Contemporary Performance Practice Audition Preparation (online course)

This class will be taught online and you can take part from the comfort of your own home. The RCS campus is open with a limited capacity for degree students only to ensure a safe learning environment for all.

Like many conservatoires the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland will be using recordings and online interviews as part of their audition process this year.

This short course is for people age 16+ who are interested in applying to the BA Contemporary Performance Practice programme at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. It is designed and led by an experienced Contemporary Performance Practice lecturer and aims to support your preparation for the online audition and interview process.

The course also offers an introduction to the key ideas of the BA programme, that performance can have a social ecological and social function and is ‘an act of community’.

By the end of the sessions you should have:

• Gained an overview of the BA Contemporary Performance Practice audition process at RCS
• Had the opportunity to discuss and reflect upon performance you have experienced
• Been introduced to practical devising and composition exercises
• Explored how to devise from a range of sensory stimuli
• Developed confidence in preparing a short piece of devised performance

Although this course specifically prepares students for audition at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, it provides skills and experience transferable to other contexts.

The course runs over three Tuesday evenings, with the expectation that students will do preparatory work between sessions. Please note that although the application deadline for the BA Contemporary Performance Practice programme is 15th January 2021, audition films can be submitted until 19th February 2021 meaning applicants have time to work on these after attending the course.

Please see How Does an Online Course Work? section for information about how the course will run and Course Preparation for what you will need to take part. 

Please note that when booking you will be asked to agree that you have read and understood our Pre-HE OnlineTeaching Policy 

Contact us 

If you have any questions about this course before you book it, please get in touch with us at shortcourses@rcs.ac.uk. 

Each session will begin with a warm up to prepare you for the creative and physical work ahead. This will also allow you the chance to get to know the other students on the course.

You will be introduced to the format of the new CPP audition process which includes a written exercise, interview and the creation of a performance piece devised from a range of stimuli – you can find more information here.

Working individually and in groups you will take part in a variety of practical exercises which help you find creative expression for ideas.

Using a list of sensory stimulus you will create a short performance. There will be opportunities to share your work and observe others, and engage in supportive and structured feedback exercises.

The written element of the audition involves analysing a performance you have seen – this course will cover what kind of things you will be expected to write about and help develop a vocabulary for critical thought.

This course is run over three consecutive weeks to allow you time and space to research and develop short performance pieces. You will receive feedback on your progress and guidance on how to build on your work.

There will be an element of discussion and reflection after practical exercises and you will be encouraged to share your thoughts with other participants. You will be asked to consider what you would hope to achieve by studying on the BA CPP programme and encouraged to set individual goals for you to work towards as you prepare.

Promotional Offers

We offer a selection of promotional offers for our Short Courses, take a look!

To receive the promotional offer code, contact shortcourses@rcs.ac.uk before booking a course.

Agnes Allan Bursary

Agnes Allan was a teacher, passionate about inclusion, and this bursary scheme exists to offer support to students to participate in the performing or production arts.

The Agnes Allan Bursary provides some support to students who may require financial assistance to take part in a short course in dance, drama, music, production or screen.

Anyone who wishes to take part in our Short Courses and faces a financial barrier can apply for bursary support to help meet the cost of tuition fees.

More information about the Agnes Allan Bursary. 

Our online courses have been designed to allow students to continue being creative at home, and to gain confidence in their abilities to learn and create. 

The course will run through Microsoft Teams and the ‘live’ online sessions via Zoom. In advance of the course you will be added to a class group within MS Teams. The links/password for each Zoom session will be posted with the chat function of this group. This will also be used as a place for discussion, sharing of materials and of course work. 

You will need access to a device such as a desktop computer, laptop or tablet which allows you to access the internet with a screen large enough to see the group members during online sessions. 

You will need internet connection which is fast enough to take part in video sessions on MS Teams/Zoom and to watch sections of film. 

You may also want to consider whether you have a space you can use where you can work without interruption. Please keep in mind that the other students taking part in the course will be able to see what’s behind you when you are online. 

If you have any questions in advance of booking, please contact us at shortcourses@rcs.ac.uk 

How will the classes be delivered? 

Each class will be delivered using a mixture of live teaching sessions and structured activities for children to take part in from home. 

All participants will be added to a Microsoft Teams class group where course resources will be available. The live classes will be delivered using Zoom. 

What safety precautions are in place? 

The MS Teams groups which host each class group are private and members will be added by the RCS Short Courses team. Please note, participants emails will be visible to other group members. 

When using Zoom to teach the live sessions, our teaching staff will be using RCS licensed accounts and all meeting links and passwords will be posted only on the MS Teams group page. Each meeting will have a unique password, and our staff will use the waiting room function to ‘admit’ students to the session. 

You may find it useful to read our Online Teaching Policy for detailed information about security and safeguarding. 

I am in a different time zone, can I still take part? 

As long as you are able to take part in the live classes, you are very welcome to join our short courses programme from anywhere in the world. 

Are there any resources that I will need in order to take part in the course? 

The most important resources you will need are those that let you take part comfortably in the online activity. You will need access to a device such as a desktop computer, laptop or tablet which allows you to access the internet with a screen large enough to see the group members during online sessions. You will need internet connection which is fast enough to take part in video sessions (for example, like you would using Skype or Zoom) and to watch film footage. 

We won’t be asking you to print out any resources – you should be able to view them on your screen – but there will be some written documents which you may want to print out if you are able to. 

You may also want to consider whether you have a suitable space to take part. Please keep in mind that the other participants taking part in the course will be able to see what’s behind you when you are online. 

Please also check the Course Preparation section for specific resources which you may need to take part. 

What happens if I miss a class? 

We will not record the live teaching sessions, but if you miss one, your tutor will do their best to help you catch up and continue participating in the course