Last academic year saw Gower College Swansea (GCS) establish UAL's Level 4 Professional Diploma in Performance, an intensive practical course for students intent on pursuing a career in the Creative Arts. Ideal for those aged 18+ looking to take a gap year, it develops and enhances performance skills in readiness for industry or higher-level training.
The 3 mandatory units are:
- Unit 1: Applied Professional Practice
- Unit 2: Specialist Performance Practice
- Unit 3: Specialist Performance Project
The first two units are internally assessed and verified (graded Pass only), and subject to quality assurance by UAL, while the third, the culmination of the course, is marked by the centre and externally moderated by UAL. Students must achieve a Pass to be awarded the diploma, and the overall qualification, based on Unit 3, is graded from Fail, Pass, Merit or Distinction.
At GCS the first term covers Unit 1, a rigorous scheme of work that equips learners with the knowledge and skills needed for specialist Drama college and university auditions and interviews.
Alfie Evans, currently in his first year of GSA Conservatoire's BA Acting course, comments upon the unit's fast pace, much needed for actor training preparation: ‘Getting straight into working on audition pieces allowed us to get our applications off before Christmas. We did a lot of contextual work, giving us more security in our monologues.’
Working online
With much of the year falling within lockdown, a vast proportion was delivered online. While at first a daunting prospect, many exciting opportunities arose in lesson content and delivery.
Lockdown forced us to stop, think, and reach out, something that extended out among arts professionals. The generosity of the Drama and Theatre community allowed Drama education to continue in the most testing of times for teaching and, indeed, theatre. From the National Theatre opening its doors to an array of online workshops and masterclasses, to the vast amount of digital footage available on YouTube and theatre company websites, to simple acts of kindness shown by fellow Drama teachers on social media, it heralded a new way of creative teaching.
An online National Theatre workshop with Katie Mitchell inspired my students in their creation of short films, made by them in groups from their houses located miles apart within South Wales! With Unit 2 having to be adapted to serve an online forum, the students rose to this new challenge. Many drew upon their IT knowledge or A Levels in Media Studies and Photography in their production of films that would not look out of place amid those made by graduating Film School students. In light of this online experience Sam Dinnage, currently in his first year of the BA (Hons) Acting course at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, comments ‘We saw being online as a really exciting challenge. Some people's technological skills shone through, skills we wouldn't have seen in a classroom.’
Live performance
Concurrent to Unit 2, and following weeks of online rehearsals, the students were fortunate enough to perform Lorca's Blood Wedding as their final Unit 3 production, a showcase and celebration of skills acquired during Units 1 and 2.
Sam agrees with Alfie's statement: ‘Much of what we learnt has given me a head start at GSA [Guildford School of Acting]. Many of my peers have not even heard of some things that featured in my learning last year.’
Following the year's success (100 per cent of learners secured recalls at specialist colleges, with 88 per cent of them now in specialist Drama college or university), the college now runs a Musical Theatre strand in parallel.
Under the tutelage of their lecturers, the students follow a bespoke curriculum that allows them to specialise in their discipline. The flexibility of first two units’ learning objectives allows learners to define and apply professional performance standards to their work while practising performance methods and techniques. The ability to practise and try things out is what makes this qualification so freeing; the course overview allows for such flexibility and scope to experiment.
Musical Theatre strand curriculum leader Rhian Holdsworth says, ‘the Acting and Musical Theatre students join for weekly practical sessions in theatre history, where they make connections between contemporary theatre and that of the past. Voice sessions being taught as a complete cohort eradicates the ‘other’ group syndrome, while allowing opportunities for cross-discipline group work.’
The flexibility allowed within the overall course fully supports both learner and teacher. The challenge of Unit 3, a result of success in Units 1 and 2, also helps bridge the gap between college and Higher Education or employment.
Course opportunities:
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Freedom to experiment in the first two units
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Potential to incorporate online sessions into the curriculum. Planned well, learner experience can be even richer this way
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The possibility of ‘twinning’ up with an existing centre for guidance and advice… and the potential of a CPD visit!
www.arts.ac.uk/partnerships/ual-awarding-body/qualifications/professional-diplomas