Welcome to ClassAction

The Department

Welcome and congratulations – you have chosen to make a commitment to your continuing exploration of performance as a practitioner in ClassAction. Here, the focus is on you as artists, creators, practitioners, thinkers and learners. You will be responsible for creating the best work you can. We will guide and facilitate your progress, work with you, demand that you develop and fulfil your artistic and personal potential as well as raising your academic achievements. We want new thinking, we want to push boundaries and above all we want to take risks. You will be challenged to work to professional standards of collaboration. There are high expectations of students on our courses, but it also offers the opportunity to perform with the best at the very highest level. 

We are sure that you will find the year a rewarding and memorable one. This course of study is full of new demands, but the difficulties should be stimulating rather than discouraging, providing challenges that develop you beyond your limits. We wish you the very best of luck for the year and look forward to working with you to create some ground breaking and original performance art.

Who We Are

To contact us, please do come to the office in the Performing Arts Centre, or use the email contacts on Godalming On-Line.The office telephone number is 01483 411269.

 Andrew Pullen - Head of Department

 Tari More - Tutor of Performing Arts, Drama

 Ryan Stagg - Tutor of Drama, Performing Arts

Nicola Devine - Tutor of Dance, Performing Arts

Spike Barnes - Creative Assistant

Ethos

The formal aims our programmes of study remain the same for every practitioner. The way you achieve those aims will differ from person to person.

1. To promote an enjoyment of and an interest in performance both as a participant and as an informed member of an audience.

2. To extend the skills, knowledge and understanding needed to communicate through your own performance work, encouraging learning and providing access to related careers in the performing arts.

3. To provide a worthwhile, satisfying and complete course of study that broadens experience, demands questioning, develops imagination, fosters creativity and promotes personal and social development.

4. To encourage the appreciation of the significance of social, cultural, political and historical influences on performance practice both past and present.

5. To develop and awareness of the implications of performance (past and present) for the individual and the local, national and international communities.

6. To encourage the development of informed opinions free from prejudicial intolerance. This includes appropriate language. We encourage all practitioners to question the language they employ at all times.

The courses demand practical, analytical, discursive, creative and communication skills in equal measure. You will be required to write about performance and to develop your analytical skills, as you become an informed critic of your own and other’s work. You will take part in productions as well as studying practitioners, performance theory and the social, political and historical context of yours and other’s performance work.

Facilities

You can book all our rehearsal studios during most breaks, lunchtimes and of course after college. To do this, you simply fill in the booking sheet outside each studio. Please note - each group / individual can only book each space once during the week. 

PLEASE ALL NOTE – In signing up for a room, you are accepting that you will be unsupervised and that you are responsible for using equipment in a safe way. If you have not been instructed in safe handling of the equipment do not use it. Exam pieces will take priority – if a tech over-run or tutors need to see a piece I am afraid that takes priority. 

STUDIO 816 - is our main teaching / performance space.
It has a full lighting and sound rig, and a control box. There is a supported Harlequin Floor. 

THE REHEARSAL ROOM / DRESSING ROOM
Is attached to 816 and offers an additional space for rehearsals / discursive work. This space also doubles as a dressing room for productions.
This room also houses the department's costume store. Please note you do not have direct access to the costumes, you must first talk to a member of the department team.

THE SCENE DOCK
Is attached to 816 and houses all our scenery and props. Please note you do not have direct access to the scene dock, you must first talk to a member of the department team.

STUDIO 2 (840)
Is a smaller teaching/performance space on the second floor of the PAC - there is a small lighting rig and a small sound system in this space.

THE COMPUTER SUITE (842)
Houses 15 computers. This space is used for theory lessons, but when not in use can be used by our practitioners for independent study.

THE DANCE STUDIO (511)
Is situated at the back of the Sports Hall. The studio has full air conditioning and a sprung floor and bar to support dance work.

Expectations

As ClassAction practitioners we REQUIRE you to:

1. Work and behave at all times within the ethos and atmosphere of the department, giving equality of time, effort and imagination in line with your colleagues and tutors

2. Regularly attend all lessons punctually, with your notes from previous lessons in a dedicated folder or notebook – you will also need paper and pens/pencils

3. To attend the compulsory visits required for your course of study as directed by your tutors and also to attend as many professional performances as you can in your own time

4. Complete fully and punctually any written or practical assignments as directed by your tutor

5. Spend a considerable amount of your time rehearsing and organising yourselves in practitioner directed group work – (failure to turn up to ANY form of rehearsal will not be tolerated and will result in the same form of disciplinary action as taken over failure to complete work set)

6. Participate enthusiastically in ALL lessons – be prepared to share your ideas and bring independent research and work to the lessons

7. Be sure to read feedback on all work carefully – it will help you improve the standard of your work

In addition, we EXPECT that you:

Treat other members of your class with respect, care and artistic generosity

Behave in a safe and sensible manner at all times but especially during practical work

Become involved in as much extra-curricular performing activities provided by the college, as you reasonably can

You are working as professional practitioners on this course. We ask that you adopt a professional attitude at all times; when you are working as a whole class, in groups or in solo independent work. At all times the work is paramount and you can not see one style of working as less or more than the other.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM US:

A high level of commitment and support

Regular individual tutorials to guide, support and extend your study

We will do our best to aid you in developing your practical skills and analytical understanding of drama and theatre

Every practitioner will receive a regular report on his/her progress through the course

Expert guidance in preparing for and successfully completing your year of study

Return all assignments promptly with helpful feedback

Give you frequent individual feedback on how your work is progressing