Establish foundational skills and understanding that you'll need throughout your degree. This module will equip you with the tools to explore core themes of acting, not just during your learning journey at ARU, but also in your professional career beyond. The module is a practical investigation of the dynamic tensions between individual freedom and collective discipline, self and character, spontaneity and planning, practice and reflection. In order to succeed in this competitive industry, you'll need dedication and self-discipline. We'll focus on learning by doing, alternating with periods of reflection, alongside self-directed study, which will include selected reading about acting, individual research, rehearsing practical tasks for classes and maintaining a log of activities and progress. The module introduces you to the tools you need to prepare a role, for both training projects and professional life. The module will promote an open-minded and experimental approach to learning activities. You'll be encouraged to be brave and take artistic risks within a supportive environment in which genuine experimentation feels safe.
Researching, understanding and articulating the contemporary world of performance, its iconic practitioners, performances and cultural debates, is an essential part of your development as a professional artist in relation to your specialist discipline. In this module, you'll begin to place your performance practice in its cultural context. You'll research and explore important productions, genres, performance theories and practitioners related to your specialist discipline and evaluate their impact on culture and society. You'll also look at influential practice from related performance disciplines, in order to understand how your practice relates to wider performance culture and history. A shared lecture programme that considers production case studies from Acting, Drama and Musical Theatre will support your studio practice, by developing your knowledge of the contexts in which a range of performance disciplines can be understood. During the module, you'll choose a production case study from within your specialist discipline and conduct research to discover its director's intentions, performance detail, dramatic effect, and cultural impact. You'll learn how to locate a production within wider contemporary cultural debates, and how to organise your research evidence effectively as a preparation for academic writing, in line with ARU academic protocols. Finally, you'll use your research evidence to produce a short, written Production Analysis, or equivalent critical output negotiated with your tutor.
This module aims to provide you with a solid foundation of training across a range of specialist skills within your designated areas of acting, drama and musical theatre. You'll engage in voice and movement for acting, applied theatre and technical skills in drama, and singing and body conditioning for dance in musical theatre. Within these skills classes, you'll be encouraged to challenge your creative boundaries both individually and in ensemble work. Classes will reflect professional practice and will involve rehearsal as you gain an understanding of the potential of your performance tools. This module follows a workshop-based approach, which emphasises ‘learning through doing’. Therefore, you need to demonstrate discipline and commitment as part of your process and development.
View the full module definitionThis module will enable you to apply the fundamental acting skills you learned in the first trimester to video and new media. You'll explore both the requirements specific to screen acting and the basic production skills to make your own short videos. The module includes guidance on camera operation, single camera shooting and editing. Video playback will allow for critical reflection on your process and highlight where improvements may be made in performances and the selection or editing of shots. As part of a developing awareness of process, you'll critically reflect on the principles of screen acting and its contrast to live stage work. Although the primary focus is on screen acting, you;ll also support your peers in a production role. The videos you make may form part of the showreel to be compiled in your final year. Your work will encompass skills in acting, directing, and editing that demonstrate your employability in the creative industries.
View the full module definitionIn this module, you'll engage in a full development and rehearsal process to create a studio-based, collaborative, live performance. You'll work with a source text, a play script or Libretto and a musical score, engaging with the dramatic practices that are relevant to the selected work. You'll contribute to the numerous staging ideas that the production will need, and work positively towards creative solutions with your peers and director. So that you can perform more effectively, you'll research the world of the text, including its genre and performance conventions. You'll be cast in one or more performance roles in the chosen text, which may be assigned by audition. You can also take on production tasks that are essential to live performance, with the support of professional technical staff. These roles include lighting and sound design, sourcing props, costumes and set, choreography or video projection. You may elect to work as a stage manager coordinating the whole performance, alongside a role on stage. Musical theatre rehearsals will encompass ensemble singing and one-to-one vocal coaching, as well as acting and directed script work. You should demonstrate reliability as a member of a company by full attendance, punctual arrival at rehearsals and high levels of concentration within sessions. You'll develop discipline and learn rehearsal etiquette and self-awareness to cultivate an environment of trust and professionalism.
Entering higher education is exciting; but it can also be a daunting experience. At ARU, we want all our students to make the most of the opportunities higher education provides, reach your potential, become lifelong learners and find fulfilling careers. However, we appreciate that the shift from secondary education, or a return to formal education is, in itself, quite a journey. This module is designed to ease that transition. You'll be enrolled on it as soon as you receive an offer from ARU so you can begin to learn about university life before your course starts. Through Into ARU, you'll explore a virtual land modelled around ARU values: Courage, Innovation, Community, Integrity, Responsibility, and Ambition. This innovative module is designed as a game, where you collect knowledge and complete mini tasks. You'll proceed at your own pace, though we you to have completed your Into ARU exploration by week 6. If for any reason you're unable to complete by that date, we'll signpost to existing services so that we can be confident that you are supported.
View the full module definitionThis module will explore, through lectures and rehearsals, the traditions, history, and variety of performances in Festive Theatre. Tutor-led lectures will focus on the history and sociopolitical importance of Festive Theatre, and these will then give way to directed rehearsal room sessions where the student cast will rehearse and mount a full scale production for a public audience using a variety of performance techniques to create an exciting show, which for many families is the first or only time they visit the theatre.
View the full module definitionThis module is designed to advance your technical and creative abilities across acting, drama, and musical theatre. Through a workshop-based approach, you'll engage in contemporary specialist skills such as stage combat, physical theatre, puppetry, and mask work. These skills will challenge you to expand your creative boundaries and adaptability in both solo and ensemble settings. You'll develop physicality, refine your technical precision, and explore the application of these techniques in a range of performance contexts. The module aims to prepare you for professional standards, emphasising discipline, collaboration, and the practical application of contemporary techniques essential for today’s industry.
View the full module definitionThis project-based module will give you direct experience of working as a performer and facilitator within the local community. This will increase your awareness of employability contexts, develop your ability to work with and for vulnerable groups, and hone a wide range of transferable skills. Working as an applied theatre company, you'll be set a brief to design and deliver a performance project for an outside organisation, such as a local charity, museum, sheltered housing unit, school or health care provider. Practical workshops and seminar style teaching will introduce you to the given context, the ethical and practical challenges related to it, and a range of performance styles and methodologies appropriate to successfully meeting the project brief. You'll then engage in a collaborative process to devise and deliver a performance off-site. This module will offer you direct engagement with the local arts community, such as children’s theatre companies at the Junction, primary or secondary schools, or local charities. The preparation of your project will develop your awareness of the ethical, practical and creative issues that must be considered when making performance for specific target audiences and in off-site locations. You'll explore the diverse career opportunities within this field, while gaining real-world experience in community theatre.
View the full module definitionIn this module you'll continue to develop your contextual understanding, research and writing abilities by exploring the cultural impact of your specialist discipline in the world of contemporary performance. Practice in Context will deepen your knowledge of performance in its cultural context, by way of a combined study of important practitioners, productions and performance theory from a range of disciplines. A shared lecture programme that includes Acting, Drama and Musical Theatre will help you connect your practice to key political and philosophical ideas in culture and society, such as ideology, power, gender, race, and the performing body. You'll also explore broader theories of cultural performance that can support your studio practice, by developing your knowledge of performance contexts such as ritual, festival and protest. This module will prepare you for Level 6 Major Project, by consolidating your ability to gather and organise your research evidence, analyse your specialist practice effectively through a relevant case study and produce an effective piece of academic writing or equivalent critical output, in line with ARU academic protocols.
View the full module definitionThe arts are applied in diverse ways and diverse settings to support human flourishing. Arts therapies (dramatherapy, music therapy and art therapy) sit at one end of a continuum which includes community music, applied theatre and theatre in education through to the use of the arts for performance. Arts therapies in the UK are regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council. Art Therapy, Dramatherapy and Music Therapy are protected titles. Post-graduate training in these disciplines leads to registration with the HCPC. This module will give you an introduction to the arts therapies. You'll gain an understanding of how arts therapies are used in practice, across different settings and with people with diverse needs across the lifespan. There will be an overview of the pathway to training and career possibilities for qualified arts therapists. The module will introduce you to a range of tools, activities and approaches that are suitable for use by non-registered musicians, theatre practitioners and artists in health, education, wellbeing and community settings.
View the full module definitionThis module introduces the techniques and conventions of dramatic writing, with an emphasis on writing for stage performance. The skills and knowledge required to create effective performance texts are studied through a combination of reading, critical analysis of diverse examples from the genre, practical writing exercises and readings of your own work in progress. We'll explore elements of dramatic writing such as monologue, dialogue, narrative, character and physical and vocal connection, and you'll learn the conventions of presentation for dramatic texts. Through reading and discussion, you'll be introduced to a range of dramatic styles and structures and to different modes of theatre. We'll explore dramatic form and ensemble work through practical writing and performance exercises. You'll study the dynamics between writing and performance as you draft and re-draft your own short dramatic texts. Later sessions focus on workshop treatment of sustained pieces of dramatic writing that you are preparing to submit for your assessment at the end of the module. We'll read and partially stage extracts, confronting the challenges of audience and staging.
View the full module definitionThis module aims to develop your skill in acting for the camera for applications on screen. You'll consider the potential of online platforms for performance work, the implications of a remote audience and consider the principles that separate mediated acting from live stage performance. You'll also learn studio etiquette and the variety of production roles that support acting for camera in both television and film. You'll work as actors in collaboration with fellow students, either from the performance courses or the BA (Hons) Film and TV Production degree, developing your collaborative and networking skills. You'll work on original scripts and may have opportunities to workshop the material in order to develop the strongest possible scenes. You'll then work as actors with peers as directors, camera operators, floor managers and editors. You'll develop your understanding of story arcs and characterisation in your script and prepare your performance. You'll work as a team of actors to realise the project, mirroring the professional experience of actors working in television to prepare you for your future career.
View the full module definitionThis module will introduce you to the field of contemporary performance theory and practice in relation to Shakespeare. You'll study a range of 20th and 21st century critical and directorial interpretations of plays by Shakespeare in the theatre and on film, exploring issues like power, sexuality, gender, justice, morality, religion and war. You’ll look at how critics, directors and actors generate meanings from Shakespeare's plays, drawing on details from primary texts, secondary criticism and examples of contemporary creative responses to the plays. For your assessment, you'll select a sequence from one of Shakespeare's plays to stage as an ensemble performance, supported by practical workshops. This performance may include interdisciplinary work involving music, song and a variety of performing styles. You'll also attend seminars that will guide the development of your project proposal, and group tutorials to help you set up your group project. In preparation for the ensemble performance, you'll submit a 1,500-word analysis of how your chosen play has been interpreted in contemporary criticism, and examine a range of creative responses to it in the theatre and on film.
View the full module definitionIntroduction to Directing encourages you to develop key skills involved in leading and directing theatrical projects and performances. You'll engage with different directorial and creative leadership approaches through workshops, seminar discussions and practical experimentation. Skills in directing and leadership will be developed with reference to different forms of text and performance. These will be used as the basis to explore a range of directorial approaches and to demonstrate the ways in which appropriate strategies may be tailored to the demands of various rehearsal methodologies. In addition, you'll practically explore the planning and leading of workshops and rehearsals within a small group. You will show professionalism and discipline throughout this module, qualities that are especially important when working in collaboration with other students in a leadership role.
View the full module definitionThis module explores movement direction and choreographic practices used in contemporary and classical theatre, performance and musical theatre pieces. Students will explore the art of shaping movement for the stage and screen. You'll explore the connection between physicality and storytelling, learning how to craft movement that enhances character, emotion, and narrative. From choreographing intricate dance sequences to directing ensemble stage movements, this course offers the essential tools to bring your creative vision to life. Whether you aim to become a choreographer or a movement director, this subject will empower you to transform ideas into compelling, expressive motion. The module is taught through weekly workshops where you'll engage with practices and exercises for creating original movement work that can be applied to a production piece. The workshops will be based on improvisation and movement research to create suitable movement material for the scenes of the performance production.
View the full module definitionThis module is designed to accommodate specialist training under professional supervision in a defined area of live or recorded production. The type of work undertaken will be driven by the staffing requirements of a particular theatre or studio placement. Indicative areas of work may include developing technical skills in lighting, sound, video/audio or other specialist software, set and props design, stage/production management, costume, hair/make-up, company management or marketing. You'll work under the supervision of professional staff to understand the demands of each role and to gain practical skills specific to your defined aspect of theatre production. This is a module dependent on experiential learning and you must demonstrate a professional attitude to co-operation with the theatre staff under whose supervision you will work. You will be expected to be flexible in adapting to the jobs assigned to you and be willing to work during the particular hours that may be necessary in your role. Your hours will increase during production weeks as they do in the theatre industry. You must demonstrate your professionalism as a responsible, reliable and competent member of the production team at this time.
View the full module definitionRuskin Modules are designed to prepare our students for a complex, challenging and changing future. These interdisciplinary modules provide the opportunity to further broaden your perspectives, develop your intellectual flexibility and creativity. You will work with others from different disciplines to enable you to reflect critically on the limitations of a single discipline to solve wider societal concerns. You will be supported to create meaningful connections across disciplines to apply new knowledge to tackle complex problems and key challenges. Ruskin Modules are designed to grow your confidence, seek and maximise opportunities to realise your potential to give you a distinctive edge and enhance your success in the workplace.
Knowledge of a foreign language can be a major asset both in your academic and professional life. The Anglia Language Programme offers you the opportunity to study a foreign language as part of your course.
The Creative Industries Major Project module will allow you to engage in a substantial piece of individual research and creative/technological work, focused on a topic of your choice that is relevant to your degree course. Your topic will be assessed for suitability to ensure sufficient academic challenge and satisfactory supervision by an academic member of staff. Your project can be a dissertation or an agreed combination of solo or group creative/technological practice and an individually authored piece of writing. In trimester 1 you'll have a series of lectures to prepare you for this level of research, help you to develop of an appropriate methodology, and to decide upon the shape of your project. Your supervisor will then meet with you to formalise your negotiated assessment outcomes, agreeing and documenting any % split between writing and creative practice. In trimester 2, regular meetings with your supervisor will take place, so that the project is closely monitored and steered in the right direction. The project developed in this module is the most self-directed piece of work that you will produce during your undergraduate studies. The successful completion of this module will enhance your employability, evidencing your ability, appropriate skillset and specialist interests.
View the full module definitionThis module aims to demonstrate and consolidate your skills as emerging theatre professionals through the showcase of final performances where you will focus on your artistic or technical practice, giving you an opportunity to present yourselves to an external audience including industry professionals. You'll also synthesise and apply the processes of production explored throughout your degree, collaborating with your peers and staff. You will take a high level of responsibility for the work and show your ability to operate independently during the process. As such, this module will closely align with your employability needs, building on the skills developed throughout the course and considering the demands of casting directors, agents, and other industry organisations and employers, to ensure that you will graduate with the skills, opportunities and visibility that will enable you to thrive in your chosen profession. As well as working on the performance itself, you will study audition and interview techniques both for live and online presentation, prepare an online presence and a relevant CV for your chosen profession, compile a showreel and voice reel as well as industry standard photos for performers or a dossier containing previous designs or records of technical work. This material will be collected as a professional portfolio for the creative industries or designed for an alternative career path. The live performance will be public facing and designed for an external audience. At this stage, you must show self-discipline, professionalism and full commitment to additional rehearsal and production sessions as the actual performance approaches.
View the full module definitionIn this module, you'll engage in a detailed theoretical and practical exploration of site-specific and immersive techniques and develop your professional understanding of this genre of contemporary performance. During the module, you'll research, devise and perform an ensemble immersive performance in a site-specific location. You'll also create a portfolio of materials reflecting on the production of the work and your own role in the process. To inform the development of your practical performance, you'll explore the work of key practitioners and learn the production techniques associated with this genre of work. This will include historical research, devising, writing, site-based rehearsal, audience interactivity, scenography, technical production and the use of performance technologies. Your work will also be informed by the work of performance scholars and cultural geographers in relation to performance practices such as ‘haunting,’ promenade, installation, digital and outdoor theatre. This will allow you to consider ‘place’ and ‘space’ as performative concepts and to examine the influence of performance space and ‘site’ on audiences and your own creative practice.
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