27^th March 2003

SEAL OF APPROVAL FOR NEW DRAMA DEGREE

The new Drama degree which will make its bow at the University of Lincoln this autumn has been given a seal of approval by a leading theatre professional.

Gareth Tudor Price, associate director of Hull Truck Theatre Company, says the new course will fully prepare students for a career in the theatre.

He made his comments as part of a team of experts who yesterday gave the course an official thumbs-up at the end of the academic validation process.

“I’m very impressed indeed,” said Mr Tudor Price, whose role was to validate the practical aspects of the course. “This is a programme that knows where it is heading.

“All the points I had about how they will handle the technical and performance aspects of theatre have been fully addressed - I feel that the course will put students in touch with the theatre profession and prepare them vocationally.”

Dr Daniel Meyer-Dinkgrafe, lecturer in Theatre, Film and Television Studies at the University of Wales in Aberystwyth, validated the dramatic theory and literature areas and commented: “I’m impressed overall with this very exciting degree scheme. It is well thought through and planned.”

In January the university appointed Professor Michael Earley to lead the subject of Drama. “The university's Drama course has been a long time in its planning and development, and we are so pleased that the validation process proved to be such a
supportive exercise,” he said.

“The course was looked at quite critically and was found to be strong in all the right areas. We have developed the right kind of programme for the university that reflects a healthy mixture of academic and practical approaches to the study of theatre.

“Students who come to Lincoln will be excited by what we have to offer, and we will groom them for a tough, competitive world beyond university.”

Professor Earley has taught at Yale University, New York University’s Tisch School of Art and the prestigious Juilliard School of Music and Drama and has worked with scores of well known writers and artists including Arthur Miller, Peter Brook, Caryl Churchill, Anthony Minghella, David Mamet, Wole Soyinka and Dario Fo.

For more information contact: Jez Ashberry, Press and Media Relations Manager

University of Lincoln (tel: 01522 886042) email: jashberry@lincoln.ac.uk