Teaching
You are taught through a combination of interactive workshops, lectures, seminars, group script readings and rehearsals, and practical theatre-based work. Interactive workshops take a variety of formats and are intended to enable the application of learning through discussion and small group activities. Seminars enable the discussion and development of understanding of topics covered in lectures. Practical work, in our fully equipped drama studios, introduce you to the possibilities of lighting, sound, video, space and set when developing ideas for writing for theatre. Script readings will offer the opportunity to hear your text live, and to give and receive peer and tutor feedback during the development of your plays.
Theatre trips will offer opportunities to analyse plays in performance, and incoming shows and workshops hosted in our Drama Studios will enable you to meet a range of theatre professionals: playwrights, directors, producers and performers. Level 6 modules will explore how to set yourself up as an independent playwright, and enable you to respond to live briefs, commissions and competitions.
In addition, meetings with personal academic tutors are scheduled on at least four occasions in the first year as part of the mandatory modules, and three occasions in each of the other years of a course.
The University places emphasis on enabling students to develop the independent learning capabilities that will equip you for lifelong learning and future employment, as well as academic achievement. The course makes extensive use of Blackboard as an e-learning tool, as well as software packages for playwriting, and Drama Online provides access to a vast range of published playscripts for inspiration and independent research. A mixture of independent study, teaching and academic support from Student Services and Library Services, and also the personal academic tutoring system enables you to reflect on progress and build up a profile of skills, achievements and experiences that will help you to flourish and be successful. Professional playwrights generally operate on a freelance basis, so in the final year of the course in particular, you will be introduced to entrepreneurial skills to prepare you to find and apply for playwriting competitions, commissions and other opportunities. We will introduce you to theatres, companies and festivals who regularly contract playwrights, and we will support you in setting yourself up as an independent playwright. Additionally we will explore a number of other employment options that may be of interest to you on graduating from this course.