Degree Completion in Performing Arts

Degree Completion in Performing Arts

www.uwtsd.ac.uk

The School of Performing Arts based on the Carmarthen Campus is made up of the following programmes: BA Acting BA Theatre Design and Production BA Dance The BA Acting is an innovative and exciting programme designed for students who aspire to a career in the performance industry. The degree balances vocational actor training, contextual study and the creative exploration of performance theory. The range of transferable and presentational skills on offer could be applied in a variety of employment contexts.

The BA Theatre Design and Production is now firmly established as a leading programme in the training of designers, scenic artists, stage managers and technicians.

The principle of developing graduates skilled in more than one area, with a firm foundation in the methodology of theatremaking is central to the teaching.

Work placement modules in the final year have increasingly led to employment opportunities and graduates are currently

2 | www.uwtsd.ac.uk

working in a range of theatres from small-scale touring companies to large-scale opera companies.

The BA Dance is a practicebased programme designed to prepare students for a career in the dance/performance industry. The course enables the development of technical, choreographic and performance skills while preparing students for employment opportunities within the sector.

Unlike institutions in the United States and in Canada, there are no elective classes. The school, as part of your chosen programmes, prescribes all the modules you are taking.

Modules are simply another word for your courses. Even those of you who are studying in second year here, though you get to choose the three modules you are studying, are all part of a curriculum that every student in your program goes through.

www.uwtsd.ac.uk | 3

You aboard: will I be supported?

Arriving and orientation We run an airport pick up at designated times from Heathrow and Gatwick airports – details will be posted on this website.

You can also travel to the University campuses quite easily from Bristol or Cardiff airports.

Once you have arrived in the UK, we ensure our international students receive a warm welcome and prepare a programme of activities designed to help you during your first few days with us.

Most students are able to take advantage of our airport pick up services and full details of this and our comprehensive welcome, arrival and orientation programme will be available on our website once the details for this academic year have been confirmed.

In your first few days you will be introduced to the University, the local area and to staff and students. There is important information that you need to listen to, forms to fill in and choices to be made, and the programme is designed to guide you through this process and introduce you to the services and support you will need during your time at the University. We also organise trips so we hope it will be a fun week! It is highly recommended that you plan to attend as many orientation events as possible. Studies show that international students that participate in induction settle better into their new lifestyle in the UK.

4 | www.uwtsd.ac.uk

www.uwtsd.ac.uk | 5

Assessment

At the beginning of each module you will be given a Module Booklet, which includes the learning outcomes that you will need to achieve in order to pass and gain the credit allocated to it. In this way the Module Booklet is similar to a course syllabus.

Also included in the Module Booklet is a list of your module projects and assessment criteria.

Both are designed to enable you to demonstrate your level of achievement for the learning outcomes. It is then relayed to you via a Marking Feedback sheet at the end of the module.

6 | www.uwtsd.ac.uk

Evaluation

At the end of each module you will receive a Marking Feedback sheet. Included with this Feedback sheet is feedback from either your director (for 3rd years) or your module tutor (for 2nd years).

The nature of this formative feedback will vary from module to module and student to student. It will be both encouraging and critically rigorous and will be designed to help each student reach their potential on any given project. It should not be taken as being directly related to your final mark for the module as a whole but rather as guidance for personal progress – your progress at any given point, or in a particular aspect of the work might be excellent but it doesn’t’t mean that your final mark is necessarily in the first class category.

If you read the marking overview sheet alongside the category descriptors included in this section carefully, it should be clear how your work has been assessed with regard to each specific criterion. If you wish for further clarification you can make an appointment to see the module tutor.

www.uwtsd.ac.uk | 7

Term and Classes The school year is made up of three semesters: September to December, January to March, and April to June.

During the semester classes run on a regular basis and it is a good idea to talk to each of your tutors in order to figure out when your are off. The best time to travel is Christmas Holidays (December), Easter Break (March/April), and Summer (June) as there will be no classes running during these periods.

The standard school day is between the hours of 10am - 5pm, Monday to Friday. All of your rehearsals and classes generally fall between these hours, though there are times when your tutors and directors will ask to hold rehearsal outside of these hours. If you are unable to attend your lectures for valid reasons please let the Office know as well as your tutors.

As a student in the School of Performing Arts, you are expected to attend classes, work with your peers, and do the work assigned to you. That being said, it is your responsibility.

8 | www.uwtsd.ac.uk

Process Workbooks In all practical activities and projects a great deal of the learning occurs during the process. Ideas first encountered in sessions will be tested and appraised in rehearsal room and workshop. The Process Workbooks give each student the opportunity to demonstrate their level of engagement with the subject matter, their acquisition of knowledge through personal exploration and research and their level of personal analysis and understanding.

Simply put, the Process Workbook is a physical manifestation of the process you have gone through in order to get where you are.

The marks for the Process Workbook are always integrated with those awarded for the Practical Project as a whole - it is unlikely that you will produce a meaningful project or performance without having participated in a meaningful process.

The Workbooks can take on a wide variety of forms. A Workbook might include a critical summary of the important ideas, techniques or methodologies discussed

in each taught session, as well as providing evidence of personal study and research.

It is important that you demonstrate explicitly that you have directly engaged with, and referenced, any material that you have used for research. Although a personalised response to the taught sessions might be appropriate in some situations, the Workbook shouldn’t’t simply become a conversational diary. Whilst we are gratified if you enjoyed the module and disappointed if you didn’t, the Workbook isn’t really the place to express these opinions. Similarly a Workbook should not be used as a place for personal attacks on colleagues. Module tutors will advise you about the sort of approach you should take to their particular process workbook. Many times these Process Workbooks will be accompanied by a presentation of some sort.

These will vary slightly from module to module and if you are in any doubt about what is being asked of you then it is important that you speak to the tutor concerned as soon as possible.

www.uwtsd.ac.uk | 9

Show Opportunities As there are numerous opportunities to watch and see theatre made by your peers. However, there are also excellent opportunities to see theatre produced by professional theatre companies from in and around Wales.

Generally taking place on Wednesday nights in either the Halliwell Theatre, the Parry Theatre, or the Studio Theatre.

In order to see these shows, all you have to do is sign up on Moodle. Many opportunities are sent via message through Moodle, and the Halliwell’s Theatre Season can also be seen here.

10 | www.uwtsd.ac.uk

“At the University of Wales Trinity Saint David they say that you should study there for the experience of a lifetime. But I know better than that. Studying abroad is much, much more. It is more difficult than moving to a new town or a new country. But, more valuable than all the money in the world. For me studying in Wales was a chance to find adventure. Yet in those ten months, I discovered my limits, pushed boundaries, and found new perspectives. Studying at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David was more than an adventure. It was life changing.

Wales became more than a place I visited. It became home. And because of that I can honestly say that studying abroad is not a year in the life, but a lifetime in a year.�

Paula Broderick BA Acting, Douglas College Graduate, Vancouver www.uwtsd.ac.uk | 11

Carmarthen

From unique town centres, varied landscapes and an overwhelming choice of activities, whether it’s hot or not Carmarthen has it all.

12 | www.uwtsd.ac.uk

www.uwtsd.ac.uk | 13

Great Facilities Sweeping lawns and landscaped areas form a picturesque setting for the mix of Victorian and modern buildings. The campus boasts a range of facilities including a well-stocked library and excellent learning and teaching spaces, a fully equipped theatre and workshops, media and music suites as well as IT facilities which include open access areas and rooms for students to undertake group work. Sports facilities include the Sports Centre with a Health and Fitness Suite, swimming pool, and a multi-purpose dance studio.

Students Services and Students’ Union are both located in their own buildings on the campus enabling students to access their facilities and services easily. Student accommodation includes catered and self-catering halls which are located on the campus.

A new Learning and Teaching building provides first class facilities for lectures, group work as well as social spaces where you can relax with your friends in between lectures.

The combined strength of the academic and professional expertise provided, as well as the dedicated facilities, including studios, exhibition spaces and workshops, enables our students to develop their creative talents and hone their technical skills in an environment conducive to their needs.

14 | www.uwtsd.ac.uk

Your Accommodation There are four student residences on campus, which offer single and shared rooms in catered or self-catering accommodation. The facilities are offered at very affordable prices which include all utility bills. If you choose to live on campus, you will be given your own room for the duration of the academic year which means that you won’t have to move out during vacation periods.

All rooms have Internet access so you can bring your own laptop or PC. The facilities are offered at very affordable prices which include all utility bills

www.uwtsd.ac.uk | 15

Discover Student Life at Carmarthen

The Carmarthen Campus is located on the outskirts of Carmarthen, the reputed birthplace of Merlin of Arthurian legend and the oldest town in Wales. It is a busy town which enjoys a good mix of traditional and modern shops, attesting to its unique charm and its readiness to adapt to the needs of the modern shopper.

It is home to national chains, boutiquestyle shops, as well as excellent indoor and outdoor markets. It enjoys excellent leisure facilities and boasts the first purpose-built digital cinema with six 3D screens. The town is served by major road and rail networks and is within easy reach of major cities, including Swansea and Cardiff, as well as ferry ports in West Wales.

16 | www.uwtsd.ac.uk

Student Union and student societies.

The Student Union advocates for students on campus as well as organizes student social events.

Yes, they are home to the Campus Pub and the Campus Night Club but they do more than that.

The Student Union organizes Faculty Representatives and Student Representatives, who are elected by their peers to sit on boards in order to be a student voice within the proceedings. The idea behind this is to work in partnership with students in order for them to take ownership of their learning. Moreover, if you are having any difficulty on campus they can point you in the right direction.

Some advice from previous years is to get to know your Student Union President and Vice-President as well as your Class Representatives. They are friendly people who can also make this transition easier for you.

The Union also runs Freshers’ Fair in September and Re-Fresh Fair in January. Both fairs run for about a week and are ways to get to know people and the activities on Campus as well as getting to know the town of Carmarthen. It is not a requirement to participate, though if you do want to, you should head to the Union to register.

www.uwtsd.ac.uk | 17

Travelling to Europe is quite easy Being in the United Kingdom makes traveling to Europe quite easy.

Planes: For flights, don’t be afraid of travelling from Bristol, Cardiff, or London airports.

Each are relatively easy to get to from Carmarthen. Make sure you think about high and low seasons as well because they can affect the price of tickets. www.skyscanner.net; www. thomson.co.uk; www.vueling. com; www.easyjet.com; www. ryanair.com Trains: The train station is located across the pedestrian bridge at the bottom of Blue Street. Trains tickets can be purchased on the platform but are more expensive on the day of. If you are here for more than three months and are planning on taking the train often then it is a good idea to look at getting a railcard. With this card you get a 30% discount on all of your train tickets. Here are some resources for train tickets: www.thetrainline.com: www.arrivatrainswales.co.uk: www.raileasy.co.uk: www. mytrainticket.co.uk

18 | www.uwtsd.ac.uk

Buses: Getting around South West Wales can be made easier by taking the Carmarthenshire bus services. Tickets can be purchased at the bus station on the day of travel. However, if you are going outside of Carmarthenshire, it is a good idea to book your tickets online as they will be cheaper. London, Bristol, Cardiff and Rosslare (in Ireland) are easiest to get to by Megabus. Megabus also has services to Continental Europe which includes Amsterdam, Brussels, Cologne, and Paris.

National Express also has similar services to Megabus. Both must be purchased online before heading to the bus station. www.uk.megabus.com, www.nationalexpress.com, www.eurolines.co.uk

Hostels: Hostels are a great alternative to hotels and a great way of meeting people. That being said booking hostels can be frustrating. The only tips we can really provide is to book early and read reviews.

Finding out the location of the hostel in question can also save you stress, time and money.

Below are the best websites to book hostels through: www.hostelworld.com: www. hostelbookers.com

Finding your way Being in a new place can be overwhelming, especially when it is in another country with different systems. There are numerous resources on campus to help you out and we encourage you to use them. In addition, make sure you stay in the loop by being proactive and checking your school email, Moodle, and Google Calendar regularly. The module tutors will explain which systems they will use for each module in order to keep lines of communication open with you.

www.uwtsd.ac.uk | 19

The International Office The pastoral care of students is central to the work of the International Office. The team of staff are responsible for providing support and guidance for students on a number of issues including practical advice on issues such as Finance, accommodation and dealing with homesickness. However, we also offer professional counselling and welfare services, located within the Student Services Department, that are available to all students, and are founded on the principle that no problem is too big or too small to share.

When you enrol as a student at our university you are provided with your own account that gives you access to the internet, student email and university e-learning environment and resources. The international office and other university support departments will communicate to you through your student email account from time to time. IT and Wi-Fi facilities are available at various locations across all our campuses.

I thought moving to UWTSD Lampeter was going to be harder than it was, but it wasn’t. In fact, the awesome staff, students and townspeople of Lampeter have made settling into my life in Wales incredibly easy. Everyone is so incredibly friendly and always willing to stop for a chat. Most days that I’ve gone to explore town, I’ve often wound up walking around and exploring the shops with one or two or more people. I’m happy to say that even though I’m only here for a year, Lampeter is my home and I couldn’t imagine studying or living anywhere else.

Rachael Bowser, Douglas College Vancouver, English & Creative Writing

20 | www.uwtsd.ac.uk

www.uwtsd.ac.uk | 21

22 | www.uwtsd.ac.uk

www.uwtsd.ac.uk | 23

wari

Temukan

डि स्कवर Keşfedin

डिस्कवर

發現 o

Discover

ontdek

Откройте новое objevit

upptäcka

D

De

발견하세요 uppgötva

Ανακαλύψτε 發現

Dewch o Hyd i

открийте

Descubra

আবি ষ্কার করুন upptäcka

Further information Kath Griffiths k.griffiths@uwtsd.ac.uk Telephone: + 44 (1267 676601) twitter.com/studyinwales

The information contained in this booklet is correct at the time of publication, but is subject to change as part of the University’s policy of continuous improvement and development.

Dewc