Theatre and Film

If you love theatre and film, you can study them both in depth on the only course of its kind in Scotland.  Our innovative BA (Hons) in Theatre and Film combines theory and practice to prepare you for a flourishing career in the creative industries.

And…ACTION! Film and theatre are thriving industries, creatively and commercially. They are also increasingly interconnected, with many professionals establishing flourishing careers across both fields. We recognise that the creative landscape of the future demands this type of flexible, multidisciplinary insight, which is why we designed a course that gives you the confidence and skills you need to enter careers in theatre, film, teaching, and professions that demand communication and creativity. You can future-proof your career by taking full advantage of a flexible, tailored course designed for your unique journey.

On this course you will:

• have the unique opportunity to study theatre, film and everything in-between, to prepare yourself for a future-proof career in an increasingly interconnected creative landscape;

• learn about the histories of theatre and film, and examine the key critical, cultural and political debates that shape them;

• discover the practicalities of theatre and film-making, from scriptwriting to directing and production, across genres and forms; and

• take advantage of industry-focused learning, exploring the economics and management of the creative industries, with insight into funding, freelancing and creative entrepreneurship.

Course Modules

Year One

You will:

• gain a broad understanding of how theatre and film work as forms and as creative industries; and

• start your theatre and film making journey.

You will study the following modules:

• Film Histories

• Introduction to Theatre Production

• Creative Practice: Visual Storytelling

• The Origins of Theatre

• Analysing Texts and Performance

• Creative Practice-Fiction Filmmaking

Year Two

You will:

• dive deep into the histories and theories of theatre and film; and

• continue your theatre and film-making journey by exploring documentary making and the use of new technologies in your practice.

You will study the following modules:

• Film Genre

• Transformations in UK Theatre

• Creative Practice: Researching Documentary

• Creative Writing and New Technologies

• 20th and 21st Century Scottish Theatre

• Creative Practice-Documentary Filmmaking

Year Three

You will:

• explore the most recent debates and ideas in global film and theatre making;

• get insight into the intricacies of working in the creative industries;

• tailor your own learning journey by choosing from a vast list of optional modules designed to respond to your career ambitions and pathways. These include modules in scriptwriting, playwriting, directing, photography, socially-applied art, creative business, feminist film and media, radio, teaching, theatre and film production, and more; and

• have the opportunity (subject to availability) to study for one semester at a university overseas. For more information, visit Exchanges and Study Abroad.

You will study the following modules:

• Current Debates in Performance Theory

• Designing Research Projects

• Global Film Cultures

• Plus two elective modules of your choice*.

Year Four

You will:

• look at the intersection relationship between theatre and film in a core module on Adaptation: Stage and Screen;

• tailor your own learning journey by choosing from a vast list of optional modules designed to respond to your career ambitions and pathways. These include modules in scriptwriting, playwriting, directing, photography, socially-applied art, creative business, feminist film and media, radio, theatre and film production, and more; and

• create your dissertation project: this can be a practical project (ie a film, a documentary, a script, a performance), or it can be a theoretical project (a dissertation essay).

You will study the following modules:

• Adaptation: Stage and Screen

• Dissertation Project

• Plus three elective modules of your choice*.

*Year Three and Four elective modules

In Years Three and Four, you will have the option to choose five elective modules in total from a vast range on offer, allowing you to pursue your interests, develop an area of specialisation and work towards your own career goals. Options include:

• Photography and Visual Culture

• Film and the Family

• Experiential Learning Placement

• Film and Feminism

• The Only Way is Ethics: Art, Participation and Ethics

• Communication, Arts and Activism

• Short Filmmaking

• Digital Cultural and Society

• Screenwriting

• Filmmaking: Pre-Production

• Playwriting

• Drama in Education

• Staging the 20th Century

• Digital Performance for Social Change

• Working in Performance Archives

• Film Festivals

• Now That’s What I Call the 90s

• Food in Film and Media

• Women, Film and Media

• Radio and Audio Media

• Photography Practice

• The Video Essay

• Eastern Philosophies and Popular Culture

• The Business of Creativity

• Student-Initiated Module

• Advanced Theatre Production

• Writing for Aural Media

• Creative Learning and the Community

• Directing, Designing and Performing Contemporary Plays

• Directing, Designing and Performing Shakespeare

• Arts Funding in Its Policy Context

You learn through lectures, seminars, individual work and group work, where you will be producing a range of performance events and production material. Assessment methods include portfolios, presentations, essays, short films, screenwriting and playwriting, amongst others.