Theatre, Performance and Cultural Policy Studies
Theatre and Performance offers a way to engage critically and creatively with various aspects of human activities and with a variety of contemporary social, political, and aesthetic issues. It offers a set of analytical, communicational and practical skills applicable to a variety of areas from performing arts, creative industries, and art administration to jobs in media, journalism and education.
Why Study Theatre And Performance Studies At Warwick?
We are consistently ranked in national newspapers as one of the top departments in the UK.
In the most recent National Student Survey, we recorded a 97% satisfaction rating (compared to the 79% sector average).
Our staff–student ratio is outstanding, with around 40 undergraduate students a year, and currently 10 full-time members of staff.
Our research is classed as internationally significant and the School is one of the most wide-ranging and international in terms of its areas of expertise.
We have outstanding connections to theatre industries and the creative sector.
We base our teaching on rigorous engagement with the current issues in theatre and performance studies, key innovators, and theoretical reflections and on a belief that theatre and performance occur not just in traditional theatre buildings, but also in cities, on the streets, in rituals and in daily life, in spaces real, virtual and imagined.
Our modules are taught by acknowledged experts in their fields, with particular areas of interest in contemporary theatre and performance, history and historiography; national and intercultural theatres and performance evolving from the city, public events and experiments with new technologies.
Student Profile: Judith Durkin,
3rd year, Theatre and Performance Studies
'I was attracted to Theatre at Warwick by the breadth and depth of the course and the friendly campus atmosphere. The School is small enough to know everyone by name, yet varied enough to provide support, no matter what your interest, and offers a wide range of practical and theoretical modules. The degree lays the foundations for careers in theatre or other academic pursuits and has allowed me find my passion within this varied subject.
Theatre at Warwick stretches beyond the degree. I am an exec member of three theatre societies and have produced 14 plays, taken one production to the Edinburgh Festival and co-ordinated a writing festival. Having Warwick Arts Centre on campus is invaluable, enabling me to watch work that I have recently studied'.
The University is home to Warwick Arts Centre, one of the largest performing and visual arts complexes in the UK outside London. We also benefit from a wealth of regional theatrical activity within easy reach of the campus (RSC at Stratford-upon-Avon, Birmingham, Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre).
The Department has brand new fully-equipped practical spaces: two black-box studios, two adaptable rehearsal spaces with sprung floors and a new edit suite, including digital videomaking facilities.
Our aim is to promote a wide-ranging understanding of theatre and performance and to enable students to make critical, interpretative and creative judgments about the work they encounter in a dynamic and creative environment.
How Will I Be Taught?
Our teaching is delivered via lectures, small group seminars and studio-based explorations supplemented by theatre visits, field trips, guest lectures and workshops with practitioners.
How Will I Be Assessed?
Students are assessed through practical projects, creative logbooks, essays, individual and group presentations, and exams, and receive regular feedback on their work as an integral part of teaching and learning.
What Opportunites Are There To Study Abroad?
All students have the option of spending a year at a University in continental Europe under the Erasmus scheme, between the 2nd and 3rd year. This will add a year to your overall period of study and you will thus complete your degree in 4 years. Students will typically be expected to have completed at least Level 3 (or equivalent) in the target language prior to studying abroad; you can take language modules in years 1 and 2 to reach this level, which can count towards your degree if you choose.
What Can A Warwick Degree In Theatre And Performance Lead To?
Graduates of Theatre and Performance Studies have been extremely successful in finding employment in a range of sectors including the theatre, publishing, teaching, arts administration, social community work, media and creative industries. Many have also gone on to complete MAs and PhDs, or to specialise further at Drama Schools in the UK, Europe and USA.
DEGREES
Theatre and Performance Studies W440 BA/ThPS
English and Theatre Studies QW34 BA/EThS (see English)
French with Theatre Studies R1W4 BA/FrThs (see French)
Italian with Theatre Studies R3W4 BA/ItThS4 (see Italian)
Further Information
Gap Year: Applications for deferred entry can normally only be considered in exceptional circumstances.
Interview Days: All candidates being considered for an offer will be expected to attend an Interview Day. Departmental Interview Days are normally held on Wednesdays between late November and March, for selected candidates only.
Departmental Open Days: Candidates invited to interview attend presentations about the Department and will also be offered the opportunity to meet staff and students.
Admissions: +44 (0)24 7652 3723
Email: ugadmissions@warwick.ac.uk
More about undergraduate study in Theatre, Performance and Cultural Policy
