BATH SPA UNIVERSITY PROSPECTUS / MUSIC & PERFORMANCE
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THEATRE PRODUCTION BA (HONS) UCAS CODE: W431 INSTITUTION CODE: B20 LOCATION: Newton Park campus, Theatre Royal Bath, Theatre Production Centre, Burdalls Yard Arts Centre.
ASSESSMENT: Largely by coursework including practical work, presentations, evaluations, group projects, individual reports and written assignments. There are currently no written exams.
TYPICAL OFFERS: Assessed individually, but in the range A-level grades BBC–CCC; BTEC DMM– MMM; plus a demonstrable interest in an area of theatre production.
STUDY ABROAD: See page 23 FIND OUT MORE: www.bathspa.ac.uk www.youtube.com watch?v=IQ4lJAaDt9Q Theatre Production at Bath Spa University
LENGTH: 3 years full-time FEES AND FINANCES (2016): £9,000 tuition fee per year (subject to annual inflationary increases). See page 26
GRADUATE PROFILE AARON GOULDTHORPE GRADUATED 2014
Do you want a career in the exciting and diverse world of theatre production? This highly practical programme gives you the chance to study in a professional environment, underpinned by very strong links with the theatre industry. This is a professional theatre training course for a variety of backstage career opportunities delivered in association with industry – and specifically with our partners at Theatre Royal Bath and Salisbury Playhouse. Any discipline that you see being practiced backstage in a theatre can be learned on this programme. Subject areas include stage lighting, sound, costume, stage management, production management, scenic design, scenic construction, scenic art and prop making. We have magnificent and superbly equipped facilities that rival those found in industry. These include our modern University Theatre, brand new television studio, an amphitheatre, digital suite, costume workshop and our Theatre Production Centre facility. The Theatre Production Centre houses a very large scenic workshop, prop making and scenic design facilities, We also have our Arts Centre, Burdall’s Yard in Bath city centre.
COURSE STRUCTURE Year 1 Unlike many programmes, we don’t ask you to specialise in a particular area before you embark on your studies. You will learn about each discipline in Year 1, and you’ll gain the necessary foundation knowledge of all technical theatre, production arts and stage management. Some people know what career path they wish to follow upon graduation when they start Theatre Production. Many begin this journey of exploration in Year 1 as they discover new skills and areas of interest. Year 2 This year involves working on productions, and you’ll undertake different production-based roles in a variety of backstage departments. These will either be in an area of your interest, or in an area that the staff team feel that you would benefit from engaging in. Alongside this production activity, you build your skills and knowledge by choosing two skills pathways to increase your subject knowledge. The choice of pathways is stage management, scenography, lighting, sound and AV, costume. You will also complete a research project in an area of your interest to be determined by you.
— “The Theatre Production course at Bath Spa University gave me the opportunity to learn and develop skills in a hands-on environment. I benefited from a fantastic wealth of knowledge that the lecturers and staff provided through years of industry experience. We not only learned current practices and processes of all things theatre, but were taught and encouraged to excel in our chosen individual specialisms. I now work as a carpenter for Cardiff Theatrical Services – the in-house workshops of the Welsh National Opera. As well as making sets for all WNO productions, we also build sets and scenery for many other organisations and events, including Royal Opera House, English National Opera and BBC’s Doctor Who. I was introduced to CTS by my lecturer and undertook a work placement as part of my degree, from which I was offered a full-time place in the carpentry department.”
Year 3 Year 3 allows you the facility to focus your study, and to specialise in areas that you have discovered are your particular strengths and interests. You’ll assume ‘Head of Department’ responsibility, allowing you to provide leadership on a variety of productions and projects in areas that you wish to specialise in. Production role opportunities include those of costume designer, scenic designer, lighting designer, sound designer, stage manager, deputy stage manager, head of construction (scenic or costume), scenic artist and production manager. The three year interaction with industry culminates GRADUATE PROFILE in a professional industry work KEZIA BEAMENT placement of at least four weeks GRADUATED 2012 duration. Many placement — opportunities are available with our “ I’m working as a freelance Stage Manager, partners – Salisbury Playhouse and and felt thoroughly prepared for my Theatre Royal Bath, alongside many present career, thanks to the course others nationally. having a high practical content, which CAREERS Career opportunities include production and / or technical roles in either the theatre or the wider entertainment industry: scenic design, costume design, stage management, scenic construction, prop making, lighting technician, lighting design, sound technician, sound design and costume technician. This is an Approved Graduate Course of the Stage Management Association.
followed the processes and practices of a professional theatre environment. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Bath Spa. It involved all students assisting on productions from the first term, and there is no substitute for getting involved and getting practical experience. It was an ideal environment to try things out while learning, and to develop skills across all the different departments before deciding where to specialise. The staff on the course were always supportive and since graduating continue to be a source of information and encouragement.”