UNDERGRADUATE Degree programmes in Theatre Theatre BA Theatre and Creative Writing BA Theatre and English BA Theatre and Film & Television Studies BA
2 Our course covers acting, directing, playwriting, applied practice, physical theatre, digital performance and musical theatre
Welcome UCAS Codes Critically aware and cutting edge This description applies both to the spirit of our department and the students who graduate from it. We teach in our purpose-built Antonin Artaud Performance Centre, which houses a fully-equipped main theatre and two studio theatres alongside a suite of rehearsal and recording studios. Our theatre also plays host to regular Arts@Artaud nights, showcasing new music, film, creative writing and drama presented by students from across Brunel. It s just part of the vibrant arts scene you ll find on campus. Studying theatre with us means joining a wonderfully rich community of students, artists and academics who will support you as you bring your talents and aspirations to life in the real world. Theatre BA W440 3 Years (FT) 4 7 Years (PT) Theatre and Creative Writing BA W4WW 3 Years (FT) 4 7 Years (PT) Theatre and English BA WQ43 3 Years (FT) 4.5 6 Years (PT) Theatre & Film and Television Studies BA 3 Years (FT) 4.5 6 Years (PT) Brunel University London code B84 BRUNL Apply online at www.ucas.com We hope to see you here soon. Professor Thomas Betteridge Head of Department The qualifications you need You will need one of the following: GCE A-level BBB (all subjects considered). BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma DDD in a related subject. BTEC Level 3 Diploma DD in a related subject with an A-level at grade B. BTEC Level 3 Subsidiary Diploma D in a related subject with A-levels grade BB. IB Diploma 30 points. Access to Higher Education Diploma 45 credits at Level 3, of which 30 credits must be at Distinction and 15 credits at Merit or higher in a related subject. Theatre experience? We may be able to consider you if you have relevant theatre experience please contact us to find out. Audition You will need to take part in a group audition workshop as part of the selection process before a formal offer is made. This information was correct as we went to print but it s always a good idea to check the website www.brunel.ac.uk/courses for updates. 3
Profile Fiona Porritt (Theatre BA) When I arrived at the university, I was primarily interested in acting. However, because I was given the ability to explore different paths through the curriculum studying both practical and academic modules I now have a much broader understanding of the arts and am a lot more employable. The Professional Experience and Development module gave me the skills to go out and find a placement, meaning I stepped into a job straight after completing my degree. I now work as a production assistant for the award winning theatre company, Les Enfants Terribles, and am producing my first ever show for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Why choose Theatre? A degree in Theatre equips you with specialist creative skills in performance. It also grounds you academically in history and theory. At the same time you ll acquire fundamental transferable life skills, such as collaboration, negotiation, teamwork, leadership skills, presentation skills, problem-solving and projectmanagement essential to just about every professional environment you can imagine. Why choose Theatre at Brunel? At Brunel you ll study and specialise in a wide variety of skills-based strands, including Acting, Applied Drama, Digital Performance, Directing, Musical Theatre, Physical Theatre and Playwriting. You will learn about theatre theory and practice in historical and contemporary contexts and have plenty of opportunities to perform. As we re so close to central London, we regularly organise trips to see productions at, for example, the Barbican, the National Theatre, the Royal Court, and Sadler s Wells and participate in workshops with ground-breaking theatre companies all as part of your course. We also invite industry guests, actors, writers and directors in to talk about their professional development, to enable you to gain a real insight into a wide range of careers. Recent guests include, screen and TV writer Richard Zadjlic (BBC3 s Tatou, This Life, Attachments and Eastenders), actor, director and Brunel alumni Will Edelsten and are looking forward to welcoming producer and cast director Neil Rutherford in the forthcoming year. You ll then get the chance to apply what you have learned on our work experience module Professional Experience and Development. We emphasise practical routes into careers within the creative industries, in education or in wider research and offer networking support from the industry specialists on our staff when you graduate. 4
In addition to our Theatre BA we also offer joint honours in the following areas giving you the chance to tailor your studies: Theatre and Creative Writing BA Theatre and English BA Theatre and Film and Television Studies BA Theatre and Creative Writing BA Brunel offers one of the most highly regarded Creative Writing programmes in the UK. Many staff members are active as writers for performance, or as cultural critics. Combine your theatre studies with creative writing and you will deepen your skills with a sound grounding in the fundamental techniques of fiction, poetry and theatre-writing. You ll also appreciate what it takes to make it as a writer in the real world and make a living in a creative economy. www.brunel.ac.uk/theatrecreativewriting Theatre and English BA Choose to study Theatre and English and you ll expand your knowledge and understanding of literature, giving yourself a wonderful range of references to draw on in the future. A rich range of options can include fairytales, postmodernism, popular literature, south Asian writing, women s writing, experimental literatures and digital technologies. The English department focuses on helping students read texts in fresh and diverse ways, looking at literature in all its structures and forms as well as the contexts in which it is produced and read. Studying the relations between writer, text and reader relates directly to contemporary work in the theatre. www.brunel.ac.uk/theatreandenglish Theatre & Film and Television Studies BA Adding Film and Television Studies is a smart way to develop your critical, technological and theoretical perspectives and appreciate how meaning is created. Theory and practice are drawn together via a great range of practical modules, using Avid and Final Cut Pro in our own editing suites with technical support every step of the way. Modules cover both mainstream and alternative practices, including American Independent Cinema, Political Film, and Alternative Film and Video. Horror, Comedy and Celebrity TV feature too. We ll help you understand how different genres work aesthetically, socio-culturally and institutionally, and help you to analyse your own practical work. www.brunel.ac.uk/theatrefilmtv 5
What we teach Here s a taste of what you can look forward to: Theatre BA Level one (year one) Perspectives 1: Performance Analysis Ensemble Production How to Read a Play: Fundamentals of Dramatic Text Choose 6 from the following: Acting: Essential Skills Applied Drama Practice: an Introduction Digital Performance 1 Directing 1: Contexts, Playwriting 1 Musical Theatre 1 Physical Theatre 1: Between Dance and Theatre Level two (year two) Perspectives 2 Choose 5 from the following: Acting: Beyond Naturalism Directing 2: Contexts, Writing 2: Experiments in Language for Performance Applied Drama Practice: Project Physical Theatre 2: Performance and Embodiment Digital Performance 2 Musical Theatre: Histories, Practices and Theories Performance as Research: Second Year Production Module Level three (year three) Final Production (practical) Or Written Dissertation and Professional Experience and Development Choose 3 from the following: Perspectives 3: Battling with Ideas The Canon Reloaded Advanced Physical Theatre 3 New Writing: Page to Stage Advanced Musical Theatre Psychogeography Theatre and Creative Writing BA Level one (year one) Perspectives 1: Performance Analysis Ensemble Production Introduction to Writing Fiction Introduction to Writing Drama Acting: Essential Skills Applied Drama Practice: an Introduction Digital Performance 1 Directing 1: Contexts, Playwriting 1 Musical Theatre 1 Physical Theatre 1: Between Dance and Theatre Introduction to Writing Poetry Level two (year two) Perspectives 2 Writing the Short Story Acting: Beyond Naturalism Directing 2: Contexts, Writing 2: Experiments in Language for Performance Applied Drama Practice: Project Physical Theatre 2: Performance and Embodiment Digital Performance 2 Musical Theatre: Histories, Practices and Theories Performance as Research: Second Year Production Module Writing Contemporary Poetry Writing Journalism Screenwriting Horror, Sci-Fi and Fantasy Level three (year three) Final Production (practical) Written Dissertation Or Creative Writing Special Project Choose 4 from the following: Perspectives 3: Battling with Ideas Professional Experience and Development The Canon Reloaded Advanced Physical Theatre New Writing: Page to Stage Advanced Musical Theatre Writing Modern Fiction Writing Comedy Writing Modern Drama The Creative Industries Psychogeography 6
Theatre and English BA Level one (year one) Perspectives 1: Performance Analysis (Theatre) Ensemble Production (Theatre) Reading Resilience (English) Learning London (English) Acting: Essential Skills Applied Drama Practice: an Introduction Digital Performance 1 Directing 1: Contexts, Playwriting 1 Musical Theatre 1 Physical Theatre 1: Between Dance and Theatre Level two (year two) Perspectives 2 (Theatre) Acting: Beyond Naturalism Directing 2: Contexts, Writing 2: Experiments in Language for Performance Applied Drama Practice: Project Physical Theatre 2: Performance and Embodiment Digital Performance 2 Musical Theatre: Histories, Practices and Theories Performance as Research: Second Year Production Module Choose 3 from the following: Nineteenth Century Novel Shakespeare Text and Performance Modernism Romanticism and Revolution The Women s Movement and 20th Century Writing Post-Colonial Writing Contemporary British Fiction Genre Fiction Level three (year three) Final production (practical) Or Written Dissertation (in either subject) Perspectives 3: Battling with Ideas Professional Experience and Development The Canon Reloaded Advanced Physical Theatre New Writing: Page to Stage Advanced Musical Theatre Post-War and Late 20th Century Literature Victorian Literature and Culture Post-Millennial Fictions A Sinking Island?: British Poetry After Modernism and Postmodernism Psychogeography Special Author The Long Novel Post-Colonial Perspectives Jane Austen The Creative Industries Violence 7
Theatre and Film and Television Studies BA Level one (year one) Perspectives 1 (Theatre) Ensemble Production (Theatre) Critical Perspectives in Film and Television Studies (Film) Acting: Essential Skills Applied Drama Practice: An Introduction Digital Performance 1 Directing 1: Contexts, Playwriting 1 Musical Theatre 1 Physical Theatre 1: Between Dance and Theatre Choose 1 of the following: Formations: British Screen Culture and Society from 1979 to the present Television Genres Film Practice and Theory Film Style and History Level two (year two) Perspectives 2 (Theatre) Acting: Beyond Naturalism Directing 2: Contexts, Writing 2: Experiments in Language for Performance Applied Drama: Project Physical Theatre 2: Performance and Embodiment Digital Performance 2 Musical Theatre: Histories, Practices and Theories Performance as Research: Second Year Production Module Choose 3 from the following: Asian Cinema European Cinema New Hollywood Cinema Science Fictions Television: Forms and Meanings The Western Screen Writing and Narrative Theory Theorising Celebrity Animation Short Fiction Understanding the Film and Television Industries Level three (year three) Option 1 Final production or written dissertation, or special project in film and television studies, or film and video practical dissertation Option 2 Special project in film and television studies and written dissertation Theatre modules: Perspectives 3: Battling with Ideas Professional Experience and Development The Canon Reloaded Advanced Physical Theatre New Writing: Page to Stage Advanced Musical Theatre Documentary Hong Kong Cinema Comedy American Independent Cinema Alternative Film and Video Psychogeography Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this brochure and the University will take all reasonable action to deliver courses and services in accordance with the descriptions set out in it. 8
How we teach Profile The weekly Perspectives seminars led by your personal tutor are at the heart of your learning. Here s where your critical thinking and writing skills will be nurtured and developed in a small group of up to ten students. The rest of your study time is spread across lectures, seminars, individual tutorials, workshops, practical classes, master-classes, rehearsals, screenings and theatre visits. You ll also be involved in performances for example, Year 3 students recently successfully staged Not Entirely Working, an adaptation of the 1977 Broadway show Working, the Musical and undertake a period of professional work experience lasting at least 70 hours. We assess and feed back on progress in lots of different ways including public performance, work-in-progress showings, workshops and presentations plus academic essays, reflective journals, critical blog posts and full-length plays. The emphasis is on the interconnection between theory and practice. Getting ready for work The Brunel Theatre department is focused on giving you the skills and experience you need to find fulfilling work when you graduate. Rasheed Bailey (Theatre and Film & Television Studies BA) Studying Theatre & Film and Television Studies equipped me with many transferrable skills that I was able to use in both the practical and written aspects of the course. As part of my course I worked with the international male dance company BalletBoyz, the film and television production company Unstoppable Entertainment and a leading youth and education charity called City Year. Not only was I able to create work for these companies that I can use on my CV, I was able to network and put my foot in the door. I have now created my own film and production company, Blank Space Films, which I have set up with three of my peers. Production budgeting, designing for specific audiences, working in the community and strong CV writing all form part of your third year studies. This is also when you will undertake career focused work experience preparing you for a career in the creative industries. Our students have undertaken work experience at: Les Enfants Terribles on Alice s Adventures in Wonderland Akram Khan Dance Company Paines Plough The National Theatre We have long-established links with many theatre venues and other businesses across the creative industries, so we re ready and able to help you find a place to grow your specific interests. When you leave us, you might go on to a creative position within the theatre industry, or a management or administrative role. You might develop a community-based career in applied drama practice, educational work either in schools or in the growing number of education departments attached to theatres, or go on to postgraduate study. The options are varied and exciting we re looking forward to supporting you on your journey. 9
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Useful information Accommodation As a first year undergraduate you re guaranteed a room on campus. We accommodate over 4500 students in five different complexes which creates a fantastic live/study atmosphere. Flats come in different sizes accommodating from 4 to 16, and 30 of our 33 halls have en-suite facilities. The Isambard complex incorporates studio flats for co-habiting couples. Adapted and disabled rooms are available in the Isambard Complex, Mill Hall and Fleming Hall. All rooms are fully furnished with bed and bedding, a desk, chest of drawers, wardrobe and free wifi. Accommodation costs vary between 104.00 to 132.50 a week (based on 2014-15 costs). Find out more at www.brunel.ac.uk/accommodation or take a look at our Flickr account www.flickr.com/photos/accom Fees and funding For information about fees and scholarships, go to www.brunel.ac.uk/ugfees Disability and dyslexia support We want you to make the most of life at Brunel and fulfil your potential. Please get in touch www.brunel.ac.uk/disability Come and visit The best way to get a real feel for Brunel s buzzing atmosphere is to come visit us, explore campus and meet our staff and students. Open days We run regular Open Days where you can chat with students and lecturers and explore the campus. Check our website for dates www.brunel.ac.uk/openday Campus tours We run Campus Tours where our student ambassadors will show you around campus and answer your questions about student life at Brunel. Check our website for dates. Individual visits If you can t make an Open Day, feel free to contact us on openday.booking@brunel.ac.uk and we ll happily arrange for you to come in and chat with a member of staff. Getting here Details on how to find us are online at www.brunel.ac.uk/directions 11
Get in touch. We d love to hear from you: Admissions, Brunel University London, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, UK admissions@brunel.ac.uk +44 (0)1895 265265 www.brunel.ac.uk Explore and connect, any time with us: /bruneluniversity @BrunelUni /BrunelUniversity /edu/bruneluniversitylondon-12575 Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this brochure and the University will take all reasonable action to deliver courses and services in accordance with the descriptions set out in it. A contract is made at the point when an applicant accepts an offer from Brunel, meeting any conditions, and the acceptance is communicated to Brunel or the clearing system acting for Brunel, and this contract is confirmed. All students are required, as a condition of registration, to abide by and submit to the University s statutes, ordinances, regulations and rules, which are published on the University s website (a hard copy is available from the Registry at the Uxbridge address). Note: the information contained within this course brochure is correct at the time of going to print (June 2015). BRU_115_THEATRE_08092015