Historical and Contextual Studies

Introduction to historical periods and artistic movements: classical, romantic and modern. Explore contexts within which high and popular culture exists. Key developments in evolution of chosen art form. Examines a variety of genre in performance styles relevant to location and audience.. Cultural, social, political and economic demands placed upon the artist within the chosen art form. Engage in debate about current issues in performing arts, and consider the local and international contexts.

Research Methods and Information Technology

Core course in research skills and utilization of modern information technology. Students will prepare individual research and project relevant to chosen field of study.

Arts Management

Management and administrative skills needed within the relevant art form. Maintaining a viable operation within the industry. Identify sources of finance, administration and control of expenditures, and securing a return in artistic, financial and benefit terms. Introduction to marketing and promotional strategies.

Professional Practice

Understanding current audience demands and ability to respond. Niche markets. Explores current developments in industry. Function within legal and statutory framework. Sustain and extend a current personal profile, CV/portfolio of work, publicity, contracts and agents, personal budget.

Process and Production

Develops an awareness of skills required for process and production of professional work in performing arts field. Study of planning procedures, pre-production/rehearsal scheduling, performance and legislation relevant to a production.

Arts in Community

Study of the role of arts within the community. Student will consider and explore the history and context of his chosen art form within the community. Appreciate diversity of forms and applications. Establish contacts with those engaged in the same performing arts field. Official and private patronage of the arts.

Project Realization

Implementation of skills for production of professional products. Analysis of individual roles within project structure related to negotiated project brief. Evaluation of personal expertise and skills. Students will identify and carry out an individual role within a project, and fulfill agreed requirements of project brief. Present the completed project.

Basic Staging

Introduction to skills of design, stage management, lighting and sound. Students to design a simple set, construct scenery and props and contribute to rehearsal and performance as part of production team. Participate as technician in a performance.

Singing and Recording

Principles of singing developed through practical application. Study of repertoire, communication, reading and sight-reading. Structured practice, posture and characterization, rehearsal and performance for solo or group. Use of microphones, speakers, and basic sound recording techniques.

Acting Methods and Styles

Develop acting skills by exploring a range of texts designed for varying audiences and venues. Skills development as an on-going process throughout career. Use of performance techniques. Methods of Stanislavski, Brecht, Brook, Grotowski, Littlewood, Leigh, or Berkoff.

Physical Theater

Practical exploration of physical approaches to theatrical performances. Investigate range of physical techniques through workshop participation, performance observation, creation and analysis. Emphasis upon contemporary practitioners.

Directing

Range of contemporary directors, role within performance team, skills required and variety of approaches. Apply knowledge by directing a short piece within constraints of venue, budget and scale. Evaluate personal approaches.

Writing for Performance

Explore writing styles and applications. Consider dramatic concept, genre, theme, style, and research techniques for media such as stage, radio and TV. Demonstrate application to a performance.

Media Performance Techniques

Explores skills required by performers in film, TV and radio. Develops appropriate performance skills and techniques and understanding processes involved in production of a range of media products.

Set Design & Lighting

Principles of set design, role of designer in relation to director's brief. Research to develop design concepts. Develop appropriate interpretations of design brief. Planning lighting, systems of lighting, nature of light and color, lighting design for performances. Produce final design solutions.

Costume Design

Role of costume designer in relation to director's brief. Apply visual, technical, material and historical research in developing design concepts. Collaborate with creative team interpretations of the design brief. Sketch-book work and production of working design.

Sound Production and Music Sequences

Develop a sound design into a working system. Creating and recording sound effects and music. Digital editing. Connect and operate equipment for live performance. Consider safety issues. Create and record sound effects. Diagnose and repair common faults in connectors. First line maintenance of audio equipment.

Classical Dance

Practical understanding of movement vocabulary and stylistic principles and conventions of classical dance. Student will explore both Western and South Asian classical dance forms to learn to move the body in a controlled and disciplined manner, with correct posture, alignment and flexibility. Firm technical grounding for all dances.

Jazz Dance Techniques

Extend physical and expressive powers in performance of jazz style. Development of the technique. Appreciation of historical and cultural roots as a vernacular dance form and as part of current dance theatre tradition. Folk and popular dance genres as contributors to art form.

Contemporary Dance Repertory

Introduction to mainstream modern dance. In depth study of specific dance works, with students employing the styles to create their own dance studies. Understanding of choreographic practices, physical, rehearsal and performance skills. Practice and perform a lengthy excerpt of current dance repertoire.

Dance Exercise and Relaxation

Understanding of anatomy and physiology of human body in relation to movement. Devise programmes of exercise and relaxation for self and others, relevant to age and ability. Evaluate benefits of various dance, exercise and relaxation techniques. May include pilates, dance aerobics, callisthenics, yoga, Tai chi, medication, biofeedback.

Choreography Conventional Methods

Explore process in conventional dance choreography, applying skills and techniques to create dance composition. Analyze professional choreography by established practitioners. Project to demonstrate choreography for group performance.

Choreography: Innovations

Creativity of alternative and experimental dance composition and innovation. Development of student's personal style. Participate in solo and group work.

Dance Workshop Applications

Leading dance workshops in community context. Planning for an interaction with client groups, concerning their needs. Liaison with local community dance workers, development of personal philosophy regarding teaching of dance, working with a targeted client group on a dance project.

World Dance

Studies relationship between dance and society, sociological and cultural reasons for emergence of different styles in different parts of the world. Students to conduct extensive research and critically analyze performance of dance within one socio-cultural group other than his own. Developed more informed and sensitive view of value and function of dance.

Music Performance Studies

Understanding instrumental performance. Study of varied repertoire. Reading and sight reading techniques, structured practice and preparation skills. Rehearsal direction and performance for solo and group ensembles.

Music Performance Skills

Development and application of instrumental skills for professional environment. Presentation of varied repertoire in group and solo. Memory techniques, tension control, improvisation and critical listening. Participate in public performance, applying advanced skills.

Aural Perception

Provides heightened awareness of music. Reinforces link between music as sound and music as notation. Fundamental to acquisition of knowledge and skills in many of the other modules. Analyze content of music through listening. Identify and correct errors. Create accurate transcriptions.

Songwriting

Develops awareness and application of songwriting techniques. Study of creative compositional process from idea to final version. Identifies application of original words in contracting musical styles and forms, in rehearsal and performance. Develops ability to perform original compositions.

Improvisation

Enables student to improvise over types of harmonic progressions encountered in particular stylistic disciplines. Stylistic considerations, mood, form, feel, timbre, communication and programming. Use of devices of melody, rhythm, form and style. Ability to listen to and interact with other musicians during performance. Present performance of both rehearsed and unrehearsed material.

Harmony and Composition

Developing and applying skills in harmony and composition. Understanding harmonic and contrapuntal conventions. Develop musical ideas, and create portfolio of original compositions for varying instrumental and vocal combinations. Students may compose in any style, not restricted to diatonic harmony.

Keyboard Skills

Understanding principles of keyboard playing. Study of repertoire, communication, reading, sight-reading, playing by ear and improvisation. Accompanying others, systematic practice, rehearsal and performance.

Ensemble/group studies

Participate as part of a band or ensemble. Plan performance, develop musical direction/rehearsal techniques, plan and produce promotional material, participate in public performances. Involves musical direction, management and organizational skills, and ability to communicate with an audience.

Notation

Demonstrate ability to read scores, apply skills in using rhythm, pitch and chord interpretation. Helps to achieve fluent music reading and writing skills.

Computer Music Production

Analyze and apply techniques and procedures in music production with computers. Examines hardware and software options, and integrating them with the production process.

Media Industries

Investigate patterns of ownership and control of media industries, economic and regulatory context, new technology, and career opportunities. Economic, ideological and regulatory contexts within which media organizations operate.

Media Project

Apply practice skills and knowledge to devise and submit a detailed proposal. Work independently and creatively on media project. Present project to audience and evaluate it.

Professional Practice Moving Image

Information about career opportunities in broadcast industries. Defines roles within production team, examines career structures.

Preparation of CV, application forms, interviewing, and researching targeted companies. Develop contacts network book. Examines issues of contracts, taxes, insurance, and freelance working.

Practical Skills Moving Image

Basic practical production skills for recording moving images. Operating a wide range of equipment effectively and safely to record pictures and sound. Simple editing techniques to produce finished video products.

Sound for the Moving Image

Investigate range current recording techniques. Record sound, develop editing skills. Select equipment to edit sound for film, TV and video projects.

Feature Production

Research, plan and produce material for audio-video features. Insight into how features are conceived and produced for broadcast and other purposes. Developing features for specific target markets.

Music Sequences

Analyze different styles of music sequence production. Programming, producing and presenting a sequence. Listen to and analyze popular music programs.

Scriptwriting for TV and Film

Develop drama scripts in conventional format. Research, dialogue, characterization, action and visualization. Devise structure and revise for brief. Prepare final presentation script in correct layout with synopsis reading for submitting in required format.

Typography, Page Design and Layout

Combination of all units required to create attractive page for publication. House styles, use of processes and equipment in design and layout. Learn terminology of design and layout.

Camera, Photography and Lighting Workshop

Develop skills of camera operation. Understand and use framing and timing of shots and sequences. Use of lighting equipment.

Editing

Skills in video editing. Organizing the editing environment. Operating editing equipment. Analyze factual and fictional editing conventions.

Producer

Primary roles and functions of a producer. Develop skills as a producer and demonstrate those skills through practical productions.

Director

Investigate role of director in film, TV and video industry. Develop and demonstrate skills in directing.

Project Factual

Develop ideas for factual program. Identify suitable production techniques. Plan and produce finished factual product. Evaluate finished project. Work in teams, with each student contributing a particular skill to the project.

Studio Project

Analyze a range of studio based programs. Develop skills in studio operations. Plan and produce short studio based program. Evaluate finished project.

Drama Production Techniques

Examine relationship between script and final product. Explore drama genre and analyze production process. Demonstrate understanding of staging for drama. Identify key personnel and production departments.

Documentary

Examine different approaches to presenting factual information. Explore techniques for presenting documentary information. Structuring information. Examine historical examples and new styles to see how broader issues influence both subject and style. Examine ethics of documentary programming.

Film Studies

Theoretical framework for understanding cinema. Learning specialist language. Development of cinema and construction of its meanings. Engage in original research on a topic of choice from cinema. Learn to innovate