Final year BA (Hons) Acting (Performance), BA (Hons) Musical Theatre and BA (Hons) Contemporary Theatre and Performance students at the London College of Music (LCM) at the University of West London (UWL) presented their final year projects recently at LCM Fest.
Spread over four evenings, LCM Fest consisted of devised performances, film screenings and script readings and marked the culmination of the students’ rigorous training and creative exploration over the past three years.
Inspired by an area of personal interest, BA (Hons) Musical Theatre students created brand-new pieces – from choreography and cabaret to original musicals.
“Each performance represented not only a culmination of the students’ training but also an opportunity to develop original work that they can continue to refine and perform beyond graduation,” explained Course Leader Gillian Ford.
“The week felt like a true celebration of not only their work but also the connections they have made over their time at LCM.”
For their practice research assessment, BA (Hons) Acting (Performance) students created their own project, drawing on theoretical frameworks, and working within a chosen methodology, illustrating their unique talents and passions.
“I was very impressed with all the performances and delighted to see Level 4 and 5 students involved in the different projects, as well as Acting students in Musical Theatre work and vice versa,” enthused Course Leader Isla Hall.
Student George Booker-Bayley said, “Making the film was so much fun and seeing it presented in front of not only my classmates but students on other courses was extremely gratifying.”
“It was exciting to take part in other people’s projects and an opportunity to learn something new. It was emotional to watch everyone’s pieces knowing we were nearing the end of our studies, but hopeful for our future careers as creatives.”
Working with industry professional Sophie Swithinbank, BA (Hons) Contemporary Theatre and Performance students wrote their own screenplay, then cast, directed, filmed, and edited their work, called B.happi. Filmed in a ‘DIY’ style, the final piece of work represented the range of interdisciplinary skills students gained from their three years of study.
“The students were asked to create a piece of work about a social issue and chose to explore the dangers of internet activity that exposes a vulnerable young person to buying illicit drugs online, leading to addiction and harm,” explained Course Leader Cathy Sloan. “The message of their film B.happi conveys that taking drugs might give you a temporary high but ultimately won’t make you happy.”
