Week Three Part Three - Course Option 2

Course Option Two: Arts University Bournemouth BA (Hons) Acting

How do I get there?  Training:

 What does the institution offer?

     Another potential course option I have discovered, which may also be a great stepping stone in order to achieve my ambitions for a career in acting, is located at the Arts University in Bournemouth.  In this Arts University students take part in courses which explore Art and Design, Performing Arts based subjects, Graphic Design, Textiles, Make-up, Visual Communications, and Photography just to name a few.  For my key five year plan ambition, to extend towards a career in acting, the course I have looked at, in the Performing Arts subjects is the three year course of BA (Hons) Acting. 

     In this course, University, students are shown the practical and academicals sides to acting.  The courses goal is to help build motivations and self-discipline.  Not only with vast set of practical work, but the course also likes to include a practical, hands-on, system to their academicals work to underline the vocational nature of this course, and give students increasingly motivations to continue down the roads of acting.  Supporting/related classes, such the Universities Film, Costume, and Make-up courses, combine their work with the Universities actors, to create a professional output, and even produce their own film’s and productions.  With the Universities productions comes their venues.  Creating their performing, and presentation, of their plays, succeeding in a professional standard allows students in all the performing arts and media courses to take their work into the Universities own studio theatre, and possible extend to other public venues.  All of which allows students the experiences to work with other course members, work in a professional standard, and discover more of the hands-on approaches to the practical and academicals sides to stage and screen acting.

     What modules are on offer?  As previously mentioned, students who succeed in their course work and extend to working in a professional standard have the opportunities to work with other students, in related courses, and extend to presenting their production work in the Universities studio theatre, or even in other public venues.  But if the students hasn’t begun to extend their work to professional standard, then students take part in the courses modules which all link in to the performing arts industry and would allow the students more opportunities into developing their skills for future career offer in acting.  The course modules consist of learning the voice, movement and singing skills.  These modules assist vastly in the student’s development into becoming a creative artist, and taking their next steps towards a professional standard in acting.

     When it comes to the question about whether gaining these skills will support my career choice, I stand strong in saying yes, and this course does support my ambitions for the future.  Because the course lecturers/teachers understand their students, they would know if they would need any areas for improvement or even development.  They could look at the skills I have already gained from my past experiences in acting, and see if I could change for the better.  Plus the course modules and lessons would allow me many opportunities to extend my understanding of the practical and politics in working, as an actor, in a theatre company; along with working with other course members, in the same and/or different courses to acting.

     Unlike my first course option route (LAMDA BA (Hons) Professional Acting), the location did come to a slight negative, but this course option doesn’t have the same outcome.  Location wise the University is located as a under an hour dive, from my current home.  Therefore this courses/Universities location is a positive, in my eyes, as travelling for home visits can easily be rectified.

What skills/requirements do I need to get in?

     “We welcome applications from students with a wide range of backgrounds,” as stated on the Universities website.  An entry requirement to getting into this course asks that students applying include their previous experiences, grades and qualifications.  “Your grades and qualifications tell us what kind of student you, interviews and portfolios show us what kind of person you are.”

     What grades does a student require to get into the course?  A student applying has to have achieved five C’s in their GCSE’s, or above, all of which must include the subjects of Maths and English.  As well as receiving a Level 2 and 3 qualifications in their colleges course work.

     Personally I don’t see this as much of an issue.  In my GCSE’s I have achieved passes in my Maths and English subjects.  As well as a pass in my BTEC subjects, like Science, along with a pass in BTEC IT, and more importantly I have gained a final marked grade of a C in Drama.  So I have the qualifications, GCSE wise, but when it comes to my college acting grades, I have, so far, only achieved Level 2.  With my final grade last being a Distinction Star for Level 2, I have set my goal to repeat my achievement for my Level 3 acting course.  So I feel confident, for if I wished to apply to this course in the University, as I have yet to achieve my Level 3 course in college.  But I do feel confident in stating what grades I have achieved in the past, and gaining a decent grade in Level 3, in order to take part in this course.

Why is this course for me?
     In a summary of what I like about this course, I do see a lot of positives and negatives about this particular course and University.  Course work wise, I think this course is excellent.  I really admire the way the University structures the practical and academicals sides of the course so it all get a positive overview of both the students and the lecturers.  As the students will enjoy their time at the University, on this course, and will receive a decent understanding what are the ups and downs of working in an actor’s role.  But as the lecturer, they will admire the way their students will progress to a professional standard.  There is also the fact that students will be given opportunities to work with other students and in other working conditions/areas, all of which to back up their understanding and experiences of what it is like to work in this job role.  Plus location wise, it’s perfect it isn’t too far away, and it isn’t too close to me home either.  Taking me away from my comfort zone and allowing me the chance to work and explore new locations to extend to professionalism in this particular field of the career of acting.

     That is what I admire about the course, and the University, but what I do see as a negative and potentially a struggle is the administration and the prices.  Administration wise, I may have to take opportunities to work a little harder, if I am to go down this road for my five year plan.  By working harder I may just achieve the right grades/qualifications to take part in this course, and get a positive overview from the University’s course lecturers.  Also financially speaking, there may be another difficulty as well.  But I do feel it can be rectified, depending nearer the time of needed to apply for drama schools or Universities.

     But overall I do feel a good outcome of this course and I shall definitely consider this course after completing my Level 3 college course work/years.
 

 Post Training:     Post training after this course, at the University of Bournemouth, I feel that could be an opportunity to explore and express the skills I would have received from taking part in BA (Hons) Acting.  In this course I could receive new skills into many related areas in acting, and other performing arts subjects, and the post training would allow me to present them.  By taking up this career of acting, I could potentially receive job roles with theatre companies which require certain skills in order to take part in their productions.  Plus this course would allow me to perform productions in various locations, giving me experiences and understanding of relocating with production team.  Therefore I would say that the post training, from experiencing this course would allow me to present the new skills I have gained and extend to a professional standard in my potential career in acting.