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A new option for the North?


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My thoughts exactly, so I left a message asking about the trussing / rigging courses to which I recieved an email today-

 

"We are currently finalising our syllabus and also our facilities, course dates etc!

We will be offering a range of short courses focusing on rigging, working at height, trussing etc so I have made a note of your request, and will forward you information as soon as I have it."

 

Soon I hope :up:

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Hi

 

Thought I would join the Forum, so I can answer any questions....so here goes:

 

1. Why we dont offer a BA - getting a BA validated by a University is quite difficult, and normally ends up quite an academic course, lots of thinking and not much doing!! We want to offer practical skills that will actually enable you to get a job....hopefully!

 

2. Have a very long list of short courses - from programming the Congo, to HD Camera workshops, make up, etc....just trying to fit them into the calendar - and would welcome feedback on if you prefer evening, weekend, day courses or summer schools perhaps?

 

If you have any other queries let me know!!

 

Thanks

 

Robin

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  • 3 weeks later...
Hi

 

Thought I would join the Forum, so I can answer any questions....so here goes:

 

1. Why we dont offer a BA - getting a BA validated by a University is quite difficult, and normally ends up quite an academic course, lots of thinking and not much doing!! We want to offer practical skills that will actually enable you to get a job....hopefully!

 

2. Have a very long list of short courses - from programming the Congo, to HD Camera workshops, make up, etc....just trying to fit them into the calendar - and would welcome feedback on if you prefer evening, weekend, day courses or summer schools perhaps?

 

If you have any other queries let me know!!

 

Thanks

 

Robin

 

I would be interested in details of the Sound courses you offer. What structure does the course take (part time, full time etc) and what are your fees?

 

Many thanks

Dave Etheridge

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1. Why we dont offer a BA - getting a BA validated by a University is quite difficult, and normally ends up quite an academic course, lots of thinking and not much doing!! We want to offer practical skills that will actually enable you to get a job....hopefully!

 

I don't think you can really say that. I've written only a few essays in the last few years and spend most of my time either in the workshops or on stage putting the performances together. What I have learnt has been tremendous, I've thought a lot but I've worked bloody hard while thinking!

 

I think the academy is a fantastic idea and I really do wish you all the luck with it, as being originally from Newcastle and having to move 'down south' to get the education I wanted, it sounds great. I look forward to more course details!

 

Edit: Spelling

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  • 3 weeks later...

must say have taken a back seat in this forum and often read about what you guys have to say.

 

I am 16 and looking to do a degree in sound and lighting for live events (or something similar) I think the academy would be a great experience however being from a family of teachers am encouraged to get a degree. so from what I can gather this wouldn't be an option. :(

 

Going slightly off subject I noticed Nick woolley is on a degree course, could you recommend any for me to look into

 

thanks

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We can come to a few sensible 'guesses' about this project. It's very clear that the Litestructures rehearsal facility is a really good idea, and the names who have used it suggest it's exactly what the industry need - especially away from London. As PLASA concluded, proper training for the industry is pretty thin on the ground - most decent courses tend to be those run by manufacturers, or private concerns with links to manufacturers. The Academy seems a sensible partnership - using quality facilities. They have made links with a couple of colleges. This enable franchising - the college, who understand mainstream education, and more importantly, how to get funding for it - do the groundwork and provide the acreditation needed for proper qualifications - the BTECs and Diplomas mentioned on the web site. They can then manage the paperwork and the teaching staff, and away it goes. The reason a degree is not possible at the moment is because only universities can award degrees. Some, usually the old polytechnics, then franchise these out to colleges to run. I'm not sure that a Uni can franchise out a degree, then have the franchisee re-franchise it to a private concern. There's nothing to stop the Uni doing it direct, but universities have to develop their own degree programmes, and without the interested college involvement, may just not want the hassle. The problem with these kind of things is simply that the students are always going to be squeezed in around the professional use. Not really a problem, but difficult to manage. I'd guess that the reason solid facts are difficult is because the education world moves very slowly. You can either take a chance that you can get accredited/validated by, say, September, and advertise the programme and interview students - but at the last minute there could be a snag, and people have not got a viable course to be on. On top of this, people rarely move away from home to do a BTEC or Diploma at Level 3. Going away to uni on a higher level qualification is a different matter. So where would the typical student come from? It is possible to deliver a BTEC course in a compressed form in less than the usual time - but a two year course in a year, or a less wide one year course in six months is probably pushing it a bit.

 

PLASA are now a proper awarding body for real qualifications, so they could offer courses there - but again, these are longer term qualifications. Short courses are more difficult. The BTEC special one, tried out at Loughborough has gone very quiet. Very short courses, less than a week - say, provided at full cost could be a winner there, as the infrastructure is suitable. I wish them every success - but I'm sure they are finding getting up and running pretty frustrating. I remember well Matthew Griffith from PLASA being pretty shocked to find that in conventional education, the key to putting courses on was being able to fund them, and not that people wanted to go on them. It's nice to see PLASA actually doing it themselves where they can react quicker than the typical college - where timescales always run September to June, and if you miss the start, you just wait a year!

 

I hope this really benefits the people 'up North'.

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Thanks for all the comments. I shall try to give you an update, and a bit more information!

 

1. We are offering a Foundation Degree (equivalent to 2 years of a BA) - we chose the FdA because it enabled a load of industry based people to sit down and make a list of the exact skills and experience we would wish to see in the people we employ - there's a huge difference between this approach and the BA approach.

2. We will be offering a one year top up to the FdA (thus giving you the equivalent of a full degree), together with a post grad option and masters. I hope that full details will be on the website within the next few weeks - things in the education world work at a different pace to our world!

 

Things are taking a while in the current economic climate, but I promise we will get there, and as soon as I know anyting further, then this forum will know!!

 

Thanks

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