Welcome to East 15!

On behalf of myself and my colleagues at East 15, I would like to welcome you to the first year of BA Community Theatre
and tell you how much we are looking forward to getting started.

Your first day is Wednesday 29 September. During this induction week, you will be introduced to staff and tutors, shown
around the premises and generally get to familiarise yourself with East 15 and University of Essex procedures. All
equipment on the list (over) may be checked during this week. Information and timetables will be posted on the student
notice boards.

Registration takes place in this induction week your proof of funding (confirmation letter from Student Finance Direct,
UK/EU students only). Should your funding be delayed, then you must bring evidence of your application (for example, the
letter acknowledging receipt of your application for support). We will not be able to enrol you unless you have these with
you. If you have not already paid your Learning Resource Fee then please come prepared to pay it at registration.

In preparation for the start of term on 4th October, please prepare the following work:
One head and shoulders portrait of yourself
One top-to-toe self portrait (this does not mean life size! No bigger than A3 please!)
One head and shoulders cartoon of yourself
One top-to-toe cartoon of yourself (again no bigger than A3)
Use any medium that is exciting and creative (pencil, pen, chalk, watercolours, oils, torn paper, beans, beads etc). I do
not want any complaints about “not being able to draw”. You do not have to draw, you have to create! The sky is the
limit!

You will also need to compose two poems about yourself:

Starting objectively with “she/he is a…”
Starting subjectively with “I am…”
We will look at this work in the first few weeks.

You are entering an important phase of your life and we are eager that you are mentally prepared for it in order to get
the most out of your time with us. We ask you to consider these four basic points:
Time keeping is highly important. Time is money in TV, films and theatre, so attendance and punctuality is paramount!
“You get out what you put in”. You must commit to all the work and stick to schedules; you can not pick and choose!
Discipline in art is essential and it pays in the long run.
Any ensemble is only as strong as the weakest member – aim for the sky!
Be open and hungry for criticism, it will make your experience at East 15 so much richer and more productive.
 BA Community Theatre

BA Acting, Community Equipment List

For skills classes:
Two pairs of jazz/yoga pants/leggings (black cotton lycra mix)*
Two close fitting t-shirts or leotards (black)*
One warm tracksuit or loose fitting warm clothes (no buttons/zips etc)*
One pair of split sole jazz shoes or ballet shoes*
One pair of trainers*
One portable recording device* (please note: you will need a digital voice recorder with USB connection that can create
sound files such as MP3 or WAV and is compatible with Windows XP in their second year)
One hand held mirror*

For rehearsals/acting classes:

Men
One pair of black classic lace-up Oxford shoes
One white long sleeved shirt (with a collar)
One pair of well-fitting black trousers (not jeans) fitted to the waist, not hips
Make-up for stage use (not needed in the first year)
Women
One pair of button-up, buckled or lace-up character shoes
One ankle length full skirt of heavy weight material for rehearsal work (black)
One high-necked Victorian style blouse
One flesh coloured bra and knickers*
Make-up for stage use (not needed in the first year)
General Equipment
Good complete works of Shakespeare (can be secondhand and not needed in the first year)
Good quality dictionary (Cassell or Chambers)
Roget’s Thesaurus
Basic sewing kit (needles plus black and white cotton)
Basic stationery (glue, sellotape, scissors, writing pads, loose leaf files, felt tip pens, document display folder, A4 clear
plastic sleeves etc)
Two hard backed, lined A4 workbooks

* Required for week two

Please note that black canvas split sole jazz shoes, bloch character shoes, ballet shoes jazz/yoga pants, leggings and
leotards can be purchased with a 10% cash or 5% cheque or card discount from Danceland at Dalby’s, 268-270 London
Road, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex SS0 7JG, Telephone 01702-343006.
The above equipment is also available in dance shops nationwide and can be ordered from costume department
catalogues.
Southend Campus Term Dates 2010-2011 for first years
Southend Campus term dates 2008-09 for first-years
Term One
Monday 4 October to Friday 10 December
BA Physical Theatre
BA World Performance
BA Acting and Stage Combat
BA Community Theatre

Term Two
Monday 3 January to Friday 18 March
BA Physical Theatre
BA World Performance
BA Acting and Stage Combat
BA Community Theatre

Term Three
Monday 18 April to Friday 1 July
BA Physical Theatre
BA World Performance
BA Acting and Stage Combat
BA Community Theatre

Please do not panic about the academic reading list, you will get notice of what you need when you need it. However,
make sure that you have the two basic reference books we suggest (a good quality such as Cassell or Chambers and a
Roget’s Thesaurus). You will also need to read and bring along a copy of the novel that you choose from the list below:
The Cement Garden by Ian McEwan
The Hiding Place by Trezza Azzopardi
Blindness by Jose Saramago
You need to choose one novel from the above list and read this at least once (do not buy a video of it - read it!) Try to
read some of it allowed and get into reading. You will be using your chosen novel to work from in the first few weeks.

The first term is about you so if you are eager to get a step ahead of the game, then start talking to your family about
your early life. You will need to bring things that help to trigger your memory and bring your history to life! It is a good
idea to dig out any old school reports, photographs of your life and family, and so on. You should bring personal objects
that are precious to you and have emotional significance. Please bring these with you at the start of term, especially if
you are coming from overseas, because it always takes time to locate things at a distance. You cannot hope to understand
another character’s life and history until you understand your own. Reality before theatricality!

The week commencing Wednesday 29 September is induction week and designed to getting you settled in, both at East 15
and at home! There will be some late starts, some early finishes and possibly some time off built into the schedule, in
advance, to give you opportunities to arrange and finalise any domestic issues that you may need to deal with, like
opening a bank account, getting the gas supply turned on and registering with a doctor. Think ahead because once
timetabled classes begin on Monday 4 October, you will not be able to take time off for any of these necessities.

I look forward to seeing you all soon.

Best wishes

Gerry McAlpine
Head of First Year Studies