop your creative skills in a professional, yet friendly, atmosphere is sure to make this a challenging and hugely rewarding experience.
Year 1 modules:
Performance Skills 1 - Introductions
Performance Skills 2 - Vocabularies
Technical Theatre
Making Performance 1
Approaches to Contemporary Performance
Laptop Musicianship
Graduate Skills 1
Year 2 modules:
Making Performance 2
Performance Laboratory
Performance Skills 3 ? Improvisation
Performance Skills 4 ? Composition / Choreography
Integrated Studies
TV Drama Production
Live Art & Performance
The Practice of Music Education
Year 3 modules:
Major Project
Devising Performance
Enterprise in the Creative Arts
Arts Administration
Art, Music and Performance
Principles of Music Therapy & Dramatherapy
Contemporary Texts
Special Subject
Arts Administration
Associated careers
The varied disciplines and skills you will acquire on the Performing Arts degree will provide a strong platform of employable skills for many walks of life. The emphasis on versatility that our degree fosters makes our graduates attractive to employers, and former students currently enjoy highly successful careers as performers, producers, directors, drama teachers and arts administrators, to name but a few.
Assessment
Assessment is carried out via a very broad mix of methods including: essays, reports, critical reflections, presentations, studio and public performances, and a Major Project, which may include practical work.
Links with industry
Students are encouraged to seek work placement opportunities in their third year of study. The course has good links with local theatre and music venues and with a number of theatre companies, including the award-winning company NIE, based at The Junction, Cambridge
200-240 points tariff points at A Level or equivalent. Required subject(s): A Level Drama, Theatre Studies, Music or cognate subject area at grade B For an explanation of qualifications, have a look at our IAG page on this site www.creativeway.org.uk/quals.
A Progression Agreement is a formal arrangement between two or more
education providers. It spells out what a learner needs to do to be
considered for a place on a named programme of study. Progression Agreements
may vary in the conditions they specify but they all aim to give guaranteed
pathways into higher education.
Advice on courses and careers:-
The Creative Way IAG team provides a specialist service for anyone
interested in finding out about courses and careers in the creative and
cultural industries. We can provide information direct to Students,
Parents/ Carers, Tutors and Careers Advisers via email, phone or organised
workshops and 1 to 1 sessions.
To find out more, visit our IAG page on this site on
http://www.creativeway.org.uk/IAG Or contact one of our career advisers: Matt Ball 07889 001764
m.ball@uel.ac.uk or Sarah
Comerford 07515 051509
s.comerford@uel.ac.uk