Performing Arts

UCAS code: 54D2

Here's what Bournemouth and Poole College says about its Performing Arts course.

If you are thinking of studying performing arts, you might be dreaming of taking to the stage to perform for a living. You may be thinking of gritty TV roles or comedy turns in ongoing series. You may even be thinking of re-inventing yourself as a superhero and going into battle with a fellow Marvel character. However, the skills you will learn, will also prove to be valuable in a range of other careers, especially if you are able to effectively combine creative talent with the practical aspects of self-promotion and arts management. So many graduates from Bournemouth & Poole College have gone on to experience an array of roles within the creative industries as well as in careers that value and demand the skillsets fostered and supported within our HE courses.

In addition to teaching self-expression, critical thinking and creative application, the performing arts helps society as a whole in supporting self-knowledge and understanding. Theatre and the performing arts teach society about itself, hoping to point out the attitudes and mindsets of the current cultural climates. It can be a tool used to educate people about the world in which they live and the role they play within it.

The artistic voice asks those who listen to think, to question and to reflect on what it is to be human. In other words, it is power. At The College, we seek to help you discover that power and find ways specific to you that will enable you to use that power to build a career in whatever field you ultimately choose.

For anyone who has a passion for performing, a degree in Performing Arts can be your path to a fulfilling and hugely engaging career. At the Bournemouth & Poole College, our Performing Arts department has a proud history of delivering quality degrees that are an immersive, enlightening, and interactive experience for students.

Students on the course will also get the opportunity to form a company and undertake rehearsal and performance in an alternative context. This may be at The Lighthouse in Poole or a similar regional venue. This will equip our students with the practical skills required to have a rewarding career in the arts. The emphasis will be on community engagement and realising projects through appropriate means. Students may consider working in schools, special needs groups, writing original material, running an event or festival, dramaturg and script development. Students will build upon their critical theoretical understanding as covered in the first unit and use this to complete a funding bid for their own project with a local festival/arts council body.

The course aims to expose students to the diverse nature of challenges faced by those who take on the role of performer – of which there are many. The working actor now faces even challenges in terms of gaining employment and making a living. A performer now needs to be completely adaptable, and this is our focus on this degree – adaptability – providing the individual with enough varied experience of the industry, not just focusing on aspects of performance but on other roles within the creative industries. We believe therefore that the students who study on this degree should be prepared to develop skills that are entrepreneurial, freelance, and independent; flexible to the different forms of performance, creative and contributory with an awareness of culture, and firmly based in theory, practice, and later, experience. To this end, students will be studying a specialist programme focused on performance that offers a broad but interconnected selection of units. This course offers students opportunities to explore old and new performance-based methodologies, musical theatre performance, dramaturgy, analysis of contemporary play texts, voice-over, acting for online gaming and professional development with a clear focus on employability and next steps.

As part of this course, and in replication of the ’real world’ students will find themselves collaborating with their peers from other disciplines (Radio, Film and Events departments) to complete project work that places the individual at the centre of creativity and to give that individual experience of many aspects to the creative industries. There will be opportunities for cross-disciplinary learning to assure preparation for the wider artistic climate and the development of a clear perception of the role of performer in an industry that is evolving rapidly, with online content now providing a significant opportunity for a performing arts graduate. The self-confidence required to contribute to collaborative, time-bound creative projects are developed through a secure understanding of the current demands of the industry. Students will therefore be supported in the development of their strengths, the improvement of their weaknesses and the creation of new opportunities through exposure to a wide range of teaching methods, theatrical and new media experiences, staff expertise and visiting professionals.

We are looking to prepare our undergraduates for the careers of the future, utilising their creativity and vision to pioneer and build successful portfolio careers.

Our work is constantly evolving and runs in parallel with the ever-changing industry landscape. We employ various freelance practitioners, who are working in the industry with a view to them providing the student with an up-to-date insight into how the industry is working in the now. The current trends, the obstacles that need to somehow be overcome and the various leaders in their field of creative output.

As students near the end of their studies at the college they will be expected to research and engage with the local arts sector and undertake a short work placement. Students will be encouraged to engage with companies such as; Pavilion Dance, BEAF, Activ8, Schools, Black Cherry Theatre Co, Arts by the Sea (and more).

Modules taught:

Introduction to Performance, Skills, Industry 1, Performance Practice, Specialist Skills, Industry 2, Artistic Practice, Professional Development, Performance Laboratory.

Assessed through coursework and practical assessments. Initially there is a practical introduction to performance. From audition to full scale production in our 135-seat theatre. Running in parallel with the introduction to performance will be a unit that places an intense focus on practical skills training. Students will work on singing, acting, dance and voice for industry focused careers. While there is some focus on skills for theatre performance there will also be a consideration of how these skills can be used in wider employments contexts. Examples: gigs, voiceovers, cruise ships, teaching, workshop leading and more. In addition, students will undertake units considering performance contexts and criticism to assure their understanding of the importance of theoretical underpinnings of performance. There will be work-based learning experiences throughout the course and students will have the opportunity to work with industry practitioners.

Students are expected to continuously engage in critical analysis utilising the theoretical skills they will have gained throughout their studies. This could be a consideration of a local theatre company, an essay, or an analysis of a particular theatre genre/historical perspective.