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University of Bedfordshire
Park Square
Luton
Bedfordshire
UK, LU1 3JU
This course focuses on language, text and performance to develop skilled arts practitioners. You will engage with the major modes of literature, films, videos and actual live performances.
Stage one builds a foundation in the historical and theoretical study of literature and develops you as an actor/ performer through workshops and productions. Stage two focuses on the making of performances as a director/ deviser/writer and offers you the
opportunity to specialise in a chosen area of English studies. In stage three of the course you will produce a dissertation through creative practice, in either theatre making or creative writing.
Delivered within a vibrant, creative department, the course builds upon
the strengths gained from a long tradition of teaching English and theatre at our Bedford campus.
Key features
Areas of study you may cover on this course include:
The main form of assessment in English is the essay. This not only develops subject specific skill, such as the ability to use appropriate critical terminology and to apply various theoretical approaches, but more generic skills, such as the ability to gather, sift and organize material independently, to access electronic data, to communicate effectively in writing and to word process the work. The length of essays increases each year, as do the expectations of the tutors in terms of writing, presentation and argument. Almost every other unit, however, requires another form of assessment, including reviews, individual and group projects, oral presentations, portfolios of creative writing, phase tests and seen and unseen exams of various lengths and difficulties.
The main form of assessment in Theatre is through practical coursework. This can take the form of a single performance or of a portfolio of practical work (i.e. a series of performances). Each practical assessment is usually followed up by a tutorial which requires you to consider and grade your own work against the agreed assessment criteria. This allows you to reflect upon your own practice and to take responsibility for acknowledging areas of strength and weakness in your work. Other forms of assessment include creative logbooks (as a means of documenting and reflecting on practical processes), essays, seminar presentations and research portfolios. At each level of study it is expected that your response to assessment tasks will become more sophisticated as your skill and subject knowledge develops; the level of study will be reflected in the level of response required by assessment criteria.
You will receive detailed feedback on all your work, both written and practical. In all cases this will be in the form of a written feedback sheet, which you should read carefully, and if necessary, discuss further with the tutor who has written it. It is your responsibility to follow up any recommendations within the feedback, although you can always seek advice from the marking tutor. In some instances where the assessment has included a period of practical preparation, you will be given detailed verbal feedback on your practical coursework in place of written feedback. This will take the form of a 30-minute tutorial, at which you will be given the opportunity to discuss your work with your tutor and the second marker for assessment.
Upon successful completion of this course, you should be able to:
1. Demonstrate knowledge of literature, including a substantial number of authors and texts from different historical periods and cultural contexts.
2. Demonstrate an advanced understanding of creative processes through which theatrical production is realized and create performance work through the implementation of a range of production roles.
3. Articulate knowledge and understanding of texts, concepts and theories relating to English and Theatre Studies.
4. Analyse the interaction between different historical periods and cultural contexts, and the literary and theatrical production of those periods and contexts.
5. Apply key theoretical approaches to the analysis and production of literary and theatrical texts.
6. Respond to and evaluate in an objective and informed manner the critical analysis of texts by others.
7. Initiate and lead creative projects autonomously.
8. Demonstrate advanced literacy and communication skills and the ability to apply these in appropriate contexts.
9. Reflect critically on your own practices of reading, research, analysis and artistic creation.
10. Apply professional attitudes, values and discipline to your practical and written work.
University of Bedfordshire Level Descriptors
QAA Subject Benchmark Statement: English
QAA Subject Benchmark Statement: Dance, Drama and Performance
The BA in English and Theatre develops skills and knowledge in the two subject disciplines through a programme of study focusing on language, text and performance. You will engage with a wide range of texts and ways of understanding these texts, from the major modes of literature to films to videos of performances to actual live performances. At the same time you will have the opportunity of acquiring skills in the making of these texts: this will include creative writing, acting, directing, devising and community-based theatre work.
English offers you both a traditional and an anti-traditional syllabus, ensuring that you are familiar with writers who have featured in the canon of English literature since its formation in the early 20th century, while also encouraging you to challenge this formation. Through an intense engagement with a wide range of literary as well as non-literary text you will become a competent and confident researcher, analyser and interpreter of texts, as well as a skilled communicator.
Your study of theatre focuses on the acquisition of knowledge of key movements in 20th and 21st century theatre practice, as well as on your development as a competent and confident creative practitioner, who can work across a range of professional roles and contexts, including acting, directing, devising, workshop facilitation, community arts, and project management.
You will acquire knowledge of key theoretical approaches that can be applied to the analysis and production of literature and theatre, and you will be able to understand how literature and theatre was shaped by and, in turn, shaped the original cultural, political and historical context of its production.
You will be assigned a Personal Tutor on arrival at the University of Bedfordshire. Your personal tutor will monitor your academic progress and offer support with personal problems throughout the three years of the degree.
Study Skills are embedded in the course but additional support will be available throughout the three years of the degree via PAD (Professional Academic Development). PAD offers study skills workshops (including IT) as well as one to one sessions.
The Centre for Personal and Career Development will support your careers planning throughout the three years of your degree and for up to three years after you have finished your degree.
Although the University does not provide childcare facilities, it does provide a Childcare Advice Service for all students who are parents/carers, both full-time and part-time, in accessing childcare provision in the Luton and Bedfordshire region.
The Health Centres at Luton campus and Beford campus offer you complete care during your time as a student. The provision includes doctors, nurses, clinics, prescriptions, travel vaccinations, telephone advice and out of hours emergency services. You will be offered the opportunity to register with one of the two General Practitioner (GP) Practices providing student health services to the University.
The University also provides a free and confidential Counselling Service, which is available to all full and part-time students.
International students are well cared for at the University. The International Support Team are available to provide practical help and support in a number of areas.
Team working is fundamental to the study of English and Theatre and throughout your time as a student you will constantly be asked to work in groups of varying sizes and to consider the skills needed in order to operate effectively in this context. One of the most important elements of team work is an understanding of the level of dependency involved in the process of rehearsal or collaboration, and the attendant responsibilities this implies for each individual member of the team. From the moment you arrive as a student you will be working in collaboration with others and issues of responsibility, trust and flexibility will be addressed as central to your academic, professional and creative development.
At each level of the degree you will be required to work with others either in the preparation for a class, rehearsal, or a seminar, a presentation of a dramatic text or devised piece, or a reflection upon the work of others. At level one group tasks will be structured by the tutors; as the course progresses you will be given more independence in the development of structures which suit the requirements of the task. At level three you will be required to work independently as a creative theatre practitioner and to critically evaluate your work in terms of collaboration, team-work and professional attitude.
The BA in English and Theatre embraces the philosophy of SOAR, the University of Bedfordshires student centred process of integrating personal, academic and career development. SOAR is an acronym representing the dynamic relationships between Self, Opportunity, Aspirations, and Results.
The development of self-awareness is an integral part of the assessment process. You will either be required to or given the opportunity to discuss and reflect on your performance in relation to the relevant assessment criteria. In this way, an open dialogue about yourself and your performance becomes an intrinsic part of the assessment process. The development of self awareness is also an integral part of the personal tutoring system in which you will reflect on your academic performance with your personal tutor at various points throughout your studies. Together, you will identify areas of strength and weakness, and agree on appropriate action points.
Throughout your studies you will also be made aware of opportunities to develop yourself and your career. At the beginning of the course, you will attend an introduction to the Universitys Centre for Personal and Career Development, and be made aware of a number of support services they can offer, such as information on careers and postgraduate studies, one-to-one careers advisory sessions, online tools to develop your career management skills, help with CVs, testing, and interviews, opportunities for volunteering and work placements, and job searches. Your personal tutor will also discuss potential career opportunities with you during regular personal tutorials, and advise you on how to best prepare yourself for your chosen career within the structure of the degree as part of Personal Development Planning. Subject specific information on training, work placements, and job opportunities will be regularly placed on BREO. In addition, you will be invited to attend open sessions on Careers in the Creative Industries that are taught on the BA in Contemporary Theatre Practice.
The course also offers you ample opportunities to generate, clarify, test, decide and implement aspirations, both for the present and the future. Throughout the degree you will have to plan and manage academic and creative projects, in theatre as well as creative writing. This will help you to identify goals, to put them into practice, and to assess the outcomes. Your career aspirations will be discussed in personal tutorials, and you and your tutor will discuss a strategy for realizing these aspirations.
Finally, you will be encouraged to demonstrate results. The course teaches you vital skills in oral and written communication. You will be encouraged to document your work through the writing of creative logbooks, and through the creation of portfolios of practical and written work. You will present your theatre work in public performances.
For this purpose, you will have to actively promote and market your work. Your personal tutor will monitor your records of your achievement via your Progress File.
Career opportunities
Graduates have progressed to careers in performance, journalism, teaching, management, community arts practice and youth work. Other graduates have moved on to postgraduate study.
On completing this course you are likely to progress into the following areas:
Further study:
PGCE in Drama/Theatre and/or English
MA in Drama, Theatre, Applied Theatre, Acting
MA in English
MA in Creative Writing
MA in Playwriting
MSc in Arts Management (University of Bedfordshire)
A foundation degree will be of particular interest if you have completed a Modern Apprenticeship, vocational A levels, BTEC National or equivalent.
Foundation degrees are also particularly suitable if you want to qualify while working.
Many students studying for foundation degrees come to us through work-based routes so you can apply for a foundation degree even if you don’t have traditional academic qualifications.
We welcome applicants with relevant work experience.
We will consider you as an individual and take into account all elements of your application, not just your qualifications. We are looking for both breadth and depth in your current studies as well as enthusiasm for the subject you wish to study.
The general requirement is one of the following:
Postgraduate applications (MA/MSc) should be made direct to the University using the standard University application form. There are some exceptions, please see individual course descriptions for details.
As a general guide, to apply for a place on an undergraduate course (BA/BSc) at the University you need to have completed your high school education and have the required English qualification.
We have students from all the European Union member countries so we are quick to make decisions on most qualifications.
(Please note that applicants on a full student visa are not eligible for part-time study)
We recommend that you apply directly to the University where possible, as this allows us to offer the quickest turnaround time for your application.
Please read the Direct application instructions before completing the course application form.
Application forms for accommodation in the student halls at Bedford campus and Luton campus are available in the Student life section
APL is available for international students applying for undergraduate (Bachelor degree) study. Please do not use this APL form to apply for postgraduate courses.
Use the APL form to tell us about any non-standard qualifications and/or work experience you have that you think should be taken into consideration with your application. `
The APL form should be submitted at the same time as the course application form.
We regret we are unable to process APL forms from students who have not submitted a formal course application form.
Return your completed application to:
University of Bedfordshire
International Admissions
Park Square
Luton
Bedfordshire
LU1 3JU
United Kingdom
T: +44 (0)1582 489326 (non-EU Students)
F: +44 (0)1582 743469
E: international-admissions@beds.ac.uk
The course offers a wide range of learning and teaching strategies. English is predominantly taught in a classroom environment through a combination of lectures, seminars and workshops. Theatre is also taught in practical theatre spaces and entails in addition to lectures and seminars - practical workshops and rehearsals. In addition, you will have to attend individual and group tutorials (often in preparation for or in response to assessments); you will be asked to set up and run reading and discussion groups, to present seminars, attend screenings of films and videos, life performances and possibly field trips (such as a visit to The Globe Theatre).
Tutors will make extensive use of BREO, the Universitys electronic learning environment, as a means of disseminating important information, as well as a means of discussion and reflection through the use of electronic tools, such as Wikis and Blogs.
These diverse teaching strategies have been selected in order to:
There is an emphasis upon tutor-led learning in level one, moving towards a greater degree of self-directed learning and increasing independence and autonomy in decision making at level two, culminating in a self-managed research and artistic projects at level three. At level one you will focus on the reading and analysis of literature and on your understanding of literature in its historical context of production (including drama). You will also be exploring the technical and imaginative demands placed on actors in devised and text based work. You may study key movement in 20th and 21st century performance making or participate in two tutor-led theatre productions, one of which will be developed for a specific target audience. At level two, you will gradually take on leadership roles as a deviser, writer, director, and/or new media artist, managing small creative projects on your own.
Equally, essay writing will require a greater degree of independence in terms of research, critical analysis and your ability to develop a cogent and coherent argument. You will build on this at level three, when you may set up a small scale theatre company and produce a small-scale touring production, or direct a piece of new writing, and when you will complete a self managed research project.
In addition, levels two and three offer a choice of English units enabling you to develop an individual pathway, including Elizabethan and Jacobean Drama, The Romantics and the Victorians, Modern and Post-modern Literature, American, African and Irish Literature, Film Studies, Creative Writing and Women and Culture.
The course welcomes students with disabilities. During the application process disabled students discuss their needs with individual members of the academic staff, as well as staff from the Disability Advice Team. It has normally been the case that disability has not provided an obstacle to students participating fully in the practical aspects of coursework.
The Disability Advice Team is available to discuss any issues disabled students may have, and can provide services such as sign language interpreters, note takers, dyslexia screening / tuition and support with mobility on campus. They offer confidential advice and information about academic and personal issues, adjustments in examinations, applying for the Disabled Students' Allowances (DSA) and buying suitable equipment.
Communication
To help with the development of this you will:
Participate in a range of activities requiring you to communicate verbally, through performance and in written forms.
Throughout your studies you will:
At each level you will engage with all of these activities, however, the scope and complexity of the tasks given to you will increase throughout the three years of your degree. Whereas in your first year, you might present research informally in a tutor-led seminar or give a very short group seminar presentation (e.g. Introduction to Movements), you will be required to give longer formal seminar presentations at level two (e.g. Avant-Garde Theatre and Visual Fictions) and a more extensive research paper at level three (Independent Research Project or Performance as Research). Equally, the complexity and length of written assignments will increase over the three years, culminating in a final self-managed written research project. In addition, years two and three offer you the opportunity to engage in Creative Writing and become an effective communicator in a range of literary genres.
In terms of your communication skills as a theatre artist, your work in the first year will predominantly focus on your ability to communicate ideas through physical and verbal expression in acting (Process to Production, The Actor in Performance or The Contemporary Theatre Performer). Most of this work will be tutor-led. However, at level two you will more consciously consider how you can actively shape theatrical communication as deviser, director and researcher (Making Performance, Turning Points). This culminates in a self-directed and self-managed project in year three (Small Scale Production, Staging New Writing).
Students who are diagnosed with needs for extra support with writing and communications skills development may be required to take extra classes provided by the University.
Information Literacy
To help with the development of this you will:
Participate in lectures, workshops, tutorials and developmental research projects in order to familiarize yourself with a wide range of resources which can support your studies.
At level one, you will be introduced to the use of BREO and of library resources in workshops embedded in the Induction Week as well as the in the unit Literature in History and Introduction to Movements in Performance. You will learn to use the library catalogue, electronic databases, and search engines for the purposes of research. You will be introduced to the assessment of source material, particularly internet based material. All your units will make use of BREO in the posting of resources, the use of discussion boards, blogs, group pages, wikis and course announcements.
In level two you will be required to work more independently and confidently with the library and technical resources at your disposal. You will be expected to use advanced search techniques to source material above and beyond the unit reading lists, and to undertake methodical literature searches as part of your research process. You will provide annotated bibliographies for essays and be familiar with a range of research resources appropriate to the study you are undertaking.
At level three you will plan and submit an extended essay based on a topic of your choice (Independent Research Project or Performance as Research). You will have to undertake a comprehensive bibliographical search using databases, library catalogues, and other resource materials, and understand how to access material (books and journal articles) not held by the library.
Research and Evaluation
To help with the development of this you will:
Undertake a range of research tasks either within the context of developing your academic or practical knowledge. Research underpins most teaching and learning activities and certainly all forms of assessments. This is most obvious in essay writing, where your ability to undertake and evaluate research in response to an essay question and to evidence this research and evaluation in your writing forms an essential part of the assessment process. But this is also true of practical work.
In every practical project you embark upon you will be expected to plan and execute a methodical research process in order to develop your practice. The research tasks will vary according to the type of work you are undertaking and you will need, therefore, to be adept at understanding the skills involved in sourcing, selecting and utilizing appropriate material.
At level one you will write a series of short essays for Literature in History and Ways of Reading, allowing you to improve and develop your research and evaluation skills for written assignments. In Process to Production and The Actor in Performance as well as Introduction to Movements in Performance and The Contemporary Theatre Performer research tasks will be set by the tutor and you will then be required to apply your research material to a practical process of work.
As the complexity and scope of assignments increases in level two, you will be expected to work more independently as a researcher, and you will begin to formulate questions and fields of enquiry in relation to the evaluation of your work as an academic and practitioner. You will have more choice in the nature of your research (choosing one of several essay questions / topics), and you will take more responsibility for the application of the research to practical processes. The research you undertake will form the basis of planning for research and practical projects at level three.
At level three you will undertake an independent research project on a topic of your own choosing. Your research will be ongoing throughout the year and you will be expected to be able to source relevant material quickly, assess and synthesise your findings, and apply your research to practical work as a regular part of your approach to production. Your field of research across the chosen units will be diverse, requiring different processes of enquiry and methodologies.
Creativity and Critical Thinking
To help with the development of this you will:
At Level 1 you will analyse texts from a range of genres and apply theoretical approaches to the reading of texts in Ways of Reading. This will provide you with a sound analytical and critical vocabulary for further study at levels two and three. Similarly, you will critically examine the relationship between literature and the cultural and social context from which it emerged in Literature in History and between performance and the context of its production in Introduction to Movements in Performance. This will allow you to understand the interdependence of social and cultural context and artistic production.
In Process to Production you will participate in tutor-led productions and you will contribute to and reflect on the creative process in a range of roles. The Actor in Performance and The Contemporary Theatre Performer examine creative processes in acting and encourage you to respond to devised and text based performance tasks with creativity and originality.
At Level 2 you will further develop you ability to critically engage with texts (including film) from various genres and periods, and you may opt for developing creative thinking and writing skills through an intensive engagement in Creative Writing. You will be examining the work of avant-garde theatre practitioners through the lens of creativity, consider the ways in which they developed their processes of creative exploration and creatively apply their ideas to the creation of your own work (Avant-garde Theatre).
You will also develop your creative muscle as a theatre practitioner by immersing yourself in the making of performance in a number of roles (Making Performance), by developing a piece of documentary theatre through extensive historical research (Turning Points), or by engaging in the use of new media in performance (New Media). The emphasis here shifts from participating in creative processes to shaping and structuring creative processes.
At Level 3 you will work as a Creative Theatre Practitioner creating your own structure and processes of work (Small Scale Production, Staging New Writing, Contemporary European Practice). There will be further opportunity to develop yourself as a writer in Performance as Research or Independent Research Project.
Throughout the three years on English and Theatre you will be encouraged to manage your process of learning in collaboration with tutors, support services and peers.
Verbal and written feedback on your work is a regular feature of the course and this will occur within practical sessions, seminars and at assessment points. As a practitioner you will be helped to respond actively to feedback given on your work, and to give feedback to others which promotes active response. After all practical assessments you will be given detailed verbal feedback on your individual input/performance in a tutorial and written feedback highlighting strengths and areas for improvement. You will be encouraged to discuss your work in relation to the relevant assessment criteria. In written work will be given detailed written feedback and the opportunity of discussing this with the marking tutor in a tutorial. Tutors will be explicit where they feel that you would benefit from the range of services offered by Professional and Academic Development (PAD).
At level one the development of study skills in research, reading, and writing will be embedded into Literature in History and Introduction to Movements in Performance. Further support in study skills and IT will be available from PAD.
On arrival at the university you will be allocated a personal tutor who will meet regularly with you throughout your first year of study. These sessions will allow you to review the grades you receive throughout the year and consider ways in which you can improve your skills through taking advantage of the services offered by Professional and Academic Development (PAD). You personal tutor will offer further support and guidance during levels two and three.
In your first year of study you will be introduced to the use of Progress Files through meetings with your personal tutor. The Progress File is a document charting your development as a student; it is made up of several parts:
You personal tutor will guide you through the initial stages of preparing your Progress File. At certain points in the academic year, your personal tutor and you will review your progress file, and discuss how it needs to be updated and improved.
Professional attitudes, values and standards are prerequisite for successful academic performance and for managing your transition from University into employment. At University you are part of a learning community that emulates professional standards and therefore, requires you to adopt appropriate professional attitudes and behaviour. Most importantly, you need to drive your learning in a responsible and proactive manner. Remember that you are doing your learning and that nobody will do it for you. In order to develop an appropriate professional attitude we expect of you:
The development of professional attitudes, values and standards is central to your study of English and Theatre. It is embedded in most units in terms of assessment criteria for written and practical work. The success of your work at level three will be largely dependent upon the degree of professionalism you are able to bring to your individual work as well as to your relationships with collaborators during the first two years of your study.
In recognition of the importance attached to the development of professional standards as a central element of the degree your fist activity on the English and Theatre course will be a performance project in which you will work collaboratively with your peers and tutors. Throughout the first weeks of term one you will participate in rehearsals which will require of you an understanding of performance discipline (preparations for rehearsal, punctuality, appropriate energy within rehearsal), respect for collaborators (reliability, commitment, negotiation), and clear focus upon the work as a whole (respecting deadlines, completion of research tasks set, contribution beyond the required minimum). This first experience of production work will allow the year group to develop a professional identity and set the standards of professionalism, which will prove the benchmark for all future work.
