Drama in the Community

BA (Hons) Drama in the Community

This is a three year course and each year is divided into two semesters. Students take three modules in each semester making six modules in each year.

There are a number of strands which run through the course.

Some of the modules are very similar to those you would find in any drama department and deal with major practitioners, playwrights and styles of drama. These modules provide students with a broad drama context to work from and the opportunity to develop their own presentation, performance and directing skills.

Other modules develop the skills of applied drama. These modules encourage students to put the theory of something, such as narrative into practice within the community. Students learn to create performance pieces and workshops which will work in a community setting.

There are also modules which develop the professional skills that students might need in the community.

There is also a module in dance and one in musicianship. Neither of these modules needs previous experience, we don't try to turn you into ballerinas or violin players. The modules work on the principle that music and dance are methods of communication and students are taught to work with basic rhythms and movement which they can use in the community.

Assessment
Assessment in the Drama Department is imaginative too. This occurs throughout and at the end of, each module and normally has a practical and a written element. Assessment criteria vary BUT we have very few formal examinations! Written assessment is usually by essay, a timed seen assignment or a piece of individual research. Practical assessment is generally by individual or small group performance, an individual or group presentation, a workshop or a student led session. Practical assessment is often shown to an audience in or out of the University College. The marks from each second or third year module contribute to the final degree classification.

You will find us very friendly and supportive. The University College offers help in developing essay writing and research skills through a student support team and you are encouraged to ask your tutors for help as and when you need it.

Drama timetables are created in such a way that student time is not wasted by having seminars and lectures dotted around the week with large gaps in between. For this reason almost all lectures, seminars and practicals for a module occur on the same day. Each module is allocated one day a week so in each semester a student will be in for three days a week. Of course, you will need to study outside these hours as well as fitting in rehearsals. Occasionally, workshops and meetings will be called at different times but students are given adequate warning of this.

We believe that it is important that students are given plenty of tutor time. This course brings students into contact with community groups of real people, some of whom are vulnerable. It is vital that students respect everyone they work with and develop responsible, professional attitudes from the beginning. The best way to do this is to learn from example and students are given plenty of opportunities to learn from tutors who have practical as well as theoretical knowledge.

We work hard to ensure that our students are well prepared and confident in what they do and that takes time.

Whilst there are some formal lectures most of the teaching is done in whole group seminars, practical workshops and small group tutorials. As the average year group size is twenty one this means that we have time and opportunity to get to know our students and address their needs on an individual level. At times Drama in the Community students work alongside Drama & Education students in their own year and sometimes in other years. This adds to the sense of a drama community and encourages a lively sense of debate and shared practice.

Placements
There have been nearly 200 major placements on the programme.

We define a placement as any occasion when we arrange for students to work away from the University College, either as individuals or as a group, when they are actively involved in working with members of the community rather than observing others work or perform. The following examples will give you some idea of the range of the work:

• a whole group working in teams with classes in a school;
• small groups leading a workshop in an old people's home;
• an individual interviewing members of an arts centre for a case study;
• a group performing and running workshops at The Edinburgh Festival;
• an individual developing a performance over several weeks with groups from a community, or creating a 'theatre in education' programme in a prison;
• a group working in the grounds of a castle, presenting characters in role and interacting with visitors;
• a student developing a project with workers in a museum to encourage role-play activities.

Our over-riding principle is that we are in the business of servicing the community, rather than expecting the community to service us. We ensure that groups and individuals are properly prepared and have taken the time to ask the group what they are looking for and what they need. It is common for students to observe tutors when they lead workshops before doing it themselves. As a consequence of this professional practice we are now in the position of having organisations and community groups contacting us as our reputation for working productively within the community spreads. Obviously this reputation has taken some time to establish and we are very proud of it and of the opportunities it offers to our students. We are also in contact with many of our graduates as they move into positions of influence in various fields and this also offers our students further opportunities.

Some of the most successful student placements during the past few years have been in prisons and in residential homes for people with disabilities.

A local category B prison has welcomed our students and allowed them to undertake workshops and performance projects with the prisoners. Students have found this work especially enriching. Final year students have also devised multicultural performances with women from a local prison who are foreign nationals. Staff and students have developed research from these placements which has been disseminated at national conferences.

Students are encouraged to take part in voluntary placements from the start and many of these placements are ongoing with new students taking over projects from third year students to create continuity. At the moment there are active projects in libraries, schools, special schools and prisons and we are currently setting up a project in a sheltered housing unit. Many of our students work with youth groups and other organisations for young people.

In the second semester of the third year, students do their large placement leading to their performance project. Whilst working with their group, students receive regular visits from department tutors and the organisation they are working with is encouraged to contact us about concerns or progress. This year a number of these are in collaboration with Lincolnshire Connexions. For the past few years we have a number of projects with E to E, Education for Employment, working with young unemployed people on projects designed to increase their communication skills and their confidence and we have had prison projects for the last four years..

Much of this work takes place in Lincoln, in our local community but we also have contacts outside the area.

Entry Requirements
Our current Entry Requirements are:

• 140 UCAS tariff points, 80 of which need to be in Drama or a related subject;
• A minimum of a C and a D at A-level, one to be in Drama or a related subject;
• BTEC National Diploma MPP in Performing Arts;
• BTEC National Certificate MM in Performing Arts;
• GNVQ Advanced - Merit grade in Performing Arts;
• NNEB/CACHE Diploma plus an A-level in Drama or related subject (C);
• OU Credits (30) credits in a relevant subject;
• International Baccalaureate: minimum diploma score of 60% or above with subject relevance;
• CCCC in Scottish Certificate of Education (three must be Highers), one with subject relevance.

In addition all students will need a successful Enhanced Disclosure from the Criminal Records Bureau and to register with the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA). This is arranged by the University College.
Students will be legally required to register with the Vetting and Barring Scheme (VBS) which is administered by the ISA. The ISA has recently been established as a single agency to monitor all individuals who want to work or volunteer with vulnerable people. Following successful registration you will be issued with an ISA Registration Number which will stay with you for the rest of your career. We will send you further instructions on registering with the VBS as part of the admissions process.