Art and Theatre University of Reading

Overview

This Art and Theatre BA degree from the University of Reading enables you to develop a critical understanding of contemporary art and modern theatre. You will have the opportunity to complement your art practice with practical work in theatre.

In Art, you will join a lively and creative community, explore a vast range of media and experiment with emerging art forms. You'll be assigned a dedicated studio space, accessible 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, and a studio tutor who will help you develop your individual and professional practice.

Regular trips to museums and art galleries will prompt thoughts on how art is displayed and received. You will gain professional experience throughout your degree by taking part in your own exhibitions, public art commissions and events. Your teaching staff are all artists, curators and researchers of international standing and will encourage regular exhibitions and open debate.

In theatre studies you will investigate a range of contemporary practices from verbatim to immersive, site specific work and examples of digital technologies in live performance. You can explore theatre from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, covering the work of international and British playwrights such as Samuel Beckett, Caryl Churchill and Sarah Kane.

Practical work complements your critical and theoretical study allowing you to apply what you learn through practice, drawing on the market-leading facilities of the £11.4 million Minghella building, including three theatre spaces, a film and television studio, cutting rooms and audio post-production facilities, and a digital cinema. You will investigate theatre with academics working at the cutting edge of research, and attend performances ranging from popular forms of theatre to performance art.

Placements and collaborations are actively encouraged and there is also the chance to experience life in another country. Opportunities for work-based learning and personal development complement your core learning.

Career opportunities:

• As well as the practical experience gained on this degree our students also graduate with a range of transferable skills, such as self-motivation, time management and strategic thinking. You will have greater self-confidence and become better able to express yourself.
• Many of our graduates develop successful careers as artists, writers and curators. These include a number of famous alumni, such as Turner-prize nominated artists, and PhD students who are award-winning artists and curators at influential museums.
• Others have found employment in galleries, education, art therapy and film and video production. Recent employers include Tate, Whitechapel Gallery, The Burlington Magazine, Christies, Microsoft, and the BBC.
• A number of our graduates continue their studies both with us and at other universities or go into teacher training.