NULC goes to Hollywood

Fresh from working on the Performing Arts Centre's Grease Experience, guest lecturer Matthew Needham has been taking in the Hollywood sights. And of course he took his PAC water bottle to keep his cool in the hot California sun.  Matthew was taking a break from rehearsals for his next role on cruise ships.

If you think you have star quality like Matthew, why not enter our Signal Star Search here.
You must be aged 11-16 and be a singer, dancer, actor or musician.
To enter you just need to upload a maximum two minute video clip of your performance by Friday 23rd October.

The finals will be held at NULC's Performing Arts Centre in November.  

AS Theatre Studies programme

On Friday 1st May the AS Theatre students performed the first moderated work in the new Performing Arts Centre.  

The images show a performance of Matilda which was absolutely fantastic, the students attained 100% A-D grades with 61% attaining high grades (A-B) for the unit.  John Shortall our AQA moderator was very complimentary of our new facilities at the Performing Arts Centre and the superb acting ability of our cohort.  The unit is taught by Faye Matthews who has worked extremely hard with the learners to deliver a superb performance of the classic!

And on Friday 8th May A2 students will be moderated and we invite friends and family to watch a range of physical and creative adaption pieces which will start from 11am.

Thanks to Sue Bowdery who took some amazing pictures of one of the AS performances.

Open evening is talk of the town

The Mayor of Newcastle, Mrs Linda Hailstones with her consort Peter were among the first visitors to our brand new Performing Arts Centre in February.

Thanks to our sound financial management - described by Skills Funding Agency as “outstanding” - we have opened the £5.5 million Performing Arts Centre in Knutton Lane, Newcastle-under-Lyme.

As well as the expert tuition you’d expect from the best performing college in Staffordshire, the Centre provides students with amazing facilities including:

·         An industry standard music technology suite

·         A 200-seat theatre for live performances

·         Two  air-conditioned dance studios

·         And a purpose built outdoor performance area

 We have courses from entry to university level including A/AS levels in dance, music, music technology and theatre studies and Extended Diplomas in acting, dance, music performance, music technology, performing arts and theatre production.

So students can progress into stage or behind the scenes careers, higher education or, like our former student Jake Shakeshaft on The Voice, straight into the limelight.

Our next open day is 12th March. Please register here to attend.  

 

Daniel Jones delivers ballet workshop

Friday 26 September saw Daniel Jones, formerly of the English National Ballet, come into the College to deliver a ballet workshop to Performing Arts students.

Daniel who has starred in many ballets over his career such as the Nutcracker and Swan Lake, retired in January this year, after spending twenty two years with the company.

He worked with the students over the course of the workshop, providing demonstrations, teaching them various ballet techniques and having them perform them back.

The students thoroughly enjoyed the session with Daniel and the College hopes to have him back in future.

 

For more information about our brand new Performing Arts Centre or courses visit www.nulc.ac.uk/getinontheact

Logo Competition

Newcastle-under-Lyme College's Performing Arts Centre has launched a competition set to Graphics and Interactive Media students. The competition is to design and create a brand new Performing Arts logo which is to be used on all kinds of publicity for the centre.

 

The brief requires students to create a logo that is both cross platform friendly, eye catching and reflects both music and performing arts.

 

The winner will receive a prize of £100 for their winning design and will be announced in the coming weeks.

 

For more information about the Performing Arts Centre, including course listings, visit our information page www.nulc.ac.uk/getinontheact

 

 

Trentham pupils enjoy dance workshop

On Thursday 25^th September Newcastle-under-Lyme College’s (NULC) Performing Arts Centre Manager, Tina McDonald, visited a group of Year 9 & 10 drama pupils at Trentham High School. Tina brought along NULC Performing Arts student Sian Jones to run a dance workshop with the pupils.

 

Sian, who is an ex-Trentham High School student, helped to teach the pupils a Jazz dance routine to a track from the fantastic Broadway show Chicago.

All of the pupils enjoyed showcasing their dance moves and also finding out new and exciting information about NULC’s brand new Performing Arts Centre, which will open in January 2015.

To find out more about the Performing Arts Centre and courses, please click on this link http://www.nulc.ac.uk/getinontheact

If you would like Tina to run a workshop in your school, please contact the Schools Liaison Team on 01782 254347 or email schools@nulc.ac.uk

College student to tour with Warwick Davis

A Newcastle-under-Lyme College (NULC) student is performing on tour alongside Warwick Davis.

Francesca Mills, aged 17, is a student Newcastle-under-Lyme College (NULC).  The talented young performer from Loggerheads is playing the role of Ida the Maid in See How They Run performed by the Reduced Height Theatre Company. 

The Reduced Height Theatre Company is the first theatre company made up entirely of short actors and is the brainchild of Warwick Davis, the most successful short actor in Britain. With a career spanning over three decades, he is best known for his roles in Willow, Star Wars, the Harry Potter films and most recently on our TV screens in Life’s Too Short, Doctor Who and An Idiot Abroad 3.

Warwick Davis said:  “The formation of The Reduced Height Theatre Company is a dream realised for me. As a short actor, I am not always afforded the same professional opportunities as my taller colleagues. This new venture will tip the balance in favour of myself and the other talented short actors in the UK. In these times of equality and diversity, this will be a unique, bold and empowering journey.”

See How They Run is nowadays widely regarded as one of the best farces written by Philip King. Set in 1944 in a vicarage in the village of Merton-cum-Middlewick, it is quintessentially British, featuring timelessly funny characters – a maid, a spinster, a German soldier, retired actors, a bishop and a handful of vicars.

Former Madeley High School pupil Francesca is in her second year studying the BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Performing Arts.  Not one to shy away from the camera, Francesca has already modelled for the College prospectus, starred in a NULC promotional film and done a stint in panto.

Commenting on her course, Fran said: “The staff are brilliant, they really push you to achieve the best of your ability and the staff room door is always open if you have any queries or concerns.  During the course, you receive workshops from industry professionals and you get help and guidance when applying for university.”

Once completing the course, Francesca plan to progress to study Musical Theatre at a London Drama School.  She is embarking on the 12 week UK tour from February to May and this week appeared on ITV1’s This Morning alongside Warwick Davis to promote the play, where she also got the opportunity to meet boy band Blue.

Francesca will be returning to the course in time for the students’ end of term Showcase in June where she will perform alongside fellow performing arts students from the Academy of Theatre Arts.

The College has announced plans to open a brand new £4.75 million Performing Arts Centre in Autumn 2014.  The state-of-art building will allow the College to expand its curriculum and provide young people across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent with industry standard facilities and outstanding opportunities in the performing arts industry.

To find out more about studying Performing Arts at Newcastle-under-Lyme College visit www.nulc.ac.uk/getinontheact or contact the Information Point on 01782 254254 or email info@nulc.ac.uk.