BA (Hons) Stage Management
Q & A with Antonia Collins, Ian Evans and Daz James -
The Stage Management Team
What are you looking for in your
students?
Our undergraduate course represents an outstanding
opportunity for students with an interest in, and flair for, stage
management. We see a great number of students apply each year but
it is those with a genuine desire to make it in the industry that
we will help train to become tomorrow's leading industry
professionals. Our aim is to take the most talented individuals out
of the relative comfort of their previous experiences, to challenge
their attitudes, and to furnish them with new techniques. We
provide one of the most intense, dynamic and thorough courses
available, and we create highly capable stage managers, event
managers and technicians.
How many places are available?
We usually recruit twenty students each year. The course is
unashamedly difficult but students are supported from the outset by
RWCMD's passionate tutors who help them to identify specific areas
of interest and areas for improvement, and to develop career
focussed opportunities. The intimate numbers on our course enable
us to get to know each student and help shape them into the
graduate they want to be - all different, all highly capable, but
all ready for work.
What makes this course different from other stage
management courses?
Students come to RWCMD with strong aspirations of becoming world
class practitioners. One of the unique features of our programme is
that we give students the opportunity to fulfil those dreams whilst
at the same time opening their eyes to the complete range of stage
management fields. Staff at RWCMD work closely with the students to
develop their specialisms with a view to long term career
development. In this way students are able to shape the course in
their own way over the three years.
We also believe that the level of support that is available,
both from the college and from fellow students, is particularly
high. There is a real sense of community amongst the students, the
academic staff and the graduates of the department.
Every year RWCMD stages 15 drama, musical and opera productions
held at the college's own venues and at external venues including
The Sherman Theatre (Cardiff), Chapter Arts Centre (Cardiff)
Weston Studio (Wales Millennium Centre) and the Royal Court in
London. The Stage Management Department at RWCMD plays much more
than merely a supporting role for each of the 15 performances.
We run independently whilst at the same time complementing the
activities of the Acting, Theatre Design and Music programmes. This
means that RWCMD has successfully built a reputation for producing
both traditional and innovative dynamic performances.
The College also runs a venue at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe
and regularly visits the Picolo Theatre Festival in Milan.
Stage Management students also undertake work experience
placements at a number of high profile venues and productions
throughout the UK. In 2010 this included the Royal Court,
Almeida, Donmar Warehouse and the Globe. This exposes our
students to a variety of situations from which they can draw
experience in the future.
What professional opportunities can Cardiff
offer?
The opportunities are not limited to Cardiff, or indeed Wales.
The Stage Management programme at RWCMD is vocationally based and
as such we work closely with external production companies,
agencies and events based throughout the UK and beyond. RWCMD
enjoys an excellent reputation for student retention, student
satisfaction and student employment and our graduates are desirable
to potential employers throughout the world, in a number of
disciplines. The opportunities for our students to gain experience
are extensive and this is reflected in the success of our past
students.
Do you have any final words of advice?
If you are serious about a career in stage management
all we can say is come and have a look at what we have to
offer. Experience the campus, spend a day in Cardiff, speak to
us and the students here - and then decide where you want to
be studying.