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University of Wolverhampton students benefited from some dramatic advice from one of the country’s leading theatres recently.

The Acting, Musical Theatre and Drama students attended a workshop at the School of Performing Arts at the University’s Walsall Campus which was delivered by the Associate Director of the National Theatre, Anna Marsland.

The National Theatre is based in South Bank, London, and stages over 20 productions each year including new plays, musicals, re-imagined classics and work for young audiences, connecting professional theatre-making with English, Drama and Theatre Studies curriculums.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time was recently screened for students at the Arena Theatre in Wolverhampton as part of a national tour which also visited Doncaster, Greater Manchester, Hornchurch, Sunderland and Wakefield. The new 90 minute version by Simon Stephens was re-staged in the round specifically for schools audiences.

Anna talked to students about acting and performance techniques and processes, looking closely at the script and text of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, exploring routine and making them think about genre.

Anna said: “In the workshop we used ‘actioning’ as a device for exploring the text of the play, supporting the physical and emotional drive of the text and the characters’ objectives – the text isn’t just the emotions of each character, it’s about the impact each character has on another.”

Sophie Hill, Acting Student, said: “The workshop showed us more of a broader scope of the devising process which helps with so much more than just acting – it helps with directing and, for some of us who want to be teachers, it helps us to create.”

Claire Hampton , Subject Leader for Drama at the University, said: “It was so exciting to have someone like Anna coming in, from that level, to work with our students. Being able to put some of what they have already learned into practice in a workshop working with someone at such a high level in the industry is a real confidence boost for them.

Staff and pupils at Sacred Heart Primary School in Tipton will bid their headteacher a very fond farewell when she retires at the end of this term.

Melanie Gee has taught her entire career in schools in Sandwell since gaining her teaching degree in 1984 - a total of 34 years.

Her career began at Old Park Primary School in Wednesbury before Melanie moved to Wednesbury Oak Primary then to Hateley Heath Infant School in 1997. Following a merge of Hateley Heath infant and junior schools, Melanie was promoted to the Deputy Head post.

In January 2009, Melanie was appointed as acting headteacher at Sacred Heart Primary School initially for one term. In September 2009, Melanie was given the permanent headteacher role at Sacred Heart - then the smallest school in Sandwell with less than 100 pupils.

Sacred Heart Primary School moved into their brand new state-of-the-art building in 2017 and the school now has more than 335 pupils - more than three times as many compared to when Melanie first took over.

Melanie Gee said: "As I reach the end of my teaching career, I would like to say that I have always been very proud to say that I work in Sandwell, and it has been a privilege to have served the children and families of Sandwell for 34 years."

Councillor Simon Hackett, cabinet member for children's services thanked Melanie Gee on a recent visit to Sacred Heart Primary School. He said: "Throughout her career Melanie will have taught thousands of children in Sandwell. I want to thank Melanie for her hard work and dedication to schools in Sandwell."

Finance students at the University of Wolverhampton have been given top employment tips from a leading recruitment firm.

Kelly Brown, Executive Business Manager at Reed Accountancy in Wolverhampton, visited the University to present a talk titled ‘would you employ you?’

The visit was part of the University of Wolverhampton Business School’s focus on preparing students for the world of work.

Kelly offered tips to Finance and Accounting students to help them become more employable and give themselves a better chance of competing for graduate level jobs.

She also discussed the importance of relevant work experience and what the recruitment market looks like for new graduates.

Kelly said: “We were talking about the importance of experience when engaging with recruitment agencies, and that could be within a gap year or sandwich year to give students a bit more knowledge about the career they are hoping to go into and to gain some more soft skills along the way.”

Kelly’s top tips:

  • Tailor your CV to the position and the company you want to work for
  • Have a very good personal statement which talks about you as an individual and your transferable skills
  • Practice and prepare for interview questions – and have some questions to ask as well.
Lisa McKeown, Senior Lecturer in Finance and Accounting, said: “We were delighted to welcome Kelly to the University. The aim of these events is to give students an insight into what it is going to be like in the world of work and the things they need to be aware of to enhance their own employability.”

They came up with their own character scenario, went into hair and make-up then Sutton Coldfield College students gave the performance of their lives while taking part in a training exercise for West Midlands Fire Service.

The 15 performing arts (acting) students took on roles in a search and rescue situation, interacting with fire officers from local stations earlier this month.

They even looked the part as media make-up artists from University College Birmingham made them look as though they had been surrounded by smoke and had suffered injuries and burns.

“This was an exciting and challenging performance opportunity for the students,” said Lorraine Foggin, Department Manager at the college.  “The scene was a gas explosion in a building basement and they had to communicate with the officers responding to the scene as they would do in a real life situation.

“They were all incredibly professional, despite being in a daunting environment that was dark, full of smoke and noise.  It’s proved to the students that no matter what the situation, the show can and must still go on!”

75 officers from stations across Birmingham, Coventry and the black country took part in the exercise in central Birmingham.

Crew Commander Karl Smith from Aston Blue Watch added: "It was great to have the students at the exercise.  Having live casualties is a great way for firefighters to test their own skills and procedures. West Midlands Fire Service would like to thank Birmingham Women’s and Children's Hospital for the use of one of their buildings and all the students that took part in the exercise.  We look forward future collaborations with them all."

Birmingham City University has been shortlisted for a National Undergraduate Employability Award, in recognition of the institution’s initiatives to support students on their career journey.
 
The University is ranked 7th in the UK for employability, with more than 97% of students in employment or further study within six months of graduating.
 
Jo Howell, Head of Careers and Employability at Birmingham City University, said: “This year we’ve opened dedicated Careers+ offices in each Faculty and are now seeing a rise in student numbers for both micro and long placements. We’re also working intensively with unemployed and underemployed graduates to help them secure highly skilled employment.
 
“We’re thrilled to receive this recognition for the team’s commitment and look forward to building strong relationships with new and existing employers to create more opportunities for our students."
 
The University is nominated alongside Bath Spa University and University of Liverpool in the ‘Most Improved Commitment to Employability’ category.
 
The awards ceremony takes place in London on Friday 1 March 2019.
 

A student at Birmingham City University is celebrating after beating 1,000 competitors to win the International Combat Organisation Kickboxing World Championships.
 
As part of Team England, 18 year-old Dan Lockley won three world titles during this year’s competitions which took place in Rome.
 
“I won in the 16-18 competition on mats, before winning two titles in the 18-35 competitions in the ring and on mats,” said Dan, who studies Criminology and hails from Telford in Shropshire.
 
“I’m both overwhelmed and proud as this year was the first time I’ve fought in the adult category.”
 
Dan began kickboxing at the age of four and he has previously held English, British and European titles as a junior fighter.
 
“I would like to become a police detective after University and I aim to retain two of my world titles at next year’s World Championships which are being held in Scotland,” added Dan.