PIPPA Newsletter Spring

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We’re ALL about

EXCELLENCE

News from PIPPA (Plymouth Institute of Production, Performance and Arts)

SPRING 2013

If you would find it easier to read this newsletter in larger type or a different format, please call 01752 305300 or e-mail info@cityplym.ac.uk.

Welcome to the spring edition of our PIPPA newsletter!

The Plymouth Institute for Production, Performance and Arts (PIPPA) brings City College Plymouth’s creative industries courses together under one banner. It’s representative of the close working relationship these subject areas have with one another, and it’s one of the big plus points of studying with us.

At PIPPA, we aim to provide the best range of facilities in the South West. PIPPA has professional drama and dance studios complete with full light rigging and stage props, music practice suites, media equipment, recording studios and IT suites. At our DbS Music venue in the city centre, there is a ‘real’ live music venue, recording studios, live rooms, Mac suites, and studios.

On top of our fantastic facilities, we’re also very proud of our brilliant teaching team, some of who you’ll meet in this newsletter. Within the team there’s a wealth of industry experience and insider knowledge that you won’t find anywhere else.

If you’d like to know more about anything you read in this newsletter, there are a number of open days coming up where you’ll get the chance to come in and meet us, and have a good look around (see back cover) - or you can get in touch anytime on 01752 305300.

Mark Trewin

Director of Creative, Cultural and Digital Industries

National Skills Academy City College Plymouth is a Founder College of the National Skills Academy (NSA), specifically for the creative and cultural sector. This means that we are part of a network of only 20 colleges and more than 200 theatre and live music employers throughout England.

Working with PIPPA, the NSA develops skills opportunities for students entering the creative and cultural sector, and provides industry-endorsed services and standards for training to help students and those already working in the sector.

“The creative industries generates 7.9% of the UK’s economy” Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Our Courses It takes a lot of hard work and tons of dedication to make a career in the glamorous worlds of the arts and the media, yet so many people are gripped by the lure of their lights.

Are you hoping to be the next Hollywood heart-throb/number one in the charts/BBC news correspondent/respected television presenter? Or do you want to join the army of backstage crew, for example, producers, directors and technical wizards?

Whatever it is, PIPPA can help you to get there. How? Here are the types of courses we run ...

• audio and music production • creative sound engineering and music technology • dance • DJ and electronic music production • live events production • live sound • media • music • performing arts.

Why not come and see for yourself what our students get up to at one of our many performance events?

Find out more at

www.cityplym.ac.uk/pippa.

So, who do you think you are?

Actor, advertising executive, camera operator, choreographer, ,composer for film and television, dancer, designer, director, journalist, music producer, musician, photographer, singer, sound and lighting engineer, sound and lighting designer, stage manager, television/radio presenter ...

Whether you’d like to achieve a certificate, diploma or foundation degree, we have academic levels for everyone.

Ten Minutes With ...

Nicola Rosewarne

Director, choreographer, performer, lecturer and our very own Creative Industries Academy Manager, Nix Rosewarne, has an incredible amount of industry experience under her belt. We found out how her past experiences influence her work today.

Where did it all start for you?

My first professional job was as a movement director on a National Youth Music Theatre show, then, after training at Dartington College of Arts, I joined the renowned Kneehigh Theatre as a performer and director and worked with them for 18 years.

I worked nationally and internationally in all kinds of weather and venues, and learned an enormous amount about making theatre and touring. Later I joined the Colchester Mercury Theatre where I worked closely with the Artistic Director, developing the ensemble company. I then became a founder member of Wildworks Theatre, working internationally to develop ‘landscape theatre’, making work in castles, quarries, beaches, and other unusual spaces.

What was it that made you move into teaching?

I don’t consider teaching to be a change as such - more of an extension of my professional practice. I have always worked in education alongside my career, and love developing the skills of others. I started teaching at Goschen after my son was born as didn’t want to be away from him on tour quite so much, and developed the original BTEC theatre course here.

How do you think your industry experience will benefit current students?

I have so much knowledge to pass onto them and I have great contacts.

So, what’s been your career highlight?

I have had many so it’s hard to choose just one! I was movement director on a wonderful show that won a ‘Fringe First’ at the Edinburgh Festival a few years ago, and that made me very proud!

How important is it to you that you are still involved in theatre outside of the College?

It is vital. Our courses need to reflect current practice and innovation in the industry, and all of the Creative Industries team can say that they are still involved in making work.

Since being at the College I have directed for the Theatre Royal Plymouth, worked on The Fish Hearted Bride at the National Marine Aquarium, and I am currently involved in developing a children’s show for outdoor touring. I am also a member of the management team for the Dreadnought South West project.

It sounds like you really enjoy your time here - what makes PIPPA so special?

I also love seeing my students grow and develop into amazing creative agents! We have an awesome team here with a rich and varied wealth of industry experience, knowledge and connections - and our teaching spaces are fantastic.

Do you have any advice for someone looking to make their theatre break?

See as much theatre as you can, get to know people who are making work, make yourself super-useful, and persevere!

Student Performances and Shows We run regular student performances and shows at our fully-equipped dance and drama studios, which are based at the College’s Goschen Centre in Keyham.

Tickets for the following performances/shows can be purchased from the College by calling 01752 305096.

Culture Café Unleashed Saturday 18 May Plymouth City Centre Free event - no tickets A variety show of live music and theatre performances as part of the Lord Mayor’s Day festivities.

The Box Wednesday 22 and Thursday 23 May 7.00pm - 9.00pm Goschen Dance Studio Tickets £5, £3 concessions An original dance theatre production by first and second year BTEC Dance, and second year Musical Theatre students, inspired by the Greek myth of Pandora’s box.

Making Dreams a Reality Do you want to work in the music industry? How about being trained by professionals who have worked with Queen and Radiohead? Lots of people would love to work in the music industry, and dBs is here to help turn your dreams into reality!

Our BTEC introductory diplomas will give you all the skills you need to make it in the industry. From DJ to producer or sound engineer, our courses give you a foundation to build a career that will make your friends green with envy. The courses combine and challenge your creative and technical skills and leave you with a thirst to learn more about the industry.

To make this possible we provide you with the best equipment and studios; all of our studios rival any professional studio.

Combine this with a plethora of industry experience and the outcome is the best learning experience possible.

Tommy Williams, a former student at dBs is proof that you can progress on to getting your dream job. Tommy landed a job at the famous Sawmills Studio in Cornwall, where he was an assistant engineer, helping to produce Newton Faulkner’s new album.

During the summer festival season he toured with Reef as their front of house engineer.

He’s also been working as a freelance sound engineer - proof that if you work hard, it’s worth it!

30,000 skilled backstage and technical workers are expected to be needed in the UK by 2017.

National Skills Academy

A Day in the Life of..

Nico Bray

We asked lecturer Nico to keep a diary on a performance day so we could find out more about live events - the solid foundations and 8.00am Get in and switch on power and equipment. My students get involved in everything from sound, to lighting, to set building and everything in between - so there’s a lot of kit!

9.00am Students arrive. We go over the protocol for the day and set up for the dress rehearsal - checking running order etc. There is no teaching timetable during a show - all learning is on the job!

10.00am Check on the sound team. They work ahead to research and create sound effects that bring context and atmosphere to a performance - often recording the effects themselves.

1.30pm Rehearsals are underway, so I’ll be in and out of the performance area for a while - checking light and sound from an audience perspective.

3.00pm Up at the lighting desk with a sandwich - the control room! We’ve got the best lighting kit I’ve ever seen in a College Martin Professional programmable lights, ¼ ton motors for the rigs and structures and Cast WYSIWYG software for programming. The software means we planned the lighting without being here, so we had more time to be really creative!

5.30pm Time for notes with all involved, and discussion with the production team. Final tweaks and adjustments if needed.

11.30am Quick coffee break to keep me going.

Shows involve lots of late nights and weekends 6.30pm The adrenaline kicks in as we all take - it’s definitely not 9-5 for the students or staff! our places again.

12.00 noon There are people everywhere! I go and help the set team make sure the rigging, staging, props etc come together okay.

We try to be as sustainable as possible with the materials we use, and we have to be mindful of health and safety at all times.

7.00pm Months of planning, building and hard work come together as the show begins!

10.00pm Show is over, the audience are leaving, but my team still have work to do packing up and shutting down, ready to start over again tomorrow!

Want to join the Live Events team?

For more information, go to: www.cityplym.ac.uk/courses/live-events-production

College Open Events Visit one of our open events to find out why PIPPA at City College Plymouth is the place to come for outstanding education and training that works!

We’ve made it easy for you!

Pre-register your attendance by visiting the events section of our website or by giving us a call … w: cityplym.ac.uk/events t: 01752 305300

Saturday 23 March 10.00am to 1.00pm Goschen and Kings Road Wednesday 26 June 4.00pm to 7.00pm Kings Road Friday 16 August 10.00am to 1.00pm Kings Road Friday 23 August 10.00am to 1.00pm Kings Road

For more information on anything you’ve read in this newsletter, please contact: City College Plymouth Kings Road Devonport PL1 5QG t: 01752 305300 e: info@cityplym.ac.uk w: www.cityplym.ac.uk

Scan here for a full list of College open events

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