Performing Arts – (B.A.)

The BA (Hons) Performing Arts degree draws on the unique strengths of music and drama within the University, allowing you the opportunity to explore their connections and the creative potential of both disciplines. The emphasis of the course is on developing you as a confident, versatile and exciting practitioner, who is able to work across music and drama in innovative and dynamic ways.

To support this, we offer an exciting and stimulating environment for performing arts students. Our outstanding facilities include two dedicated drama centres, complete with a flexible black-box performance space, the Mumford Theatre, a full-size receiving house for professional touring companies, and a purpose-built music centre with lecture and practice rooms, recital hall, and five state-of-the-art computer music studios. Plus there are countless opportunities to engage in performance locally.

Individual instrumental and vocal tuition is included within the course for students, delivered by a large team of visiting tutors of international reputation. Performance activities lie at the heart of the performing arts degree and you will encounter an extensive and varied range of events to complement your academic studies. A team of visiting specialists of national and international repute provides free, individual instrumental and vocal tuition throughout the course, and visiting performers, practitioners and academics provide additional workshops, masterclasses and lectures.

We are especially proud of our interdisciplinary performance events, where staff and students collaborate on projects across our disciplines. This has culminated in full-scale opera productions, such as Turandot, Peter Grimes, La Traviata, and La Bohème, alongside music-theatre projects, which have involved such things as dance, sensor technologies and actors. The chance to develop your creative skills in a professional, yet friendly atmosphere is sure to make this a challenging and hugely rewarding experience.

Additional course information
The majority of modules on the performing arts course have a particular emphasis on 20th century and contemporary theatre practice. The course employs a wide variety of learning and teaching methods and strategies in order to accommodate the wide range of activities undertaken. Some modules are taught through small group seminars and some larger lectures, both of which involve students in detailed textual and/or critical analysis, through discussion, and which may also incorporate some practical explorations.