This programme has two main areas of emphasis, the first is Drama as a cultural process and artistic discourse. This provides the broad palette, which we aim to understand through the intellectual consideration of theoretical and dramatic texts, performance venues, and theatre, cinema and television events. The second area is Drama as practice. This forms an integral part of our academic study of the subject. We teach Drama as the product of varied practical artistic and craft skills. Our department differs from professional theatre training and the skill-oriented programmes of some colleges. Our practical work is intended to increase your understanding of how production and performance express cultural values, and what means are needed for that expression, rather than learning the skills as ends in themselves. The aims of the course are to produce students capable of independently evaluating and engaging creatively and critically with performance and, as appropriate, being capable of developing technical and artistic skills, critical analysis and argument for themselves (DDP Benchmark p.7); provide students with a knowledge and understanding and some experience of drama and performance as cultural process and artistic discourse, through the study of theatre and media history, text, dramatic theory and performance practice; facilitate and support the development of students' learning skills, critical perception and dramatic imagination; provide students with coherent programmes that reflect the diversity of expertise within, and available to, the Drama Department; foster independent learning, evaluation and research; foster a knowledge, understanding and, where appropriate, experience through outreach activities, of the contribution drama can make to the local community; equip students with the necessary critical tools and relevant practice to begin to make a worthwhile contributions to contemporary theatre, film, television or related fields.