Performing Arts 2012 Entry

Foundation Degree/Honours Degree

If you’re passionate about performance, then these courses are for you, whether you see yourself on the stage or are considering a community arts role or further study.

Due to our excellent relationships with local theatres, schools and colleges, you’ll work with professional performers in workshop settings on and off-campus.

You’ll learn broad based acting techniques, classical and contemporary dance and develop your singing skills underpinned by theoretical study.

The dance classes will follow the recognised status of the ISTD syllabus working towards Intermediate and Advanced 1, which are professionally recognised dance qualifications.

Performing Arts (Foundation Degree)

The course begins with a high level of guidance and technical underpinning to set the groundwork for future development. In year one you’ll begin by gaining the relevant technical acumen and develop reflective skills to help you develop as a performer and in the second year you’ll use your skills to devise your own improvised performances on and off campus.

Work-based learning is integral to the course, as well as theatre visits locally and further afield to London and Stratford, which allow you to compare different performances in a range of settings.

Performing Arts (Level 3 Top-Up)

This programme is designed to build on skills and knowledge developed on the foundation degree. The course offers more choice and independent learning than the foundation degree, allowing students the opportunity to tailor their studies to their career aspirations.

Students will undertake practical modules as well as a Research project. Opportunities may exist for students to undertake work-based learning or community volunteering.

Some of our modules

Integrated Choreography
Acting Performance
The History of Performing Arts
Musical Theatre
Devising Theatre
Theatre Design

Benefits

highly practical
students can top up to the BA (level 3) in Performing Arts
excellent work-based learning opportunities

Career paths

community projects
working in theatre

Are there any placements for this course?

Integrated work-based learning opportunities

How will the course be assessed?

Due to the vocational nature of the course there are many practical assessments supplemented by essays, reflective log books/diaries and projects.

Entry requirements

Points for foundation degree: 180 using the UCAS Tariff system
All students will auditioned prior to offer of a place (including those entering the Top-Up from Foundation degree courses studied elsewhere)

Location

Oxstalls

Profile: Meg Travers

"This course has opened many doors for me already and has made me really excited about my future in performing arts."

Performing Arts Foundation Degree

Unlike a lot of foundation degree courses, the contact times and practical side of the course is great. So many performing arts courses are really academic and that didn’t appeal to me.

The Oxstalls Campus is fairly modern and has great facilities for our course: a huge dance studio, a gym and two smaller studios for drama and dance. Cheltenham and Gloucester are welcoming areas too with plenty to do.

The course encourages all areas of performance and proves how important it is to learn to dance, act and sing. The industry now requires you to be a ‘triple threat’ and this course is set out in a way that helps you to achieve this.

We’ve worked with so many inspiring people so far. We’ve had workshops with members of the cast from Mary Poppins, Jersey Boys, StopGap and a Scottish dance company. And one of our tutors is a voice coach from the Royal Shakespeare Company.

With my first year coming to an end, I already think I have been challenged technically in dance and voice work and will take away this core training and use it in all future performances.

It’s hard to say what I’m hoping to do when I finish the foundation degree as I don’t know what opportunities will arise. If we do a showcase after the second year I may go into performance from there. Or I may do a third year to top-up to a degree and then look at doing a postgraduate programme.

This course has opened many doors for me already and has made me really excited about my future in performing arts. I really recommend the course to anyone looking to go into the performance industry.

View profile