NSCD's MA Dance & Creative Enterprise equips students with the fundraising, marketing and project management tools they need to thrive as independent artists/producers and make their choreographic ambitions a reality.
With applications for 2020 entry closing on Wednesday 20 May, Study International caught up with current student Nga Man Cheang to find out how the course has helped her to develop her practice and expand her career prospects within the industry.
What made you choose the master’s programme at the NSCD over other universities in the region and the world?
I started performing at the age of 13. Since then I always wanted to develop as an artist.
After graduating from my BA I began working as an independent artist, producing my own work with the ambition of touring it. But I found myself lacking certain skills and decided I needed to learn more about business planning, fundraising, marketing and networking to really stand a chance.
At the same time, I also wanted to build my knowledge of choreography, movement and body dynamics under the guidance of experienced tutors in an inspiring, research-led environment. That’s why I chose the MA Dance & Creative Enterprise at NSCD.
What’s your favourite part about living the NSCD graduate student lifestyle?
Learning from all the experienced teachers is definitely my favourite part about being here at NSCD.
Staff are all sophisticated dancers, producers or choreographers who have been working in the industry for years, and they all have a lot of experience and connections to the industry. They can tell you most of the problems that you will face in the industry and teach you how to deal with them. Everything we learn in class is based on reality rather than just academic models.
Tutorials really help a lot with individual problems and I get the feeling that teachers are always here to back you up, which is amazing!
How do you think the School is preparing you for work in the industry?
I would say the MA Dance and Creative Enterprise is one of the most “down to earth” MA programmes that I could find. The school cares so much about artistic development as well as our ability to project manage and produce work. Everything we do in class can be directly applied to our future work in the industry.
We have many small creative projects throughout the course. This is a great chance for me to keep asking myself “what can I do to avoid repeating myself” and “what can I learn from others”. It’s really important to me and my future career to keep thinking and creating.
On the business side, we have to write our own proposals for our own projects. We consider every factor and circumstance that we might face in the future, and have the support of many experienced producers here to guide us through all the difficulties!
The school also gives us the freedom to design our own lighting. The lighting studio (a black-box theatre) is always open for students to try out whatever they want. No matter what problems we have we can always ask our in-house technician for help.
What are some of the extracurricular activities available on campus? Which do you enjoy most?
Performances at Riley Theatre which happen almost every week. To watch professional performances from companies all over the world as well as fellow students’ work at an affordable price is really a pleasure!
Can you describe your academic experience at NSCD?
Staff and teachers at NSCD are really helpful. The English Language Support for international students really helps to reduce our panic when it comes to academic writing.
The school works hard to keep all studios clean at all times to give us a high-quality learning environment.
The openness of the school system gives us a lot of freedom to create and take risks with our own artistic development. If we have any problems there is always someone to ask for help.
In my opinion the balance of modules between dance practice, creativity and business is just right.
If you could offer a word of advice to prospective international students considering pursuing their master’s at NSCD, what would it be?
If you’re looking for a programme that tells you what Dance or Creative Enterprise is, this isn’t it. Rather, this programme is more about expanding your thinking in terms of both the artistic and business sides of dance production.
As I continue to learn more on this program, I discover things I’ve never thought about before. I find myself asking “What else…?”, “What is missing…?” I think this is a really helpful habit to develop that I’ll take forward with me in my career, part of a continual process of becoming a better artist.
Be prepared to think more, more than you can ever imagine.
The MA Dance & Creative Enterprise helps emerging and established dance artists, choreographers and performers to achieve their ambitions. To shape your future as an independent dance maker, apply by Monday 20 May.
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