An exciting course for gifted students who wish to explore and develop their skills in acting, singing and dance with a view to progressing to appropriate work in Musical Theatre or to further study. The course programme involves the study and practice of both traditional and innovative areas of musical performance, including the study of Sondheim, Schwartz, Jason Robert Brown, Kander & Ebb and other classic and contemporary innovators in the field of Musical Theatre. Student training includes individual and choral vocal training, a range of acting techniques and many dance styles including jazz, tap, contemporary, pas de deux and street jazz. Recent full scale College musicals have included “Chess”, “City of Angels” and “The Wild Party” and, in addition to this, the students are given the opportunity to present their skills at a showcase event in Brighton.

Course Content

The Performance Foundation Degrees are each built around a programme of 10 units, which share form but differ in specific content, and are tailored to each Degree pathway

    •    Approaches to Performance: theatre games, characterisation techniques, stage movement, dance, vocal technique, singing, rehearsal processes, production roles

    •    Contextual/Professional Studies – cultural/ historical and economic/administrative background to the theatre arts

    •    Performance Skills depending on Degree pathway –

    •    Acting – rehearsal practice, staging and interpretation of text, characterisation, improvisation, movement, voice, key genres and practitioners

    •    Dance - contemporary to butoh, dance genre - jazz, modern, ballet and world, Graham, Humphrey, Cunningham, Release, key practitioners, choreography, body conditioning

    •    Physical Theatre - acting techniques, movement studies, acro-balance, body conditioning, devising and adaptation, key companies and practitioners, choreography and performance

    •    Musical Theatre – singing, chorus, musical dance styles, acting techniques, characterisation, key genres and practitioners

    •    Festival, Site Specific & Street Arts - performance skills, improvisation & clowning, physical theatre & acrobalance, site specific & installation performance, design skills

    •    Applied Performance Skills – live realised public performance

    •    Specialist Skill Development depending on Degree pathway - generating performance, ensemble, devising, new media – refining individual practice through workshops and classes aimed to prepare students for the increased specialist demands of the second year

 

    •    Discipline Focus – mature development of chosen degree discipline

    •    Applied Discipline Practice – Outreach, Site Specific or Theatre Based Productions

    •    Contextual Studies – Research Project

    •    Professional Practice – Industry-based Placement or Commission

    •    Final Major Realised Projects – Showcase Productions

    •    Clear focus on specialist performance practice through workshops, skills study and audition technique