Knowing that she wanted to go into the performing arts, graduate Katie Slater's decision to come to QMU came down to the balanced offering of theoretical and practical learning in the BA (Hons) Drama course. Her decision was solidified after attending the Open and Offer Holder Days where she got to see the impressive drama facilities and the calibre of the lecturers, many of whom are active practitioners in the industry. In this Student Story, Katie tells us about her time with us, and how she made the most of opportunities like The Student and Vice-Chancellor Development Fund and the Self Initiated Module (SIM), both of which were key in taking her productions to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Why did you choose to study at QMU and what attracted you to the course?
I was attracted to the BA (Hons) Drama course at QMU because it is rare in offering a good balance of academic and practical learning, and there were opportunities to specialise in directing throughout the four years. On most Scottish courses, directing is only an option to study at a Masters level. At the Open Day I was also drawn to the Drama facilities and the lecturers, many of whom are still practitioners making exciting work within the industry alongside teaching at QMU.
What did you enjoy most about your course?
The diversity. The more academic side, reading lots of scripts and writing essays, was mixed with practical classes in the studios and this was really rewarding. I also appreciated the methods of assessment. Covid did contribute to this, but we did not have any “traditional” sit down exams throughout the degree. Instead, we were assessed through assignments, portfolios, productions and group viva’s which was a less stressful, more effective method.
Were there any particular course activities you found especially interesting?
In my fourth year I took the opportunity to do the SIM elective (Student Initiated Module). As a musician (drummer) and a director, I had wanted to explore gig theatre for a while and the SIM allows you to pitch a project of your choice to be assessed on. Rona Johnston (fellow musician and Drama student) and I proposed to do a SIM together where we would research and make a piece of gig theatre. This resulted in us creating a 15-minute piece called Mary: A Gig Theatre Show, which retells the story of Mary, Queen of Scots through spoken word and original live music. For the assessment we performed this to a small audience in one of the blackbox studios at QMU.
We loved having the freedom to explore this exciting form of theatre on the course, so have since developed the show to be 50 minutes, with a full band. It was performed at the Scottish Storytelling Centre and Bedlam Theatre to fab reviews and standing ovations and will now have a weeklong run at this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
How did your lecturers support your learning?
"The small size of classes at QMU mean the lecturers really get to know everyone and can provide detailed feedback on your work. They were flexible in how they supported us, offering meetings, audio feedback, making videos or written feedback throughout."
For the SIM module, you are assigned a supervisor who has experience relevant to your project. We had Andy Henry who met with us throughout the project and was so encouraging. He has continued to support the show beyond our graduation, which we are so grateful for.
The lecturers also supported the learning by sharing opportunities beyond the course for us to participate in. Kate Nelson (lecturer/director) allowed me to observe her own theatre company’s rehearsals and I was an assistant director to her on the end of year Shakespeare productions. This was invaluable to my learning as a director.
What challenges did you face with the course or university life? How did you overcome them?
The amount of group assessments can be quite challenging on the Drama course, as you really need to rely on and trust each other with the work. Learning to adjust your communication and work style to fit different people is really important, and applies to the industry too. It gets easier as the course goes on, as everyone figures out what production roles they are interested in, and you have more freedom to form your own companies. In the early stages of the course you need to be prepared to participate in activities you don’t necessarily want to pursue (eg. doing animal acting exercises when you want to be a lighting technician!), but you are all in it together, so have fun and it all is useful at some point.
Do you have any advice for students who might be interested in this course?
Make as much theatre as you can, on the course and off (the student theatre scene in Edinburgh is booming!). It is so valuable to be able to apply what you are learning on the course to actual productions, and to build your theatre credits up for graduation. It is also great to have bits and pieces of work that you can develop beyond university, which modules like SIM, Playwrighting, and CPE allow you to get started on. And, start your dissertation early!
Did you join any schemes/initiatives to enhance your learning and development?
Two productions (Pilgrimage and Mary: A Gig Theatre Show) that I was/ am the director on have been successful in receiving funding from the 2023 and 2024 QMU Vice Chancellor’s Fund.
"This money has enabled us to take both shows, which both started on modules at QMU, to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The costs for the Fringe are huge, so we wouldn’t be able to take part without this money."
The experience and exposure from doing the Fringe is invaluable, so this money has made all the difference to our professional development as theatre makers.
If applicable, which University services did you use to support you through your university journey and how did they help you?
I found the online resources from the Effective Learning Service (ELS) so helpful throughout the degree for academic writing.
Did you attend an online or in person Open Day/Offer Holder Day before coming to QMU?
Yes, I attended both an Open Day and the Offer Holder day in person. For the Drama course there was the opportunity to watch some rehearsals which was great, and it has been lovely to then lead activities at Open Days once I was on the degree.
What’s your ‘top tip’ for making the most of being a student?
As mentioned above, make lots of theatre! And use the resources available to you like studio space, scripts in the library, subscriptions to Digital Theatre +, £1 tickets to the Traverse, and asking your lecturers questions!
What was the most valuable lesson that you learned at university?
I learnt so much about leadership and directing, and it completely transformed the way I think about the role. From details like the language used in a rehearsal room, to bigger aspects like defining an artistic vision and what questions a production asks an audience, it all really sticks with me and has been so helpful.
Tell us about life after graduation:
After graduation we took our final production project at QMU, Pilgrimage, to the 2023 Fringe. You absolutely must be very pro-active in the arts industry, so Autumn 2023 was spent applying to plenty of opportunities, making connections in the industry, doing additional training, playing gigs, making theatre and seeing lots of shows. The Professional Development Plan we did in 4th year really helped with doing this (thank you Denny Collie!). It’s been really exciting to have this start to pay off! I’ve now had my first professional assistant director credits at A Play, A Pie and A Pint (Artistic Directed at the time by Jemima Levick, another QMU graduate) and I’ve just finished up as Assistant Director on The Girls of Slender Means at The Royal Lyceum Theatre. I’m also on the Wonder Fools Youth Board for 24/25. Next up, I cannot wait to bring Mary: A Gig Theatre Show to the Fringe.
Anything else you’d like to share about life at QMU or as a graduate?
"Connecting with, and staying in touch with, students from other year groups and courses has been wonderful too. There are so many talented QMU students and they are the very best to get to work with, so try to mix with many as possible."
And, come to see Mary: A Gig Theatre Show! The cast and team features many QMU students past and present. We are on with the SpaceUK from the 12th-17th of August at Symposium Hall (Annexe).
Tickets are available from the Edinburgh Fringe website and follow us @mary_gigtheatre on Instagram.
