Employability. The provision of highly vocational programmes designed and developed to meet the needs of the professions is the principal and most obvious means through which the Conservatoire promotes the employability of its graduates. Quite simply, students learn in a proto-professional environment replete with opportunities to perform and to work with industry and individual practitioners, both in the Conservatoire and out there in myriad professional contexts. The Conservatoire is an integral and very well connected part of the creative industries and we manage a number of partnerships, all of which help to ensure that our graduates leave us equipped with the skills, knowledge and insights which employers require. Examples of those partnerships are given under Priority 4 below. The following examples illustrate our approach to working with potential employers to ensure that our programmes develop in students the skills and insights that they need to either gain employment or to pursue a career as a self-employed artist: An MMus in Piano for Dance, delivered jointly with Scottish Ballet; a BA in Modern Ballet that was designed in collaboration with Scottish Ballet and is delivered by staff who are employed by the Conservatoire and by Scottish Ballet; a BA Performance in British Sign Language and English in response to both applicant and industry demand and in collaboration with professional company Solar Bear; a Masters in Classical and Contemporary Text delivered in collaboration with Xxxxxxxxxxx’s Globe and Playwrights’ Studio, Scotland extensive use of external placements, which include mentoring opportunities; the employment of significant numbers of part-time teachers, directors and other professionals who are professionally active in the performing arts; the involvement of potential employers and practitioners in programme design and as members of programme review and validation panels; the gathering and analysis of graduate feedback; and the frequent use of practitioners as specialist external assessors. We are clear that the performing arts in the 21st century require practitioners who are innovative, inter-disciplinary and collaborative artists, teachers and technicians. The current review of our undergraduate curriculum, leading to the introduction of a revised curriculum in 2017/18, will ensure that the Conservatoire continues to produce such graduates. The review will have a particular focus on the development of teaching skills in all of our students, thereby enhancing their (self-) employability. We will also offer new provision aimed at creating opportunities to engage our graduates as teaching artists and raise standards in performing arts education in Scotland through our ‘Teach Arts for Scotland’ initiative and identify ways to work with local authorities, schools/colleges and employers to contribute to the development of Scotland’s Young Workforce e.g. through the development of certificates of work readiness for pre-HE students and foundation apprenticeship ‘Creative Pathways’ from school to the creative industries in collaboration with priority local authorities, colleges and employers. The additional taught postgraduate places provided by the SFC have allowed us to enhance our contribution to the skills development of working performing artists through the provision of masters’ level CPD – an MEd Learning and Teaching in the Performing Arts and Gaelic Arts. As an integral part of our curricular offer, students engage in work-based learning in the following ways: learning in a proto-professional environment that has public performance at its heart and which is one of the busiest arts venues in Scotland; various side-by-side and other placement opportunities with a wide range of professional companies (including the BBC and the BBC SSO, RSNO, the National Theatre of Scotland, Scottish Ballet, Scottish Opera, the Globe Theatre, the Citizens Theatre…); significant artistic collaborations with professional companies; within the member clubs of the Scottish Community Drama Association; various community engagements in a wide range of settings including schools, prisons and health-care; professional tours and gigs, many facilitated through our own agency; and a significant proportion of our music students begin their portfolio careers whilst students, through offering music tuition to a wide range of pupils. The Conservatoires DLHE data for the last 3 years shows: We believe that that data is evidence of the Conservatoire’s effectiveness in facilitating the development of culturally and economically relevant graduates. It clearly indicates industry demand for our graduates – particularly when considering the percentage of graduates who find employment in the creative industries and the percentage who are employed in graduate level posts. The UK Government’s Department of Culture, Media and Sport’s report Creative Industries Economic Estimates (January 2015) confirms the importance of the creative industries to the UK economy e.g. between 1997 and 2013 employment in the creative economy grew 4 times faster than in the economy as a whole. We know that many of our graduates pursue a portfolio career and our curriculum is designed to develop the entrepreneurial skills and insights (in a cultural context) which will equip them to do that. By way of example, our Bridge Week initiative, which involves multi-disciplinary groups of students devising artistic projects which they then pitch for resources in competition with others to an adjudicating panel, has been successful in facilitating the formation of professional companies. Successful projects are included in our performance programme at the Edinburgh Fringe. Our alumni play a significant part in our efforts to promote employability. Several programmes run mentoring schemes whereby graduates work with senior students with the specific goal of facilitating their transition from the Conservatoire to employment. We also routinely involve our graduates in our quality enhancement processes which, of course, have the development of the vocational relevance of the curriculum as a key objective. For 2017/18, our objective will be to: Maintain and enhance our focus on graduate employability. Whilst firmly rooted in Scotland, the Conservatoire is resolutely international in outlook. Our international colleagues and students bring with them a diverse range of artistic and cultural insights, ideas and practices that greatly enrich our learning environments – there is no doubt that our Scottish students benefit greatly from learning with, and from, their international peers (and vice versa, of course). Their presence is a pre-requisite for the development of the marvellously dynamic, cosmopolitan and distinctively Scottish creative environment that we enjoy here in Glasgow which, of course, helps to drive the evolution of Scottish culture more generally. Scotland is known, understood and admired internationally because of, and through, its cultural verve and vitality. As well as making a significant contribution to Scotland’s economy, our cultural outputs help define the nation on the international stage – it is absolutely essential therefore that we continue to do everything that we can to promote our international cultural connectedness. We have a long- established history of doing just that, including working with conservatoires, universities and professional companies around the world. Most recent developments that will bear fruit in 2017/18 include: An ERASMUS+ student and staff exchange programme with Rostov State Xxxxxxxxxxx Conservatoire, which will run until May 2018. Memorandum of Understanding agreed with Muhlenberg College, Pensylvania which will facilitate the enrolment of Muhlenberg students in Conservatoire programmes on a visiting basis. Memorandums of Understanding with the Norwegian Academy of Music and the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague that will facilitate project-specific exchanges. A Memorandum of Understanding with Xxxx Xxxx Xxx Conservatory of Music (Singapore) that will facilitate student exchanges. A developing relationship with Cleveland Institute of Music (brass), with a view to developing distance learning and exchanges. A partnership with Northwestern University, Illinois that will facilitate the co- production of a musical theatre performance at the 2017 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Through membership of Europe:Union of Theatre Schools and Academies, acting students participate in a theatre schools’ festival in Spoleto, Italy on an annual basis. A partnership with Ballet Divertimento, Montreal, Canada which involves working collaboratively on the creation of a new work, which will then be performed both in our end of year ballet performances in June 2017 and, following that in Canada, at a gala celebrating Montreal’s 375th anniversary. We will continue with our New York showcase event for US students from our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in acting, directing, musical theatre and, included for the first time in 2016/17, Scottish traditional music. In 2015/16, we set up an International Advisory Board (IAB) to help the Conservatoire to reputation-build and extend its international stakeholder networks within arts, industry, education, business and philanthropic giving. More specifically, the IAB helps in awareness-raising, advocacy, strategic student recruitment and in the generation of additional international scholarship and capital funds from new sources - individual or corporate. Membership of the IAB has expanded and it now sponsors profile raising events in New York City on an annual basis, which will continue into 2017/18. Whilst the IAB is based in New York and has North America as its primary region of focus, there are longer term ambitions to build an international reach reflecting the strategic priorities of the Conservatoire and associated key international regions of interest including, for example, China, Singapore, Thailand and Korea. Currently, all undergraduate students have the opportunity to undertake an exchange through the ERASMUS scheme, we have many bilateral exchange programmes and several programmes include opportunities for students to perform/tour internationally. We very much welcome Scottish Government’s commitment to continue to fund students from the EU who enrol in 2018/19 for the duration of their programmes. However, and looking to the longer term in respect of student recruitment and to the maintenance of European cultural and academic networks, we remain concerned about the implications of Brexit for the Conservatoire.
Appears in 2 contracts
Samples: Outcome Agreement, Outcome Agreement
Employability. The provision of highly vocational programmes designed and developed to meet the needs of the professions is the principal and most obvious means through which the Conservatoire promotes the employability of its graduates. Quite simply, students learn in a proto-professional environment replete with opportunities to perform and to work with industry and individual practitioners, both in the Conservatoire and out there in myriad of professional contexts. The Conservatoire is an integral and very well connected part of the creative industries and we manage a number of partnerships, all of which help to ensure that our graduates leave us equipped with the skills, knowledge and insights which employers require. Examples of those partnerships are given under Priority 4 Aim 6 below. The following examples illustrate our approach to working with potential employers to ensure that our programmes develop in students the those skills and insights that they need to either gain employment or to pursue a career as a self-employed artistneed: • An MMus in Piano for Dance, delivered jointly with Scottish Ballet; • a BA in Modern Ballet that was designed in collaboration with Scottish Ballet and is delivered by staff who are employed by the Conservatoire and by Scottish Ballet; Ballet; • a BA Performance in British Sign Language and English in response to both applicant and industry demand demand; • an acting module jointly designed and in collaboration delivered with professional company Solar Bearthe National Theatre of Scotland; a Masters in Classical and Contemporary Text delivered in collaboration with Xxxxxxxxxxx’s Globe and Playwrights’ Studio, Scotland • extensive use of external placements, which include mentoring opportunities; • the employment of significant numbers of part-time teachers, directors and other professionals who are professionally active in the performing arts; • the involvement of potential employers and practitioners in programme design and as members of programme review and validation panels; • the gathering and analysis of graduate feedback; and • the frequent use of practitioners as specialist external assessors. We are clear that the performing arts in the 21st century require practitioners who are innovative, inter-disciplinary and collaborative artists, teachers and technicians. The current review of our undergraduate curriculumcurriculum in 2015/16, leading to the introduction of a revised curriculum in 2017/182016/17, will ensure that the Conservatoire continues to produce such graduatespractitioners. The review will have a particular focus on the development of teaching skills in all of our students, thereby enhancing their (self-self) employability. We will also offer new provision aimed at creating opportunities to engage our graduates as teaching artists and raise standards in performing arts education in Scotland through our ‘Teach Arts for Scotland’ initiative and identify ways to work with local authorities, schools/colleges and employers to contribute to the development of Scotland’s Young Workforce e.g. through the development of certificates of work readiness for pre-HE students and foundation apprenticeship ‘Creative Pathways’ from school to the creative industries in collaboration with priority local authorities, colleges and employers. The additional taught postgraduate places provided by the SFC have allowed us to enhance our contribution to the skills development of working performing artists through the provision of masters’ level CPD – an MEd Learning and Teaching in the Performing Arts and Gaelic ArtsCPD. As an integral part of our curricular offer, students engage in work-based learning in the following ways: • learning in a proto-professional environment that has public performance at its heart and which is one of the busiest arts venues in Scotland; • various side-by-side and other placement opportunities with a wide range of professional companies (including the BBC and the BBC SSO, RSNO, the National Theatre of Scotland, Scottish Ballet, Scottish Opera, the Globe Theatre, the Citizens Theatre…); ); • significant artistic collaborations with professional companies; • within the member clubs of the Scottish Community Drama Association; Association; • various community engagements in a wide range of settings including schools, prisons and health-care; • professional tours and gigs, many facilitated through our own agency; and • a significant proportion of our music students begin their portfolio careers whilst students, through offering music tuition to a wide range of pupils. The Conservatoires DLHE data for the last 3 years shows: 2011/12 91 67 90 19 2012/13 91 61 74 22 2013/14 92 60 77 20 We believe that that data is evidence of the Conservatoire’s effectiveness in facilitating the development of culturally and economically relevant graduates. It clearly indicates industry demand for our graduates – particularly when considering the (growing) percentage of graduates who find employment in the creative industries and the percentage who are employed in graduate level posts. The UK Government’s Department of Culture, Media and Sport’s report Creative Industries Economic Estimates (January 2015) confirms the importance of the creative industries to the UK economy e.g. between 1997 and 2013 employment in the creative economy grew 4 times faster than in the economy as a whole. We know that many of our graduates pursue a portfolio career and our curriculum is designed to develop the entrepreneurial skills and insights (in a cultural context) which will equip them to do that. By way of example, our Bridge Week initiative, which involves multi-disciplinary groups of students devising artistic projects which they then pitch for resources in competition with others to an adjudicating panel, has been successful in facilitating the formation of already produced two professional companies. Successful projects are included in form part of our performance programme at the Edinburgh Fringe. Our alumni play a significant part in our efforts to promote employability. Several programmes run mentoring schemes whereby graduates work with senior students with the specific goal of facilitating their transition from the Conservatoire to employment. We also routinely involve our graduates in our quality enhancement processes which, of course, have the development of the vocational relevance of the curriculum as a key objective. For 2017/18As noted above, our objective DLHE data tells a positive story. However, it provides only a snapshot of what our graduates are doing 6 months after graduation so, with Conservatoires UK, we have developed a systematic means of gathering data about the career paths of our graduates over a 5, 10 and 15 year period, which will be to: Maintain inform curricular development and enhance our focus on graduate employability. Whilst firmly rooted provide data to underpin arguments in Scotland, support of the Conservatoire is resolutely international in outlook. Our international colleagues and students bring with them a diverse range economic relevance of artistic and cultural insights, ideas and practices that greatly enrich our learning environments – there is no doubt that our Scottish students benefit greatly from learning withthis Conservatoire, and from, their international peers (and vice versa, of course). Their presence is a pre-requisite for the development of the marvellously dynamic, cosmopolitan and distinctively Scottish creative environment that we enjoy here in Glasgow which, of course, helps to drive the evolution of Scottish culture UK Conservatoire sector more generally. Scotland is knownHeadlines from the survey are: • 95% of Conservatoire graduates are working; • 82% of Conservatoire graduates are working in the performing arts; and • only 11% of Conservatoire graduates are working outside the performing arts – other occupations being mainly ‘professional, understood scientific and admired internationally because of, and through, its cultural verve and vitalitytechnical’. As well The Conservatoire views that data as making a significant contribution to Scotland’s economy, our cultural outputs help define the nation on the international stage – confirmation that it is absolutely essential therefore that we continue meeting its primary objective of producing graduates who will go on to do everything that we can to promote our international cultural connectedness. We have create a long- established history of doing just that, including working with conservatoires, universities and professional companies around the world. Most recent developments that will bear fruit in 2017/18 include: An ERASMUS+ student and staff exchange programme with Rostov State Xxxxxxxxxxx Conservatoire, which will run until May 2018. Memorandum of Understanding agreed with Muhlenberg College, Pensylvania which will facilitate the enrolment of Muhlenberg students in Conservatoire programmes on a visiting basis. Memorandums of Understanding with the Norwegian Academy of Music and the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague that will facilitate project-specific exchanges. A Memorandum of Understanding with Xxxx Xxxx Xxx Conservatory of Music (Singapore) that will facilitate student exchanges. A developing relationship with Cleveland Institute of Music (brass), with a view to developing distance learning and exchanges. A partnership with Northwestern University, Illinois that will facilitate the co- production of a musical theatre performance at the 2017 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Through membership of Europe:Union of Theatre Schools and Academies, acting students participate in a theatre schools’ festival in Spoleto, Italy on an annual basis. A partnership with Ballet Divertimento, Montreal, Canada which involves working collaboratively on the creation of a new work, which will then be performed both in our end of year ballet performances in June 2017 and, following that in Canada, at a gala celebrating Montreal’s 375th anniversary. We will continue with our New York showcase event for US students from our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in acting, directing, musical theatre and, included for the first time in 2016/17, Scottish traditional music. In 2015/16, we set up an International Advisory Board (IAB) to help the Conservatoire to reputation-build and extend its international stakeholder networks within arts, industry, education, business and philanthropic giving. More specifically, the IAB helps in awareness-raising, advocacy, strategic student recruitment and sustainable career in the generation of additional international scholarship and capital funds from new sources - individual or corporate. Membership of the IAB has expanded and it now sponsors profile raising events in New York City on an annual basis, which will continue into 2017/18. Whilst the IAB is based in New York and has North America as its primary region of focus, there are longer term ambitions to build an international reach reflecting the strategic priorities of the Conservatoire and associated key international regions of interest including, for example, China, Singapore, Thailand and Korea. Currently, all undergraduate students have the opportunity to undertake an exchange through the ERASMUS scheme, we have many bilateral exchange programmes and several programmes include opportunities for students to perform/tour internationally. We very much welcome Scottish Government’s commitment to continue to fund students from the EU who enrol in 2018/19 for the duration of their programmes. However, and looking to the longer term in respect of student recruitment and to the maintenance of European cultural and academic networks, we remain concerned about the implications of Brexit for the Conservatoireperforming arts.
Appears in 1 contract
Samples: Outcome Agreement
Employability. The provision of highly vocational programmes designed and developed to meet the needs of the professions is the principal and most obvious means through which the Conservatoire promotes the employability of its graduates. Quite simply, students learn in a proto-professional environment replete with opportunities to perform and to work with industry and individual practitioners, both in the Conservatoire and out there in myriad professional contexts. The Conservatoire is an integral and very well connected part of the creative industries and we manage a number of partnerships, all of which help to ensure that our graduates leave us equipped with the skills, knowledge and insights which employers require. Examples of those partnerships are given under Priority 4 below. The following examples illustrate our approach to working with potential employers to ensure that our programmes develop in students the skills and insights that they need to either gain employment or to pursue a career as a self-employed entrepreneurial artist: · An MMus in Piano for Dance, delivered jointly with Scottish Ballet; · a BA in Modern Ballet that was designed in collaboration with Scottish Ballet and is delivered by staff who are employed by the Conservatoire and by Scottish Ballet; · a BA Performance in British Sign Language and English in response to both applicant and industry demand and in collaboration with professional company Solar Bear; · a Masters in Classical and Contemporary Text delivered in collaboration with Xxxxxxxxxxx’s Globe and Playwrights’ Studio, Scotland Scotland; · extensive use of external placements, which include mentoring opportunities; · the employment of significant numbers of part-time teachers, directors and other professionals who are professionally active in the performing arts; · the involvement of potential employers and practitioners in programme design and as members of programme review and validation panels; · the gathering and analysis of graduate feedback; and · the frequent use of practitioners as specialist external assessors. We are clear that the performing Performing arts in the 21st century require practitioners requires highly skilled artists and creative technicians who are innovativeimmersed in their discipline and open to innovation, inter-disciplinary inter- disciplinarity and collaborative artists, teachers and technicianscollaboration. The current review of our undergraduate curriculum, leading to the introduction of a revised curriculum in 2017/182018/19, will ensure that the Conservatoire continues to produce such graduates. The review will have a particular focus on the development of teaching skills in all of our students, thereby enhancing their (self-) employability. We will also offer new provision aimed at creating opportunities to engage our graduates as teaching artists and raise standards in performing arts education in Scotland through our ‘Teach Arts for Scotland’ initiative and identify ways to work with local authorities, schools/colleges and employers to contribute to the development of Scotland’s Young Workforce e.g. through the development of certificates of work readiness for pre-HE students and foundation apprenticeship ‘Creative Pathways’ from school to the creative industries in collaboration with priority local authorities, colleges and employers. The additional taught postgraduate places provided by the SFC have allowed us to enhance our contribution to the skills development of working performing artists through the provision of masters’ level CPD PPD – an MEd Learning and Teaching in the Performing Arts and Gaelic Arts. As an integral part of our curricular offer, students engage in work-based learning in the following ways: · learning in a proto-professional environment that has public performance at its heart and which – the Conservatoire is one of the busiest performing arts venues in Scotland; · various side-by-side and other placement opportunities with a wide range of professional companies (including the BBC and the BBC SSO, RSNO, the National Theatre of Scotland, Scottish Ballet, Scottish Opera, Dundee Rep, the Globe Theatre, the Citizens Theatre, Red Note Ensemble…); · significant artistic collaborations with professional companies; within the member clubs of the Scottish Community Drama Association; · various community engagements in a wide range of settings including schools, prisons and health-care; · professional tours and gigs, many facilitated through our own agency; and · a significant proportion of our music students begin their portfolio careers whilst students, through offering music tuition to a wide range of pupils. The Conservatoires DLHE data for the last 3 5 years shows: 2011/12 91 67 90 2012/13 91 61 74 2013/14 92 60 77 2014/15 95 66 85 2015/16 91 73 95 We believe that that data is evidence of the Conservatoire’s effectiveness in facilitating the development of culturally and economically relevant graduates. It clearly indicates industry demand for our graduates – particularly when considering the percentage of graduates who find employment in the creative industries and the percentage who are employed in graduate level posts. The UK Government’s Department of Culture, Media and Sport’s report Creative Industries Economic Estimates (January 2015) confirms the importance of the creative industries to the UK economy e.g. between 1997 and 2013 employment in the creative economy grew 4 times faster than in the economy as a whole. Scotland’s creative industries are estimated to contribute £4.6 billion annually to the Scottish economy, represent 3% of GVA and supporting 84,000 jobs. We know that many of our graduates pursue a portfolio career and our curriculum is designed to develop the entrepreneurial skills and insights (in a cultural context) which will equip them to do thatthat - 50% of Scottish domiciled graduates who responded to the most recent DHLE reported themselves as being either self- employed or freelance. By way of example, our Bridge Performance Week initiative, which involves multi-multi- disciplinary groups of students devising artistic projects which they then pitch for resources in competition with others to an adjudicating panel, has been successful in facilitating the formation of professional companies. Successful projects are included in our performance programme at the Edinburgh Fringe. Our alumni play a significant part in our efforts to promote employability. Several programmes run mentoring schemes whereby graduates work with senior students with the specific goal of facilitating their transition from the Conservatoire to employment. We also routinely involve our graduates in our quality enhancement processes which, of course, have the development of the vocational relevance of the curriculum as a key objective. For 2017/18In 2017 we published Movers and Shakers, which showcases the entrepreneurial character of our objective will be tograduates through a series of 13 case studies that encompass all of our art forms. Those case studies put flesh on the bones of our excellent graduate employment data, and beautifully encapsulate the resourceful, innovative and enterprising nature of our student and graduate artists. Movers and Shakers is available at: Maintain and enhance our focus on graduate employability. Whilst firmly rooted in Scotland, the Conservatoire is resolutely international in outlook. Our international colleagues and students bring with them a diverse range of artistic and cultural insights, ideas and practices that greatly enrich our learning environments – there is no doubt that our Scottish students benefit greatly from learning with, and from, their international peers (and vice versa, of course). Their presence is a pre-requisite for the development of the marvellously dynamic, cosmopolitan and distinctively Scottish creative environment that we enjoy here in Glasgow which, of course, helps to drive the evolution of Scottish culture more generally. Scotland is known, understood and admired internationally because of, and through, its cultural verve and vitality. As well as making a significant contribution to Scotland’s economy, our cultural outputs help define the nation on the international stage – it is absolutely essential therefore that we continue to do everything that we can to promote our international cultural connectedness. We have a long- established history of doing just that, including working with conservatoires, universities and professional companies around the world. Most recent developments that will bear fruit in 2017/18 include: An ERASMUS+ student and staff exchange programme with Rostov State Xxxxxxxxxxx Conservatoire, which will run until May 2018. Memorandum At the time of Understanding agreed with Muhlenberg College, Pensylvania which will facilitate the enrolment of Muhlenberg students in Conservatoire programmes writing we are currently working on a visiting basis. Memorandums of Understanding with the Norwegian Academy of Music and the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague that will facilitate project-specific exchanges. A Memorandum of Understanding with Xxxx Xxxx Xxx Conservatory of Music (Singapore) that will facilitate student exchanges. A developing relationship with Cleveland Institute of Music (brass), with a view to developing distance learning and exchanges. A partnership with Northwestern University, Illinois that will facilitate the co- production of a musical theatre performance at the 2017 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Through membership of Europe:Union of Theatre Schools and Academies, acting students participate in a theatre schools’ festival in Spoleto, Italy on an annual basis. A partnership with Ballet Divertimento, Montreal, Canada which involves working collaboratively on the creation of a new work, which will then be performed both in our end of year ballet performances in June 2017 and, following that in Canada, at a gala celebrating Montreal’s 375th anniversary. International Strategy We will continue with our New York showcase event for US students from our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in acting, directing, musical theatre and, included for the first time in 2016/17, and Scottish traditional music. In 2015/16, we set up an International Advisory Board (IAB) to help the Conservatoire to reputation-build and extend its international stakeholder networks within arts, industry, education, business and philanthropic giving. More specifically, the IAB helps in awareness-raising, advocacy, strategic student recruitment and in the generation of additional international scholarship and capital funds from new sources - individual or corporate. As a result of the work of the IAB, we have received a donation of $200k to be used to provide student scholarships in support of enhanced diversity and a further $50k to be allocated to the staff budget for the same purpose. Additionally, a further $500k is available for student scholarships on a match-funding basis. Clearly, a significant success story and an equally significant contribution to our efforts to promote and celebrate equality and diversity. Membership of the IAB has expanded and it now sponsors profile raising events in New York City on an annual basis, which will continue into 2017/182018/19. Whilst the IAB is based in New York and has North America as its primary region of focus, there are longer term ambitions to build an international reach reflecting the strategic priorities of the Conservatoire and associated key international regions of interest including, for example, China, Singapore, Thailand and Korea. Currently, all undergraduate students have the opportunity to undertake an exchange through the ERASMUS scheme, we have many bilateral exchange programmes and several programmes include opportunities for students to perform/tour internationally. We very much welcome Scottish Government’s commitment to continue to fund students from the EU who enrol in 2018/19 2019/20 for the duration of their programmes. However, and looking to the longer term in respect of student recruitment recruitment, and to the maintenance of European cultural and academic networks, we remain concerned about the implications of Brexit for the Conservatoire. At the time of writing of this Outcome Agreement we are developing our International Strategy which, amongst other things, will set out how we intend to respond to the challenges of Brexit. As part of that process, there will an initial phase that will take us to 2020 and will cover Brexit and then an ambitious strategy will be developed to align with the Conservatoire’s next Strategic Plan 2020/25 i.e. the shorter term goal will be to establish where we should concentrate our efforts in terms of student recruitment, and longer-term, how we will develop as an internationalised community that is commensurate with the post-Brexit landscape. As well as dealing with student recruitment, our emerging International Strategy will also facilitate the development of international partnerships through collaborative working and internationally relevant research. Scenario planning to mitigate any potential negative impact of Brexit upon our student numbers includes planning for an increase in Scottish-domiciled students across all undergraduate programmes, the possibility of developing new programmes and adjusting intakes of Scottish domiciled students across our existing programmes. We have also introduced a one year foundation level programme aimed at the international market, with a view to facilitating international recruitment to our undergraduate programmes, with an initial focus on the BMus and the BA Modern Ballet. · Pursue our international agenda whilst consulting on our ambitious International Strategy to be implemented alongside the Conservatoire’s next Strategic Plan from 2020; and · work to mitigate the potentially negative impact of Brexit on student recruitment. We continue to work collaboratively with Sabhal Mòr Ostaig to develop innovative ways to support national objectives relating to Gaelic, and to develop the skills for those artists wishing to work in Gaelic – most notably though the provision of an MEd in Learning and Teaching in the Performing Arts. Our BA Performance in British Sign Language and English, introduced in 2015/16, with the support of the SFC is a ground-breaking programme of which both the Conservatoire and the SFC should be proud. It is the only programme of its type in Europe and, as such, offers a unique and transformative opportunity to D/deaf performers to develop as artists. More broadly, the programme facilitates the development of a distinctive art form. We will recruit the second cohort of students during 2017/18, and its first cohort will graduate in July 2018. By way of illustration of the impact of the BA Performance in British Sign Language and English, a student from that programme was cast in one of the leading roles in the Conservatoire’s principal 2017 Christmas show Jungle Book. The actor communicated in BSL to the absolute delight of D/deaf children in the audience. Following the performance, we received the following feedback from St Roch’s Secondary School, which has a Department for Deaf Pupils: We do not use UCAS for applications for this programme. Instead we invite applicants to apply directly to the Conservatoire, where we can better meet their needs. In the context of the British Sign Language Act (Scotland) 2015, we will develop our own British Sign Language Plan in 2017/18, which will be ready for implementation in October 2018. In order to develop our Plan we will set up a British Sign Language working group, ensuring representation from our D/deaf colleagues and students. We are currently reviewing the provision of counselling for our D/deaf students and introducing counselling through British Sign Language, as providing greater confidentiality for students than using an interpreter. · Offer the second iteration of the BA Performance in British Sign Language and English; and · implement our British Sign Language Plan. The MEd Learning and Teaching in the Performing Arts is delivered with the MA Learning and Teaching (Gaelic Arts) and the PG Cert in Learning and Teaching through a part-time, blended learning model. With currently over 90 participants, this suite of programmes is delivered through a mix of online classes, weekend sessions and one-to-one tutorials. Designed to accommodate the needs of a wide range of professional educators, the online delivery of live sessions, use of eportfolio and of virtual learning environments allows participants from across Scotland and beyond, to come together as a unique community of practice. The core delivery team continue to build a range of media-rich learning resources that can be accessed online, and routinely hold one-to-one tutorials with participants using online platforms such as Adobe Connect and Skype. Online delivery allows greater economy in the use of resources with online collaborative spaces taking the place of physical teaching rooms and in the focus on digital over physical resources. We also intend to explore online/blended delivery further in relation to professional learning opportunities for teachers. · Develop an enhanced online induction resource, consisting of a range of short, step-by-step instructional videos covering the basic processes of the key online platforms used on the programmes. · Explore the potential of a Wiki-based platform to allow participants to collaborate on the creation of a shared resource around learning and teaching. This participant-led resource would span all educational sectors and performing arts discipline areas, and would build over time to be a media-rich resource available to all participants.
Appears in 1 contract
Samples: Outcome Agreement
Employability. The provision of highly vocational programmes designed In Session 2015-16 the College undertook a review and developed to meet evaluated both the needs effectiveness and affordability of the professions Skills Development Scotland Employability Fund courses. The outcome of this review is that the principal College did not deliver SDS Employability Fund courses in Session 2016-17. The College recognises that there is a need for this type of provision and most obvious means through which the Conservatoire promotes delivers under the employability banner in many courses across the college. However the extended work experience element we delivered within the Employability Fund programmes is a crucial support mechanism for the more vulnerable learner and the more we can offer to scaffold transitions to employment the better; as the college, the learner and employer will all benefit. As such, two new courses have been developed in Construction and Retail, which run for 18 weeks, and provide learners with an extended 14 week supported work placement. The College offered both courses with three different start dates through Session 2016-17, and plans to continue with this provision going forward. The learners for this type of its graduatesprogramme tend to be young people who are vulnerable and need additional support; they lack self-confidence and self-esteem, they have struggled in the school environment and tend to be care experienced. Quite simply, students learn in a proto-professional environment replete with opportunities to perform and to work with industry and individual practitioners, As such they do require more support both in college and when they are in the Conservatoire work place. By changing the programme to an 18 week programme opens up the student support services and out there funding to this group and allows us to recruit on this basis. Furthermore we have strong links with DWP and SDS as well as our LEP partners in myriad professional contextsidentifying and reaching this group of young people. A project was initiated within the College to help evidence and provide management information on the many forms of Employer Engagement undertaken by many staff within many areas of College activity. The Conservatoire is an integral aims of this project are to define what strands of Employer Engagement we will aim to collect, and very well connected part of the creative industries how we will centrally collate, report and we manage a number of partnerships, all of which help to ensure that our graduates leave us equipped with the skills, knowledge and insights which employers require. Examples of those partnerships are given under Priority 4 belowuse this information. The following examples illustrate our approach first phase of this development is now live, allowing staff to working record their engagement with potential employers employers. Linked to ensure that our programmes develop in students this project, the skills College is piloting an e-portfolio tracking system which is being used for and insights that they need to either gain employment or to pursue a career as a self-employed artist: An MMus in Piano for Dance, delivered jointly with Scottish Ballet; a BA in Modern Ballet that was designed in collaboration with Scottish Ballet Apprentices and is delivered by staff who are employed by the Conservatoire and by Scottish Ballet; a BA Performance in British Sign Language and English in response to both applicant and industry demand and in collaboration with professional company Solar Bear; a Masters in Classical and Contemporary Text delivered in collaboration with Xxxxxxxxxxx’s Globe and Playwrights’ Studio, Scotland extensive use of external placements, which include mentoring opportunities; the employment of significant numbers of part-time teachers, directors and other professionals who are professionally active in the performing arts; the involvement of potential employers and practitioners in programme design and as members of programme review and validation panels; the gathering and analysis of graduate feedback; and the frequent use of practitioners as specialist external assessorsVQ Learners. We are clear that the performing arts in the 21st century require practitioners who are innovative, inter-disciplinary and collaborative artists, teachers and technicians. The current review of our undergraduate curriculum, leading to the introduction of a revised curriculum in 2017/18, This will ensure that the Conservatoire continues to produce such graduates. The review will have a particular focus on the development of teaching skills in all of enable our students, thereby enhancing their (self-) employability. We will also offer new provision aimed at creating opportunities assessors and their employers improved access to engage our graduates as teaching artists track progress through their qualification, enable more effective communication, and raise standards in performing arts education in Scotland through our ‘Teach Arts for Scotland’ initiative and identify ways enable a more efficient way of students to work with local authorities, schools/colleges and employers to contribute to the development of Scotland’s Young Workforce e.g. through the development of certificates of work readiness for pre-HE students and foundation apprenticeship ‘Creative Pathways’ from school to the creative industries in collaboration with priority local authorities, colleges and employers. The additional taught postgraduate places provided by the SFC have allowed us to enhance our contribution to the skills development of working performing artists through the provision of masters’ level CPD – an MEd Learning and Teaching in the Performing Arts and Gaelic Arts. As an integral part of our curricular offer, students engage in work-based learning in the following ways: learning in a proto-professional environment that has public performance at its heart and which is one of the busiest arts venues in Scotland; various side-by-side and other placement opportunities with a wide range of professional companies (including the BBC and the BBC SSO, RSNO, the National Theatre of Scotland, Scottish Ballet, Scottish Opera, the Globe Theatre, the Citizens Theatre…); significant artistic collaborations with professional companies; within the member clubs of the Scottish Community Drama Association; various community engagements in a wide range of settings including schools, prisons and health-care; professional tours and gigs, many facilitated through our own agency; and a significant proportion of our music students begin their portfolio careers whilst students, through offering music tuition to a wide range of pupils. The Conservatoires DLHE data for the last 3 years shows: We believe that that data is submit evidence of the Conservatoire’s effectiveness in facilitating the development of culturally and economically relevant graduates. It clearly indicates industry demand for our graduates – particularly when considering the percentage of graduates who find employment in the creative industries and the percentage who are employed in graduate level posts. The UK Government’s Department of Culture, Media and Sport’s report Creative Industries Economic Estimates (January 2015) confirms the importance of the creative industries to the UK economy e.g. between 1997 and 2013 employment in the creative economy grew 4 times faster than in the economy as a whole. We know that many of our graduates pursue a portfolio career and our curriculum is designed to develop the entrepreneurial skills and insights (in a cultural context) which will equip them to do that. By way of example, our Bridge Week initiative, which involves multi-disciplinary groups of students devising artistic projects which they then pitch for resources in competition with others to an adjudicating panel, has been successful in facilitating the formation of professional companies. Successful projects are included in our performance programme at the Edinburgh Fringe. Our alumni play a significant part in our efforts to promote employability. Several programmes run mentoring schemes whereby graduates work with senior students with the specific goal of facilitating achieving milestones from their transition from the Conservatoire to employment. We also routinely involve our graduates in our quality enhancement processes which, of course, have the development of the vocational relevance of the curriculum as a key objective. For 2017/18, our objective will be to: Maintain and enhance our focus on graduate employability. Whilst firmly rooted in Scotland, the Conservatoire is resolutely international in outlook. Our international colleagues and students bring with them a diverse range of artistic and cultural insights, ideas and practices that greatly enrich our learning environments – there is no doubt that our Scottish students benefit greatly from learning withworkplace, and from, their international peers (and vice versa, of course). Their presence is a pre-requisite for the development of the marvellously dynamic, cosmopolitan and distinctively Scottish creative environment that we enjoy here in Glasgow which, of course, helps to drive the evolution of Scottish culture more generally. Scotland is known, understood and admired internationally because of, and through, its cultural verve and vitality. As well as making a significant contribution to Scotland’s economy, our cultural outputs help define the nation on the international stage – it is absolutely essential therefore that we continue to do everything that we can to promote our international cultural connectedness. We have a long- established history of doing just that, including working with conservatoires, universities and professional companies around the world. Most recent developments that will bear fruit in 2017/18 include: An ERASMUS+ student and staff exchange programme with Rostov State Xxxxxxxxxxx Conservatoire, which will run until May 2018. Memorandum of Understanding agreed with Muhlenberg College, Pensylvania which will facilitate the enrolment of Muhlenberg students in Conservatoire programmes on a visiting basis. Memorandums of Understanding with the Norwegian Academy of Music and the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague that will facilitate project-specific exchanges. A Memorandum of Understanding with Xxxx Xxxx Xxx Conservatory of Music (Singapore) that will facilitate student exchanges. A developing relationship with Cleveland Institute of Music (brass), with a view to developing distance learning and exchanges. A partnership with Northwestern University, Illinois that will facilitate the co- production of a musical theatre performance at the 2017 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Through membership of Europe:Union of Theatre Schools and Academies, acting students participate in a theatre schools’ festival in Spoleto, Italy on an annual basis. A partnership with Ballet Divertimento, Montreal, Canada which involves working collaboratively on the creation of a new work, which will then be performed both in our end of year ballet performances in June 2017 and, following that in Canada, at a gala celebrating Montreal’s 375th anniversary. We will continue with our New York showcase event for US students receive quicker feedback from our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in acting, directing, musical theatre and, included for the first time in 2016/17, Scottish traditional music. In 2015/16, we set up an International Advisory Board (IAB) to help the Conservatoire to reputation-build and extend its international stakeholder networks within arts, industry, education, business and philanthropic giving. More specifically, the IAB helps in awareness-raising, advocacy, strategic student recruitment and in the generation of additional international scholarship and capital funds from new sources - individual or corporate. Membership of the IAB has expanded and it now sponsors profile raising events in New York City on an annual basis, which will continue into 2017/18. Whilst the IAB is based in New York and has North America as its primary region of focus, there are longer term ambitions to build an international reach reflecting the strategic priorities of the Conservatoire and associated key international regions of interest including, for example, China, Singapore, Thailand and Korea. Currently, all undergraduate students have the opportunity to undertake an exchange through the ERASMUS scheme, we have many bilateral exchange programmes and several programmes include opportunities for students to perform/tour internationally. We very much welcome Scottish Government’s commitment to continue to fund students from the EU who enrol in 2018/19 for the duration of their programmes. However, and looking to the longer term in respect of student recruitment and to the maintenance of European cultural and academic networks, we remain concerned about the implications of Brexit for the Conservatoireassessors.
Appears in 1 contract
Samples: Outcome Agreement
Employability. The provision of highly vocational programmes designed and developed to meet the needs of the professions is the principal and most obvious means through which the Conservatoire promotes the employability of its graduates. Quite simply, students learn in a proto-professional environment replete with opportunities to perform and to work with industry and individual practitioners, both in the Conservatoire and out there in myriad of professional contexts. The Conservatoire is an integral and very well connected part of the creative industries and we manage a number of partnerships, all of which help to ensure that our graduates leave us equipped with the skills, knowledge and insights which employers require. Examples of those partnerships are given under Priority 4 Aim 6 below. The following examples illustrate our approach to working with potential employers to ensure that our programmes develop in students the those skills and insights that they need to either gain employment or to pursue a career as a self-employed artistneed: An MMus in Piano for Dance, delivered jointly with Scottish Ballet; a BA in Modern Ballet that was designed in collaboration with Scottish Ballet and is delivered by staff who are employed by the Conservatoire and by Scottish Ballet; a BA Performance in British Sign Language and English in response to both applicant and industry demand and in collaboration with professional company Solar Beardemand; a Masters in Classical an acting module jointly designed and Contemporary Text delivered in collaboration with Xxxxxxxxxxx’s Globe and Playwrights’ Studio, Scotland the National Theatre of Scotland; extensive use of external placements, which include mentoring opportunities; the employment of significant numbers of part-time teachers, directors and other professionals who are professionally active in the performing arts; the involvement of potential employers and practitioners in programme design and as members of programme review and validation panels; the gathering and analysis of graduate feedback; and the frequent use of practitioners as specialist external assessors. We are clear that the performing arts in the 21st century require practitioners who are innovative, inter-disciplinary and collaborative artists, teachers and technicians. The current review of our undergraduate curriculumcurriculum in 2015/16, leading to the introduction of a revised curriculum in 2017/182016/17, will ensure that the Conservatoire continues to produce such graduatespractitioners. The review will have a particular focus on the development of teaching skills in all of our students, thereby enhancing their (self-self) employability. We will also offer new provision aimed at creating opportunities to engage our graduates as teaching artists and raise standards in performing arts education in Scotland through our ‘Teach Arts for Scotland’ initiative and identify ways to work with local authorities, schools/colleges and employers to contribute to the development of Scotland’s Young Workforce e.g. through the development of certificates of work readiness for pre-HE students and foundation apprenticeship ‘Creative Pathways’ from school to the creative industries in collaboration with priority local authorities, colleges and employers. The additional taught postgraduate places provided by the SFC have allowed us to enhance our contribution to the skills development of working performing artists through the provision of masters’ level CPD – an MEd Learning and Teaching in the Performing Arts and Gaelic ArtsCPD. As an integral part of our curricular offer, students engage in work-based learning in the following ways: learning in a proto-professional environment that has public performance at its heart and which is one of the busiest arts venues in Scotland; various side-by-side and other placement opportunities with a wide range of professional companies (including the BBC and the BBC SSO, RSNO, the National Theatre of Scotland, Scottish Ballet, Scottish Opera, the Globe Theatre, the Citizens Theatre…); significant artistic collaborations with professional companies; within the member clubs of the Scottish Community Drama Association; various community engagements in a wide range of settings including schools, prisons and health-care; professional tours and gigs, many facilitated through our own agency; and a significant proportion of our music students begin their portfolio careers whilst students, through offering music tuition to a wide range of pupils. The Conservatoires DLHE data for the last 3 years shows: 2011/12 91 67 90 19 2012/13 91 61 74 22 2013/14 92 60 77 20 We believe that that data is evidence of the Conservatoire’s effectiveness in facilitating the development of culturally and economically relevant graduates. It clearly indicates industry demand for our graduates – particularly when considering the (growing) percentage of graduates who find employment in the creative industries and the percentage who are employed in graduate level posts. The UK Government’s Department of Culture, Media and Sport’s report Creative Industries Economic Estimates (January 2015) confirms the importance of the creative industries to the UK economy e.g. between 1997 and 2013 employment in the creative economy grew 4 times faster than in the economy as a whole. We know that many of our graduates pursue a portfolio career and our curriculum is designed to develop the entrepreneurial skills and insights (in a cultural context) which will equip them to do that. By way of example, our Bridge Week initiative, which involves multi-disciplinary groups of students devising artistic projects which they then pitch for resources in competition with others to an adjudicating panel, has been successful in facilitating the formation of already produced two professional companies. Successful projects are included in form part of our performance programme at the Edinburgh Fringe. Our alumni play a significant part in our efforts to promote employability. Several programmes run mentoring schemes whereby graduates work with senior students with the specific goal of facilitating their transition from the Conservatoire to employment. We also routinely involve our graduates in our quality enhancement processes which, of course, have the development of the vocational relevance of the curriculum as a key objective. For 2017/18As noted above, our objective DLHE data tells a positive story. However, it provides only a snapshot of what our graduates are doing 6 months after graduation so, with Conservatoires UK, we have developed a systematic means of gathering data about the career paths of our graduates over a 5, 10 and 15 year period, which will be to: Maintain inform curricular development and enhance our focus on graduate employability. Whilst firmly rooted provide data to underpin arguments in Scotland, support of the Conservatoire is resolutely international in outlook. Our international colleagues and students bring with them a diverse range economic relevance of artistic and cultural insights, ideas and practices that greatly enrich our learning environments – there is no doubt that our Scottish students benefit greatly from learning withthis Conservatoire, and from, their international peers (and vice versa, of course). Their presence is a pre-requisite for the development of the marvellously dynamic, cosmopolitan and distinctively Scottish creative environment that we enjoy here in Glasgow which, of course, helps to drive the evolution of Scottish culture UK Conservatoire sector more generally. Scotland is knownHeadlines from the survey are: 95% of Conservatoire graduates are working; 82% of Conservatoire graduates are working in the performing arts; and only 11% of Conservatoire graduates are working outside the performing arts – other occupations being mainly ‘professional, understood scientific and admired internationally because of, and through, its cultural verve and vitalitytechnical’. As well The Conservatoire views that data as making a significant contribution to Scotland’s economy, our cultural outputs help define the nation on the international stage – confirmation that it is absolutely essential therefore that we continue meeting its primary objective of producing graduates who will go on to do everything that we can to promote our international cultural connectedness. We have create a long- established history of doing just that, including working with conservatoires, universities and professional companies around the world. Most recent developments that will bear fruit in 2017/18 include: An ERASMUS+ student and staff exchange programme with Rostov State Xxxxxxxxxxx Conservatoire, which will run until May 2018. Memorandum of Understanding agreed with Muhlenberg College, Pensylvania which will facilitate the enrolment of Muhlenberg students in Conservatoire programmes on a visiting basis. Memorandums of Understanding with the Norwegian Academy of Music and the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague that will facilitate project-specific exchanges. A Memorandum of Understanding with Xxxx Xxxx Xxx Conservatory of Music (Singapore) that will facilitate student exchanges. A developing relationship with Cleveland Institute of Music (brass), with a view to developing distance learning and exchanges. A partnership with Northwestern University, Illinois that will facilitate the co- production of a musical theatre performance at the 2017 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Through membership of Europe:Union of Theatre Schools and Academies, acting students participate in a theatre schools’ festival in Spoleto, Italy on an annual basis. A partnership with Ballet Divertimento, Montreal, Canada which involves working collaboratively on the creation of a new work, which will then be performed both in our end of year ballet performances in June 2017 and, following that in Canada, at a gala celebrating Montreal’s 375th anniversary. We will continue with our New York showcase event for US students from our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in acting, directing, musical theatre and, included for the first time in 2016/17, Scottish traditional music. In 2015/16, we set up an International Advisory Board (IAB) to help the Conservatoire to reputation-build and extend its international stakeholder networks within arts, industry, education, business and philanthropic giving. More specifically, the IAB helps in awareness-raising, advocacy, strategic student recruitment and sustainable career in the generation of additional international scholarship and capital funds from new sources - individual or corporate. Membership of the IAB has expanded and it now sponsors profile raising events in New York City on an annual basis, which will continue into 2017/18. Whilst the IAB is based in New York and has North America as its primary region of focus, there are longer term ambitions to build an international reach reflecting the strategic priorities of the Conservatoire and associated key international regions of interest including, for example, China, Singapore, Thailand and Korea. Currently, all undergraduate students have the opportunity to undertake an exchange through the ERASMUS scheme, we have many bilateral exchange programmes and several programmes include opportunities for students to perform/tour internationally. We very much welcome Scottish Government’s commitment to continue to fund students from the EU who enrol in 2018/19 for the duration of their programmes. However, and looking to the longer term in respect of student recruitment and to the maintenance of European cultural and academic networks, we remain concerned about the implications of Brexit for the Conservatoireperforming arts.
Appears in 1 contract
Samples: Outcome Agreement
Employability. The provision of highly vocational programmes designed and developed to meet the needs of the professions is the principal and most obvious means through which the Conservatoire promotes the employability of its graduates. Quite simply, students learn in a proto-professional environment replete with opportunities to perform and to work with industry and individual practitioners, both in the Conservatoire and out there in myriad of professional contexts. The Conservatoire is an integral and very well connected part of the creative industries and we manage a number of partnerships, all of which help to ensure that our graduates leave us equipped with the skills, knowledge and insights which employers require. Examples of those partnerships are given under Priority 4 Aim 6 below. The following examples illustrate our approach to working with potential employers to ensure that our programmes develop in students the those skills and insights that which they need to either gain employment or to pursue a career as a self-employed artistneed: • An MMus in Piano for Dance, delivered jointly with Scottish Ballet; • a BA in Modern Ballet that was designed in collaboration with Scottish Ballet and is delivered by using staff who are employed by the Conservatoire and by Scottish Ballet; • the introduction of a BA Performance in British Sign Language and English in response to both applicant and industry demand demand; • an acting module jointly designed and in collaboration delivered with professional company Solar Bearthe National Theatre of Scotland; a Masters in Classical and Contemporary Text delivered in collaboration with Xxxxxxxxxxx’s Globe and Playwrights’ Studio, Scotland • extensive use of external placements, which include mentoring opportunities; • the employment of significant numbers of part-time teachers, directors and other professionals who are professionally active in the performing arts; • the involvement of potential employers and practitioners in programme design and as members of programme review and validation panels; • the gathering and analysis of graduate feedback; and • the frequent use of practitioners as specialist external assessors. We are clear that the performing arts in the 21st century require practitioners who are innovative, inter-disciplinary and collaborative artists, teachers and technicians. The current review Accordingly, the Conservatoire engaged in a very significant Curriculum Reform project which resulted in the introduction in session 2012/13 of an undergraduate curriculum which has the following features: • enhanced opportunities for artistic collaboration across and between disciplines; • opportunities to devise and deliver self-generated collaborative projects through the ‘Bridge Week’ initiative; • enhanced student choice at all levels and stages; • individualised Learning Contracts for all students, supported by a network of Transitions Tutors; and • the opportunity of work-based learning for all students. Building on the success of our undergraduate curriculum, leading the Conservatoire’s postgraduate curriculum was also subject to the introduction of a ‘curriculum reform’ process in session 2013/14 and a revised curriculum curriculum, which exploits opportunities for artistic collaboration, was introduced in 2017/18, will ensure that the Conservatoire continues to produce such graduates. The review will have a particular focus on the development of teaching skills in all of our students, thereby enhancing their (self-) employability. We will also offer new provision aimed at creating opportunities to engage our graduates as teaching artists and raise standards in performing arts education in Scotland through our ‘Teach Arts for Scotland’ initiative and identify ways to work with local authorities, schools/colleges and employers to contribute to the development of Scotland’s Young Workforce e.g. through the development of certificates of work readiness for pre-HE students and foundation apprenticeship ‘Creative Pathways’ from school to the creative industries in collaboration with priority local authorities, colleges and employers. The additional taught postgraduate places provided by the SFC have allowed us to enhance our contribution to the skills development of working performing artists through the provision of masters’ level CPD – an MEd Learning and Teaching in the Performing Arts and Gaelic Arts2014/15. As an integral part of our curricular offer, students engage in work-based learning in the following ways: • learning in a proto-professional environment that has public performance at its heart and which is one of the busiest arts venues in Scotland; • various side-by-side and other placement opportunities with a wide range of professional companies (including the BBC and the BBC SSO, RSNO, the National Theatre of Scotland, Scottish Ballet, Scottish Opera, the Globe Theatre, the Citizens Theatre………); • significant artistic collaborations with professional companies; • within the member clubs of the Scottish Community Drama Association; • various community engagements in a wide range of settings including schools, prisons and health-care; • professional tours and gigs, many facilitated through our own agency; and • a significant proportion of our music students begin their portfolio careers whilst students, through offering music tuition to a wide range of pupils. The Conservatoires DLHE data for the last 3 previous 4 years shows: 2009/10 88 52 83 30 2010/11 94 54 85 28 2011/12 91 67 90 19 2012/13 91 61 74 22 We believe that that data is evidence of the Conservatoire’s effectiveness in facilitating the development of culturally and economically relevant graduates. It clearly indicates industry demand for our graduates – particularly when considering the (growing) percentage of graduates who find employment in the creative industries and the percentage who are employed in graduate level posts. The UK Government’s Department of Culture, Media and Sport’s report Creative Industries Economic Estimates (January 2015) confirms the importance of the creative industries to the UK economy e.g. between 1997 and 2013 employment in the creative economy grew 4 times faster than in the economy as a whole. We know that many of our graduates pursue a portfolio career and our curriculum is designed to develop the entrepreneurial skills and insights (in a cultural context) which will equip them to do that. By way of example, our Bridge Week initiative, which involves multi-disciplinary groups of students devising artistic projects which they then pitch for resources in competition with others to an adjudicating panel, has been successful in facilitating the formation of already produced two professional companies. Successful projects are included in form part of our performance programme at the Edinburgh Fringe. Our alumni play a significant part in our efforts to promote employability. Several programmes run mentoring schemes whereby graduates work with senior students with the specific goal of facilitating their transition from the Conservatoire to employment. We also routinely involve our graduates in our quality enhancement processes which, of course, have the development of the vocational relevance of the curriculum as a key objective. For 2017/18The Conservatoire employs a relatively small number of full-time academic staff and, conversely, employs a considerable number of professional performers/practitioners as part-time teachers. This approach has the considerable benefit of ensuring that students have access to teaching that is informed by first-hand and current professional experience. It also means that vocational careers advice and guidance is available from teachers who are best placed to offer it i.e. the practising professional. As noted above, our DLHE data tells a positive story. However, it provides only a snapshot of what our graduates are doing 6 months after graduation so, with Conservatoires UK, we have developed a systematic means of gathering data about the career paths of our graduates over a 5, 10 and 15 year period, which will inform curricular development and provide data to underpin arguments in support of the economic relevance of this Conservatoire, and of the UK Conservatoire sector more generally. Headlines from the survey are: • 95% of Conservatoire graduates are working; • 82% of Conservatoire graduates are working in the performing arts; and • only 11% of Conservatoire graduates are working outside the performing arts – other occupations being mainly ‘professional, scientific and technical’. The Conservatoire views that data as confirmation that it is meeting its primary objective of producing graduates who will be to: Maintain and enhance our focus go on graduate employabilityto create a sustainable career in the performing arts. Whilst firmly rooted in ScotlandAlthough a matter for CUK, the Conservatoire is resolutely international hopes and expects that CUK will commission a further longitudinal survey in outlook. Our international colleagues and students bring with them a diverse range of artistic and cultural insights, ideas and practices that greatly enrich our learning environments – there is no doubt that our Scottish students benefit greatly from learning with, and from, their international peers (and vice versa, of course). Their presence is a pre-requisite for the development of the marvellously dynamic, cosmopolitan and distinctively Scottish creative environment that we enjoy here in Glasgow which, of course, helps to drive the evolution of Scottish culture more generally. Scotland is known, understood and admired internationally because of, and through, its cultural verve and vitality. As well as making a significant contribution to Scotland’s economy, our cultural outputs help define the nation on the international stage – it is absolutely essential therefore that we continue to do everything that we can to promote our international cultural connectedness. We have a long- established history of doing just that, including working with conservatoires, universities and professional companies around the world. Most recent developments that will bear fruit in 2017/18 include: An ERASMUS+ student and staff exchange programme with Rostov State Xxxxxxxxxxx Conservatoire, which will run until May 2018. Memorandum of Understanding agreed with Muhlenberg College, Pensylvania which will facilitate the enrolment of Muhlenberg students in Conservatoire programmes on a visiting basis. Memorandums of Understanding with the Norwegian Academy of Music and the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague that will facilitate project-specific exchanges. A Memorandum of Understanding with Xxxx Xxxx Xxx Conservatory of Music (Singapore) that will facilitate student exchanges. A developing relationship with Cleveland Institute of Music (brass), with a view to developing distance learning and exchanges. A partnership with Northwestern University, Illinois that will facilitate the co- production of a musical theatre performance at the 2017 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Through membership of Europe:Union of Theatre Schools and Academies, acting students participate in a theatre schools’ festival in Spoleto, Italy on an annual basis. A partnership with Ballet Divertimento, Montreal, Canada which involves working collaboratively on the creation of a new work, which will then be performed both in our end of year ballet performances in June 2017 and, following that in Canada, at a gala celebrating Montreal’s 375th anniversary. We will continue with our New York showcase event for US students from our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in acting, directing, musical theatre and, included for the first time in 2016/17, Scottish traditional music. In 2015/16, we set up an International Advisory Board (IAB) to help the Conservatoire to reputation-build and extend its international stakeholder networks within arts, industry, education, business and philanthropic giving. More specifically, the IAB helps in awareness-raising, advocacy, strategic student recruitment and in the generation of additional international scholarship and capital funds from new sources - individual or corporate. Membership of the IAB has expanded and it now sponsors profile raising events in New York City on an annual basis, which will continue into 2017/18. Whilst the IAB is based in New York and has North America as its primary region of focus, there are longer term ambitions to build an international reach reflecting the strategic priorities of the Conservatoire and associated key international regions of interest including, for example, China, Singapore, Thailand and Korea. Currently, all undergraduate students have the opportunity to undertake an exchange through the ERASMUS scheme, we have many bilateral exchange programmes and several programmes include opportunities for students to perform/tour internationally. We very much welcome Scottish Government’s commitment to continue to fund students from the EU who enrol in 2018/19 for the duration of their programmes. However, and looking to the longer term in respect of student recruitment and to the maintenance of European cultural and academic networks, we remain concerned about the implications of Brexit for the Conservatoire.
Appears in 1 contract
Samples: Outcome Agreement