What exactly does studying creative writing at university involve? Any good writing course will allow you to develop your skills in the creative pillars of plot, characterisation and narrative. But at the University of Salford, it doesn't end there. Our unique multidiscipline degree is designed to help you skill up for the creative industries and support your writing vocation with work that pays.
The first year of your creative writing course is designed to inspire and nurture your writing talent, while introducing you to key concepts in multimedia production and multimedia journalism. Each module will give you the opportunity to deepen your knowledge of creative writing – whether that be rediscovering your passion for reading, learning how to respond to poetry or developing yourself as a networked journalist.
Moving into the second and third year of your degree, you‘ll shape your studies to focus on the areas of creative writing that interest you most. From comedy writing and performance to screenwriting, radio podcasting and theatre, this is your chance to develop a strong portfolio in your chosen area.
This course offers a dynamic combination of practical and theoretical study. With a focus on collaborative, contemporary performance, you’ll investigate different types of professional practice and actively engage with the cultural industries locally, regionally and internationally.
You’ll develop your own creative practice within small groups at our specialist studios, based in our on-campus professional theatre, stage@leeds. Using digital technologies, you’ll having the opportunity to work with external partners and community groups which may include: Leeds Playhouse, Opera North and local theatre companies, schools, galleries, museums and institutions within the criminal justice system.
You’ll also be introduced to a range of devising techniques and to digital performance as a key manifestation of contemporary performance practice. You’ll learn through a combination of lectures, workshops, practical experimentation and working with both specialist and readily available digital technologies.
A distinctive feature of the course is an engagement with the social impact agenda, where you'll be invited to interrogate and practice the ways in which performance can make a difference to society and to consider themes such as sustainability, ethics, responsibility and inclusivity. You'll to reflect on the impact that performance has on societies and the place that performance occupies globally.
You’ll work in collaboration with external agencies and organisations as a compulsory aspect of your studies and learn to apply performance skills in challenge-based projects for public audiences. You'll become an advocate of the creative arts and apply socially engaged performance practices in diverse ways.
With compulsory and specialist optional modules spanning theatre, performance, applied theatre, design, digital performance, directing, musical theatre, event management, acting and collaborative practice, you’ll be able to follow a broad range of interests suited to your own academic and professional development.
Explore your creativity as you develop skills in dance, drama and technology.
This course invites you to explore performance from a variety of angles, encompassing dance, drama and interactive performance – not just as separate subjects, but allowing you to work at the intersection between them. As well as developing into a well-rounded, multidisciplinary performer, as you progress, you will be able to pursue and define your own area of specialism.
The Performing Arts course at Chester is taught by a knowledgeable group of staff who come from a wide variety of performance backgrounds, which will enable you to draw from a wide variety of skillsets and knowledge bases in order to help craft your own niche in this field.
While the course will focus on live performance in dance and drama, you will also learn about interactivity and the use of technology in performance, using the latest software and hardware.
In the 2020 NSS, Performing Arts as a subject grouping scored above the sector average for teaching on my course, assessment and feedback, academic support, learning resources and overall satisfaction.
As a student studying Performing Arts you'll benefit from excellent links with the professional industry, both nationally and internationally
Our ethos is really important to us; we are here as artists and practitioners, creators, thinkers and learners, here to encourage your development, understanding and appreciation of theatre and drama as powerful tools in the examination of human interaction, and to help you respond in a personal and creative way. We are a department of collaboration, creation and innovation and you will be involved in the lively artistic life of the College as a ClassAction practitioner. Everyone will always be encouraged to find their own unique artistic voice as a practitioner.
The course demands practical, creative and communication skills in equal measures. You will be expected to extend your ability to create drama and theatre, either in a performing or a production role. You will write about drama and develop your powers of analysis to become an informed critic. The course will involve taking part in productions as well as studying plays, playwrights and theatre practitioners.
The teaching is done using a variety of approaches designed to suit different abilities and learning styles. Our staff work closely together and operate a team-teaching approach for practical units to encourage the widest range of creativity.
Successful completion of this course will allow you to progress to the HND in Performing Arts at The Eastern School of Performing Arts or study at prestigious performing arts schools.
Previous students have gone on to study at establishments such as: Arts Ed, Guildford School of Acting, Urdang, Performers College, Bird College, Midlands Academy of Dance and Drama, Italia Conti, Liverpool Theatre School, Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts and Stella Mann.
Progression to year 2 is subject to successful completion of year 1.
The Level 2 Performing Arts course is a practical qualification assessed on work created for performance projects and supported by developing a knowledge of the industry and career routes.
You will begin your journey with our theatre company by developing your performance skills culminating in a live performance to a public audience in November of dance and dramatic pieces. You will develop performance skills as you continue your journey working towards a solo showcase and begin exploring progression routes within application materials, reflecting industry practice.
You will then explore crucial styles, terminology and approaches within dance. Alongside this you will also continue developing acting and performance skills by staging an adaptation of a classical text which reimagines the work for a modern audience. You will complete your work with our theatre company by creating an original piece of performance for inclusion in the end of year week-long Festival celebrating performing arts.
Throughout your studies you will explore the wider industry, employment opportunities, progression options, including wider job opportunities in backstage, production and theatre management. You will also have the opportunity to widen your skills working front of house and backstage on performances and events to further improve your experience.
