University of Leeds

School of Performance and Cultural Industries, Leeds, LS2 9JT
Tel: 0113 343 8710
Fax: 0113 343 8711
Email: admissions-pci@leeds.ac.uk
School Administrator: John Gray

Description

The School of Performance and Cultural Industries is a dynamic community of researchers, teachers, practitioners and students. The combination of inter-related disciplines offered is unique in a research-led university.

The School is concerned not only with performance itself but with the role performance plays in the wider cultural and creative life of society. There are four undergraduate programmes: Dance, Managing Performance, Performance Design, and Theatre and Performance. Students on each degree course develop discipline-specific practical skills alongside core academic skills.

The School of Performance and Cultural Industries offers courses in Performance Design, Managing Performance, Dance, and Theatre and Performance. Each course enables students to develop an understanding of their chosen specialism through investigation of theory and related practical exploration. Common across all programmes in the School, students will also develop understanding of the wider context of performance and the cultural industries, addressing key ideas, theoretical models and research methods in the field, and exploring the techniques and issues of creative interdisciplinary collaboration. This ensures a high level of understanding between the specialist degree programmes in the School and establishes the possibility for effective collaboration.

In addition to specific subject knowledge, students develop generic skills in research, high level written and verbal communication, creativity, team working and problem solving. Graduates are equally well-prepared for the creative marketplace or further academic or professional study. All undergraduates can also opt to study for an additional year in industry or at a university abroad.

There are regular opportunities for interdisciplinary work and creative collaboration. Students learn how to work as part of a creative team and create performance events. Links with external organisations, such as Opera North, West Yorkshire Playhouse, HM Prison Service and The National Coal Mining Museum for England, allow students to research and study in a wide range of professional, creative and cultural contexts.

The School is based in a new purpose-built facility, stage@leeds, which houses two professional standard, publicly licensed theatres and a dance studio. Throughout the year, the main theatre presents a range of student work and performances from visiting professional theatre companies.

Other facilities include a range of well-equipped studio spaces for teaching and creating performance; design studio; costume construction and wardrobe store; scenic construction workshop and associated facilities; computer aided design; digital video-editing and sound facilities; and an enterprise-management room.