BA Directing

Institution University of the Arts London
Method At the institution
Location London
Type Undergraduate

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BA Directing

Objectives This direction course is offered by Drama Centre in London. Drama Centre sees directing as essentially a 'physical' artistic activity: a director's sense of timing; delicate visual awareness; a sense of the dynamic qualities of space and of relationships within it are all essentially sensuous, physical responses to reality. The course aims above all to train your senses, thus 'tuning' your instrument, your imagination. So the study of music and the development of visual awareness, for example, are in the main not there to develop historical and cultural references (useful as these might be), but to develop your director’s ’ear’ and ’eye’. This 'physical' approach is compounded throughout the course by your developing sympathy for the work of the actor, born out of direct experience of acting within the safe environment of your peer group. The experience of 'doing it' builds the essential empathy between director and actor which is the primary aim of the course. Finally, the director's intellectual function is developed through the application of close analysis of text and context, both thematically and historically. This enables you to achieve the level of objectivity necessary to interpret the play as a whole, give it a coherent shape and make it relevant to a defined audience.
Entry requirements To enrol at Drama Centre London you should normally possess passes in 2 subjects at A-Level or the equivalent, supported with 3 passes at GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) at grade C or above. You must be a minimum of 18 years old at the start of the course. We also welcome applicants with equivalent qualifications or those who are able to show evidence of experiential learning, the outcome of which can be demonstrated to be equivalent to the qualifications otherwise required.
Academic title BA Directing
Course description BA Directing

Programme

Several elements of the course are taken alongside BA (Honours) Acting students or in conjunction with them: Acting; Character Analysis; Improvisation; Movement; Play Analysis; Voice and Speech. While working with acting students in these subjects as well as in rehearsals, you will undertake roles appropriate to your aspirations as a director. Thus you are likely to find yourself leading the research projects in Play Analysis; working as Assistant Director as well as undertaking smaller roles in Rehearsal; expanding the study of music into wider areas of sound creation for dramatic contexts. Some of these classes will have additional elements specifically designed for your needs: Voice makes way for in-depth Text Interpretation classes concerned with an objective analysis of rhetoric; a special Character Analysis Seminar applies the principles of the Laban- Malmgren system to blocking and space organization. During the course you also have the opportunity to collaborate with other members of the artistic team: designers, musical directors, choreographers, fight directors, editors, sound engineers, etc. In addition, you will undertake a wide programme of classes and exercises specific to the BA (Directing) course, including Directing seminars; Practical Directing; Rehearsal; Sound Creation and Visual Awareness; Creative Management and Collaboration.