The BA Theatre Production Degree at The Guildford School of Acting has intergrated the ABTT Bronze Award into its programme. Students will now have the opportunity to gain not only a Bachelor of Arts degree, but to also achieve the accredited ABTT Bronze Award (SCQF Level 7). This partnership further supports the commitment “to bridge the gap between industry and education” in the GSA Theatre Production course.
Mig Burgess, ABTT Trustee, lighting teacher and newly appointed Theatre Production Programme Leader has spent her career at GSA working closely to forge strong industry links, organising a variety of projects and events that link her students with manufacturers, hire companies and industry bodies.
“I am so proud and excited to formally announce the intergration of the ABTT Bronze Award into the core teaching of our production course here at GSA. As a teacher who still very much works as a lighting professional, keeping current industry links and practice at the heart of the curriculum is something that I will forever advocate. I am so excited for the students who will not only study the 5 core modules of the Bronze Award alongside their degree, but will also be more closely linked with the ABTT and the vastly experienced pool of professional members it has.”
GSA’s Theatre Production course begins with a comprehensive introduction to core subjects in technical theatre, lighting, sound, video, stage management and construction and scenic arts, students are also introduced to production design. In the second year, students pick a specialist pathway to study further in more detail. Vocational production work is at the heart of GSA’s Theatre production teaching, and across each of the 3 years students participate, more and more, in working on the many exciting and high quality productions produced each year.
Head of GSA, Professor Sean McNamara said: “I am delighted that GSA and the BA Theatre Production programme are collaborating with the ABTT in pursuit of providing our students with an additional industry recognised qualification. Under Mig’s leadership the focus and direction of technical theatre training at GSA prioritises ensurirng our graduating students are prepared for careers in the creative sectors.”
ABTT Chief Executive, Robin Townley said: “It is very exciting to be able to collaborate with GSA in order to offer students on the BA Theatre Production programme the opportunity to also gain the ABTT Bronze Award. Industry Employers consistently confirm that the vocational skills covered by the Bronze Award are a perfect fit with their requirements for early career recruitment. The ABTT is very pleased to contribute to the skills of future practitioners and help ensure they have the necessary attributes to gain employment and commence their careers. The ABTT Bronze Award is the entry point to ABTT vocational training which continues with Silver and Gold Awards in a variety of disciplines: to be able to achieve this recognised “toolkit” of skills as part of a degree programme will add a highly desirable element to the students CV.”
