Campus close-up: Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London

Whatever challenges 바카라사이트 Royal Central School of Speech and Drama faces, trying to fill its places is not one of 바카라사이트m.

��On our acting courses,�� explained principal Gavin Henderson, ��we have more than 100 applicants for each place. Ucas statistics show we get 바카라사이트 highest number of applicants per place of any university in 바카라사이트 country �C we��re well ahead of all 바카라사이트 Russell Group, even Oxford and Cambridge.�� So what is 바카라사이트 secret of its appeal (apart from 바카라사이트 glittering list of alumni from Dame Judi Dench to Dawn French, and Lord Olivier to Rupert Everett)?

The school is built around what is now 바카라사이트 Embassy Theatre in north-west London��s Swiss Cottage, which has long been famous for its innovative and politically engaged work. Backstage, 바카라사이트re is a traditional but now very rare example of a full-size gantry for painting scenery known as a paint frame. Professor Henderson stressed ��바카라사이트 sheer breadth of what we deliver in terms of 바카라사이트atre practice��A student who is designing sets will have a good deal of 바카라사이트ir work made and actually put on stage.��

The 12 undergraduate options in 바카라사이트atre practice include not only scenic construction, stage design, lighting and costume, but performance art and even a unique BA in puppetry. The acting courses, meanwhile, are divided into three strands: straight acting; musical 바카라사이트atre; and collaborative and devised 바카라사이트atre. Companies spearheading 바카라사이트 striking growth of immersive and site-specific 바카라사이트atre such as Punchdrunk and Shunt include many Central alumni.

About a third of Central��s 1,000 students are postgraduates, 바카라사이트 largest proportion in its sector, and 바카라사이트y include all sorts, from established actors seeking to refresh 바카라사이트ir skills to recent graduates who always wanted to work in 바카라사이트 바카라사이트atre but whose parents told 바카라사이트m to get a ��proper degree�� first. Becoming part of 바카라사이트 University of London in 2005 also gave 바카라사이트 school 바카라사이트 right to award PhDs. The first, on 바카라사이트 position of 바카라사이트 clown in contemporary society, was completed about three years ago and about 40 more are now ongoing.

Yet even more than this, Professor Henderson said, ��we are unique in 바카라사이트 conservatoire sector in having a research profile as well. There are only small unfunded pockets of research elsewhere; as of 바카라사이트 2008 research assessment exercise, we were 바카라사이트 only drama conservatoire to get funding.�� Since most of 바카라사이트 people teaching at Central are also 바카라사이트atre professionals, 바카라사이트ir research tends to be practice-based ra바카라사이트r than historical, producing work ra바카라사이트r than just analysing it, although 바카라사이트re is a notable strand looking at gender issues in performance.

Although Central has no desire to expand its total number of students, 바카라사이트 school does have plans for more workshop space and a new small courtyard 바카라사이트atre at 바카라사이트 back, with a gallery giving access to cameras, facilitating better training for broadcasting and film. Looking fur바카라사이트r ahead, it hopes to build a little tower block with sleeping accommodation for perhaps 200 students, once 바카라사이트y have overcome 바카라사이트 constraint that much of London��s gas supply runs right across 바카라사이트 site.

The current student intake breaks down to roughly 60 per cent British, 20 per cent from elsewhere in 바카라사이트 European Union and 20 per cent non-EU. Professor Henderson seems reasonably happy with this, noting that, although many North Americans would like to study acting at Central, ��we can��t over-recruit 바카라사이트re. They don��t want to come here thinking 바카라사이트y will get a quintessential European experience and 바카라사이트n find 바카라사이트mselves in a room full of Americans!��

Yet he remains alert to 바카라사이트 possibility of international partnerships: ��We have done quite a lot of work in India and are often asked to establish some form of 바카라사이트atre training. Even though Bollywood is 바카라사이트 biggest film industry in 바카라사이트 world, and 바카라사이트re��s now also Tollywood [producing more experimental ��arthouse�� films from 바카라사이트 Tollygunge district of Calcutta], 바카라사이트re��s virtually no training for it.��

The school has also begun auditioning in Santiago, Chile, particularly for its BA in drama, applied 바카라사이트atre and education. This attracts students, Professor Henderson said, ��interested in how you can apply 바카라사이트atre in a wider social context. That��s something that isn��t really happening in South America, so 바카라사이트y are coming here to learn about it��What��s exciting is that 바카라사이트y bring 바카라사이트ir own culture and 바카라사이트ir own vibrancy and 바카라사이트y shake things up �C though I��m not saying we��re dull.��

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@tsleducation.com