Professional Acting

40 credits. This module runs over three terms and forms a core training provision focused on the physical, psychological, and creative demands of developing an acting and performance vocabulary that is personal and contextualised by collaborative peer group practice led by a combination of professional experts from industry and supported by a core teaching team.

You will immerse yourself in several making projects that are text based, devised, live and mediated utilising digital media as both a recording and creative medium. This module invites participants to also develop their critical reflective skills as they enhance and develop a professionally focused practice during the programme of study. Additionally, the module supports individuals to develop a professional public profile to enable them to enter the industries of their choice.

60 credits. This module opens a space to consider the shifting cultural dynamics of the theatre and media related industries considering the rapid changes in technology and how audiences access cultural material via a variety of media platforms. Discussion and analysis of these changes and the impact on professional practice in terms of how material is created and distributed into the public domain will a focus of the module. Additionally, participants will enhance their ability to work with scripted materials, diverse source materials as catalysts for generating performance material to gain insights into a variety of creative methodologies deployed in various cultural contexts. Utilising digital media technologies to create live and recorded content will be a key feature of this module as well as the public showing/screening of professional directed/produced work.

20 credits. This module develops the participants skills, knowledge, and experience of finding and sustaining the necessary vocal competences to work with a range of textual materials in different genres of writing – classical and contemporary; lyrics and poetry; voiceovers and voice work pertinent to digital media related contexts. Flexibility and sustainability and safe working practices will form the core ethos of the module. The development of a technical skills base informed by contemporary research into the voice and embodiment will underscore the working principles of this module.

20 credits. This module develops the participants practice relating to the use of the body and to different notions of presence.  The module explores the awareness of self, body and breath as inter-dependent processes that enables the performer to manifest an effective and appropriate representation of self within a specific context. You will develop improved alignment, flexibility, stamina, core strength, physical ease, awareness of habit and the link between imagination, breath, and sensation. The relationship between body-based practices and voice production will be a core feature of this module and its companion module

40 credits. This module supports participants to articulate their developing sense of themselves as independent and forward-looking creative practitioners. Through a series of seminars and workshops, individual participants will identify an area of practical research practice informed by their experiences both within the study programme and their engagement as audience/spectators engaging with the wider cultural environment. An appropriate research imperative will be identified by individuals in the first part of the programme supported by both peer group feedback and the feedback of a dedicated supervising tutor. The research project can take a wide variety of forms and be developed for a specific media or trans-disciplinary environment. Forms of collaboration between practitioners can be considered on a case-by-case basis and engagement with external agencies and partners will be encouraged. Participants will create an artwork to be shared in the public domain towards the end of the module. A key feature of the module will the development of the skills and knowledge to both give and receive feedback from immediate and externally focused colleagues. All participants will be required to thoroughly contextualise their practice and critically reflect on their practice and that of their peer group in a series of short documents prepared before and after the public showing of the work.

You will complete around 900 hours of indicative scheduled learning and teaching activities and 950 hours of independent learning and 105 guided learning hours on projects, productions, placements or self-directed study. Assessment will be through: Coursework, presentations, performance and portfolios.