Course Details

Level One

During level one essential skills/knowledge for the programme are introduced, through a series of modules and live performed events.

Looking In introduces students to making visual performance, with both live and filmed projects that consider the nature of action in its purest sense. In Sounding Out deals with aural contexts of performance in everything from devised radio plays to experimental home-made instruments, considering voice, narrative, sonic art and music.

Critical Contexts runs throughout the programme & is a weekly platform for practitioners and artists to share their work and research with the students. It is also where students look at some critical histories and theory.

There are then elective (optional modules) that will introduce you to becoming a DJ, a creative journalist, a Solo performer or to learn about the research of staff in a negotiated practical project.

Throughout the first year you will be engaged in practical events both in the city and beyong, in the theatre, in the gallery, or in more unusual sites. All students also have the opportunity to work creatively at great festivals such as Latitude or the Leeds festival, in collaboration with Festival Republic.

Level Three

At level 3 we concentrate on refining your practice and helping you to position yourself to exit the course with really impressive potential. This is achieved through a number of modules that continue to help you to model your discipline on professional modes of practice and build an exciting portfolio of evidence.

You will again spend some time in placement during Professional Practice 2, and this will then be reinforced with a Pilot Project, during which you will be set an ensemble challenge by an international artist to make a show in the ensemble.

 The Publishing Project will then develop your understanding and skills of documentation and dissemination, with everything from website construction, photography and film to article and paper writing for conferences. At this point there will also be a student conference. Finally you will achieve a major personal work in the form of the Lift Off Project, which is where we hope that your acquired knowledge will really shine!

This work will be showcased nationally, possibly at The Graduates in London or internationally at such events as the Sibiu Festival in Romania. We want you to emerge as a formidable Live Arts practitioner!

Level Two

The second year is very much about locating your practice as a performer, artist and curator of work.

At level 2 students you will experience your first working placement with the Professional Practice modules – we’re not interested in licking stamps (!); our students pursue meaningful and exciting projects here and abroad. The second of these modules concerns documentation of that experience and planning a more developed level 3 experience.

Critical Contexts still runs through the heart of the course, building your historical, theoretical and contextual knowledge and suffused with professional workshops.

There are two main Live Projects, wherein students work with a professional practitioner in the production of a new work of performance.

Then you can choose between optional modules that give you the chance to develop your interest in the study of Club culture (On Clubbing), your own practice (On Negotiated Research 2) or Performing Ensemble.

As usual, throughout the year there will be all sorts of additional events, platforms and opportunities for collaboration.