St Mary’s University offers a variety of academic taster sessions. We can deliver these at your school or college or part of a wider event at St Mary’s University, on a date that works for you. If you would like to book a session(s) for your class or cohort, please do reach out to us at schools.colleges@stmarys.ac.uk.
This 60-minute, interactive session focuses on writing short fiction based around a writing exercise delivered by Dr Russell Schechter. Russell is primarily responsible for teaching fiction writing at St Mary’s University, and as ‘Jay Russell’, he is the author of eight books and numerous short stories in the genres of horror, crime, fantasy, and science fiction. This workshop receives high praise from participating students and is highly recommended for any group or cohort interested in pursuing a degree in writing.
This workshop will cover ‘what is young fiction?’ and what makes it special. This session is delivered by St Mary’s academic and author Anthony McGowan. McGowan has written highly-acclaimed and award-winning fiction and non-fiction for adults, teenagers, and younger children. His latest books are How to Teach Philosophy to Your Dog (2019), I Am the Minotaur (2021), How to Teach Economics to Your Dog (2022) with Rebecca Campbell, and Dogs of the Deadlands (2022).
The workshop focuses on character making, devising, and having presence on stage. Facilitated by an associate professor from St Mary’s BA Acting degree and two graduates, pupils will have the opportunity to experience a university-level session and ask any questions they might have about pursuing a degree in acting.
The session’s facilitators are actors who are part of the Dead Rabbits Theatre Company who have won two international awards in Canada and the Edinburgh Festival. Their workshops are fun and inclusive. The Company’s collaborative storytelling and devising style are also perfect for building confidence in group settings and accessing every corner of the imagination.
- Length of session: 60 minutes.
- Suitable for first and second year sixth form and college learners.
- Related university subject: Acting BA (Hons).
The role of a script supervisor makes sure that what is captured on set will fit together in the cutting room. Inconsistency in shots will distract viewers and make editing a natural and realistic scene almost impossible. In this session we will test students’ observation skills as we look at the role of a script supervisor and the importance of continuity in a Film or TV episode.
The location you chose to film in will give the audience more information on your characters, their lives and the narrative of your story. However, it isn’t as simple as picking somewhere that will look good. We will look at the factors students should take into account when selecting a filming location like the area, facilities and external factors.
This session is best delivered on a large campus or at St Mary’s University.
Sound is arguably the most important element of any Film and is often overlooked by new filmmakers. For various reasons that we will investigate not all sound can be collected on set, some sounds need to be collected or created in postproduction. This session will focus on sound creation for film, specifically how to create sound that you can't pick up on set. The learners will work in small groups to create foley sound that could be placed into a film in postproduction.
Nothing pulls you out of a story more than an inconsistent character. You can’t force a character to do something you have established they never would, without cause. This means the characters can affect the narrative of your Film. We will look into the importance of characters and the details students will need to develop to create a realistic character.
Students will then work together to create a character, filling in information about their backgrounds, goals and challenges.
There are lots of elements you need to take into consideration once you have your script before you start filming. We will break down a short section of a script looking at the work that gets done on a film before it goes into production and how this work will affect the filming process.
This session will focus on shot types, selection, and cinematography techniques like the rule of thirds, 20 degrees rule, and framing. The students will work in small groups to shoot five different shots that last five seconds each.
This session examines the extent to which post-war Britain experienced a ‘cultural revolution’. It takes students through some of the main historical accounts of the period and uses key primary sources to open up discussion. Depending on a given school’s requirements, the emphasis can be slanted towards questions around race, gender, ‘permissiveness’ or popular culture.
- Length of session: 60 minutes.
- Suitable for first and second year sixth form and college learners.
- Related university subject: History BA (Hons).
This session will encourage students to think in depth about the nature and importance of the French Revolution. Considering contemporary prints and songs, as well as the interpretations of historians, the principal issues and debates relating to the period will be covered. The session is issue focused, and assumes no prior knowledge of the French Revolution. It will benefit any students who are currently studying the French Revolution at A-Level, as well as those who would like to better understand what studying History at University is like.
- Length of session: 60 minutes.
- Suitable for first and second year sixth form and college learners.
- Related university subject: History BA (Hons).
This session addresses one of the key issues in Tudor government – the role of powerful ministers. It outlines the structure of Tudor state, and the importance of ‘advice’ in Renaissance monarchy. It will briefly review the relationship between the court, the council and the parliament. Depending on which A-Level syllabus and which periods are being followed, the lecture will concentrate on one or more of the three important royal advisors who served Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. It will review how they managed the monarch they served and assess how effective they were.
- Length of session: 60 minutes.
- Suitable for first and second year sixth form and college learners.
- Related university subject: History BA (Hons).
What are the key skills needed to create lighting designs for live theatre and events? This session is designed to introduce students to university level study in the Creative Arts and encourage students with an interest in Creative Production to develop extended understandings of key principles and skills. This interactive session will guide you through: principals of rigging, basic introduction to colour, meaning and atmosphere. This session is hands on and may involve working in the dark.
- Length of session: 2 hours.
- Suitable for first and second year sixth form and college learners.
- Related university subject: Creative Production BA (Hons).
- This session is delivered at St Mary’s.
The stage manager is often regarded as the person who ties everything together on a successful show or event. Students on this workshop will explore the different tasks and approaches a Stage Manager undertakes to deliver a successful production. The technical department will lead students through the exploration of marking out of a space, the prompt book, and show control and communication.
- Length of session: 2 hours.
- Suitable for first and second year sixth form and college learners.
- Related university subject: Creative Production BA (Hons).
- This session is delivered at St Mary’s.
Analysing a couple of scenes from Pride and Prejudice, we examine how love and marriage were undergoing cultural shifts in the early nineteenth century. Using Gender Theory and New Historicist Theory we delve into these excerpts and consider how we can identify evidence of and contributions to the cultural discourses of love and gender within this narrative.
- Length of session: 45 minutes - 60 minutes.
- Suitable for first and second year sixth form and college learners.
- Related university subject: English Literature BA (Hons).
In this session we analyse Blake’s poetry in the context of nineteenth century religious and theological shifts. We consider the influence of Emmanuel Swedenborg on Blake’s thinking and identify how Blake’s subversive lines contribute to a growing liberalism within cultural discourse throughout the century by applying the New Historicist lens.
- Length of session: 45 minutes - 60 minutes.
- Suitable for first and second year sixth form and college learners.
- Related university subject: English Literature BA (Hons).
In this session we explore The Shining through a psychoanalytical lens. Looking at Freud’s ‘uncanny’ we consider how, as Freud would suggest, what is being repressed might manifest itself through psychic phenomenon. In this novel, we consider the context of the1970s, with a particular emphasis on shifts in family life (such as rising divorce and the challenge of middle-class ideals).
- Length of session: 45 minutes - 60 minutes.
- Suitable for first and second year sixth form and college learners.
- Related university subject: English Literature BA (Hons).
In this session, we look at historical and film sources to analyse conceptions of gender in the mid-twentieth century. We examine the 1975 cult classic film Stepford Wives (based on the 1972 novel by Ira Levin) in the context of the 1950s and 1960s reiteration of traditional gender ideals. Betty Friedan’s Feminine Mystique is our key historical source which offers insight into women’s dissatisfaction with these ideals.
- Length of session: 45 minutes - 60 minutes.
- Suitable for first and second year sixth form and college learners.
- Related university subject: English Literature BA (Hons).
This two hour session introduces you to the fundamental principle of screen acting. Based on the idea that thought affects behaviour we explore how this relates to your screen acting. We use simple exercises to help you experience for yourself how your thoughts can help you in your acting and build your confidence working in front of the camera. The exercises will be recorded, and feedback given throughout the session. We will touch upon:
- Motivating the physical gesture
- Active listening
- Working in the frame.
- Length of session: 2 hours.
- Suitable for first and second year sixth form and college learners.
- Related university subject: Acting BA (Hons).
This session aims to explore the use of games as a tool for development and discovery. Spend 2 hours with our experienced theatre practitioners learning to play without inhibition or fear. Explore how gameplay is used as the basis for cultural exchange, encouraging creative free expression, and developing ideas and scenes. A perfect introductory session for those who want to devise their own work or just want to add to their performance vocabulary.
- Length of session: 2 hours.
- Suitable for first and second year sixth form and college learners.
- Related university subject: Acting BA (Hons).