Nottingham Trent University (sometimes shortened as NTU) is a research university in Nottingham England. It is known as the 9th largest university in the UK, consisting of five different campuses and over 35,000 students. Today, I am about to interview a former Theatre Design student from Nottingham Trent University.
Q: Hello, I am working on an article for Young Reporters under the news website This Is Local London. I’d like to hear about your thoughts and experiences on your Theatre Design course at Nottingham Trent University.
I really enjoyed my time at Trent. My course, Theatre Design, gave me the opportunity to collaborate a lot of people and see a lot of shows, which was a really nice experience. We really had a diverse mix of set design and costume design within the course, but I also got to do projects with heritage design as well, and work devising plays of my own and writing scripts also, which was really kind of fun, as well as experience directing.
When I was in the second year, I got the opportunity to do a placement at Lakeside Arts Theatre under one of the third years who was doing a design project design there. We collaborated with Nottingham University for that, which was definitely a highlight of the course. I think another highlight was when I got to work on a project with the National Trust. I did a promenade piece on which I got to collaborate with several other students and it was a cos-prop, which was a non-traditional, more immersive way of doing costume, which was really enjoyable. I became fully workshop trained on the course. I learned how to use power tools and build sets. I was building sets for travelling shows, so I had to learn how to design things that can be packed away easily, and if they are light enough to be carried.
So my time at Trent overall was amazing, I met some of my closest friends there, and I had some very fond memories.
Q: What made you want to study Theatre Design?
I chose Theatre Design because I really wanted the opportunity to work on a course where I could work on multi-media, you got to try a lot of different things. On my Foundation, I’d really enjoyed a mix of projects, and my final one being an installation. It was a mix between fine art, conceptual art, and then I also made a dress. I think Theatre Design tied in all the different things I’d enjoyed. It just meant I got to do a real variety of things.
I was initially looking at model-making and prosthetic courses as well, but the thing that really sold the course was the university itself. I’d missed the open day, so I got taken down by one of the guys who became one of my lecturers. So I got there, and I got a one-to-one tour of the building while all the students were between the workshop and studio. I just had a sense of belonging at that moment, and I was sold. I knew that was the place for me to go.
Q: What were the requirements to enter your course?
Their requirements were mainly on interview, but I also got a Merit at my Art Foundation. It wasn’t necessary to have an art foundation to start my course. They did accept a few people without, but the majority did have it. So yeah, a Merit at Art Foundation and to do well in the interview (which primarily consisted of a strong portfolio).
Q: Would you recommend Theatre Design at Nottingham Trent? If so, why?
Yeah I definitely recommend my course for everyone wanting to go into Theatre Design, Set Design or Costume Design. I think the main assets of the course is the tutors, they care so much, unlike all my other friends who did different courses. They basically gave us an open door policy, and we could go email them and see them in the office any time we wanted, and they were so supportive. Our contact hours with them was 35 hours a week. It was 9(AM) to 5(PM) every day, so you really got your money’s worth, comparing it to someone who got 3 contact hours a week. It was really fun, and I learnt lots.
Nottingham’s a really cool city to be in as a student. So yes, I would 100% recommend it to people.
Thank you for participating!
