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Performing Arts
Bachelor of Arts
Course Details
CAO Code | AU823 |
---|---|
Level | 7 |
Duration | 3 Years |
CAO Points | 229 (2024) |
Method of Delivery | On-campus |
Campus Locations | Sligo |
Mode of Delivery | Full Time |
Work placement | Yes |
Course Overview
This programme is designed to provide graduates with the skills to work as actors or designers in film, television, or theatre. It also prepares graduates for work in the rapidly expanding stage and screen industries throughout the three years.
Design students develop skills in spatial awareness, visual research, text and character analysis, model-making, costume design, technical drawing and performance design.
Acting students are introduced to the main acting genres, given various approaches to acting, develop vocal and movement skills, and learn how to create characterisation. Students develop as creative individuals and they will also learn to be part of an ensemble. Whilst the training is essentially practical, it is crucial that an actor learns how to intellectually engage with the text and become an informed actor.
By studying this programme, which has been endorsed by the industry, students are choosing to study a degree which is committed to their future employment, which will let them work closely with other would-be developing professionals and which will give them the skills needed for their future in the industry.
Year 1
This foundation year introduces students to the collaborative disciplines essential to making theatre and performance, including acting, theatre design, directing and performance/cultural studies. Theatre design is also known as stage, set or production design. It involves the creation of theatrical, film or television scenery and costumes. Coursework includes acting skills classes, workshops, masterclasses from industry professionals and performances in the university’s Black Box theatre.
Year 2
In the second year, students can specialise in acting or design.
The second year in Acting focuses on various acting skills assessed through performance. Students are exposed to a range of dramatic genres, acting styles, and plays, from the classics through modern to contemporary works, and they explore a range of approaches to acting. Performance Studies introduce students to a variety of visual, literacy, and critical faculties from a range of cultural and historical backgrounds. Plays, films, productions, and live performances are considered from practical and academic contexts.
Students who choose theatre design engage in set, costume and lighting design as a foundation for all industry design practices for stage, screen and TV. Cultural/performance studies introduce students to various visual, literary and critical faculties from various cultural and historical backgrounds.
Year 3
The focus of the Acting modules shifts to considering the relationship between the actor and the audience. Students engage in various performance contexts and spaces outside of the university.
Theatre design students focus on a complete design realisation on a 3D scale, with costume designs and technical drawings (CAD) in collaboration with industry professionals. Students critically engage in theoretical and practical learning across a range of areas, including postmodernism, gender theory, post-dramatic performance and post-colonialism.
Key Skills Students Learn
Acting – Students are exposed to various genres, styles and play texts from the classics, exploring a range of approaches to acting. Students develop a range of skills; vocal, physical, intellectual and emotional, to create characterisation. Students work effectively and creatively in acting through collaboration and participate in a solo showcase and graduation show. Graduates are employable and entrepreneurial self-managing artists in an increasingly diverse profession.
Theatre Design – Students develop skills in performance design disciplines, including visual research and awareness, text and character analysis, spatial exploration, costume design and model-making, technical drawing and imaging for stage and film. The emphasis is on developing imagination, creativity, visual awareness, and interpretive and collaborative skills. Specific disciplines include film, TV, dance, opera, performance art and music video. Students collaborate with professional directors, prepare a portfolio of work, and exhibit it in the graduation exhibition. Students on this programme can apply for a six-month Yeats Design Residency at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, Ireland’s National Theatre.
Cultural Studies – Cultural Studies introduces students to a variety of visual, literacy and critical faculties from a range of cultural and historical backgrounds. The exploration of text to modes of performance is examined, including play texts, film, productions and performance art, and visual and material culture.
Transferable Skills – Students develop generic and transferable skills such as research, critical thinking, analysis, and written and verbal communication. Graduates work both as creative individuals and as part of a team.
YAADA Showcase 2024
Final-year students participate in the Yeats Academy of Arts, Design and Architecture Creative Showcase each year.
New Creative Teaching Hub at ATU Sligo
A new €17million creative teaching hub with state-of-the-art performance facilities opened at ATU Sligo in 2023. These include two large black box theatres/studios, production design studios, costume design studios, computer-aided design and fabrication studios and dance/rehearsal spaces. The facilities make studying Performing Arts at the Yeats Academy of Arts, Design and Architecture an especially rewarding experience that leads to excellent employment prospects in the expanding film, TV and theatre creative industries.
Course Details
Year 1
Semester | Module Details | Credits | Mandatory / Elective |
---|---|---|---|
1 |
Design for Performance 1 – Introduction to Set DesignThis module is designed as an introduction to the role of set design in the production of a play. Using practical workshops learners explore texts to develop awareness of what theatre and performance is. In a studio environment, the learner is guided through the process of designing a play. Learners recognise how to read and interpret plays from a design perspective that will reflect the emotional and imaginative world of the play. Prominence is given to nurturing personal response, and practical exercises are used to express visual language, generate curiosity and foster an imaginative approach to the work. Learning Outcomes 1. recognise the importance of theatre design as an integral part of the collaborative process. 2. use skills of analysis, exploration, researchandinterpretation of written texts in the context of theatre design. |
05 | Mandatory |
1 |
Introduction to Drama and LiteratureThis module introduces students to experience a variety of theatrical and literary forms in the context of culture, performance and representation. Students are typically asked to consider drama, literature, text, and performance from world contexts What is meant by culture? What is literature? What is performance? How do texts and performance signify meaning? What is meant by representation? Cultural and historical contexts, performance spaces and production concerns, are typically examined in an effort to demonstrate the multiple ways in which a text or performance can create meaning. Learning Outcomes 1. identify the relationship between form and content 2. understand the significance of textual and performance contexts 3. understand the range of conditions and ideas which is brought to bear on a text and/or performance to make meaning 4. demonstrate multiple ways in which a text can be produced 5. understand the role of the reader/audience in the context of meaning making 6. demonstrate the role of directors and designers in creating meaning for performance |
05 | Mandatory |
1 |
Studio Skills 1 for Performing ArtsThe students are introduced to basic arts, craft, model making, and simple technical drawing tools with the use of scale. They are guided through the process of building a model box that reflects the performance space which will include textures and colours, and to develop an awareness of the performer's relationship to the theatre space. Preliminary skills in drawing, collage and colour application are introduced that will nurture their visual response. Learning Outcomes 1. Have preliminarymodel making skills and techniquesandwill befamiliar withtools necessary in the theatre design process 2. Demonstrate an understandingof the use of scalein two and three dimensional forms in design for theatre. |
05 | Mandatory |
1 |
Literature: The Critical VoiceThis module focuses on developing a critical voice and introduces learners to live performance, contemporary literature and visual art in order to develop skills in critical analysis. Learners explore a range of theories and methods for analysing and appreciating performance and literature. Learners equipped with a set of concepts and terms with which to critique and evaluate and learn how to structure reviews and conduct interviews. Field trips include theatre festivals, readings and exhibitions. This module aims to develop skills in literary research, performance research, visual research, presentations, literary journalism, theatre journalism, review writing, revision and editing through interactive and practical workshops. Learning Outcomes 1. Understand and evaluate the factors underlying the generation of meaning in writing and performance 2. Critically evaluate and apply vocabulary of literary and performance analysis in seminar discussions and in critical reviews 3. Revise, edit and peer-edit critical reviews |
05 | Mandatory |
1 |
Acting 1 Introduction to ActingThis module is designed to: establish a foundation in acting for stage; introduce the learner to professional work and rehearsal practice; introduce the learner to different approaches and styles of acting; establish team work to form a creative ensemble; explore the preparation process for auditions. Learning Outcomes 1. demonstrate the understanding of the requirements of the theatre practitioner’s professional conduct – attendance, punctuality, commitment, discipline, reliability, concentration, readiness to work, management of personal workload |
05 | Mandatory |
1 |
Voice and Movement 1Learning Outcomes 1. Apply skills in Voice in a variety of contexts in order to develop creativity as an actor. 2. Apply skills in movement in a variety of contexts in order to develop creativity as an actor. 3. Demonstrate the ability to work both autonomously and collaboratively in order to develop professional practice. 4. Take responsibility for the development and assessment of own professional skills |
05 | Mandatory |
2 |
Introduction to Technical TheatreMounting a theatrical production is essentially teamwork, teamwork which depends on the creativity of administrators and craftspeople, performers, directing staff and stage crew. This module allow the student to begin to explore this process whilst also focusing on the technical aspects of the theatre environment and certain aspects of stage management. An introduction to stage management in the performing arts. The learner explores the roles of stage manager and technician in the production and running of a stage performance, and teaches the practical skills of stage management and technical control. Topics include script analysis, schedules, cue markings and prompt scripts, organisational requirements, using stage equipment, technical rehearsals and show calling. Learning Outcomes 1. have an understanding of the use of aprompt copy, which defines actors’ movements and calls, technical cues, scenic elements, and props 2. be familiar with the role of the stage manager inthe various stages of a production process. 3. develop the skill of script analysis for technical/production information 4. understand the production needs of the rehearsal process 5. develop an understanding of the cue system inherent in staging a script 6. demonstrate an understanding of OH&S issues and take appropriate actions where necessary. 7. demonstrate a familiarity with the configuration and operation of the lighting, sound & multimedia equipment found in a modern theatre /performance space. |
05 | Mandatory |
2 |
Digital Media for Performing Arts 1This is an introduction to digital media and its developing role in all aspects of creativity. The students will learn the history and evolution of digital media, in particular focusing on the impact it has upon the creative industries. The students are introduced to basic skills in both the productive and creative uses of technology. They will learn how best to utilise the College resources as well as the internet in their research and practice. Practical workshops in digital photography is introduced and the students are expected to produce a range of work and commence participation in various online communities. Learning Outcomes 1. understand the role of digital technology in the evolution of culture. |
05 | Mandatory |
2 |
Design for Performance 2 – Introduction to Costume DesignThis module is an introduction to costume design and its role in the process of making theatre. Texts and characters are explored through collaborative exercises to inform the process of designing costumes. Preliminary skills in researching visual material and techniques in costume design rendition are introduced. Learners recognise the technical requirements of the actor as well as reflecting on character in terms of costume. Practical workshops in costume cutting/making skills may be introduced. The viability of the individual designs may be tested in a devised performance piece. Learning Outcomes 1. understand and appreciate the role of costume in the Performing Arts |
05 | Mandatory |
2 |
Greek TheatreThis module introduces learners to Greek theatre. Works by the three major Athenian Playwrights – Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides – will be studied in terms of their social, cultural and political contexts. Lectures will introduce elements of tragedy, myth, and legend and how these are manipulated by the playwrights in some of the following works: Iphigenia at Aulis, the Oresteia, Medea, The Trojan Women, Antigone, Electra, The Bacchae. Tutorial discussions and work will focus on how these texts have spoken to audiences at different historical moments and the cultural function they perform. Learning Outcomes 1. Understand and discuss the form and structure of Greek tragedy and the conventions of ancient theatre |
05 | Mandatory |
2 |
Introduction to Directing 1This introductory module asks learners to consider the idea of a director/direction/directing. The module introduces learners to the foundations of direction as a collaborative process, encouraging them to develop basic skills, capacities and attitudes for effective interdisciplinary co‑authored work. Learners acquire an overview of the role, function and demands of directing/direction. Students get to explore key theatre directors, such as Stanislavsky, Brecht and Meyerhold for example, in an effort to examine different approaches to directing. Learning Outcomes 1. develop ways of exploring and communicating with fellow creative collaborators to develop a shared understanding of aplay forperformance 2. explore scenesfrom the perspectives of the different disciplines involved in the creation of a performed work 3. acquire a basic understanding of the collaborative processes involved in directing scenes for performance 4. experience the practical evolution of a scene from a play to its performance 5. To develop an understanding of live performance |
05 | Mandatory |
2 |
Acting 2 Actors Work on TextThis module is designed to introduce learners to text-based acting and to provide them with the experience of working with a play text from page to stage from the actor's point of view. Learners will be introduced to methods and techniques that an actor needs to work on play texts to create characters and develop professional work and rehearsal practice skills. Learning Outcomes 1. apply appropriate professional conduct of a theatre practitioner to build a working ensemble |
05 | Mandatory |
Year 2
Semester | Module Details | Credits | Mandatory / Elective |
---|---|---|---|
1 |
Film StudiesThis module introduces learners to the history of film within the wider cultural, aesthetic, and technological movements/contexts of the 20th and 21st centuries. Learners will study key filmmakers such as D.W. Griffith, Sergei Eisenstein, Leni Riefenstahl, Vittorio, de Sica, Akira Kurosawa, Orson Welles, Lars Von Trier, Paul Thomas Anderson, Paul Haggis, Haifaa-alMansour, Kathryn Bigelow, Alejandro González Iñárritu, for example. Learners introduced to terms and concepts for "reading" of film and to key movements in cinematic history. Learning Outcomes 1. apply the terms and concepts of film studies to analysis of film text |
05 | Mandatory |
1 |
Visual and Material Culture 1 (Introduction & Historical Survey)VMC1 comprises an introductory survey to varying aspects of Western Art, Architecture & Design and visual/material culture from Classical times to the advent of Modernism in the early 20th Century. The course is thematic in nature but the broader contexts of production, consumption and reception are major considerations in the evaluation and analysis of images, artefacts, architectural structures, Interior Design and performance/media-based work. Learning Outcomes 1. Recognise the importance of historical, social and cultural conditions that relate to an exploration of visual and material culture in general and the fields ofart, design, media and architecture in particular. 2. Understand how art/design/media & architectural culture changes with context. 3. Explorethe use and application of relevantcritical and theoretical terms and vocabularies relevant to the discipline-specific field and/or area. 4. Apply basic research processes and strategiesand identify suitable research sources for the analysis of discipline-specific artefacts, pieces, media and/orstructures. 5. Identify relevant historical periods, styles and cultural, scientific and technological timelines when engaging in visual interpretations and use this material intheir own project/studio work. |
05 | Mandatory |
1 |
Experimental Literature, Drama and WritingEmerging from the twilight of the 19th century, experimental artists revolted against traditional aesthetic boundaries in search of more fundamental forms of creative expression. This module introduces learners to a variety of poets, directors, playwrights and novelists who shattered contemporary rules by creating their own. Learners will be given an overview of the history of experimental writing generally related to the literary movements of Dada, Surrealism, Literature of the Absurd, Le Nouveau Roman, Oulipo, magic realism, speculative fiction, fabulist fiction and bizarro fiction. The module will examine structural, stylistic and thematic innovations including the use of non-sequitur, parataxis, collage, absurd situations, anti-heroes/heroines, ironic bathos, cut-up techniques, stream-of-consciousness, hybrid discourse, genre mashing, alternate cultures, hyperbole, unconventional syntax, fragmented narration and metafiction. Learning Outcomes 1. Identify and analyse avant-garde, innovative or experimental practices ina range of literary work. 2. Develop his or her own experimental practice in one or more genres studied for this module. 3. Write an accompanying reflective essay exploring the nature of the avant-garde and explaining why their work can be defined as experimental orinnovative. 4. Examine the theory, philosophyand tradition of experimental literature, drama and writing. |
05 | Mandatory |
2 |
Acting 4. Acting Techniques and StylesThis module is designed to develop practical and intellectual skills to explore a wide range of acting techniques, styles and genres. Research, rehearsal and performance of 20th century texts enable the student to develop the ability to create a believable characterisation in different acting styles and demonstrate a functional knowledge of the systems and theories which inform them: realism, epic theatre and the theatre of the absurd. Learning Outcomes 1. adhere to the professional requirements of a theatre practitioner |
05 | Mandatory |
1 |
Voice and Movement 2This practical module focuses on enhancing students' physical, spatial and vocal awareness through a series of technical exercises designed to cultivate professional skills in voice and movement. Throughout the module, students will develop and refine various physical and vocal techniques and principles, applying these skills to solo/duet/group compositional studies for performance. Students are encouraged to assess their individual progress, integrating feedback, reflection and research into their learning process. Learning Outcomes 1. Apply voice and movement techniques in warm-ups and training development. 7. Synthesise vocal and movement techniques in selected projects. |
10 | Mandatory |
1 |
Voice and Movement 2This is a practical voice and movement module aimed at increasing physical, spatial and vocal awareness and grounded in the ongoing development of the student through technical exercises aimed at developing professional skills in voice and movement. Students will be expected to develop a series of techniques and principles both physical and vocal, and assess their individual progress as well as apply techniques to solo composition study, oral literature (poetry, drama), rehearsals and performance. Learning Outcomes 1. Understand and apply voice and movement techniques to develop appropriate warm-ups and training skills. 2. Demonstrate increased self-awareness of use of voice, body and space as a performer. 3. Integratevariety of vocal/physical techniques in the context of performance. 4. Apply vocal techniques (resonance, pitch, tone, colour, projection, breath support/control, posture, alignment etc.) to chosen texts. 5. Apply and embody elements of compositionaldevices and structureinto the creative process of Solo Composition study. 6. Use reflective journaling and researched topic to develop practical skills and self-awareness. |
05 | Mandatory |
1 |
Technical Theatre 2 (Production)A further exploration of the practice of stage management and technical production in the performing arts. The learner explores the roles of production manager, technical manager and stage manager in the production and running of a stage performance. It teaches the practical skills of technical/stage management in collaboration with other students in a fully realised production situation. Topics include technical script analysis, scheduling, cue markings and prompt scripts, organisational requirements, technical rehearsals, digital theatre technologies, show calling and technical operation. Working collaboratively will be key to this module. Learning Outcomes 1. Prepare and manage a prompt copy, which defines actors’ movements and calls,technical cues, stage elements, props and moving scenery. 3. Be able to analyse and interpret the script, plans, models and designs for all relevant technical and production information. |
05 | Mandatory |
2 |
Directing 2This module is designed to further develop the interdisciplinary nature involved in the process of creating theatre. It enables learners to develop methodologies in the context of visual and material culture which define directorial approaches from a range of possibilities through shared experiences. It provides the learner with practical experience working with peers in small groups. Learners will explore 20th century key theatre and visual art movements and examine dominant influences to inform and enhance their development. They will further develop directing skills in terms of approaches to the technical aspects of theatre production (sound and lighting design) and develop a deeper understanding of the complete theatrical language of live performance. Their individual responses to conanical 20th century texts will be developed. Learning Outcomes 1. recognise the interdisciplinary and collaborative nature of creating a work of theatre/performance |
05 | Mandatory |
2 |
Modernism in Drama and LiteratureThis module introduces students to twentieth-century modern literature, including poetry, plays and novels. Writers include W.B. Yeats, T.S. Eliot, Ezra Pound, John Keats, Franz Kafka, Virginia Woolf, Adrienne Rich, Derek Walcott, Mary Shelley, Percy Shelley, E.M. Forster, Samuel Beckett, Luigi Pirandello and James Joyce for example. Changes in science, industry, technology, mass production, urbanisation as well as approaches to religion are examined. Issues of gender, identity, culture and politics are explored. The practical aspect of this module requires learners to work with primary and secondary level students using a selection of modern texts as the foundation for ideas for a series of workshops they will organise and carry out. Learning Outcomes 1. critically examine a range of texts from a modernist context 2. understand the diverse trends surrounding modernism 3. develop team working skills which will practically demonstrate modernism in seminars and workshops 4. carry out a series of workshops using modernist texts as their inspiration 5. Become familiar with the artistic philosophies of modernist writers |
05 | Mandatory |
2 |
Facilitation and DramaThis module introduces learners to facilitation strategies and provides opportunity to practically apply techniques in workshop environment. Emphasis is on the facilitation process and acquisition of skills, culminating in the structuring and delivery of facilitated workshops to primary and secondary school students. Theories of applied theatre and practical facilitation methodologies explored. Learners develop collaborative skills, planning and designing the workshop in self-directed teams, and they learn strategies for creative thinking inspiring others in storytelling whether it is visual, dramatic or storytelling through words. Learning Outcomes 1. Outline and communicate strategies/techniques for facilitating others |
05 | Mandatory |
1 |
Acting 3 Playing Heightened and Poetic TextThis module is designed to enable the learner to develop the ability to create a believable characterisation through the medium of heightened or poetic text. Learning Outcomes 1. adhere to the professional requirements of a theatre practitioner |
05 | Mandatory |
2 |
Physical TheatrePhysical Theatre introduces students to the physical work of the actor and the world of professional, specialised actor training. Predominately practical in nature, it challenges the student to adopt the body as their sole means of expression thereby heightening awareness of the need to train the body and regard it as a powerful and under-utilised tool of the contemporary actor. Learning Outcomes 1. use the body as a mode of expression and a starting point toward its mastery in performance |
05 | Mandatory |
2 |
Improvisation for ActorsA practical module that explores a range of processes and approaches to devising theatre for the stage and other contexts. Students will develop the skills to initiate, explore, develop and notate a devised show. They will move from initial ideas to final product through a series of exploratory workshops. Learning Outcomes 1. Understand the dramaturgical variables necessary for structuring a devised project. 6. Understand through movement/dance that the body is the site of improvisation. |
05 | Mandatory |
Year 3
Semester | Module Details | Credits | Mandatory / Elective |
---|---|---|---|
1 |
Live Art and PerformanceIn this module learners investigate "Live Art" practices and create original works/happenings that integrate performance, installation, music, media arts and socially engaged practices. Performance history approached from non theatrical methods such as Surrealist, Dadist, Futurist, Fluxus, Situationist and resistant performance movements including Punk and postmodern performance. Module explores history and theory of the avant garde in visual and performance art and explores how performance and installation provoke and implicate the viewer, address the location specifically and perform a cultural/political intervention. Use of the photo/digital image from 1980s into the 21st century studied in reference to identity and cultural politics. Artists explored might include, Laurie Anderson, Pina Bausch, Joseph Beuys, Christo, Gilbert & George, Piero Manzoni, Andres Serrano, Cindy Sherman, Robert Wilson. Learning Outcomes 1. identify, delineate and operate in a contested space |
05 | Mandatory |
1 |
Directing 3 – postmodern theatreDirecting 3 explores postmodern theatre directing, bringing together critical theory and contemporary theatre practice to provide valuable tools for directing in today's expansive performance world. Postmodern theatre places new and novel demands on stage directors. It is more experimental, and the boundaries of what constitutes a performance have shifted. Dialogue is no longer always the primary mode of communication, and music, sound, movement, and other visual elements will be explored as ways to make meaning onstage. Learners will develop skills across relevant creative disciplines and inter-disciplinary practices in a highly collaborative environment. Using visual and cultural research, demonstrations and presentations, learners will reflect on a variety of approaches to the development of theatre by key practitioners and dominant forces, including e.g. Meyerhold, Brecht, Beckett, Artaud, Wilson, Foreman, Mitchell and others. Learning Outcomes 1. Learners will have an understanding of the dominant forces of theory and practice in the development of theatre in a postmodern world 2. Learners will explore the interchange between performance and e.g. visual art, movement, theatre, writing, sound, multi-media and so on,in a collaborative environment. 3. Learners will have an understanding of the dynamics of space and how spacial principles inform all aspects of postmodern performance. 4. Learners will examine various sign-systems that can be manipulated by directors to bring about ‘meaningful’ communication in a postmodern context. 5. Learners will know the process of transforming a playscript or concept into a living postmodern performance. |
05 | Mandatory |
1 |
Postmodernism in Drama and LiteratureThis module explores the intellectual history of postmodernism, and will consider a range of postmodern styles, political contexts and aesthetic practices for literature and performance. The module examines the work of theatre companies, productions, designers, writers, philosophers and plays in an effort to explore how postmodern performance practice encapsulates some of the definitions of the postmodern and how this transforms the theatrical, performance and literature landscape. Learning Outcomes 1. Understand the various generic and formal manifestations of postmodernism in writing practices including poetry, fiction and the dramatic arts 2. Examine the problematic conceptual history of postmodernism 3. critique a range of writing and performance media from the postmodern framework 4. understand the visual potential of photography, painting, lighting, colour, mood; or the impact of devising, the internet facebook and secondlife on the postmodern moment 5. investigate the impact of postmodernism on issues such as gender, cultural identity, violence, nationhood and power for example |
05 | Mandatory |
1 |
Voice and Movement 3This module aims to provide students with the capacity to analyse and evaluate their individual vocal, physical and emotional inhibitors. They will work with appropriate vocal and physical exercises and techniques, applying them to text and choreography to develop creative and original responses. They will be expected to design and deliver appropriate warm-ups, increase self-awareness and perform to a high professional standard. Learning Outcomes 1. Devise and delivervocal and physical warm-ups that focus on the physical, technical, emotional, and psychicneeds of a given role. 2. Use the body and voice effectively in a creative, imaginative, expressive way, appropriately synthesising training in both voice and movement. 3. Explore and apply presentedphysical and vocal principlesto create appropriate individual and group responses to creative stimuli and complicity. 4. Perform with spontaneity, physical, psychic, emotional and vocal clarity, playfulness, awareness of space, dynamic, rhythm, empathy and presence. 5. Advance their intellectual, emotional and performance competencies through actively changing acquired physical, vocal and psychological habits, reflective journalling and integratingthe training process into their professional and personal lives. 6. Apply, compose and evaluatetools of improvisation and compositional devices within the creative process and performanceofduet/trio composition study. 7. Utilize research and appropriate literature to support and extend their knowledge of voiceand movement training. |
05 | Mandatory |
1 |
Acting 5 (for Production)Year 3 seeks to integrate the ensemble focus of Year 1 and the learners' individual development of Year 2 into a coherent rehearsal and performance practice. Students will prepare for and rehearse a full-length play and perform it to an audience. Learning Outcomes 1. demonstrate a high level of professional conduct 8. document, reflect on and evaluate the creative process and personal progression |
10 | Mandatory |
2 |
Acting to CameraThis module considers the application of the actor's technique to the business of acting to camera. It will also explore the shift in screen acting practise and philosophy around motion capture and acting to absent places or characters. It will look at how performers and visual and special effects crew work together to produce work of aesthetic value and verisimilitude in an industrial system of technological reproduction. Learning Outcomes 1. Demonstrate an understanding of the vernacular of film making terminology pertaining to the actors relationship to the camera 2. Demonstrate a competency in the art of self taping for audition. 3. Demonstrate an ability to deliver a believable performance under highly artificial circumstances.(Green screen, Composite image) 4. Choose and use the acting tool most appropriate to the acting circumstance (Draw fromChekhov Technique/Suzuki/Viewpoints/Stanislavsky Method) |
05 | Mandatory |
2 |
Acting 6 Acting for production 2In this module the learner will develop, participate in a process, and perform a small number of solo/small group performances around given themes or texts. The learner is guided through an autonomous yet collaborative creative process that will serve to demonstrate the skills acquired throughout the course and further the development of the learner as a competent theatre practitioner, demonstrating their creative individuality and autonomous skill base as an emerging artist. The learner will demonstrate a clear understanding of the theoretical underpinning of their process and engage in theorised practice. Learning Outcomes 1. demonstrate competencies as an autonomous yet collaborative practitioner 2. display an embodied understanding of one or more tool from the Michael Chekov technique 3. have developed a portfolio of performance (monologue/duologue/group piece) 4. demonstrate a number of technical skills in he areas of lighting /sound/set/ stage management 5. apply the Chekhov technique of the Psychological Gesture to one or more of the pieces developed. |
10 | Mandatory |
2 |
Semester 6 – Creative Writing PracticeCreative Writing Practice will introduce writers to a range of writing, reading, and editing, including playwriting, short story writing and poetry. Learners will gain confidence in the craft and technique of writing as well as establishing their own voice. Learners will be challenged to play, experiment and take risks in their work. Learning Outcomes 1. write a bite-size play 2. write a piece of flash fiction 3. Write a poem – a haiku/a sonnet/a poem in free verse 4. Examine the craft and technique of various forms of writing 5. Produce samples of writing which mimicwell established writing styles 6. Read a diverse amount of writing across a range of genre |
05 | Mandatory |
2 |
Lighting Design and Digital TheatreThis module introduces learners to lighting design and digital technologies used in the theatre. The aim of this module is to provide opportunities for learners to develop skills in technical design practices for performance. Learners will participate in an individual and/or group project related to the performing arts and will also be advised to take an approved work placement relevant to the field. Learning experiences available include the opportunity to design, plan and deliver a collaborative and inter-disciplinary creative project over the duration of the semester working with other students and with visiting professionals. Field trips are arranged to nurture investigative and research skills. Students learn how to encounter a physical performance space and its technical facilities, using computer controlled lighting boards, robotic lighting instruments and audio visual projection. Learning Outcomes 1. undertake a project that will develop technical abilities as a designer and creative practitioner 2. have reflected on the interchange between theatre, performance,art, film, digital media and other disciplines 3. further develop digital and media skills 4. explore the use of lighting design as a creative element in the dramaturgy of a performance 5. have enhanced awareness of theatre and interdisciplinary disciplines through contemporary use of digital technologies and explore the wider landscape of performance related technical disciplines 6. demonstrate best practice in productivity, time management and planning for the technical requirements of lighting and digital design |
10 | Mandatory |
Progression
Graduates may progress to the final year of our Level 8 BA (Hons) in Performing Arts (AU931).
Upon completion of the Level 8 degree, graduates may continue to a Higher Diploma in Education, Master of Arts, Professional Masters of Education (PME), MPhil in Theatre and Performance, or embark on a PhD. Graduates may also study the Master of Arts in Creative Practice here at ATU Sligo.
Download a prospectus
Entry Requirements
Leaving Certificate Entry Requirement | 5 subjects at O6/H7 English or Irish at O6/H7 Maths not required |
QQI/FET Major Award Required | Any |
Additional QQI/FET Requirements | None |
Garda Vetting | Entrants to this programme will be required to undergo vetting by An Garda Síochána. |
Testimonial
“I’ve worked on shows such as Riverdance, Hamilton (when it was off Broadway at The Public Theatre) and Be More Chill (Broadway and The West End). I then moved into TV and film, working on shows such as The Hunger Games, Orange Is The New Black, The OA, Krypton, Dublin Murders and The Queens Gambit. I now live in Berlin and work for Lionsgate.”
Darren Mc Granaghan
Performing Arts graduate and currently working for Lionsgate, Berlin
“My qualification has allowed me to build great connections with many other people working in the Arts. I gained priceless skills which I have used to build and maintain my theatre company.”
Treasa Nealon
Performing Arts graduate and now a Theatre Maker/Actor at Rabbit’s Riot Theatre Company
“The programme is brilliant! It was everything I expected and more. Class sizes are small, so you get to know your classmates and lecturers. The lecturers are amazing and always there to provide support and encouragement. Everyone studies a common first year, which is great for people unsure if they prefer acting or theatre design. You make great connections and get opportunities to work with top professionals from the industry”
Caoimhe Cassidy
Performing Arts student
“The best thing about this programme is you learn so much academically and personally. The modules in first year are very varied, no two days are the same. It is a different style of learning, something you cannot learn from any textbook. The programme is challenging but very rewarding. The lecturers are a huge support. Performing Arts in ATU Sligo will increase your confidence without you realising it, all whilst you learn transferable skills for many workplaces.”
Stacey Flaherty
Performing Arts student
Fees
Total Fees EU: €3000
This annual student contribution charge is subject to change by Government. Additional tuition fees may apply. Click on the link below for more information on fees, grants and scholarships.
Total Fees Non-EU: €12000
Subject to approval by ATU Governing Body (February 2025)
Further information on feesCareers
Graduates work as actors, designers, teachers and facilitators in the performing arts and creative industries. Our graduates work for some major production companies across the film, TV and theatre industries. They have worked as actors and designers on big productions, including Normal People, Orange is the New Black, Game of Thrones, The Queens Gambit, The Young Offenders, Finding Joy and on Broadway and West End productions.
Irelands screen production sector has more than doubled in the last decade, with major streaming giants using Ireland for productions. Globally, the screen industry is transforming at an unprecedented rate as on-demand streaming has increased significantly. Companies such as Netflix, Amazon, and Apple TV continue to escalate production schedules to respond to the public appetite for home entertainment.
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T: +353 (0)71 931 8510
E: admissions.sligo@atu.ie
Yeats Academy of Arts, Design & Architecture