Feeds:
U/RTA – NOW AN INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION
It felt like it took only an instant. A unanimous vote of the Board of Directors on July 23rd suddenly made U/RTA an international association of graduate training programs from around the country, and now from overseas. In fact, it took close to two years, and happened after 42 years of U/RTA history. Sometimes patience is required.
The program to break the barrier is the East 15 Acting School, associated with the University of Essex, and located on the Loughton Campus, thirty minutes by tube (read subway) from central London and West End theatres. East 15 is distinct from other professional programs in the United Kingdom by virtue of offering two Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degrees, one in Acting and the other in Directing (the MA being the standard terminal, or professional degree throughout Europe). A member of UK’s Conference of Drama Schools, East 15 was established some 45 years ago out of the legendary Theatre Workshop started by the equally legendary director/actress Joan Littlewood (directed and starred in the British premier of Mother Courage and Her Children, produced/directed The Hostage, A Taste of Honey, Oh, What a Lovely War! and more).
East 15’s MFA Acting (International) is designed specifically for non-UK students and recently could boast representation from 15 different countries. The diversity this provides within the learning environment is remarkable, as students bring together their unique cultural ideas and influences. However, what they all share is a demanding professional training program. The core curriculum includes acting, voice, movement and singing, supplemented with between six and eight hours a week dedicated to voice-articulation, practical dialect and additional studio work. Students rehearse and perform a number of productions with leading directors, have the chance to study at one of East 15’s affiliated programs in Moscow, as well as enjoy extended opportunities to perform in productions on and off campus including in a professional London theatre.
The MFA in Theatre Directing at East 15 is one of the most established directing programs in the UK. It is professional in outlook and almost entirely practical, with a rich mixture of workshops, exercises and projects, seminars with visiting directors, and optional offerings at the GITIS Institute in Moscow and in Eastern Theatre traditions in Bali. The program teaches the craft of directing for the stage while pushing each student to interrogate the role of the theatre director in a contemporary global society. As with Acting, there is an international perspective to the program, and graduates run theatres, teach directing, or work as freelance directors across five continents.
“East 15 more than met the criteria shared by U/RTA member institutions,” stated U/RTA Executive Director Scott Steele. “On top of which they proved very concretely the ability of their American graduates to transition into a professional network back in the United States after several years training in Great Britain. They addressed concerns that were unique to reviewing an international program.”
The performing arts have always been far in advance of most other sectors in globalization. It’s easy to recall the many directors, actors, dancers, playwrights, musicians and other artists who have internationalized and enriched their own and others’ cultures. And globalization among the arts has done no harm, unlike the comparatively recent globalization of economies and banks. However, professional training has not always kept pace. Yes, many American programs offer optional semesters for studying abroad, often in Moscow and/or London. And several U/RTA member American schools share East 15’s commitment to an international diversity among students. But, the sharing of goals, criteria and even recruiting rules among schools in separate countries has been rare to nonexistent.
The point being that American actors and directors are no longer in training with the single idea that they will take their place in the creative ranks of LORT companies across the country. The artist is more than ever an individual entrepreneur, putting together a career consisting of many pieces, some of which will feature work around the world. And then there’s film, television, the Internet, and media yet to be identified, which know no borders. Schools recruiting internationally in each other’s back yards must associate, cooperate and, dare we say, coordinate, or face increasing student frustration and decreasing participation.
“East 15’s membership in U/RTA is a very important event,” said Mr. Steele. “They will certainly enrich the association, and U/RTA’s members and services are of tremendous value to them. And it’s terrific to be able to offer candidates looking at graduate training through U/RTA the chance to see and be seen by an accomplished school like East 15. It’s an exciting development and perhaps just the beginning of international membership for us.”
For more info about U/RTA, please visit www.urta.com
| < Prev Article | Next Article > |
|---|
