I’m Dylan, and I’m going to tell you how studying theatre at York prepares you for your career. Theatre at York is an insightful, rewarding, and challenging experience that prepares you for life in the industry. Across three years, you will develop new skills, work in bespoke facilities, and let your creativity run free. Be prepared for your concept of theatre to be rewritten.
Performance Projects
Everyone’s first question is: How much Practical Work is there? So, that’s where I’ll begin.
The BA in Theatre: Writing, Directing and Performance is weighted towards written assessment. But there are still so many opportunities for practical work, whether you’re interested in being on or offstage. You’ll have the opportunity to be a writer, a director, a stage manager, a lighting designer and beyond! It is this sheer number of roles that attracted me to the course because I wanted to try everything.
A great example of this is in the Political Theatre Project. You’ll have four weeks to produce a play based on a political theme –this year’s is ‘Denial’. This production runs just as it would in the industry. There are producers, actors, a writing team, marketing team, research team, and design team. You are both responsible for putting on a show and ensuring that people watch it. Nothing’s more professional than that.
It can sound daunted, but don’t worry! In Year One, you are introduced to the basics of directing, performing and writing, which will lay the foundations for the work in the subsequent years. This culminates in a Year Three mainstage production. You’ll stage an industry-standard production of a published play in the two-hundred and twenty seat Scenic Stage theatre.
Research, Research, Research
As a Russell Group University, BA Theatre at York places an emphasis on research. Modules such as Theatre Text and Contexts and Dramaturgy are focused on the theory behind theatre. In Theatre Texts and Contexts, you’ll study plays and analyse them through a feminist and queer lens, whilst undertaking research into current political movements that shaped the texts.
Dramaturgy teaches you to pay attention to what is current in the world and how it affects theatre, and you will look deeply at the theatre industry through case studies of theatre companies. You will also come to understand the business behind putting on a show: from programmes to cultivating an auditorium space that reflects the world of the play.
Both offer insight into the inner workings of the industry and help you to understand how theatre is shaped by current affairs. Brilliant if you also love politics and philosophy.
Extra-Curricular
The School of Arts and Creative Technologies has an extracurricular opportunity called the ‘Visiting Practitioner Programme’. Industry professionals come in to discuss their work and how they got to where they are today. I attend as many as possible because they help to shape your next steps – you can see someone else’s path and be reassured that success is possible for you, too. The practitioners also share invaluable insights that help you to develop and better understand the industry.
Last semester, Theatre RE visited to share a new work in progress. It was an amazing privilege (and I felt somewhat like an imposter) to provide them with feedback on their work. You can also experience projects from outside theatre. I have visited a music composer and a filmmaker – allowing you to find inspiration anywhere and broaden your horizons, learning skills for multiple industries.
The University also offers many performing arts societies: Comedysoc, Dramasoc and CHMS (musical society) to name a few. I am a stalwart of Dramasoc and am about to perform in my fourth show. I have also written and directed a show. The society is a brilliant place to experiment and develop your skills alongside the theatre course.
Group Photo from It Runs in the Family, Dramasoc Production
Skills
If after your studies you aren’t looking for a job in the theatre industry, the course also provides you with many transferrable skills: working as an ensemble develops your teamwork and leadership; essay writing and research-based activities develops your critical thinking and research skills; you will be asked to present work and create portfolios, all important in the workplace.
Apply to study theatre at the University of York and start your journey into a rewarding (but, ultimately, challenging) industry!
Thank you for reading my blog.
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