Overview

You gain practical and industry-standard skills in developing lighting, sound and set design as well as developing your academic and critical thinking skills.

You undertake a work placement with a local theatre or theatre company for a week where you shadow a current stage manager in a professional venue.

You are also part of our SRCActingRep and SRCMTEnsemble activities, providing lighting, sound, stage management and technical support for productions throughout the year.

The programme undertakes trips to local, national and international theatres (London and New York Trips are planned for every other year). There is regular industry workshops as well as practical and academic seminars.

Course structure

Year 1 core modules

You explore the ever changing landscape of health, safety and legislation within production and technical arts. You develop an understanding of the health and safety requirements such as risk assessments, working at a height, the use of licensed chaperones when working with young performers as well as important legislation such as copyright laws and having the correct licenses to play music. You also are part of and write a case study focusing on a real vocational performance activity, allowing you to put theory into practice.

Lighting Operation

You develop and apply crewing and lighting operation skills to a live production. Skills developed including communication and organisational, in addition to practical skills such as plotting lights, rigging and focusing, reading cue sheets and operating a lighting desk. This module runs alongside the Sound Operation so you take on both roles for the same production and perform both roles during the process through negotiation. You are also expected to play a role in the rehearsal process as well as provide lighting operation during dress and tech rehearsals and the final performance. You work on a live brief liaising with a real team of performers and backstage crew. Your reflective learning journal should focus on lessons learned in practice and improvements in performance supported by appropriate theory and feedback from a range of sources.

Planning for the Future

The knowledge and skills gained across all your modules are applied to one live brief. You work in production teams and will take on the responsibilities of one of the roles studied to support the creation of a live piece of theatre, for example a community project, a touring piece of theatre, a music event, a cabaret, a talent show or any other performance-related product. You are encouraged to think logically about what is suitable given the timeframe of the module and take on roles such as lighting operator, sound operator and stage manager. As part of the team you are responsible for the organising and implementing of the performance project, and take responsibility of the health and safety implications. You present a project proposal in the first instance and keep a management portfolio throughout documenting the process.

Production and Technical Arts in Context

You investigate the historical, social, political, cultural and economic development of production and technical arts. You consider the way production and technical arts have developed in the way that they have, and develop an understanding of the historical developments of the technical and production arts. You share your understanding with your peers through discussion, debate and presentation, and gain an understanding of self-reflection.

Sound Operation

You develop and apply crewing and lighting operation skills to a live production. Skills developed including communication and organisational, in addition to practical skills such as plotting lights, rigging and focusing, reading cue sheets and operating a lighting desk. This module runs alongside the Lighting Operation so you take on both roles for the same production and perform both roles during the process through negotiation. You are also expected to play a role in the rehearsal process as well as provide lighting operation during dress and tech rehearsals and the final performance. You work on a live brief liaising with a real team of performers and backstage crew. Your reflective learning journal should focus on lessons learned in practice and improvements in performance supported by appropriate theory and feedback from a range of sources.

Stage Management

You apply appropriate stage management skills to a live production and reflect on your development throughout. You develop a wide range of skills in areas including communication, organisational, writing risk assessments, and having you the responsibility of the prompt book. Working on a live brief you liaise with a team of performers and backstage crew. You are expected to keep a reflective learning journal throughout this module.

How you learn

You study the arts in a range of ways including practical workshops, lectures, seminars and tutorials. Tutorials help you to discover and develop your personal aptitude for your chosen career path.

Teaching staff on the programme are all industry professionals with specific teaching and industry knowledge for their area.

How you are assessed

You are assessed in a variety of ways, including essays, reports, presentations and performance observations. There are no external exams. Each assessment is carefully designed to give you the necessary tools to succeed.

Career opportunities

Graduates can expect to work in the arts and entertainment industries, education and the media. Successful completion of this course can lead to progression on to our honours degree in performing arts.