India with the third of our series of blogs offering insights into Drama in Higher Education
I am currently in my second year studying Acting BA (Hons) at the University of Central Lancashire and I love it!
Like most people wanting to become an Actor I originally looked at drama schools and when my Dad suggested I apply at some Universities I turned my nose up. However, I went for the audition and fell in love with the ‘Media Factory’ which is where most of my lessons/lectures take place. I was still a bit hesitant after I received a place on the course but after my parents told me I wasn’t allowed to stay at home if I didn’t go to uni I didn’t realise have a choice! I thank them for pushing me now though.
My course is made up of 80% performance and 20% theory sooo, essays and stuff.
My first year was spent trying to reach the goal that was called ‘re-patterning’ the body, I did this through 6 hours of voice, 6 hours of yoga and movement, 3 hours of biomechanics, 3 hours of classical acting and 3 hours of theatre studies a week. It had its intense moments but because I was at university I still managed to spend the year living the student life-style of meeting new people, going out and blowing my loan, leaving essays till last minute. I managed to scrape through. This year I am very happy for the harder hours and work that we have to do, partially because I have no loan left!
Currently I am in 9 till 5, 5 days a week as we rehearse with the international Director, Marek Whitelaw. We shall be performing the play Mephisto in the first week of February after which I will have to write a 6000 word essay on the process. It is very hard work but I am loving every minute of it! These past couple of weeks has reiterated to me how much I want to do this for a living.
After Mephisto we shall be working with a television director on ‘acting for the screen’ and then in the last few weeks I will have to work towards 3 more assessed performances, one for voice, one for biomechanics and one for contemporary theatre, each with a follow up essay and I’ve also got to write a 6000 word analytical essay of my choice on anything we have looked at in theatre studies over the last year.
In my third year we shall be working towards our showcase in Manchester and then London, which agents shall be invited to and if I’m looking I shall be spotted and then who knows what’s next!
Now, studying Acting at University is known for being not as intense as Drama School, although it has its moments. One thing I feel I have learnt that I wouldn’t have had I gone to a Drama School is independence. Not being in class every day 9 till 5 has prepared me for when I graduate and I’m dumped in the big bad world where I shall have to fend for myself. I plan to move to Manchester with 2 girls I met on the course, hopefully I shall get an agent from the showcase but if not, my time will be spent finding agents myself and advertising myself.
Studying Acting as my degree has been absolutely amazing, if I were to give 3 tips it would be; 1. start saving up as soon as you can! You have no idea how expensive it can be and the books you’ll be asked to buy can cost up to £50! 2. Learn as many monologues you can squeeze into your brain, couple of Shakespeare’s, contemporaries, Greek tragedies… you will definitely need them at the oddest of times. 3. Just enjoy it, sounds so cliché but everyone I’ve spoke to has gone in thinking ‘right, these people are my competition, I need to be really serious’ but if you make friends, have a laugh with it, it will be a lot easier and what we keep getting told is no director wants to work with a stone.
x
I am currently in my second year studying Acting BA (Hons) at the University of Central Lancashire and I love it!
Like most people wanting to become an Actor I originally looked at drama schools and when my Dad suggested I apply at some Universities I turned my nose up. However, I went for the audition and fell in love with the ‘Media Factory’ which is where most of my lessons/lectures take place. I was still a bit hesitant after I received a place on the course but after my parents told me I wasn’t allowed to stay at home if I didn’t go to uni I didn’t realise have a choice! I thank them for pushing me now though.
My course is made up of 80% performance and 20% theory sooo, essays and stuff.
My first year was spent trying to reach the goal that was called ‘re-patterning’ the body, I did this through 6 hours of voice, 6 hours of yoga and movement, 3 hours of biomechanics, 3 hours of classical acting and 3 hours of theatre studies a week. It had its intense moments but because I was at university I still managed to spend the year living the student life-style of meeting new people, going out and blowing my loan, leaving essays till last minute. I managed to scrape through. This year I am very happy for the harder hours and work that we have to do, partially because I have no loan left!
Currently I am in 9 till 5, 5 days a week as we rehearse with the international Director, Marek Whitelaw. We shall be performing the play Mephisto in the first week of February after which I will have to write a 6000 word essay on the process. It is very hard work but I am loving every minute of it! These past couple of weeks has reiterated to me how much I want to do this for a living.
After Mephisto we shall be working with a television director on ‘acting for the screen’ and then in the last few weeks I will have to work towards 3 more assessed performances, one for voice, one for biomechanics and one for contemporary theatre, each with a follow up essay and I’ve also got to write a 6000 word analytical essay of my choice on anything we have looked at in theatre studies over the last year.
In my third year we shall be working towards our showcase in Manchester and then London, which agents shall be invited to and if I’m looking I shall be spotted and then who knows what’s next!
Now, studying Acting at University is known for being not as intense as Drama School, although it has its moments. One thing I feel I have learnt that I wouldn’t have had I gone to a Drama School is independence. Not being in class every day 9 till 5 has prepared me for when I graduate and I’m dumped in the big bad world where I shall have to fend for myself. I plan to move to Manchester with 2 girls I met on the course, hopefully I shall get an agent from the showcase but if not, my time will be spent finding agents myself and advertising myself.
Studying Acting as my degree has been absolutely amazing, if I were to give 3 tips it would be; 1. start saving up as soon as you can! You have no idea how expensive it can be and the books you’ll be asked to buy can cost up to £50! 2. Learn as many monologues you can squeeze into your brain, couple of Shakespeare’s, contemporaries, Greek tragedies… you will definitely need them at the oddest of times. 3. Just enjoy it, sounds so cliché but everyone I’ve spoke to has gone in thinking ‘right, these people are my competition, I need to be really serious’ but if you make friends, have a laugh with it, it will be a lot easier and what we keep getting told is no director wants to work with a stone.
x
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