Offering Tech Theatre Courses and the 14-19 Diploma

[Boycey]

I'll apologise in advance for the long post.

 

Having worked as a Theatre Tech for about 15 years I am currently doing a PGCE in Post Compulsory Education and have been set an assignment on Curriculum Development. This has led to a couple of questions.

 

Like many other colleges my placement college only offers the BTEC in Performing Arts Dance or Acting. They do not offer the Production course, despite having plenty of capability both in Staff and facilities.

 

Having spoken to a few of the students on the acting course I found that there were a number of them who were simply doing that so they could get their diplomas and move on to another college where they could study on a Tech based course. I remember from previous colleges I'd worked in as a Tech that there were always one or two out of every ten that felt this way. Given all the stuff I'm being told in my course about "meeting the needs of the learners" and ILP's it seems to me that these colleges are missing a trick somehow.

 

I realise that this may simply be a "bums on seats" issue So...

 

What are the factors affecting the decision to offer these courses?

 

What is the minimum number of students you would need to enroll to make it viable?

 

Are there costs with regard to registration with the course provider (e.g. EDEXCEL)?

 

It was remarked to me that one problem in doing any tech involving the students was the restrictions imposed by Health and Safety policy. Is this really the case across the board or is it different for each institution?

 

One of my tasks is to suggest improvements to the curriculum. Obviously I'd be suggesting that Production should be inlcuded.

 

One idea I had was to suggest that a college could engage, via their widening participation programme, with locally based youth and community groups involved in performance, and work with their young people who are performing tech roles. These tutors could assess the level of these young people and award units based on what they already capable of. This could then be used as a way of recruiting students for the next year's intake.

 

This was a method used by the college local to the Community Centre where I used to work. We had a tutor come in one day a week which lead to several of our Volunteers and School Placements gaining basic units in Audio Recording and about 3 or 4 each year going on to study on their BTEC NC in Sound Engineering.

 

Has anyone done a similar thing with Theatre? If so, was it successful? If not what's you opinion of it as a recruitment strategy?

 

I'd also like to hear from anyone who is going to implementing or be taking on students who've been doing the new 14-19 Diploma( I realise this is a whole separate can of worms). I'd particularly like to hear from someone who has a positive opinion of it as, try as I might, I haven't found anyone so far.

 

 

Please feel free to comment on any or all of the above and be as frank as you like.

 

Thanks.

 

Boycey

 

 

Lang may yer lum reek!

[the kid]

Having worked as a Theatre Tech for about 15 years I am currently doing a PGCE in Post Compulsory Education and have been set an assignment on Curriculum Development. This has led to a couple of questions.

 

Like many other colleges my placement college only offers the BTEC in Performing Arts Dance or Acting. They do not offer the Production course, despite having plenty of capability both in Staff and facilities.

 

You say plenty of staff. Where I am we have 2 full time tutors, 1 dance teacher who does 1.5 days a week and 1 music teacher who does 4 days a week. + 1 designer/builder/everything who works 15 weeks a year. They work with about 65 ish students over 3 courses. We count ourselves lucky that we have a designer / builder / everything who works with us as in the past it has been difficult to have someone who teaches the theory as well as actually CAN do.

 

What are the factors affecting the decision to offer these courses?

Money

Space

Money

Students

Money

 

We do have the space + the kit, which many places do not have readily available.

 

Students for production vary, last year we had 10 in September, 8 by the end of September. and by the end of the 1 year course we had 6. That year was VERY strong and VERY good 90% got MM or above.

This year not so much.

 

Money is a key thing, money is dependent on retention. According to management the 2 students lost in September don't count but the 2 later on do. That means we have lost 1/4 of the course. as a fraction 1/4 is alot, but when we have such a small course its not really a massive thing.

 

When I was a student we had 4 people on our course, it was decided that they would not run the course the next year because we could not make any money running a course with 4 students. The following year all shows suffered to a degree until some actors decided that wanted to production and started doing shows.

What is the minimum number of students you would need to enroll to make it viable?

 

From my understanding management will let us run with 4 people now, because the course was so successful last year, but its a sliding scale. IIR we can run the course with a full class (25-30) but I would HATE to have that many. In a small theatre you don't need more than 5 people max to run a show.

 

Are there costs with regard to registration with the course provider (e.g. EDEXCEL)?

No idea I have nothing to do with that.

 

It was remarked to me that one problem in doing any tech involving the students was the restrictions imposed by Health and Safety policy. Is this really the case across the board or is it different for each institution?

I think its differnt depening where you are. We do pretty much everything any theatre does, that the space will allow.

 

One of my tasks is to suggest improvements to the curriculum. Obviously I'd be suggesting that Production should be inlcuded.

The 1st dip acting and the 2 year course both have units in that are technicaly based. IIR the 2 year course has a core unit for crewing which does include simple lighting, sound and set up units.

 

One idea I had was to suggest that a college could engage, via their widening participation programme, with locally based youth and community groups involved in performance, and work with their young people who are performing tech roles. These tutors could assess the level of these young people and award units based on what they already capable of. This could then be used as a way of recruiting students for the next year's intake.

The concept is good but I think the praticality is not really possible. Why give assesments to non students, to make them come to college to make them do the same thing again.

 

 

If not what's you opinion of it as a recruitment strategy?

See above. However, doing something more like a community event and showing off what we do we thought was a better way of attracting people in.

 

I'd also like to hear from anyone who is going to implementing or be taking on students who've been doing the new 14-19 Diploma( I realise this is a whole separate can of worms). I'd particularly like to hear from someone who has a positive opinion of it as, try as I might, I haven't found anyone so far.

Good luck trying to find positive people. I know many tutors through to lower managers are not too happy about the idea. We have a link with the local schools, who appear to be getting quite a bit of money to set up what we already have, rather than improve what we have for less.

 

Hope this helps and makes sense.

[Boycey]

Thanks for replying.

 

Yes, it does make sense. You confirmed a lot of what I thought might be the case, I just didn't have the detail.

 

The concept is good but I think the praticality is not really possible. Why give assesments to non students, to make them come to college to make them do the same thing again.

In the case of our project (a Community Internet Radio Station) the Volunteers were assessed for quite basic units (Stereo Recording I and II and Multitrack Recording I and II) when the tutor thought someone was at a sufficient level they approached them to tell them so and explained how they could achieve the unit by taking on board a couple of theory sessions and a practical test. Those that passed it were credited with the unit concerned. The same units were also part of the NC course, so those that went on to do it were exempted from those units by way of Accreditation of Prior Learning, thus avoiding the repetition you spoke of.

I suppose the closest model I can think of would be that or Work Based learning with the college Tutors acting as Assessors and Verifiers.

 

However, doing something more like a community event and showing off what we do we thought was a better way of attracting people in.

Amen to that.

 

Good luck trying to find positive people. I know many tutors through to lower managers are not too happy about the idea. We have a link with the local schools, who appear to be getting quite a bit of money to set up what we already have, rather than improve what we have for less.

At the moment I'm attempting to compare them to the A-Levels etc that people would do otherwise. I'd be interested to know what people would be expecting these future Creative and Media Diploma holders to have covered if they want admission to their particular courses.

 

The thing is, I can see from the specs, there is the scope for more practical Tech Theatre work to be covered than would be in the A- Level, but only if the institution chooses to do so. I guess that brings me back to my first question doesn't it?

 

Thanks again.

[the kid]

The concept is good but I think the praticality is not really possible. Why give assesments to non students, to make them come to college to make them do the same thing again.

In the case of our project (a Community Internet Radio Station) the Volunteers were assessed for quite basic units (Stereo Recording I and II and Multitrack Recording I and II) when the tutor thought someone was at a sufficient level they approached them to tell them so and explained how they could achieve the unit by taking on board a couple of theory sessions and a practical test. Those that passed it were credited with the unit concerned. The same units were also part of the NC course, so those that went on to do it were exempted from those units by way of Accreditation of Prior Learning, thus avoiding the repetition you spoke of.

I suppose the closest model I can think of would be that or Work Based learning with the college Tutors acting as Assessors and Verifiers.

NC course?

As I said before the idea is there. Do you see your tutors going out some where an evening a week to assess possible students?

It just becomes a load of extra work, as a promo, going in to the centre and saying, "you can do this and this, come to us, write a little bit and make it official," then go to uni and work do this.

 

 

Good luck trying to find positive people. I know many tutors through to lower managers are not too happy about the idea. We have a link with the local schools, who appear to be getting quite a bit of money to set up what we already have, rather than improve what we have for less.

At the moment I'm attempting to compare them to the A-Levels etc that people would do otherwise. I'd be interested to know what people would be expecting these future Creative and Media Diploma holders to have covered if they want admission to their particular courses.

 

The thing is, I can see from the specs, there is the scope for more practical Tech Theatre work to be covered than would be in the A- Level, but only if the institution chooses to do so. I guess that brings me back to my first question doesn't it?

 

With our view on it, ( well my boss) we can run it but having kids from a school for 1 hour a week is good. no chance to do a show though as it will interfere with their other lessons too much.

 

Thanks again.

[grumpy 2]

Here, my boss is constantly trying to start a technical course.

 

The problem;

 

Minimum class size would be 15.

You need 5 people to run a show.

To cover the learning outcomes of the qualification each student would have to do each show running role. and so for each group of 5 you would need to do 5 shows a year (so they all get a chance to do all the roles).

With 15 students you would need to find 15 shows a year.

But you should cover learning outcomes more than once. So suddenly you need to find 30 shows a year just to stop OFSTED causing you problems.

 

One way to do this would be to have a Rep theatre on your doorstep.

[Paul Joines]

Hi Boycey,

 

Im a course leader on a nat dip prod arts at Truro College. Only in its second year, it grew out of a very similar situation you describe, eg an ND Perf Arts course with a tech theatre module (which I've taught 4 hrs per week for 8 yrs) built in, which was producing students regularly who wanted to be doing a production course. Im also on (P/T) PGCE and funnily enough on curriculum development module too. I was the F/T Theatre Tech at the College for 6 yrs, and gradually changed my role, much as you are doing?

 

We run with pretty small numbers, and it would be difficult to see how we could process more without affecting quality - 10 to 12 students is ideal, especially as they have to be individually assessed on operations work around real productions. Demand seems to suit that too (10 each yr so far) - less than 6 or 8 could be a prob for me.

 

Relevant work experience and off-site activities are a big part of what we do, especially as we have a number of students who are already in paid stage related work, and who would not be able to complete the course if made to stop working.

 

It all sounds lovely....BUT..... genuine assessment may mean a lot of (tutor) travelling to assessment sites, getting students and employers to accurately log experience, and College attendence systems and the problems of getting timetables and show schedules to match up, servicing other courses etc etc can be a real headache.

 

Lining up BTEC criteria for assignment writing can be tricky too, as students a) are quite specialist even at 16, b) all doing different things at different times.

 

We also produce a puppet/mask/FX show with student actors, which does require them all to work together for 6 weeks, and there are specific lessons and workshops which require attendence wherever possible.

 

So its hard, but worthwhile, and I enjoy it most of the time...

 

keep posting...cheers pj ;)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A concurrent post has been automatically merged from this point on.

 

Hi -read the message again and just to answer a few points....

 

H+S - not a problem with solid Risk Assessments and competent persons (PASMA is a good start)

 

Community events are definately a good way to publicise the course and assess students (esp if you can get them all on the project). Also publicises and networks the students.

 

New Diploma - well - I work in a very 'forward-thinking' college so I've been drilled already - its COMING! I think its a bonus for our subject, as these community events are work experience are exactly what it wants. However, Perf Arts may find itself marginalised by Creative Media and Arts. Technical courses which cover a range of subject areas (eg ours includes several lighting modules inc Automated and CAD, sound engineering, stage management, set, puppets etc etc)

 

sorry you're probably really bored by now..... pj

 

A concurrent post has been automatically merged from this point on.

 

Here, my boss is constantly trying to start a technical course.

 

The problem;

 

Minimum class size would be 15.

You need 5 people to run a show.

To cover the learning outcomes of the qualification each student would have to do each show running role. and so for each group of 5 you would need to do 5 shows a year (so they all get a chance to do all the roles).

With 15 students you would need to find 15 shows a year.

But you should cover learning outcomes more than once. So suddenly you need to find 30 shows a year just to stop OFSTED causing you problems.

 

One way to do this would be to have a Rep theatre on your doorstep.

 

We have students working in multiple local venues (eg am dram) plus we do shows with multiple operators (eg an Act or a dance each - works best with cabaret/showcase type nights, also sometimes we twin cast a show for the number of performers so its natural to twin tech it too. This can result in 4 ops of each type for a given production, which may run for 4 nights. There are ways - else no-one would be able to offer it?