Theatre and Performance

Undergraduate study 2016


WHY SURREY?
In-depth professional
experience in the creative and
cultural industries through our
unique Professional Training
placement year.
Continued sustained
investment in theatre
and the arts at Surrey.
2 surrey.ac.uk
4th
STUDENT
S AT I S F A C T I O N
Surrey has been ranked
fourth for Student
Satisfaction in The
Times/Sunday Times
Good University Guide 2015.
The fourth position is an
average based on the
University’s performance in
seven key areas of the National
Student Survey (NSS):
Teaching, Assessment &
Feedback, Academic Support,
Organisation & Management,
Learning Resources, Personal
Development and Overall
Satisfaction.
Since 2000, our estate has been
transformed through a £400
million building development
£400M
and improvement programme
– including £130 million on
student accommodation,
IN CAMPUS £36 million on Surrey Sports
INVESTMENT Park, £16 million on the new
Library and Learning Centre
and £4.5 million on the Ivy
Arts Centre.
TOP
4th in The Guardian University Guide 2016
3 C L I M B I N G U P T H E L E A G U E TA B L E S
Surrey has cemented its place among the top
universities in the UK, moving from sixth to
We also jumped two places to ninth in
The Times Higher Education Table of Tables
Ranked in the top three fourth place in The Guardian University Guide, 2015. The prestigious league table is based on
departments for drama in our highest ever ranking. We rose to eighth the combined results of the UK’s three main
the UK by The Guardian position in the Complete University Guide 2016 university league tables: The Times/Sunday Times
University Guide 2016. and to eleventh position in The Times/Sunday Good University Guide; The Guardian University
Times Good University Guide 2015. Guide and The Complete University Guide.
1st G R A D U AT E E M P L O YA B I L I T Y
Figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) reveal
that the University of Surrey is ranked in first place for graduate
employability when compared with chartered universities in England.
The figures reveal that 97 per cent of Surrey’s 2013 graduates were
in work (or further education) six months after they graduated –
up 4.2 percent from the previous year. These figures demonstrate
the University’s focus on graduate employability and the success of
Professional Training placements.
8th
We offer a variety of
GUARANTEED high-quality accommodation
in a choice of several price
A C C O M M O D AT I O N
bands, arranged in groups of
OUT OF 135
self-catered housing called
INSTITUTIONS As a new Surrey undergraduate,
Courts of Residence. Two
you’ll be guaranteed a place in
In the 2014 NSS, the University thirds of the accommodation
University accommodation,
was ranked eighth out of is on the Stag Hill campus,
as long as you apply by
135 institutions achieving an and housing at nearby Manor
the published deadline.
overall satisfaction rating of Park is a short walk or bus
91 per cent. surrey.ac.uk/accommodation ride away.
University of Surrey 3
 OH1 E- 1ATL RI N
T E EAPNADG P
E EHREF A
ODR IM
NAGN C E
surrey.ac.uk/study/performingarts

Explore the ideas and practices that inform current theatre and
performance-making, both nationally and internationally. Consider a
breadth of theatre and performance practices, from the mainstream to
the contemporary. Through performance, analysis and debate, engage
directly with the specialisms that shape this changing field.

Theatre and Performance at Surrey

Theatre and Performance offers experience
and knowledge of one of the oldest and
most significant forms of human expression.
You will investigate dramatic literature and
practices of theatre and performance from
historical, critical, aesthetic and experiential
perspectives, and consider the connections
between theatre texts and cultures. You will
work with specialists in theory and practice,
both those at Surrey and also invited guest
directors and teachers.
Your studies will be grounded in artistic
enquiry, theatre history, culture and
performance analysis, and informed by
research, practice and reflection. Through a
series of academic, practical and professional
approaches, our programme provides an
enviable experience of both making and
reflecting on the significance of theatre today.
Theatre and Performance at Surrey
complements the University’s long-
established reputation for dance and music.
You will be joining a thriving performing
arts community covering a wide range of
creative subjects within the School of Arts,
which provides excellent studio facilities on
the University campus including the Ivy Arts
Centre and Guildford School of Acting (GSA)
studios.
We will encourage you to engage actively
in both written and practical work, and to
explore the rich cultural histories of the
locations in which we work. Our Theatre
and Performance degree provides you with a
firm foundation in the study and practice of
theatre and helps you to meet the demands
of the creative and cultural industries.

As part of our emphasis on preparing you

for employment and a career, we encourage
you to take an optional Professional Training
placement year with a partner organisation Professional Training
related to the theatre industry.
and placements
You can also take Theatre
Unusually for a Theatre degree, we offer
and Performance as part of a you the option of a Professional Training
Major/Minor degree. placement, giving you valuable experience
in a theatre-related organisation. A University
supervisor and a workplace mentor will
surrey.ac.uk/majorminor guide you through an original project in an
industry context.
Graduate prospects
You will build skills, knowledge and
experience that are valuable for a range
of careers in areas such as performance
and contemporary theatre practice, arts
marketing and management, technical
production, education and community arts,
events management, cultural policy, media
and creative arts.

4 surrey.ac.uk University of Surrey 5

 UNDERGRADUATE STUDY 2016
Our degrees
Degree programmes
Theatre Studies
BA (Hons) W440 | 3 years
W441 | 4* years
* Programme includes a Professional Training year
Selection process
Offers are normally made in terms of grades.
Suitable candidates may be invited for an
audition and interview.
For a full list of Major/Minor degree
programmes that include Theatre and
Performance as an option, please visit:
surrey.ac.uk/majorminor
Typical entry requirements
AAB–ABB A-level grades
Required subjects
GCSE English Language and Mathematics at
grade C or above (or equivalent).
Grade A at A-level in an arts, humanities or
social science subject.
Other suitable qualifications
International Baccalaureate
35–34 points
BTEC (QCF Level 3) Extended Diploma
DDD
English language requirements:
6.5 IELTS minimum overall
6.0 IELTS minimum in each sub-skill
6 surrey.ac.uk
Programme overview
Each of the three years in the programme
takes a different thematic focus.
In Years 2 and 3, you are able to take selected
modules from other subjects to make up your
programme, which may include modules
from Dance, Film, Digital Media Arts, English
Literature or specially designed cross-
disciplinary modules.
Year 1
In Year 1, emphasis is placed on performing
bodies and theatre and performance texts.
Key concepts and a foundation of core
knowledge, practices and methods are
introduced. As part of the practical pathway,
you look at strategies to develop character,
while in theoretical modules you explore the
different ways in which text and the body
have been understood at key points in the
history of theatre. We will also introduce
you to foundational elements of theatre
production and design.
Year 2
The thematic emphasis in Year 2 is on space
and place in performance, and on less
textually-centred approaches to stage craft,
with introductions to a range of theories and
methods to encourage and guide effective
performance analysis and critical thinking.
In practice-led modules you explore devising
for performance, taking the metaphor of
the laboratory to focus your practice, as
well as autobiographical performance. The
professional pathway focuses on the theory,
craft and core skills involved in theatre
production.
Professional Training placement
During this year, you are supported in
gaining valuable experience in degree-related
professions such as marketing, education,
outreach, audience development, community
work, media, or arts administration.
A University supervisor and a workplace
mentor will guide you through an original
work programme in an industry context.
Year 3
In Year 3, thematic focus settles on theatre
and performance audiences, as well as the
contexts that support and develop theatre
and performance production. Different
kinds of audience engagement are explored
(spectatorship, participation and immersion)
and research is considered not only as
an integral part of analysing theatre and
performance, but of making, producing
and programming it as well. Collaborative,
practice-led initiatives are complemented by
an individual dissertation project, which can
involve a practical element.
THEATRE & PERFORMANCE
Programme structure
Year 1 (FHEQ Level 4)
Modules include:
» Introduction to Theatre and Performance Studies
» The Theatrical Text
» Performing Bodies
» Acting: Actor and Character
» Production: An Introduction
» Production: Professional Competencies
» Theatre Project: Preparation and Process
» Theatre Project: Practice and Performance
Year 2 (FHEQ Level 5)
Modules include:
» Critical Thinking in Performance
» Research Methodologies
» Arts Analysis
» The Art and Performance of Place
» Digital Performance
» Production Skills
» Acting: The Actor and the Self
» Theatre Laboratory: Devising
» Theatre Laboratory: Performance
» Independent Study (1 & 2)
Professional Training placement year
You can spend your third year working in
a professional role and/or studying abroad.
See next page for more details.
Year 3 (FHEQ Level 6)
Modules include:
» Performing Audiences
» Special Topic
» Dramaturgy
» International Arts Programming
» Theory, Design, Practice
» Acting: Advanced Practice
» Company: Formation and Development
» Company: Practice and Performance
» Dissertation
University of Surrey 7
 UNDERGRADUATE STUDY 2016
Professional Training
A pioneer in integrated professional
training, the University has operated the
placement scheme for the last 40 years. The
University has a strong record of supporting
the placement year, and employers have
been impressed by the maturity and
professionalism of those who have undertaken
it. In Theatre and Performance, we have
established good connections with employers,
both locally and internationally but are always
keen to help students identify placements
with companies that are of particular interest
to individual students.
Teaching
Theatre and Performance is taught through
a combination of practical classes, lectures,
seminars and tutorials. Through practical
modules, you establish a professional
approach to performance creation. Academic
sessions develop informed thinking about
theatre in a shared space that values both
individual contribution and peer reflection.
You are encouraged to own your individual
learning experience while at Surrey and to
become familiar with building and sustaining
peer networks. Learning is fully supported
by the University’s e-learning environment,
and you are able to develop skills in using
academic software and to become familiar
with the ways in which new technologies can
support work and learning.
Assessment
You are encouraged to articulate your
ideas through a range of forms and to
understand key aspects of these forms,
whether in practical performance, essays or
presentations. Assessment methods include
performance, workshops performance,
performance analysis, essay, book review,
critical reflections, documentation practices,
manifesto, portfolio, presentation, viva voce
and dissertation. As a modular programme,
Theatre and Performance enables you to
monitor your progress throughout the degree.
8 surrey.ac.uk
THEATRE & PERFORMANCE
Facilities
Our programmes are well resourced in terms
of practical spaces and library holdings.
The University campus houses the state-of-
the-art Ivy Arts Centre with its main theatre
and studios, and a separate performance
studio for audiences of 120. Studio classes,
rehearsals and workshops are run in spaces
across the campus, including the purpose-
built studios in the GSA building.
You are encouraged to locate taught modules
in the context of wider performance and
arts practice. There are live theatre and
arts events on and off campus and several
student societies engaged in staging theatre
and performance. In Guildford, the Yvonne
Arnaud Theatre and GLive show new and
canonical works, Guildford is also home to an
established book festival and a host of local
galleries, libraries and archives.
With London only half an hour away, there is
a wealth of arts and culture to explore, with
theatre trips and regular reference to recent
productions forming an important part of the
life of the programme.
Global opportunities
In order to add an international element to
your University of Surrey experience, you
might decide to spend one or two semesters
overseas doing a Professional Training
placement abroad or studying at one our
partner universities.
Career opportunities
In previous years students have studied at During your time on the Theatre and You will graduate with skills, knowledge
La Trobe University, Melbourne (Australia), Performance programme, you have a and experience that are valuable for a range
the Monash University, Melbourne (Australia), personal tutor who will monitor progress of careers in such areas as performance
at North Carolina State University (USA), and and offer advice and guidance. You identify and contemporary theatre practice, arts
at the University of Central Florida (USA). an individual career path and establish a administration and management, technical
plan that will support your career aspirations. production, education and community arts,
Teaching on the programme is informed events management, cultural policy, media
by professional practices, to support your and creative arts. Throughout your degree,
work on the degree and to prepare you for you secure goals and competencies that help
life in the placement year and in a career you to prepare for a specific career path.
after university.
University of Surrey 9
 I have had some incredible
opportunities at the University of Surrey
which have opened my eyes.
– Andy
This course has opened so many doors
for me because it is so broad and flexible.
It is balanced between three key pathways:
theory, practice and professionalism. It has
asked me to discover what areas I enjoy most.
We have the top lecturers who inspire me
with their ground-breaking research. One of
the key things you look for in a degree are
academics who are pushing the boundaries
themselves. I trust their opinions and we
have a variety of tutors so we get every
perspective. They are extremely supportive,
especially my placement co-ordinator who
held countless one-to-one meetings with
every student to discover what our area of
interest for placement was.
I spent my placement year at Eagle Radio
and I could not have had this phenomenal
experience without the support of the
10 surrey.ac.uk
University. I would say the placement
year is essential because I learnt an
incredible amount that completely changed
my perspective on the whole of the
entertainment industry. I was given a high
level of responsibility and I have learnt that
show business is what I want to do for the
rest of my life.
I have had some incredible opportunities
at the University of Surrey which have
opened my eyes. We have some unbelievable
facilities and buildings with countless
performance spaces which include the Ivy
NEXT STEPS …
Arts Centre, the Performing Arts Technology
studios and the Guildford School of Acting
building. I have had a fantastic time learning
from the best people and being surrounding
by a strong tight-knit community of Theatre » Visit surrey.ac.uk/undergraduate Admissions enquiries
students who really understand each other. for more details on our courses T: +44 (0)1483 682 222
» Campus tours E: admissions@surrey.ac.uk
surrey.ac.uk/study/campustours
Andy Plom » Virtual tour
BA (Hons) Theatre and Performance surrey.ac.uk/virtualtour
University of Surrey 11
“The theatre is a spiritual and social
X-ray of its time.”
Stella Adler – actor and acting teacher

University of Surrey
Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH, UK
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Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this publication at the time of
going to press. The University reserves the right to change or update the information provided, including
the addition or withdrawal of modules, or the restructuring of degree programmes.
For the most up-to-date information, please visit surrey.ac.uk

May 2015 7241-0315