BA (Hons) in Creative Lighting Control
Sidcup, United Kingdom
BA
DURATION
3 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
Key Summary
This course provides the understanding and skills you need to join the next generation of Lighting & Video programmers, Show Control Systems Engineers & Technical Managers for theatre, live music/events, corporate settings or the film and television industry.
What you'll study
This course was created in response to industry demand for specialists. It will develop you as a creative, technically adept person who can make imaginative use of technology and bring a designer's vision into reality.
You will learn about lighting and video programming/design, show control and interactive technologies, networked systems and stage electrics, projection systems and digital visual content, 3D visualisation, computer-aided design and technical management. By working closely with industry partners who teach specialist skills and provide placements, you learn the current professional practice.
Why choose this course?
- Career-focussed: Gain experience with software and collaborating just as you will in the real world. All while gaining a breadth of knowledge and insight into techniques you can put to use across live music, theatre festivals, architectural installations and corporate events
- Professional Experience: Build your professional knowledge and network through placements and a 2-4 week work experience in year 3. Our industry links introduce you to an invaluable professional network and students in years 2 and 3 often work as freelancers alongside studying
- Industry real facilities: You will train on lots of different consoles, either that we have or that are hired in. This includes: Lighting consoles - ETC Eos, GrandMA 2 and GrandMA 3, Avolites, Chamsys; Visualisation - Vision, WYSIWYG; Video - D3 Hippotiser, Notch, AutoCad and Vector Works
- Learn from working industry professionals: All visiting tutors are industry professionals and have recently included people from Avolites, Whitelife, TSL, ETC and Hippotisers. Previous tutors included Andy Voller (Lighting Programmer 2016 Olympic Opening Ceremony), Willie Williams (Visual Designer– U2, David Bowie, Complicite)
- Build your portfolio and practical experience: Deliver your live projects, producing work that will be made and you can see in a real scenario. On our popular Live Event project you will run every aspect from coming up with a design, dealing with the hiring companies and then deploying it
Course content is regularly reviewed to keep it relevant and current. Course modules are therefore subject to change.
Year 1
You will begin to learn the practical and technical skills of the creative lighting control specialist and contextualise these in a developing understanding of the creative and performing industries.
These skills will be developed through laboratory work, projects and experience in simulated professional contexts. On completion of level 4, you will be able to:
- Identify key principles and concepts informing the discipline of Creative Lighting Control
- Demonstrate knowledge of a range of lighting and visual media technologies and systems used in live performance
- Employ basic techniques, practices and processes of Creative Lighting Control
- Form arguments and make judgements in accordance with basic theories and concepts
- Develop personal and transferable skills suitable for employment
Year 2
Your skills will be further developed towards a level appropriate to professional work as you are given experiences that simulate professional contexts. Year 2 module study options include, but are not limited to:
- Programming Styles and Practice: This module aims to bring your programming skills to a level appropriate to the industry and develops your understanding of the profession of the Programmer through practical performance projects and/or industry placements.
- Live Event Production: This module examines fundamental theories and practices of live event production. You will examine a range of conventions and practices, as well as the key practitioners, who have adopted visual media as a central element of performance.
- Systems, Operation and Management: This module will introduce you to a range of control systems, operation and management practices and technologies. As well as allowing you to test and further develop your practical abilities in setting up and operating performance lighting/video systems, you will be able to observe how lighting/video is integrated into performance during the creative process, and its role in the audience’s experience of the performance event.
Year 3
You are expected to be a self-directed learner in year 3. Module study options include, but are not limited to:
- Specialist Practice: This module asks you to consider how – as a professional technologist – you can adapt to the changing requirements of different modes and scales of performance, and the variety of interdisciplinary roles within them. The module allows you to analyse the skillset, techniques, processes and creative potential of a Specialist Practitioner.
- Professional Preparation and Practice: This module focuses on the professional environment you are likely to encounter as a practitioner, and on your professional development. You will select a specific sector of the industry to examine in more detail, interrogating the work methods, processes and employment ecology of the sector.
- Independent Research Project
We aim to put you in front of and amongst the profession. This includes the opportunity to network and undertake a placement, as well as introduce your work to the industry at our graduate exhibition in London.
Careers options
Studying an Arts related subject gives you a wide range of skills that can be put to use in many careers. Recent graduates have gone on to become:
- Lighting/video programmers for live events, theatre, TV, and film
- Lighting and video designers
- Programmers and software developers
- Technical managers
- Information technology and telecommunications professionals
- Planning, process and production technicians
- Freelance and Creative start-ups
Teaching and assessment methods
In your first year, you will complete around 320 hours of indicative scheduled learning and teaching activities and 880 hours of independent learning on projects, productions, placements or self-directed study. Assessment will be through Coursework, presentations, assessed tutorials and portfolios.
In your second year, you will complete around 180 hours of indicative scheduled learning and teaching activities and 1020 hours of independent learning on projects, productions, placements or self-directed study. Assessment will be through Coursework, presentations, assessed tutorials and portfolios.
In your third year, you will complete around 60 hours of indicative scheduled learning and teaching activities and 1140 hours of independent learning on projects, productions, placements or self-directed study. Assessment will be through Coursework, presentations, assessed tutorials and portfolios.
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