STUDENT HANDBOOK

Academic Year 2013-14

Student Handbook 2013-14 0

CONTENTS

Page Welcome to Bird College 2 The Mission of Bird College 3 Term Dates 2013 -2014 4 HE/FE Faculty 8 Biographies 11 The Leadership Group 11 Administrative and Support Staff 14 Teaching Staff 17 Learning Support 36 Physiotherapist 36 Body Conditioning 37 Student Charter 37 College Facilities 41 FE & HE Offices 42 Campus Map 43 Contact Numbers 44 Access to the Buildings and Key Fobs 45 Lockers 45 Accessing Internet, Email and College Intranet 45 Code of Practice for Use of College PCs, Email & Intranet 46 Accommodation – Over 18s Procedure 47 Accommodation – Under 18s Procedure 48 Procedure for working in the Studio 48 Studio Reservation 48 Lost Property 49 Equal Opportunities Policy 49 Access Policy 50 Safeguarding Policy 50 Touch Policy 55 Equality & Diversity Policy 56 General Health & Safety Guidelines 57 Attendance Procedure 60 Assessment regulations for students with disabilities & long term conditions 64 Extenuating Circumstances Policy 65 Discipline and Complaints Regulations & Procedure 69 Student Representation on College Committees 70 Accessing the Physiotherapist Procedure 71 Student Welfare and Pastoral Care 72 Learning Resources 75 Bird Agency 77 Essential Spending 77 Adverse Weather Procedure 78 Additional Reminders 79

Student Handbook 2013-14 1

WELCOME TO BIRD COLLEGE

You are about to embark on an educational adventure that will change your life. Since we were founded, almost seventy years ago by Doreen Bird, our reputation and expertise has grown until we are now recognised as being one of the best colleges training young people for a career in theatre arts.

The last few years have been highly significant for us: it has become possible for many more talented people to benefit from our high quality, vocational training and the number of students has more than tripled since 2000. Bird College now offers qualifications at Diploma, Foundation Degree and BA (Hons) level in dance, acting and musical theatre. Additionally we offer a Pre Vocational year in dance and theatre performance. Young people with talent can come to us and succeed if they have the commitment and dedication. We are also the Music Education Provider for the London Borough of Bexley and we have a thriving Junior Dance Department.

As you know admission is highly competitive and each one of you has been judged to have the potential to succeed in the theatre industry.

While our courses always have elements of academic research, which are very important, we seek to give maximum experience through real performance. The hard work you do in class will prepare you for the realities and disciplines of performance and the demands of the industry.

Our experienced staff know the problems and challenges that face a dedicated student and we carefully structure our programmes to ensure that we give you the maximum support. We do not expect all students to be at the same level in all disciplines - we do offer personalised programmes to allow you to develop in all areas – be it dance ,acting, singing or contextual studies.

Our teachers are experienced and well qualified: many of them have had successful careers in the theatre as performers, choreographers and directors. This wealth of experience is available to you throughout your course as is their academic expertise in their subject specialisms. You will also be able to participate in workshops led by individuals who are currently working in the theatre. We are proud that Bird College graduates return to us to deliver workshops. Some of them may be well known to you. It is a great inspiration to us all to celebrate the success of our graduates.

Principal and Chief Executive Shirley Coen BA (Hons), FRSA

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THE MISSION OF BIRD COLLEGE

Our vision is to:

 Build on our reputation and success nationally and internationally as an outstanding and dynamic centre offering world class education and professional training in dance, music and theatre performance with an inspiring, nurturing and expert faculty. We strive to be the College of choice for those wishing to pursue a career in dance and musical theatre.

Our Mission is to:

 Be an outstanding and innovative provider of education and professional training in Dance, Music and Theatre Performance.

 Build upon our national and international reputation for motivating and inspiring the most talented learners from widely diverse backgrounds through education and professional training.  Facilitate the employability, professionalism and versatility of our graduates, thus ensuring that the College is at the forefront of international theatre.

 Create an atmosphere which is progressive, disciplined and creatively sympathetic in which students can learn to the best of their abilities

 Create, design and implement initiatives which improve the attractiveness of the College and its curriculum to learners from a more diverse of backgrounds.

Aims:

In support of the above vision and mission, Bird College has the following aims:

1. Ensure financial viability and sustainability in the light of changes to funding

2. Create and consolidate partnerships to improve the experience and outcomes through the development of a shared purpose

3. Create a programme of planned and targeted growth

4. Ensure that the College improves and extends its facilities to match the best in the industry by developing an exciting new facility

5. Recruit and motivate diverse and talented learners through inspirational training which focuses on employability

6. Develop music education provision guided by the National Plan 2012 – 15.

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TERM DATES 2013-14

2nd & 3rd Year BA Hons & Diploma Term Dates 2013/14

Bird College registration for students Monday 9th September.

Autumn term – 2013 – Staff to return Thursday 5th September

Monday 9th September – Friday 25th October 7 weeks

Monday 28th October - Friday 1st November Reading Week

Monday 4th November – Friday 13th December 6 weeks

(13 Weeks)

______

Spring term -2014 - Staff to return Monday 6th January

Monday 6th January – Friday 14th February 6 weeks

Monday 17th - Friday 21st February Reading Week

Monday 24th February – Friday 4th April 6 weeks

(12 Weeks) ______

Summer term – 2014 – Staff to return Monday 28th April

Monday 28th April – 23rd May 4 weeks

Monday 26th - Friday 30th May Reading Week

Monday 2nd June – Friday 18th July 7 weeks

(11 weeks)

Total: 36 weeks

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1st Year BA Hons & Diploma Term Dates 2013/14

Bird college registration for BA & DIP students 16th September.

University of Greenwich Registration for BA students – to be confirmed

Autumn term – 2013 – Staff to return Thursday 5th September

Monday 16th September – Friday 25th October 6 weeks

Monday 28th October - Friday 1st November Reading Week

Monday 4th November – Friday 13th December 6 weeks

(12 Weeks)

______

Spring term -2014 - Staff to return Monday 6th January

Monday 6th January – Friday 14th February 6 weeks

Monday 17th - Friday 21st February Reading Week

Monday 24th February – Friday 4th April 6 weeks

(12 Weeks) ______

Summer term – 2014 – Staff to return Monday 28th April

Monday 28th April – 23rd May 4 weeks

Monday 26th - Friday 30th May Reading Week

Monday 2nd June – Friday 18th July 7 weeks

(11 weeks)

Total: 35 weeks

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Foundation Degree Term Dates 2013/14

Bird College registration & University of Greenwich Registration for FDA students - TBC

Autumn term – 2013 – Staff to return Thursday 5th September

Monday 23rd September – Friday 25th October 5 weeks

Monday 28th October - Friday 1st November Reading Week

Monday 4th November – Friday 13th December 6 weeks

(11 Weeks)

______

Spring term -2014 - Staff to return Monday 6th January

Monday 6th January – Friday 14th February 6 weeks

Monday 17th - Friday 21st February Reading Week

Monday 24th February – Friday 4th April 6 weeks

(12 Weeks) ______

Summer term – 2014 – Staff to return Monday 28th April

Monday 28th April – 23rd May 4 weeks

Monday 26th - Friday 30th May Reading Week

Monday 2nd June – Friday 18th July 7 weeks

(11 weeks)

Total: 34 weeks

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Pre-vocational Term Dates 2013/14

Bird college registration for students Monday 16th September.

Autumn term – 2013 – Staff to return Thursday 5th September

Monday 16th September – Friday 25th October 6 weeks

Monday 28th October - Friday 1st November Reading Week

Monday 4th November – Friday 13th December 6 weeks

(12 Weeks)

______

Spring term -2014 - Staff to return Monday 6th January

Monday 6th January – Friday 14th February 6 weeks

Monday 17th - Friday 21st February Reading Week

Monday 24th February – Friday 4th April 6 weeks

(12 Weeks) ______

Summer term – 2014 – Staff to return Monday 28th April

Monday 28th April – 6th June 6 weeks Please note there is no Reading Week

(6 weeks) Total: 30 weeks

Rehearsals sometimes take place during the evenings, weekends and reading weeks. You should check with the Deputy Principal & Artistic Director before making any travel or holiday plans.

Note Students are requested to book travel arrangements well ahead of the beginning and end of terms in order to avoid unnecessary absence from College.

Miss Lai-Sheung Chan should be notified of any doctor/dental appointments except, of course, in the case of emergencies, and any other requests for absence, in writing and in advance. Request forms can be obtain from the Deputy Principal’s EA Lai-Sheung Chan.

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HE/FE FACULTY

Principal and Chief Executive: Shirley Coen

Deputy Principal and Artistic Director: Luis De Abreu

Assistant Principal: Matt Elliot

Academic and Assessment Manager: Joana Simas

Academic Department:  Gwen Goodman  Nick Mojsiejenko  Tony Pappano  Karine Rathle  Darja Reznikova  Raymond Tait  Steve Trill

QA & TL Manager: Luisa Figuerola

Head of Acting: James Palm

Acting Department:  Liz May Brice  Sarah-Jane Bourne  Claire Lindsay  Kate Napier

Head of Ballet: Andrew Wilson

Ballet Department:  Lai Sheung Chan  Tomoko Furuya  Hazel Gould  Rebecca Jackson  Marlene Pasquet  Thedi Joannou  Ben Tribe

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Head of Contemporary: Katie Morea

Contemporary Department:  Luisa Figuerola  Nikki O’Hara  Darja Reznikova  Joana Simas  Rebecca Stancliffe

Head of Jazz: Sue Brice

Jazz Department:  Belinda Basu  Erica Lawrence  David Leighton  Nikki O’Hara  Tony Parrie  Teresa Theodoulou  Mandy Ruthford

Head of Tap and Musical Theatre: Nick French

Tap Department:  Ryan Campbell Birch  Emilie Hardy  Hannah Willcoks

Musical Theatre Department:  Brian Alverson  Luis De Abreu  Matt Elliot  Dominic Haslam  Liz Hetherington  Erica Lawrence  Nick Mojsiejenko

Head of Singing and Voice: Liz Hetherington

Singing Department:  Brian Alverson  Sarah-Jane Bourne  Craig Faulkner  Morgan Gordon  Kath Savage  Phillip Shades Student Handbook 2013-14 9

 Jackee Stockwell  Raymond Tait

Voice Department:  Virginia Angus  Sharrone Comber

STUDENT SUPPORT AND WELFARE

Bird Agency: Tanya Robb

Body Conditioning: Mo Maziane

Head of Counselling: Marian Gittins

Learning Support Tutors:  Liz May Brice  Fuschia Peters

Physiotherapist: Druanne Roberts

MUSICIANS

Head of Accompanists: Tony Pappano  Tatyana Angelova  Jonathan Burrows  Jen Charlton  David Grub  David Grub  Adam Kahn  Steve Trill

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BIOGRAPHIES

LEADERSHIP GROUP

EXECUTIVE TEAM

Shirley Coen Principal and Chief Executive BA (Hons), FRSA

Shirley Coen is a trustee of the Doreen Bird Foundation, the registered charity which wholly owns Bird College. She is the Principal and Chief Executive Officer of the College, and was appointed to the post in 2005. She was appointed as an Executive Director by Doreen Bird, the College Founder, in 2002. As an English Literature graduate of Oxford Brooks University she has always been very interested in the theatre and performing arts. She successfully completed the Institute of Chartered Accountants Graduate Conversion Course and spent her early career gaining extensive experience in business and finance. She is a specialist within the not for profit sector, with a special interest in the arts and education. She is very interested in how non profit organisations can facilitate continual growth and development whilst at the same time negotiate its way through difficult financial times, including recessions. She supports the artistic and educational vision and she is particularly interested how the role of education changes within an artistic context and how colleges must adapt to meet the needs of both its learners and its employees. She is very interested in how a small institution might secure its future through improvements to its infrastructure, particularly its capital assets.

Luis De Abreu Deputy Principal & Artistic Director MA, PGCE

Luis De Abreu trained at the Doreen Bird College of Performing Arts, under the direction of Doreen Bird, Luis De Abreu went on to train in Drama at the Poor School where his tutors included Paul Caister, Bardy Thomas, George Hall and John James. Other training has included a Script and Story Structure Course with Robert McKee, Approaches to Physical Theatre at Middlesex University a Mask Workshop with the Pleiades Company and Kasm Mask, and Commedia dell’Arte with Antonio Fava. He has also completed an MA in Physical Theatre at the University of Surrey and Royal Holloway University of London, and a PGCE at Canterbury Christ Church University College. Performing roles include Heinz in Today, Albert Parker in When We Are Married, Toby in Ways and Means, Mr Burnum in Hands Across the Sea, Gideon in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Ensemble in Sweet Charity and South Pacific, God Spell, Chitterlow in Half a Sixpence and Lucio in Measure for Measure. Luis was also one of the original Bird Theatre Company members. He Joined the College as a Drama Tutor in 1996 and was later promoted to Head of Drama and Performance Studies. He was also Agency Manager for Bird Personnel Management from 1998 - 2005. He was appointed Deputy Principal & Artistic Director of Bird College in 2005. As a director, he has worked on Hands Across the Sea, Bouncers, Barnum, The Wiz, The Owl And The Pussycat, Line,

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Teechers, Infidelities!, Road, Habeus Corpus, Private Wars, Commedia dell’Arte, Children of Eden, The Life, I love you, You’re Perfect, Now Change, Fascinating Rhythms, Who Could Ask for Anything More?, Bat Boy, Kiss Me Kate, Songs for a New World, Legends, Icons and Idols, 42nd Street, Sweet Charity, Elegies, Noitamina, Crazy for You, Fame The Musical, Burlesque and other Distractions, Hello Dolly, Footloose, Broadway Then and Now,West Side Story, Curtains, Hooray for Hollywood, Cabaret and Hot Mikado. Other productions include choreography and direction for Dentro Da Minha Cabeça and choreography for Metamorphosis (Dance Theatre). Publications include A Career into Dance for CDET. Luis was part of an AHRB Innovation Research Project, 19th Century theatre rehearsal process, which was headed by Dr. G. Bush-Bailey & Dr. J. Bratton at Royal Holloway University of London. He wrote and designed the Foundation Degree in Creative Industries: Acting for Bird College which was successfully validated by University of Greenwich for five years as well as the Pre-Vocational Foundation programme in Dance and Musical Theatre. He was External Examiner for the BA (Hons) Physical Theatre programme at St Mary’s College, Surrey University from 2005 -2009. Luis was appointed an Executive Director and Trustee of Bird College in October 2008.

______Matt Elliot Assistant Principal B. Ed Music (Hons)

Matt trained at U.S. Theatre School (Glasgow) before attending the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama graduating with a B. Ed Music with Honours. After graduating Matt worked extensively on stage. He played the lead role of Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors, Cornelius in Hello Dolly and Aries in Zodiac. This was followed by a No.1 UK tour and European Premiere playing the role of an Apostle in the Gale Edwards directed Jesus Christ Superstar for The Really Useful Group. This also included working on the cast recording for the Jesus Christ Superstar film, starring Glenn Carter. This gave Matt an opportunity to work with Mary Hammond on vocal technique and Simon Lee as Musical Supervisor. Matt returned to London to create the lead role of Piper in Piper: The Forgotten Story and then creating the role of Neil in MacGregor at the Bridewell Theatre. Matt then joined the world premiere of Doctor Dolittle as Ensemble, working with Philip Schofield, Paul Nicholas and Russ Abbott, all in the title role. Matt has also worked at the Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich, under the Artistic Direction of Pete Rowe, as cast member in several of their Actor/Musician shows as well as Resident Musical Director during the performances. Matt has performed in many concerts celebrating Musical Theatre, in particular championing new Musical Theatre writing. Matt has also combined his performing work with a long standing commitment to education, working in all sectors of education as well as working as a private vocal coach. As a teacher Matt has worked in Primary school, most notably as Deputy Head Teacher at Rowdown Primary School in New Addington and in Secondary school, as Head of Music at Bishop Challoner Independent School. Matt was Assistant Director of Musical Theatre, and, Post 16 Pastoral Manager, at The BRIT School of Performing Arts and Technology. During his time at The BRIT School Matt has been Musical Director for A New Brain, Carousel, Spend Spend Spend, Bright Lights Big City and most recently Thirteen. As a director he has worked on, Parade, Rent and Into The Woods. As Artistic Director Matt has led the Brit School Musical Theatre Department in 2 showcases, On a Sunday at the Charing Cross Theatre and the whole school in After The Storm at the Bloomsbury Theatre. Other Musical director credits include: Starlight Express, Zombie Prom, Aida, Zanna Don't, Mamma Mia, Jesus Christ Superstar, Taboo, Calamity Jane, Annie Get Your Gun, Cabaret and Fame. Matt has also worked as Musical Director for Mike Read and Mike Dixon (Musical Supervisors and

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Conductors for The BBC Concert Orchestra) as part of The Brit School Musical Theatre Departments performances on Radio 2's Friday Night Is Music Night. Matt has recently finished directing Spend Spend Spend for the Foundation Degree in Creative Industries: Acting course at Bird College.

Julie Stanning Assistant Principal (Music Services)

Julie Stanning is a qualified and highly experienced music teacher. She has worked with the College for several years as the Widening Opportunites Coordinator and joined the College officially on September 1st 2012 as Assistant Principal (Music Service). She leads on the delivery of the music service and is a member of both the Executive Team and the Leadership Group.

MANAGERS

Joana Simas Academic and Assessment Manager MA

Joana is Portuguese and trained at the Ginasiano Dance School in Porto, Portugal. After spending a year in Brazil working with Corpo Dance Company, she came to London to complete her training at Laban. She has performed with Edwards & Watton, Amanda Gough Dance Company, Akram Khan, Double Vision Dance Company, Theatre Encorps, Blue White Dance Company and Siobhan Davies. Joana also has a Masters Degree from Laban in Education, Dance Documentation and Aesthetics. She is currently the Academic and Assessments manager at Bird College, where she also still teaches Release based dance technique. Joana is an avid yoga practitioner and is at present undergoing a Yoga Teacher Training programme.

Luisa Figuerola Quality Assurance & Teaching and Learning Manager MSc, Cert.Ed, BA

Luisa trained at Escola Superior de Danca in Lisbon graduating with a BA in Choreography in 1993. She continued her studies at Laban where she obtained a Professional Diploma in Dance Studies and was part of Transitions Dance Company in 1996. As a professional dancer, Luisa worked with BI MA Dance Company, The Cholmondeleys, Protein Dance, Theatre En Corps and First Person Dance Company. Luisa also worked with the Cholmondeleys and The Featherstonehaughs in the role of Rehearsal Director for the revival of Anderson’s piece “Flesh and Blood”. Luisa began teaching at Bird College in 1997. As a Release based dance teacher, Luisa has always been very interested in Somatic practices and how these can inform dance training, this quest for further knowledge has taken her to train as a Pilates Matwork Teacher and complete an MSc in Dance Science. In 2008, Luisa became interested in Yoga and the philosophy behind this practice. Currently, she is studying yoga with Bridget Wood Kramer and will become a fully qualified teacher by 2014. Luisa is responsible for the development and monitoring of the College’s Quality Assurance

Student Handbook 2013-14 13 mechanisms. She led the College’s last OFSTED inspection and was appointed QA & TL manager in 2012. In this role, she contributed to the 2012 re-validation of the BA (Hons) programme.

Andrew Raybould Music Services Coordinator

Andy Raybould joined the College in September 2012 as the Music Services Coordinator. He is the second in department and is responsible for the delivery of our music scheme in Bexley’s primary school. He is a member of the Leadership Group. Andy has extensive teaching experience in schools and was previously in the Armed Forces.

ADMINISTRATIVE AND SUPPORT STAFF

______

Kerensa Gardner Executive Support Manager

Kerensa began her working life in the banking sector, moving from there to the aviation insurance sector where she worked for 17 years. She is particularly interested in education administration and joined Bird College in 2007 where she has gained extensive experience in a range of roles – she was initially appointed Assistant to the Registrar and following the retirement of her predecessor was appointed Head of Registry & HR in 2008. Kerensa took on her current role of Executive Support Manager in 2011, and her responsibilities include providing support to the Executive and Leadership Groups, HR and Facilities Management. She is the Secretary to the Board of Directors, Board of Trustees and their sub committees and she is the Lead Administrator for the Capital Project.

David Page Fiinance Manager

David has worked for a number of financial companies in an administrative capacity. He joined Bird College in 2001 and is responsible for all aspects of financial administration.

Naomi Seal Registry Manager

Naomi recently graduated from Goldsmiths University where she studied English Literature and Drama. She has worked in a variety of administrative roles including offices in the Adult Education College Bexley. She joined Bird College in December 2011 as Registry Manager and is responsible for all aspects of Registry.

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Gillian Davis Deputy Fiinance Manager and H & S Co-ordiinator

With a background in insurance and finance, Gillian worked for several years for Marsh UK as an Assistant Insurance Broker. She then joined Adult Education College, Bexley, as Finance Assistant before taking a change of direction into HR. She joined Bird College in 2007

Heidi Guningham Resources Manager

Heidi started working life with Morgan Grenfell a leading investment bank in London in a secretarial capacity. She then spent 8 years working for the London Borough of Greenwich as a Systems Administrator before becoming involved in the running of the family business. Heidi joined Bird College in October 2009 as Resource Centre Co-ordinator.

Jo Treacy Programme Admiiniistrator

Jo has worked in a variety of administrative roles including primary and secondary schools. She joined Bird College in February 2008 as Registration and Timetable Coordinator (Music Services) and transferred in September 2010 to her current role of Programme Administrator.

Frank Greaves Caretaker Frank began his working career as an Apprentice Painter and decorator with the London Borough of Lambeth, and also worked at the London Clinic in Harley Street. After this worked in Los Angeles as a specialist Decorator and in Disneyland Paris working in the Disneyland Hotel prior to it’s opening in 1992. Frank also worked for EPS/MITIE for many years as a Multi Trade Maintenance fitter before being promoted to Supervisor in 2007. He joined Bird College in 2012 as Caretaker. ______

Colin McMullen Premises Manager

Having a wealth of working knowledge of Premises Maintenance/ Caretaking, Colin commenced employment with Bird College in February 2010 as Caretaker and has since been promoted to Premises Manager.

Liam Doyle Production Manager

Liam started his career in Set Design and Construction with Chewys, specialising in events and theatre. Liam left the company to study Lighting Design at Rose Bruford. After graduating, Liam became a freelance Lighting Technician and Designer, as well as working in Stage and Production Management. Liam has worked in many venues across London including Brixton Academy, Billingsgate Market, The Royal Courts of Justice and Kensington Palace. His employers also include the Royal Opera

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House, The London Bubble, Whitelight, and Kudos Film and Television Ltd. Liam also has worked with Bird College for many years as a Lighting Designer and Technician. Liam has a wide range of experience in Theatre, Opera, Events and Festivals and has had the opportunity to work in America, Kuwait and India. Before joining Bird College full time as Production Manager, he was an Event Technician and Designer, and then Technical and Buildings Manager for SHUNT events in both their London Bridge and Bermondsey Street venues, including working on SHUNT money.

Kelly Hemblen Assistant Accountant

Kelly joined the college as a modern apprentice in 2001. She gained experience in both admin and finance. She then left the college to gain commercial experience in the finance sector returning to Bird College in 2009. She recently completed the AAT Accounting Technician course and is now the Assistant Accountant. ______

Jennifer Appleby Administrative Assistant

Jennifer has worked for Bird College since 2010, initially as a receptionist for the Junior Dance School, and subsequently in an administration role in the Music Service Department. She previously gained extensive experience in retail as a floor manager. She is very interested in the performing arts. ______Jennifer Davis Administrative Assistant

Jennifer has worked for Bird College an administration role in the Music Service Department since April 2011. She previously gained extensive experience at Eon Productions, the company who produce the James Bond films. She is very interested in the arts. ______David Salway Music Service Administrator

David joined the Bird College team in September 2012, having taken a year out following his BMus Music degree from the University of Hull, where he graduated with First Class Honours. His role predominantly involves running the timetables for the Music Service teachers and the various ensembles that take place at the Centre, as well as administrating the music exams for two different exam boards.

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TEACHING STAFF

ACADEMIC DEPARTMENT

Joana Simas Manager/Tutor MA

Please refer to Biography included in the Managers section.

Gwen Goodman Tutor BA (Hons), MA, PGCE Diploma, BA (Hons) Programmes

Gwen trained initially in ballet in Edinburgh and at The Rambert School. She went on to study at Laban, graduating with a first class honours degree in Dance Studies. She danced, taught and choreographed professionally with Springs Dance Company. Later, Gwen returned to dance studies, obtaining an MA from Edinburgh University. This led to teaching about dance in relation to history and culture at undergraduate level at Edinburgh’s Telford College and De Montfort University. She has also taught Labanotation at Laban.

Nicholas Mojsiejenko Tutor BA, MA, Cert. Ed.

Nick gained his earliest education as a chorister at St. Paul’s Cathedral, winning a music scholarship to Wellington College and later gaining a First Class Degree as Organ Scholar at St. John’s College, Oxford. He has lectured at the London School of Contemporary Dance and Goldsmiths College, and has taught piano accompaniment to students of the Guildhall, and courses for Performing Arts students at Lewisham College and the Centre for Young Musicians based at Morley College, London. He has had a varied career working in every genre of Music Theatre. For eight years he was music director of Ballet Rambert and then spent four years as Music Director of the London Contemporary Dance Theatre. He has guest conducted for the Ballet Company of the Deutsche Oper in Berlin, the Alvin Ailey Dance Company and the Houston Ballet. He has been Musical Director of Threepenny Opera and Happy End at Ipswich, Floyd Collins at the Bridewell Theatre, conducted Cats in Vienna and Antwerp, A Chorus Line in the UK and Carmen for Opera East. He has worked as an accompanist, music director and a lecturer at Bird College since 1998.

Anthony Pappano Tutor BA Hons, Mphil PGCE

Anthony studied piano and voice at Trinity College of Music. After his training at Trinity he became involved in many recording projects, producing, composing and working as a session musician in the club/dance/jazz music scene. One of the most successful projects was on the first two albums produced the UK group 'Down To The bone', that had success in the UK and also in the USA. Alongside this, Anthony continued to develop as a pianist, accompanist and in teaching, and became the organist at St. Peter's Church in Holborn, London. In 2000, he returned to higher

Student Handbook 2013-14 17 education and was later awarded an MPhil from Brunel University in solo jazz piano. He became a member of staff at Bird College in 2002, and accompanies classes for ballet, tap and singing, and also teaches music theory. As an accompanist, he works regularly at the English National Ballet for class and rehearsals (Strictly Gershwin, Manon) and performs regularly in concerts with vocalists in both the classical and popular genres. Anthony is also a solo piano recitalist in jazz and Latin inspired music.

Darja Reznikova Tutor MA, BA (Hons)

Darja was originally born in the Ukraine where she started her dance training at the age of six. After immigrating to Germany at the age of seven she continued extensive training in classical ballet and modern dance at the Akademie des Tanzes and later at the Aki Kato Tanzforum in Mannheim where she was also involved as a teacher, performer and choreographer. In 2000 she was a proud receiver of a one-year scholarship at the Academy of Performing Arts in San Diego, CA/USA where she trained in various dance styles. Darja is a recent Bird College graduate. In 2009, along with her First Class BA (Hons) Degree in Dance and Theatre Performance she was also rewarded one of the two Doreen Bird Foundation Awards. She then joined Transitions Dance Company at TrinityLaban – Conservatoire for Music and Dance- completing a national as well as international tour with works by Cameron McMillan, Angela Woodhouse and Colin Poole as well as gaining a MA Degree in Dance Performance with Distinction. Since, Darja has been working as a freelance dance artist with companies such as H2Dance, The Maxwell Dance Project, The London Ballet Company and Appetite Dance Productions. Recently she has been part of the feature film production of Anna Karenina with Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and Joe Wright and is currently a member of Joss Arnott Dance Company. Besides teaching Release based dance technique and Dance Analysis Darja is also involved as a choreographer at Bird College.

Stephen Trill Tutor MSC

Steve studied at Goldsmiths College, University of London, taking a Diploma in Professional Music Studies. Soon after college he collaborated on writing his first musical, “Georgie”, which went on to be produced twice. As a recording musician he has played on albums and co-produced for several artists, including Gus MacGregor, the Olivier nominated lead in Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story. Orchestration and arrangement work followed, and alongside writing, this continues to be a favoured area of his work. He has served as Musical Director on a number of productions, more recently including A Chorus Line, The Wizard of Oz, Seussical the Musical, Our House and Rent, and is regularly hired as a pit musician for local theatres.

Karine Rathle Tutor MSC

Karine is a dancer, teacher, choreographer and dance scientist. She developed a solid base in classical ballet at Pierre Laporte College in Montreal, Canada. Since then, she has extended this experience to include Contemporary dance, argentinean tango, contact improvisation, modern dance, flamenco, argentinean folkloric dances. Karine is also a certified Pilates teacher. She has extensive knowledge in the field of Somatics and integrates it to her own practice and teaching. She

Student Handbook 2013-14 18 has a MSc degree in Dance Science from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, where she has been a graduate intern in 2011-12 and continues to work there as a researcher on different projects. Her research interests include dance education, stage presence and performance, and the application of science to help enhance dancers’ performance, health and well-being.

Raymond Tait Tutor BA (Hons)

After completing a BA in Applied Music at the University of Strathclyde, Raymond furthered his training at Bird College, gaining a first class honours degree in Dance and Theatre Performance. Regular teaching work includes both the singing and contextual studies departments at Bird College, as well as City and Islington College performing arts department and Beverly Marks Stage School, for which he has musically directed Honk! And Seussical at the Queen's Theatre Hornchurch. Guest teaching work includes London Metropolitan Universtiy and The Centre Perfroming Arts College. As a director he has created work for Resolution! (The Place), Eat Your Heart Out (Bethnal Green Working Men's Club) and Cloud Dance Festival (Jacksons Lane). As a performer Raymond appeared most recently in The Pirates of Penzance (Best Off-West Musical 2010) and with animate:SPACE (Barbican Centre) and Shunt Theatre Company (Shunt Vaults). Recent session work includes performances at the Royal Festival Hall and Queen Elizabeth Hall, and on BBC's Children In Need and GMTV.

ACTING DEPARTMENT

James Palm Head of Department/Tutor PGCE, MA

James trained as an actor on the three year acting course at the East 15 School of Acting and the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, achieving an MA in Advanced Theatre Practice. James also has a PGCE in Drama from the University of Reading. As an actor James has worked at Shakespeare’s Globe, The Old Vic, Young Vic, BAC, The Gate, Channel 4, BBC, Thames Television, ITV1 and Independent Radio. James has taught, lectured and directed at: the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama; Arts Ed’; GSA; Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance; The Urdang Academy; the universities of London, Reading, Hull, Canterbury and Greenwich. James is currently undertaking doctoral research activities as a part of his PhD in actor training, due to be published in 2013. As a part of his research James regularly visits New York to develop his own actor training methods; his research is based on acting techniques taught at the Lee Strasberg Studio, Stella Adler Studio, Meisner Studio, Chekhov Studio, Atlantic Theatre School and The Classical Studio at New York University. James has delivered a number of research papers and international conferences and symposiums: Where do they come from and why?; A report into students entering actor training; The paradoxes of acting; Why do commandos lisp at night?: Embodying the diagnostics of Practical Aesthetics; The paradox of imagination and self-deception in actor training; Acting in good faith. Between 2001 and 2006 James was co-artistic director, actor and writer for the award winning theatre company Sob Ltd. As a writer James was finalised for the Oxford Samuel Beckett Trust Award in 2003 and 2005. In 2006 James was awarded the Elise Fogerty Bursary for Doctoral Research.

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Liz May Brice Tutor BA(Hons), MA

Liz entered the acting profession at the tender age of ten, juggling television acting roles with school work, whilst also taking dancing, singing and acting lessons at Laine Theatre Arts, as well as touring with the National Youth Music Theatre to Japan and Edinburgh with Guys and Dolls in which she played Adelaide. At 19 she decided to read English at Cambridge University, where she took part in as much theatre as possible, such as The Cambridge Footlights and playing Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra. Whilst studying at Cambridge for her MA, she also began her professional acting career as an adult at Salisbury Playhouse, playing Mabel Chiltern in An Ideal Husband. From then on, a career in theatre, television and film grew. Her extensive acting credits for television include: Misfits (Objective), How Television Ruined Your Life (Zeppotron), Casualty (BBC), Torchwood III (BBC), Dead Set (Zeppotron), The Colour of Magic (The Mob Film Co.), The Bill (Talkback Thames), The Whistleblowers (Carnival), Peep Show IV (Objective) The Roman Mysteries (BBC), Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe (Zeppotron), Bad Girls (Shed), How To Watch Television (Zeppotron), The Robinsons (BBC), Hustle 1 and 2 (Kudos), NY-LON (Channel 4), Murder In Mind (BBC), Trust (BBC), Stan The Man (Granada), Urban Gothic (Channel 5), Holby City (BBC), In Defence (Granada), Whatever/Comedy Lab (Channel X), The 10th Kingdom (Carnival), A Touch of Frost (Yorkshire), The Student Prince (BBC), The Stalker's Apprentice (STV), Chalkface (BBC), The News At 12 (Central), The Worst Witch (Central), Coming Through (Central). Her film credits include: Hard Boiled Sweets (Crikey Villains Ltd), John (Film and Video Umbrella), Alien vs. Predator (20th Century Fox), Function at the Junction (Artsouls), Resident Evil (Constantin), The Cut (Bliss), Truel (HLA/Film Four), The Last Minute (Last Minute), Fortress 2 (Carousel). And her other theatre credits include: The Fix (Union), Festen (Theatr Clwyd), Dumb Show (New Vic), The Cherry Orchard (Salisbury Playhouse), Crows (National Theatre Studio), Beauty and the Beast (Young Vic), The Lady of Pleasure (Cambridge Festival Theatre), Stud (Cambridge ADC), Going Up (New End/Edinburgh Pleasance), Alice Through The Looking Glass (Jesus Gardens, Cambridge), The Misanthrope (Cambridge ADC), Cambridge Footlights’ Cinderella (Cambridge ADC), Cinderella (De Montford Hall, Leicester), Hiawatha (Yvonne Arnaud), Ariadne auf Naxos (Royal Opera House). Liz is also an accomplished and experienced voiceover artiste, as well as motion capture artiste. Her interests also include film production, obtaining the Raindance Producer’s Certificate in 2011.

Dr. Kate Napier Tutor BA(Hons), MPhil, PhD

Kate trained at Central and worked at GSA for a number of years, latterly as Head of Postgraduate Studies. She has recently taught in the Drama Departments at Royal Holloway, University of London and Portsmouth University. Her doctoral research focused on the effect of direct address to the audience in English Renaissance theatre, and its modern legacy. She works with LynchPin Productions Theatre company as actor and director, and her latest enterprise is Artifice, a new venture for LynchPin, which brings ‘classical plays into beautiful places’: their first full production, of Murphy’s The Way to Keep Him, ran for two successful weeks in a heritage venue at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this Summer. Acting credits include Lady Sneerwell (School for Scandal), Mrs Barry (Playhouse Creatures), and Paulina (Winter's Tale). Directing credits include The Merchant of Venice, Women Beware Women, and The Beau Defeated.

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Claire Lindsay Tutor BA (Hons), MA, PGCE

Claire’s interests are in new writing, physical theatre, devised theatre, intercultural theatre and all aspects of actor training. Since 2001 Claire has regularly studied for extensive periods in India in Kathakali and Kalarippyattu. She has also studied Noh Theatre, Kyogen and Nihonbuyo in Japan. In 2002 she undertook further intensive training at Exeter University gaining a Masters Degree in Physical Performance. Whilst continuing to work as a director and performer Claire has taught in a variety of universities and colleges across the UK, and currently holds a full time position at Bird College of Dance, Music and Theatre Performance. At Bird College Claire has been instrumental in developing and delivering curriculum all college courses but most notably the Foundation degree in Acting and has led a variety of community initiatives. When not teaching Claire has continued to work as a director with productions at Riverside Studios, The Roundhouse, The Pleasance Theatre, and The Etcetera Theatre. Claire has also directed over 30 student productions.

Sarah-Jane Bourne Tutor PG Dip RAM

Sarah-Jane Bourne began her training at theatre school from the age 7. During which time she worked as a child actor in professional repertory and regional theatre as well as national tours at theatres including the Belgrade-Coventry, The Hippodrome-Birmingham and The Derngate- Northampton. She went on to become a leading actress with the National Youth Music Theatre, completing her training at the Royal Academy of Music. SJ has worked extensively as a leading musical theatre actress in regional theatre, repertory theatre, and fringe theatre and in the West End. Roles including Barbara, Billy. Victoria, Poppy, Camelot. Lucy, Nosferatu. Out of This worlds, Trial By Jury, Linda, Blood Brothers, Audrey, Little Shop of Horros (for which she was put into the Musical Theatre pictorial Hall of Fame at the theatre museum). Lady Larkin, One Upon a Mattress, Reno Sweeney, Anything Goes. Frenchy, Greace. Mother, Elvis. Charity, Barnum. Princess Betsy, Ana Karenina. Woman 1 & 2, Side by Side. Woman 2, Songs for a New World. She has also played principal girl in ten Christmas productions. She has been involved in many workshops of new musicals and as a lead vocalist on radio and in numerous concerts and concert productions of shows. She teaches at Bird College in both the singing and acting departments. Specialising in the connection between the actor and singer and working on audition preparation. Other teaching work has included directing at summer schools and taking master classes. She was co-principal of Overture and Beginners with theatre manager Chris Jaeger (Worcester Swan and Huntingdon Hall).

BALLET DEPARTMENT

Andrew Wilson A.R.A.D (Solo Seal), F.I.S.T.D, Dip PDTC, Head of Department/Tutor (RAD London) Cert. Ed, Vocational

Graded Examiner, Imperial Ballet

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Andrew was born in Dublin and trained with Jill Wigham, Bird College and The Royal Ballet School, London where he was chosen to represent the school at the 1984 International Ballet Competition, “The Prix de Lausanne”. He was a member of “Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet” ,was promoted to Coryphee in 1989 and then to Soloist of The Birmingham Royal Ballet in 1991. Andrew’s principal /soloist roles include leads in “Elite Syncopations” and “Danses Concertantes”(MacMillan), “Giselle” and “The Nutcracker” (Wright), “Card Game” (Cranko),”Theme and Variations” (Balanchine),”Jazz Calendar” and “Facade” (Ashton), “Brahms Handel Variations” and “Hobson’s Choice” (Bintley) as well as soloist and corps de ballet roles in “Swan Lake”, “Sleeping Beauty”, “Coppelia” and ” La Fille Mal gardee” . He has also danced in works by De Valois, Massine, Van Manen, De Mille and Joos. He has danced for the “Dublin Grand Opera Society” in “Adrianna LeCouvreur” and featured in the film “Shoes” directed by the late Peter Finegan which was entered for the Cannes Film Festival. He has performed on “The Royal Variety Show” hosted by Gene Kelly and” The Childrens’ Royal Variety Show” with Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan. He has been fortunate to travel the world with the company and has been as far afield as New Zealand, Korea, Singapore, India, Bulgaria, Germany, North and South America, China, Poland to name but a few. In 1995 he gained distinction on “The Professional Dancer’s Teaching Course” at “The Royal Academy of Dance” and became Head Of Boys Ballet at “Elmhurst”. He was repetiteur to Geoffrey Cauley and Christopher Hampson and also responsible for the children in Derek Deane’s “The Nutcracker” for “English National Ballet”. He staged Bintley’s “Scottish Dance” from “Flowers of the Forest” and also the Betrayed Girl from De Valois’ “The Rakes Progress” and sections from Ashton’s “Facade” . He joined the staff of “Bird College” in 2000 and teaches classical ballet and is responsible for the teaching of Classical Pas de Deux to all years. He was promoted to Head of Ballet in 2006 and is also production manager for the college at their annual show in “Dartford”. He has choreographed for the Year 3 musicals (with Erica Lawrence) including productions of “Children of Eden”, ”The Life”, “Bat Boy”, “Sweet Charity”, “Kiss Me Kate”, and also “Fame”. He guest taught at “Scapino Ballet” in Rotterdam and “Ballet Ireland” in Dublin. He was also invited to teach at “The Hungarian Dance Academy” in Budapest and took the Artistic Director’s class of boys for a week. He guest teaches for the RAD and ISTD and is a registered teacher with both societies and a Vocational Examiner for the Imperial Ballet (ISTD).He was also responsible for the setting of the new Advanced 2 Boys syllabus for the ISTD (Imperial Ballet) which is examined internationally. He most recently filmed a TV series for RTE in Dublin for “Mind the Gap Films” called “Pump up my Dance” where he was the Ballet Master.

Lai-Sheung Chan MA, CERT ED, TCPD (RBS), Senior Tutor A.R.A.D., ADV DIP (HKAPA)

Lai-Sheung Chan graduated from The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts where she majored in Dance and received an Advanced Diploma. After graduation she has joined the Hong Kong Ballet Company and has participated in many productions and also appeared in various soloist roles. Lai- Sheung has furthered her studies and gained the specialist Teaching Diploma in the Teachers’ Course for Professional Dancers at the Royal Ballet School in London. She has also obtained her Advanced Certificate in Education which is accredited by the Canterbury Christ Church University College in Kent, England. In 2007, she graduated with an MA in Arts Management from the City University in London. Lai-Sheung has been teaching and coaching classical ballet worldwide and was the Ballet Mistress for the Hong Kong Ballet Group’s Winter Production in 2001. Lai-Sheung has been working at Bird College in London since 1997. Currently, she is a senior Ballet tutor and the Executive Assistant to the Deputy Principal and Artistic Director of the college. Besides her

Student Handbook 2013-14 22 responsibilities in teaching and management, she also conducts rehearsals for college public productions. As well as working at Bird College, Lai-Sheung also teaches for the CAT (Centre of Advanced Training) and Classes & Courses at The Place. Rebecca Jackson Tutor Dip RBS TC ARAD AISTD

Rebecca trained at the Susan Robinson School of Ballet and the Royal Ballet School where she gained her teaching qualifications in Ballet, Modern, Character and National dance. After graduating, she performed as a soloist in Hof Germany, dancing in many Ballets including: Swan Lake, La Fille Mal Gardee, The Nutcracker, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Medea, Death and the Maiden and Four Temperaments. Whilst still in Germany, Rebecca also performed in the following musicals: Singing in the Rain, Me and My Girl, Cabaret, Showboat, Anything Goes and Crazy for You. After returning from Germany, Rebecca danced in Adam Cooper's On Your Toes in Japan covering the lead role of Vera Baronova and later Cooper's Singing in the Rain at Sadlers Wells. She then began working for Will Tuckett at the ROH2 in his version of The Soldiers Tale and later performed at the Ravenna festival and completed a UK tour in the musical One Touch of Venus directed by Tim Albery. She danced in two World Tours of Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake and performed in the Musical Candide at the ENO choreographed by Rob Ashford and The Merry Widow, choreographed by Anthony Van Last. Rebecca has also taught the RAD syllabus from Pre-Primary to Advanced in Germany and as a freelance teacher in various dance schools in London and for the Centre of Advanced training program at the Place.

Thedi Joannou Tutor F.I.S.T.D, ARAD, Cert Ed.

Having trained at the Stella Mann School of Dancing where she was twice awarded student of the year, Thedi undertook a further year's training at the London Contemporary Dance School and since then has gained the Certificate in Education through Canterbury Christ Church University College. She has performed in and choreographed many musicals, pantomimes and operas and holds the I.S.T.D Fellowship examination in modern, tap and ballet. Thedi has examined and lectured for the I.S.T.D both at home and abroad and has taken classes for the Janet Cram Awards, Imperial Ballet Awards and Congress. Thedi was part of the training team for the new modern and tap work and is currently a freelance teacher and choreographer in all areas of dance at all levels.

Ben Tribe Tutor Dip, A.I.S.T.D

Ben started dancing at Salisbury Dance Studios prior to training at the Doreen Bird College of Performing Arts. His theatre credits include Swing/Dance Captain, The Producers (Theatre Royal, Drury Lane) Ha’penny Bridge (Dublin),Beautiful and Damned (Lyric, Shaftsbury Avenue)Swing and second cover Munkustrap Cats U.K Tour, Ted Vanderpool in Babes in Arms (Cardiff, New Theatre for the international music festival. My one and Only (Chichester Festival Theatre and Piccadilly Theatre, London)Dance Captain, Magic of the Musicals (U.K. Tour) Dance Captain, Jane McDonald Summer Spectacular (B.I.C. Bournemouth) Principal Dancer Lido La Tournee (European Tour) Soloist Koblenz State Theatre (Germany) World of Classical Ballet starring Wayne Sleep (U.K. Tour). Ben has also performed in numerous Pantomime Seasons as Dance Captain on Snow White

Student Handbook 2013-14 23 and The Seven Dwarfs starring Lilly Savage.Television credits include: The Generation Game (supporting Bonnie Langford),The Brit Awards 1999 (for Robbie Williams) The Man Who Knew Too Little ,starring Bill Murray (film) La Passione starring Shirley Bassey (film) Wayne Sleep’s 50th Birthday Celebration (Channel 4) and The Late Late Show (Dublin). While at Bird College Ben gained his A.I.S.T.D Teaching Qualifications in Ballet and Modern. More recently Ben has gained his P.G.C.E Dip. Currently Ben teaches Classical Ballet at Bird |College and Performers College. Ben also works as a free lance choreographer. Recent credits include numerous productions of Cinderella and Peter Pan, Ruthless (Stratford Circus) Dial M for Martini (Warehouse Croydon)

Marlene Pasquet Tutor RAD, Cert. Ed

Trained at the Hammond School, Chester, where she studied with the founder Betty Hassall and Valerie Taylor, former soloist with the Royal Ballet Company. She has toured in many Musical Theatre productions, which include the lead, Louisa, in Carousel. Most importantly she was associated with the Royal Ballet’s educational touring company, Ballet For All, under the direction of Peter Brinson. Marlene Pasquet’s teaching career began at Bird College in the late sixties when she was responsible for students on the full-time diploma course and played an important teaching role in the junior school. She assisted Michael Berkut’s Character course and continued this work at the College. She toured Russia as ballet mistress for the Ballet Pastel Company and has taught on various summer schools, she is also an international guest teacher. Marlene has recently gained a Certificate in Education.

Hazel Gold Tutor Dip RBS TC, RAD RTS, ARAD, AISTD (MB, NB), MBBO

Hazel trained at The Royal Ballet School on the Teachers’ Course and the Allesley School of Dance. She has performed with Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures Company in Edward Scissorhands (Esmerelda Evercreech), in Will Tuckett’s Wind in the Willows (Mole) and Pinocchio at ROH2. She has performed as a soloist with Vienna Festival Ballet (Swan Lake, Nutcracker, Cinderella, Coppelia) and has toured with Kieron Kavanagh’s Rhythm of the Dance and David King’s Spirit of the Dance. She has worked for many contemporary choreographers, notably Wayne McGregor and Kim Brandstrupp and has created works for Anya Ison-Wallace’s The Small Ballet, Susie Crow (Black Maria Project, Long Hot Summer) and Rashpal Singh Bansal (Improvisation 1). Opera Credits include The Royal Opera’s Iphigenie en Tauride (chr Phillipe Giradeau), ENO’s production of Rigoletto (dir Jonathon Miller), La Traviata (chr David Bolger) and Glyndebourne’s Rinaldo. Commercially Hazel has worked with Basement Jaxx and The Spinto Band and has advertised Telenor Mobile Phones. Hazel has taught internationally, both for professional dance companies and dance schools. Hazel has taught in London at the Urdang Academy and the West London School of Dance. She regularly teaches for the National Youth Ballet of Great Britain.

Tomoko Furuya Ballet Tutor P.D.T.D (RAD), A.I.S.T.D Diploma, BA (Hons) Programmes

Born in Japan, Tomoko started ballet at the age of 7 and studied at Suzuki Classic Ballet Academy. She won the Espoir prize at Prix de Lausanne in 1991, and received a scholarship to Hamburg

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Ballet School and later to the Royal Ballet School. Joining the Royal Ballet in 1993 Tomoko had a successful 10 years career with the company. Having qualified with the Professional Dancers Teaching Diploma with distinction from the Royal Academy of Dance and the ISTD Imperial Ballet with distinction, she is currently teaching in London and regularly teaches at the RAD summer schools worldwide. She has recently taught the classes for Phyllis Bedells Bursary 2012 and she was the judge of the London & Middlesex Awards day at the Royal Academy of Dance Headquarters. She has taught at K-Ballet School in Tokyo and many other schools and seminars.

CONTEMPORARY DEPARTMENT

Katie Morea Head of Department/Tutor BA (Hons), FISTD

Katie studied at the London Contemporary Dance School and the Alvin Ailey School, New York. She has danced in commercial and contemporary works, including working at the Barbican Centre and has won awards, scholarships and development grants for teaching and choreographic work. Katie has taught extensively, working at Elmhurst Ballet School, London Contemporary Dance School and the London College of Dance. She has also taught or choreographed for colleges such as The London Studio Centre, Hammond, Performers College and for a variety of venues and organisations such as Channel 4 and the Bafta academy. She has choreographed for professional Contemporary companies and run her own children’s school. She is an examiner for the Modern and the Tap ISTD Faculties and Committee member for the Modern. She is one of the creators of the ISTD Modern graded and vocational syllabi and the Advanced 2 Tap syllabi. Her teaching and choreographic activities have taken her around the world and she is also the Artistic Director of The Dance Summer School organization.

Luisa Figuerola Tutor MSc, Cert.Ed, BA Diploma & BA (Hons) Programmes

Please refer to Biography included in the Managers section.

Joana Simas Tutor MA

Please refer to Biography included in the Managers section.

Contemporary Tutor Darja Reznikova Pre Vocational, Diploma & BA (Hons) Programmes MA, BA (Hons)

Please refer to Biography in the Academic department section.

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Nikki O'Hara Contemporary Tutor A.I.S.T.D. PGCE, BA (Hons) Pre Vocational, Diploma & BA (Hons) Programmes

Nikki graduated from Bird College with a first class degree in Dance and Theatre Performance. She has since worked with Motionhouse Dance Theatre, devising and touring the shows of Fearless, Volatile and Perfect, with Footwerk Productions, and Wired Aerial Theatre. Nikki has also enjoyed various corporate events, including Stella Artois and opening The O2 Centre in Greenwich. She has performed in several site specific performances, the most recent at Goodrich Castle, commissioned by English Heritage. Nikki has also been funded by The Arts Council to produce some of her own work, collaborating with Vanessa Cook under "All Play", and have enjoyed successful tours of the UK and Europe with Its Rude to Point and PUSH. Nikki has also performed internationally with aerial dance company, Gravity & Levity during 2010/ 2011, and her most recent performance credit is performing as an aerialist in the London 2012 Olympic opening ceremony. Nikki holds a PGCE qualification in further education and has a varied teaching career in secondary and further/ higher education vocational establishments, where she currently teaches jazz and contemporary at Bird College and is Head of Contemporary at Performers College. Nikki also teaches choreography and contact improvisation, whilst also freelancing around the U.K and Europe in both choreographic and teaching contexts. Nikki’s choreographic work for both Bird College and Performers College has featured at Move It since 2008, as well as in the Summer Productions whilst also continuing to pursue personal projects. Nikki is part of the central teaching team for the ISTD where she has devised the boys work for the new Advanced 1 and 2 Modern syllabi. Nikki has been a lecturer at Chichester for the past four years delivering the boys work and free classes.

JAZZ DEPARTMENT

Sue Brice Head of Department/Tutor FISTD, Cert. Ed.

Sue Brice trained at Laine Theatre Arts. She has worked in Germany and Canada and settled back in the UK in 1993. She has held full-time teaching positions at Performers College since 1995 and Bird College since 1999 where she was made Head of Department in 2006. Sue has examined for the Imperial Society of teachers of dancing since 2000 and was made a vocational examiner shortly after. Sue has coached for major examinations all of her teaching life and also works both for the Imperial Society and independently, guest teaching and lecturing. Sue is part of the teaching team for the new Advanced 1 and 2 Modern syllabus. Sue also has a Cert Ed and a Clinical Nutritionist Diploma.

Tutor Tereza Theodoulou

F.I.S.T.D

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Tereza began her training with Joy Spriggs in North London, ultimately achieving Fellowship status with distinction in both Modern and Tap. In America she studied at the Alvin Ailey School and further explored the rich diversity of Jazz and Tap at various studios in New York. As a co-founder and choreographer of her own company ‘Overtures’, Tereza has created and preformed in numerous productions. She has also worked with the British Theatre for the Deaf where she was instrumental in implementing the then new technique of ‘Sign Song’, first introduced in New York. This culminated in a workshop presentation of ‘My Fair Lady’ at the Edinburgh Festival. College teaching posts include Lane Theatre Arts and Head of Modern/Tap and Third Year Teaching Studies Co-ordinator at London College, Bedford, the college of the I.S.T.D. At Bird College, she specialises in Jazz Technique and delivering the DDI (teaching qualification) for the I.S.T.D. She also teaches at Deborah Capon College where she delivers Jazz and Modern as well as the course of study for the DDI and DDE teaching qualifications. For the I.S.T.D Tereza is a member of the creative teams that have developed the Bronze, Silver and Gold Tap awards and Jazz awards, Grades 4, 5, 6 and Advanced 2 Modern syllabi. She is presently developing the new Advanced 1 Modern syllabus. Tereza was on the production team that filmed the training videos for the Tap and Jazz Awards and Modern Theatre Grades. Tereza teaches and examines in England and aboard, lecturing at international teachers’ seminars. She is an Assessor for the I.S.T.D Teaching Qualifications, DDE in the UK and is a bilingual examiner for Approved Dance Centres in Greece. She thoroughly enjoys her position as Features Editor for ‘Dance’ magazine of the I.S.T.D. Tereza is Vice Chair of the Modern Theatre Dance Faculty, I.S.T.D.

David Leighton Tutor

David Leighton has established himself as one of London’s leading Creative Directors and Choreographers. His credits include TV: Union J, Marcus Collins Dancing On Ice, Olly Murs Brit Awards, Kelly Clarkson, Olly Murs feat The Muppets, Rebecca Ferguson and Diana Vickers XFactor, Britain’s Got Talent Series, Plan B Brit Awards. Commercials: Dim, Muller Rice, Vodafone, Camparisoda, Heineken, Nokia N8, TMobile, Nike, Playstation, Ford Fiesta, Sunsilk. Music Videos: White Lies, HotChip, Nero, Eliza Doolittle, Mylene Farmer, Taio Cruz & Kylie Minogue, Ellie Goulding, Diana Vickers, Marina & The Diamonds, Tinie Tempah, Sophie Ellis Bextor, Faryl Smith, Alex Gaudino, FrankMusik, Sophie Ellis Bextor, Kaiser Chiefs, Scouting For Girls, Sam Sparro, Sonny J, Freemasons. Stage & Theatre: Hairspray (Kuala Lumpur & Singapore), A Day At The Races-A Night At The Opera, Men In Black 3 Premier, Aladdin, A Beggar’s Opera, Jack & The Beanstalk, West End Rocks, The Christ Of Coldharbour Lane, Manumission, Peter Pan, Cinderella, Back To The 80’s. David has given workshops & lectures for IDTA, BBO, RAM, EDT and adjudicated for International Street Dance competition’s & Janet Cram Awards for I.S.T.D. Specializing in Pas De Deux & Boys workshops David teaches as a guest choreographer at various colleges throughout the year. David’s work can be seen at www.davidleighton.co.uk.

Nikki O'Hara Tutor A.I.S.T.D. PGCE, BA (Hons)

Please refer to Biography included in the Contemporary department section.

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Tutor Tony Parrie

A.I.S.T.D

Tony Parrie trained at Doreen Bird College. After graduating, he embarked on a varied and successful career. TV series; 3 2 1, Cannon and Ball, numerous Royal Varieties, Summertime Specials, Seaside Specials, Bobby Davro Show, Live at the Palladium, Live at Her Majestys, Surprise Surprise, Russ Abbott Show, Brian Connelly Show, Stars in Their Eyes. Music Events: Numerous Brit awards, MTV Europe. Dance Fashion: Adidas, Puma, Nike, Diadora. Straight Fashion: Boss, Triumph. Acting: Whose Life is it Anyway, A Taste of Honey, Much ado about Nothing, Within my Walls. Choreography (TV): Stars In Their Eyes, This Is My Moment, Coronation Street, Russ Abbott Show. Courts 40th birthday and gift bonanza adverts. Theatre: 12 Days of Christmas, An audience With!, La Femme Fatale, Just For You, Love is ..., Turn The Beat Around, Jump Till You Drop. Corporate: B and Q birthday celebration, Cadburys. Schweppes, lucent technology show. Teaching: Bird College, Italia Conti, Stella Mann, Masters. Performers College (Co head of Dance, Head of Jazz and Tap department). Alongside this he has choreographed many dance fashion shows as well as directing, concepting and writing theatre shows. Tony choreographic and teaching skills add strength to his versatility and he is able to characterise and reflect in dance terms any musical decade.

Belinda Basu Tutor L.I.S.T.D, Dip, Cert. Ed.

Belinda began her teaching career in Bremerhaven, Germany after graduating from Laine Theatre Arts. Her professional work in Germany also included freelance performing and choreographing for several Theatre Companies – with Musical Theatre credits including: ‘Peter Pan’, ‘West Side Story’, ‘Kiss me Kate’, ‘Count Dracula – The Musical’, ‘The Rocky Horror Show’, ‘Victor Victoria’, ‘The Little Mermaid’, ‘Fire of Dance’ & ‘Weber-Gala Show’.On returning to England in 2002 she joined the Dance Faculty at Laine Theatre Arts, teaching for the Student and Junior Departments. During her period here she gained her ISTD Licentiate Qualification in Modern & Tap as well as her Cert.Ed for FE with Greenwich University. In 2008 she moved to Nottingham to be Head of Jazz, Tap and ISTD Modern for New English Contemporary Ballet School and to deliver the full DDI Modern qualification at New College Nottingham. Belinda has also worked at Performers College, teaching Vocational levels of ISTD Modern & Tap. Since September 2011 she has been a member of the ISTD Teaching Team to deliver the New Advanced 1 Modern Syllabus. In September 2010 Belinda joined the Jazz Faculty full time at Bird College.

Stephanie Clark Tutor BA (Hons), DipMT

Stephanie graduated from Bird College in 2008. Theatre credits include: ‘Tales of the Woo’ at The Guildhall Worcester, ’An Evening hosted by Her Majesty The Queen to celebrate the Young and Talented’ at Buckingham Palace, ‘Crazy For You’ at the London Palladium, ‘Dangerous Fields’ at

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Stratford Circus. Stephanie is also a soloist and company member for two project based companies, De:Fault Theatre/Sabrina Productions and EIC Dance Theatre. Stephanie is the founding member and Artistic Director of ‘Whisky & The Roseates’, appearing in various cabaret venues internationally.

Tutor Mandy Rutherford

BA (Hons)

Mandy began dancing at the age of 11 and since has trained under scholarship at some of the best dance schools in the USA, to include; Broadway Dance Centre, Steps on Broadway, Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago and The Edge. Mandy gained a BA in dance from Point Park Conservatory for the Performing Arts in Pittsburgh in 2000.Since moving to London Mandy has made a number of TV appearances, including: Semi finalist on “So You Think You Can Dance” BBC1; “Pineapple Dance Studios”; “Mr Selfridge” “The BRIT Awards” “The X Factor”; “The Alan Titchmarsh Show”; “National Television Awards”. Mandy has worked with Rihanna, The Rolling Stones, Florence and the Machine, Coldplay, Will I am, Duffy, and Cheryl Cole. Most Recently Mandy was assistant choreographer for Simon Pegg and Nick Frost new feature film “Worlds End” which will be released in 2013.Mandy is a highly sought after teacher and in addition to teaching regularly at Pineapple dance studios has lectured at London Studio Centre, Bird College, and Liberates (to name a few) Mandy is regularly teaches all over the world including the USA, Spain, Russia, and Poland. Mandy is also the founder of Destination Dance the UKs newest dance competition.

MUSICAL THEATRE DEPARTMENT

Nick French Head of Department/Tutor FISTD, Cert. Ed.

Nick trained at Laine Theatre Arts, whilst in training he completed a contract performing cabaret in Algiers. After completing three years training he joined the London company of ‘West Side Story’ and continued the run at the Opera House in Manchester as Jet Swing and understudy to ‘Krupke’ and ‘Glad Hand.’ West End credits include ‘42nd Street’ Theatre Royal Drury Lane, ‘Me & My Girl’ Adelphi Theatre, ‘Thin a Thon’ Piccadilly Theatre, ‘Cavalcade of Coward’ Piccadilly Theatre, ‘Mack & Mabel In Concert’ Theatre Royal Drury Lane, ‘La Cage aux Folles In Concert’ London Palladium as well as performing in two Royal Variety performance as the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Nick has also performed in numerous Pantomimes throughout the country. As a teacher, Nick has worked at several of the leading vocational colleges as a Tap tutor and is now Head of Tap Dance at Bird College in addition to being a member of the Musical Theatre department and co-ordinator for the ISTD Vocational and DDI Examinations. Nick has also choreographed musicals such as ‘42nd Street’, ‘Crazy for You’ and ‘Hello Dolly’ for the 3rd Year Bird College Students as well as musical numbers for the College annual showcase. Nick also lectures and examines both in the UK and internationally for the ISTD Tap Faculty as well as examines for the Modern Theatre Faculty. He is fortunate to have been included on the creative team responsible for choreographing the new Tap grades. Nick is currently a Committee member for the Tap Faculty in addition to the ‘Theatre Faculty Committee’ for the ISTD.

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______Matt Elliot Musical Director B. Ed Music (Hons)

Please refer to Biography included in the Executive Team section.

Luis De Abreu Musical Director AISTD, MA, PGCE

Please refer to Biography included in the Executive Team section.

Liz Hetherington Musical Theatre Lead Vocal Coach Cert, Ed LLS (DTLLS)

Liz began working at Bird College in 2007. In 2009, she became Head of Singing. She is in charge of the final year musical theatre platform projects and has been the Musical Director for the Foundation Degree 1st year project. From September, she will also be the Acting Head of Drama. Before joining Bird, Liz worked with many opera companies both in the UK and abroad. After leaving college her first contact was with Glyndebourne Festival Opera, and worked on many productions covering the roles of Ilia in Idomeneo and The Countess in Le Nozze di Figaro. For University College Opera she sang the roles of Ludmilla in Ruslan and Ludmilla and Wally in La Wally. For Opera 80 she performed the role of the Countess in Le Nozze di Figaro and for Crystal Clear Opera she sang Mimi. Other UK companies include Jigsaw Opera where she sang Nedda in I Pagliacci, Leonora in Il Trovatore, and Micaela in Carmen. She has also sang the roles of the Mother in Hansel and Gretel and Mrs Pinkerton in Madame Butterfly for Northern Ireland Opera, Popelka in Martinu’s On a Bridge for Ryedale Festival, Marta for New Sadlers Wells Opera and Josephine in HMS Pinafore for the Gawsworth Festival. She has worked for Opera North on such roles as Jenufa, Leonora in Oberto and Gloria in HK Gruber’s Gloria auf Jaxtberg, a role that she performed for the joint production company Big Bang Theatre in Munich. For Buxton Festival she studied the roles of Konstanze in Die Entführing and Amenaide in Tancredi, and for The Royal Opera, Mina in Aroldo. Abroad she has sung Fiordiligi for New Israeli Opera, Arminda in La Finta Giardiniera for Klagenfurt Stadtheater Austria, Anna in Nabucco for the Lyons Festival and Lisa in Land of Smiles for the Penang Arts Festival and Lisa in The Queen of Spades for Edinburgh Grand Opera and the roles of Donna Anna and Micaela for Opera 21 with performances in Spain. In a varied teaching career Liz has worked in both the classical and Musical theatre world. She is a regular vocal teacher for Ulster Youth choir at their summer schools. She has also given workshops on the subject of musical theatre repertoire for TOSINI in Belfast. For the Irish Academy she was an outside examiner. Away from singing Liz has also written articles for music magazines and has also been involved with writing lyrics for a new musical and a collection of songs.

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Erica Lawrence Tutor ARAD, AISTD, MA, CEr.Ed

Erica trained at Bird College, graduating in 1992. As a performer she appeared in several National tours and Repertory productions including Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Martha), Me and My Girl, Beauty and the Beast, Magic of the Musicals and The Cotton Club. As a dancer/ choreographer she toured in cabaret in Germany and Portugal where she also appeared in several TV series. She also worked for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines as Dance Captain and Assistant Choreographer. Choreographic work for Bird College includes: Footloose, Sweet Charity, Kiss Me Kate, Bat Boy, The Life and Children of Eden (with Andrew Wilson). Further choreographic work includes Pirates of Penzance, Gypsy Blood, Oliver! (all Leatherhead Theatre) Our Day Out (People’s Theatre, Birmingham), Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Epsom Playhouse), and a Magic of the Musicals Gala evening at Her Majesty’s Theatre, London. As a Director/Choreographer she has worked on I Love You, You’re Perfect Now Change, Songs for a New World (with Luis De Abreu) and A Grand Night for Singing for Bird College and Children of Eden (Leatherhead Theatre). Erica also set up and ran her own Theatre in Education Company “dancexpress” for several years. She has taught at various colleges, gaining her Certificate in Education in 2004 and a Masters degree in Musical Theatre in 2009.

Brian Alverson SeniorTutor/Musical Director B. Mus.

Brian was born in the State of Michigan in the United States and studied at Michigan State University and Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts where he obtained a Bachelor of Music Degree in Music Business/Management in 1997. He has worked in musical theatre as a music director and assistant music director in the United States and Europe. In 2003 Brian was the assistant music director for the European tour of Footloose. Prior to relocating to London in 2002, Brian was living in New York City where he worked on various workshops of musicals such as Robin Hood, The Musical by Martin Charnin and Uncle Broadway by Bruce Coyle. He also worked extensively as an assistant music director and keyboard player for The Goodspeed Opera House in the state of Connecticut, credits include; George M., Redhead, The Pajama Game, Summer of ’42, Lizzie Borden, Heart Land, Fanny Hill, Mirette and Just So. Brian has also worked as a synthesiser programmer and music copyist on many Broadway and Off-Broadway productions and U.S. National tours, credits include; Kiss Me Kate, Ragtime, Jekyll and Hyde, Bat Boy, The Big Time, Glimmerglass, Red, Hot and Cole, Marie Christine, Saturday Night, The Broadway Tenors and work for City Center Encores! Brian has also been music copyist for the feature films The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers, Die Another Day, 25th Hour, Big Fish and Troy.

Dominic Haslam Musical Director BA (Hons)

Dominic studied at Newcastle and Bretton Hall universities, obtaining a degree in Contemporary Music. He has been teaching at Bird College since 2003, firstly as a pianist and musical director

Student Handbook 2013-14 31 then also in the singing department for the last 3 years. Dominic has worked with young people within a musical theatre context for a number of groups including: Stage 65 (Salisbury Playhouse), Youth Music Theatre UK, Stagecoach Theatre Arts, Interact and Whizz Kids Cambridge. Outside of college, his projects as musical director include Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and Peter Pan for First Family Entertainment, five consecutive pantomimes for Cambridge Arts Theatre, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Guys and Dolls, Children of Eden, Honk and The Pirates Of Penzance for various youth groups, Property (NT Studio workshop,) From Here To Eternity (Bridewell theatre/Tim Rice). He also played keyboards for Blood Brothers both in the West End and on Tour. Dominic composes music for theatre, T.V. and radio. Projects and include, most recently: The Prince of Homburg and Life Is A Dream (Donmar Warehouse), Romeo and Juliet (Ludlow Festival, Exeter Northcott), Serious Money (Birmingham Rep), The White Devil (Menier Chocolate Factory), The Elephant Man (Sheffield Lyceum and U.K. tour), The Herbal Bed (Salisbury Playhouse), Henry V (Royal Exchange), We Are History (BBC2, series 1 and 2), Danny Robins' Music Therapy and Museum of Everything (BBC Radio 4, Series 1, 2 and 3). Dominic has also written the score for a musical adaptation of Mort (the Terry Pratchett novel) with librettist/lyricist Jennifer Toksvig. Mort is currently being developed by Youth Music Theatre UK.

Nicholas Mojsiejenko Musical Director BA, MA, Cert. Ed.

Please refer to Biography included in the Academic department section.

SINGING AND VOICE DEPARTMENT

Liz Hetherington Head of Department/Tutor Cert, Ed LLS (DTLLS)

Please refer to Biography included in the Musical Theatre department section.

Brian Alverson Tutor B. Mus.

Please refer to Biography included in the Musical Theatre department section.

Sarah-Jane Bourne Tutor PG Dip RAM

Please refer to the Biography included in the Acting department section.

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Raymond Tait Tutor BA (Hons)

Please refer to Biography included in the Academic department section.

Morgan Gordon Tutor BA (Hons)

Morgan Gordon has degrees in Music from Bristol and Reading Universities. She has worked as an MD/composer and actress in numerous theatres, including the Everyman (Liverpool), the Duke’s Playhouse (Lancaster), the Crucible (Sheffield), Theatre Royal (Stratford East), Birmingham Rep, the Torch Theatre (Milford Haven) and Theatre Clywd. As well as writing theatre scores, she has also written several solo and chamber pieces for the concert hall. She plays a number of instruments, including piano, violin and accordion.She has taught in and run workshops for various colleges, including London Studio Centre, GSA, City Lit. and Bird College. She lives in London with her husband and four cats.

Sharrone Comber Tutor BA (Hons), MA, PGCE

Please refer to Biography included in the Acting department section.

Virginia Angus Tutor MA CSSD

Please refer to Biography included in the Acting department section.

Phillip Shades BMus Perf RSAMD, PgDip Tutor RAM, LRAM

Phillip is an experienced performer, vocal coach and musician. He studied classical singing and later musical theatre and singing teaching at the Royal Academy of Music under the instruction of west-end vocal coach Mary Hammond and Licensed Estill Voice Craft Practitioner (Vanguard) Ann-Marie Speed. Phillip’s extensive performing and coaching career has taken him all over the world and has allowed him to work alongside a variety of elite professionals. His vocal versatility has seen him perform a wide range of styles from West End, to Opera, to rock concerts. Phillip has performed as guest artist for Haddow Opera Company and several cruise companies. Phillip also provided backing vocal for Elton John in his 2004 UK tour. Phillip has a great love for theatre and performance as well as a passion for voice research and teaching. Phillip is the founder

Student Handbook 2013-14 33 of ‘The Vocal Fold’ www.thevocalfold.com, he regularly publishes articles about the voice and is on the faculty of several major theatre training institutions across London.

Jackee Stockwell Cert Ed LLS (DTLLS), CMT Tutor/Vocal Care Teacher (Certified Master Teacher in

Estill)

Jackee was awarded a singing scholarship to attend vocal training at The Welsh College of Music and Drama, Cardiff. She began her singing career by performing in Cabaret venues in Wales, England, Jersey and The Middle East. Being a fluent Welsh speaker she has sang on numerous Welsh Television and Radio programmes. She performed as lead female vocalist in production shows and as a solo cabaret artist on many cruise ships such as The Zenith (Celebrity Cruises), Silver Cloud (Silver Seas), Black Watch (Fred Olsen) etc. Jackee spent a year performing in the London Cabaret venue, The Talk of London. In 1996 she understudied the Principal female role in the 10th anniversary National and European tour of Chess. She worked at The Waterfront Hall, Belfast in The Rhythms of The Celts, singing in both English and Welsh. Session singing has also played a major part in Jackee’s career backing named acts at various London venues and recording concept albums for new musicals. Jackee has recently gained her Masters in The Estill Voice Training System under the guidance of Anne-Marie Speed.

TAP DEPARTMENT

Nick French Head of Tap Department FISTD, Cert. Ed.

Please refer to Biography included in the Musical Theatre department section.

Ryan Campbell Birch Tutor BA (Hons)

Ryan trained at Bird College and graduated in 2010. Upon graduation he was invited back to teach Tap on Bird's professional Degree and Diploma courses, a position which he is still proud to be in. As well has teaching at Bird and all over England, Ryan has worked in various professional performance jobs:'Shaun's Big Show' (UK and Saudi Arabian tour, Dance Captain, Calibre/Aardman Productions), 'Soundz Extraordinary' (Northern Tap Company), 'Tap a Story' (Northern Tap Company) 'Robinson Crusoe' (Ensemble, Dance Captain, Qdos Productions), '42nd Street Gala' (Ensemble, London Palladium). Ryan has been involved with three performance companies in recent years: 'Break the Beat' with James Doubtfire and fellow NTC members Jack Evans and Chris Arias. 'The Pulse Collective' who competed in this years Got To Dance competition, being one of the 30 (out of 4000) acts to reach the live semi-finals.'Beyond Repair Dance' Contemporary dance company founded and choreographed by Jane Coulsdon. Ryan has also worked in immersive theatre for 'Reuben Feels'. He was part of specialist events for Capcom, Hendricks and Couvoisier. As well as teaching and performing, Ryan still trains in Tap dance at every opportunity. He is a regular member of both the London Tap Jam and the Shim Sham Tap Jam, which both focus on live

Student Handbook 2013-14 34 improvised performance.He has also travelled to Stockholm to train with international teachers such as Jason Samuels Smith, Andrew Nemr, Dormeshia Sumbry Edwards, Sam Weber, Nicholas Young, Chloe Arnold and Michelle Dorrance.

Tutor Emilie Hardy

FDI, DipMT

Following a theatrical inspired childhood, Emilie received her professional training at Bird College graduating with a Distinction National Diploma in Dance & Theatre Performance and a Distinction ISTD Teachers Associate. During her time at the college Emilie was filmed for the ISTD Tap Awards syllabuses and also toured Europe as a member of the Bird Theatre Company. Following her graduation she worked as Dance Captain for Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean and continued to enjoy travelling the world with further cruise contracts for Disney as a Principal Vocalist, during which time she also became a close friend of Mickey Mouse and his work with the inspiring “Make a Wish Foundation”. Emilie then chose to advance her teaching qualifications in conjunction with her professional performing and began to gain some valuable experience within schools, colleges and institutions local to her home town. She has choreographed work for the ‘Cheeky Girls’ and ‘Rik Waller’ made famous by the popular ITV Pop Idol show and coached children for Pantomimes. Emilie manages her own entertainment company called “Stiletto” who perform for a variety of corporate, charity and social events. In 2009, Emilie opened The Studio Dorset Ltd, and now submerges herself in the running of her own successful theatre school alongside a developing role with the ISTD tap faculty. Working with the students at Bird College provides a fantastic highlight to Emilie’s teaching schedule and also a wonderful incentive for her students at The Studio.

Hannah Wilcock Tutor FISTD

Hannah began her training at the Tivoli school in Kent and then went on to gain her professional ISTD teaching qualifications at Deborah Capon College, Whitstable, Kent. She then furthered her studies at the Broadway Dance Center, Steps on Broadway and Ripley Grier Studios, New York City. Hannah currently holds the position of Head of Tap Faculty at the Hasland Dance Studios.Hannah’s choreography experience includes: "Mack and Mabel", "Fiddler on the Roof", "Oklahoma", "Me and My Girl", "Scrooge", "42nd Street", "Brigadoon", for the Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury. Hannah has won many prestigious awards for her choreography, both in regional and national competitions.

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LEARNING SUPPORT

Liz May Brice Tutor

Please refer to Biography included in the Acting department section.

Heidi Guningham Tutor

Heidi started working life with Morgan Grenfell a leading investment bank in London in a secretarial capacity. She then spent 8 years working for the London Borough of Greenwich as a Systems Administrator before becoming involved in the running of the family business. Heidi joined Bird College in October 2009 as Resource Centre Co-ordinator.

Fuschia Peters Tutor

Fuschia trained at Arts Educational School, London Contemporary Dance School, SUNY Purchase USA and Alvin Ailey (summer program scholarship), then went on to work and tour internationally with a variety of contemporary dance companies, whilst maintaining part-time teaching posts. In 2000 she retrained, completing a Psychology degree and then worked for the NHS. For three years she worked in a groundbreaking service providing psychological services for the African and Caribbean communities in Southwark. Following this she attained her Diploma in Counselling in Australia and now has a private practice and continues to teach/lecture/tutor/counsel at Performing arts colleges across London.

PHYSIOTHERAPY

Druanne Roberts Physiotherapist

Resident Physiotherapist, Druanne has worked at Bird College for the past 27 years specialising in the assessment and treatment of dance injuries and prevention of injury. Druanne qualified in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1979 and moved to Cambridge where she worked at Addenbrookes Hospital gaining experience in general and sports injury. She then worked at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Hospital and Churchill Hospital in Oxford before moving to Sidcup and meeting Miss Bird. Doreen invited Druanne to start a screening programme and injury prevention programme with the students at Bird College. She gained valuable experience working with Justin Howse –Surgeon to the Royal Ballet School and Shirley Hancock, Physiotherapist to the Royal Ballet School. The role of Resident Physiotherapist has developed over the years to include Safeguarding, First Aid. Druanne is a member of Dance UK Professional Advisory Group and continues her professional development, with recent training in all injuries of the lower limb, foot posture biomechanics, orthotics selection and management of eating disorders. Druanne is also trained in First Aid and CPR.

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BODY CONDITIONING

Mo Mezaine BA(Hons), SPT, HPC Tutor

Mo originates from Algeria and started gymnastics at a very young age, competing in the World Championships in 1990 and Olympics 1992. He won the African championships in 1990, and was a finalist in the Mediterranean games in 1994. Mo graduated in Sport Science in 1992 and has been teaching Gymnastics at Bromley Valley Gymnastics Centre for the last 15 years. He had the opportunity to teach Gymnastics is a specialised Sport centre in the US where he helped improve the quality of training and performance of the gymnasts. Mo joined the team at Bird College in January 2010 where he is currently involved in teaching fitness.

STUDENT CHARTER

Introduction Bird College has an excellent record of providing high quality education and training for students preparing for a career in theatre performance. An important element of the success of the College is the working relationship between staff and students. The Student Charter sets out what you, the students, can expect from the College and it also defines what staff expect from students in return.

The Charter offers a set of sensible expectations regarding studying at Bird College and is intended to be a supportive framework within which to work and prosper. As you will see the Charter is helpfully sub-divided into different aspects of activity of College life.

Information about your College and your programme Prior to or during the induction period you will receive a Programme Handbook produced by the College covering information on your programme. The information made available to you will include information about courses/components, timetables, tutors, responsibilities and location of staff, learning and teaching activities, modes of assessment. In addition information will be available about regulations and procedures, and finally details of College policies.

You can expect:  up to date information when you start your studies on your Programme  provision of the curriculum as published in your handbook for the current academic session  provision of the assessment requirements and criteria for each course/component on your programme  to be kept informed of any major changes to the Programme which you are studying  to be consulted on proposed changes to the major part of your Programme  provision of opportunities to attend Programme Boards and Focus Groups, consultation during periodic quality assessment visits, and representation on the College Board of Directors

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 provision of the opportunity to contribute to student feedback via course monitoring questionnaires

You are expected to:  read thoroughly and refer to the Programme Handbook at relevant points throughout your studies  provide feedback on the curriculum through programme committees or other means;  regularly check your mail, email and notice boards

Study and Learning The College respects and values your contribution to your learning process. Your contribution may include the acquisition of knowledge and skills in both academic and vocational areas and the development of professional standards, values and codes of ethics appropriate to your chosen profession.

You can expect:  a curriculum offering a balance of teaching, learning and performance opportunities with appropriate modes of assessment

You are expected to:  take responsibility for your learning in vocational and academic areas, for example, by reviewing learning notes and tutor advice, and ensuring that you follow up on any points you do not understand, through further reading and in tutorials  prepare yourself fully for classes by completing set performance and warm-up tasks, any pre-set reading and organising questions for areas of which you are unsure  organise face-to-face meetings and group discussions, where appropriate with other students, outside formal class time to help each other learn and practise  identify the ways your own needs and aspirations will best be met by the range of College support available  play a full part in performance, group work and tutorial session

Modes of Study The College will offer a range of study methods designed to encourage effective learning, for example, practical work, guided reading, group work, lecturers, seminars and workshops as appropriate to the courses you study.

You can expect:  to have study methods clearly explained, properly managed and clearly linked to course objectives  to be offered guidance about your programme of study and study methods  to receive advice from your tutor about your progress on your programme

You are expected to:  participate fully in all models of learning relevant to your courses of study

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 seek feedback on your progress from your course/component tutor and programme leader, as appropriate  be supportive of fellow students, especially in seminar and group activities  be considerate, flexible and mature in your dealings with staff and fellow students

Teaching and Learning Resources The College uses a variety of buildings and there are certain challenges for both students and tutors in terms of movements between buildings and the availability of space. The College will provide a range of resources to support your studies, for example studios, the library, and computer room. Your student handbook will describe the College facilities available to you.

You can expect:  sessions to be conducted in premises equipped and arranged for the purpose and adequately furnished in relation to the size of the group  teaching and tutorial sessions to begin punctually at the published times and not to overrun  changes to the scheduled arrangements not to occur without good reason, and adequate notice of such changes to be given wherever possible  suitable alternative arrangements to be made in the event of cancellation of scheduled classes  to have reasonable access to properly maintained facilities, including the library and computer room, to support your learning, at times published  to receive study skills enhancement by organised practical sessions or materials

You are expected to:  attend regularly and punctually at all scheduled sessions  notify your course/component tutor in advance if you need to be absent  use the specified self-certification procedures as laid down by the Main Office  act responsibly in the use of these learning resources, being mindful of the needs of other users

Learning Support The College is committed to providing effective support for any student experiencing studying problems.

You can expect:  help with skills in English, if required, provided by your Academic Tutors.  help to assess your learning needs, should you identify a learning difficulty, by your programme leader

You are expected to:  identify your specific learning need  seek guidance when you require help and to attend tutorials once your specific needs are identified

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Student Support and Guidance The College is committed to ensure that you have access to the advice and support you need during your period of study. The Assistant Principal (Matt Elliot) has a duty to respond when informed of your academic needs as a student and of any relevant personal needs, to discuss with you any particular difficulties you may be facing and, when appropriate, to refer you to specialist services.

As a student:  You are entitled to be told when and how you can have access to your Head of Year  You can expect to have contact with your tutor in the early weeks of your programme and at reasonable intervals especially during your first year  You can expect to receive support from the assistant principal in reaching appropriate support services, should you have a need

You are expected to:  attend the arranged meetings and to keep the Assistant Principal informed of any major changes in your circumstances  alert the Assistant Principal to any additional or specific learning needs you may have

Assessment Arrangements The College is committed to ensuring that you understand the procedure and processes associated with your assessment. Assessment can be a stressful experience and this section of the charter is intended to support you by providing important information, what is expected of you, and what you can expect from the College.

You can expect:  advance notice of assessment requirements, including deadlines, for each course/component  return of assessed coursework normally within three working weeks [during term time] with the opportunity to respond to grading and written feedback  written feedback to be based upon published criteria  to be offered assessment arrangements wherever possible which take account of special needs you have arising from illness or disability, providing you have notified the College of the special needs in advance of the assessment process  that any allegation of cheating or plagiarism made against you will be investigated in accordance with the College’s procedure  to receive notification of the confirmed result from your course tutor  to have the right to appeal, if you have valid grounds, against a decision of a Programme Board, in accordance with the validating bodies regulations

You are expected to:  ensure that you are correctly registered for courses in which you expect to be assessed  ensure that the Main Office holds on record the correct home and term-time address; the correct telephone and mobile phone numbers, and up to date personal email addresses  both make yourself aware of and observe College Regulations regarding Assessment Information for Candidates  submit written and project work in legible and neat format and word processed

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 respond to deadlines and other requirements issued by course/component tutors  regard punctual class and/or studio attendance as an important element in assessment  abide by the College Regulations in relation to Suspected Plagiarism and Examination Offences  produce in advance medical or other documentary evidence to support your request if you are requesting special assessment arrangements  attend oral and written examination as required by the Programme Board and to take responsibility to ensure that you attend at the right time, on the right day and at the right place  follow regulations relating to attendance at formal assessment of a placement, where required to do so  submit any appeal against a decision of a Programme Board within the time limit and in accordance with the College’s procedure

COLLEGE FACILITIES

Bird College Campus You will already have had a brief introduction to some of the College sites at your audition. It would be helpful to familiarise yourself with the location and layout of the buildings and studios.

Birkbeck Centre is the College’s main building which contains the Gymnasium downstairs, and one studio upstairs, Studio 5. Other facilities include Common Room, changing rooms and showers, editing room and Caretaker’s Office. A further free-standing studio, Studio 3, is situated at the back of the staff car park.

The Resource Centre (AKA Admin Cottage) is located next door to the Birkbeck Centre. The Library, photocopier and Editing Suite. Physiotherapy room can be found on the ground floor, and the computers for student use audio facilities room to the first floor.

Studio House is the College building at 59 Station Road. At the rear is the Studio Theatre, known as DB Studios 1 and 2. There is a student common room and additional changing rooms/ showers on the ground floor. On the first floor are the staff offices where you will find the Admin Office (PA to Deputy Principal – Artistic Director; Registrar and the Bird Agency. The Academic Studies Office (Academic and Assessment Manager, QA & Teaching and Learning Manager, Academic Administrator, Production Manager) is also located on the First Floor. The Deputy Principal’s and the Assistant Principal’s offices are here too.

The Centre is at 27 Station Road, halfway between Birckbeck Centre and Studio House. This building is used for singing and drama classes, lectures and dance classes. On the first floor you will also find the Finance department, and the Principal’s office.

St. John’s Hall is used for classes and rehearsals, and is a five minute walk from the Birkbeck Centre. It can be found on St. John’s Road.

Adult Education Centre is used for classes and rehearsals, and is a five minute walk from the Birkbeck Centre on Alma Road. It has an excellent café.

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MBA Dance has a single dance studio and is situated on Lansdown Road 100 meters from the Adult Education Centre.

FE & HE OFFICES

Admin Office (Room 9) is at Studio House 59 Station Road on the first floor. The Registrar, PA to Deputy Principal – Artistic Director, and the Bird Agency are located here.

The Main Office is staffed from 8.00am until 6.00pm each Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and 8.00am until 4.00pm on Wednesdays.

Academic Studies Office (Room 6) is at Studio House on the first floor. Academic and Assessment Manager, QA & Teaching and Learning Manager, Programme Administrator, Production Manager are located here.

Deputy Principal’s Office (Room 4) is at Studio House on the first floor.

Assistant Principal’s Office (Room 5) is at Studio House on the first floor.

Staff Room (Room 8) is at Studio House on the first floor.

Finance Department Office is located at The Centre on the first floor in Room 16. For any financial matters and Theatre Club subscriptions, please contact the Finance Department.

The Principal’s Office is located on the first floor at The Centre in Room 11.

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CAMPUS MAP

Sidcup Train Station

Studio The Centre Birkbeck St John’s Bexley Adult MBA House & Hall Education Dance Resource Centre Centre

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CONTACT NUMBERS

By telephone The Main Office may be contacted on 020 8300 6004 (messages may be left on this number outside of office hours) or 020 8300 3031 during office hours only.

020 8300 6004 Studio House

By fax Facsimile messages may be sent on the following number: 020 8308 1370

Website The address for the College Website is as follows: www.birdcollege.co.uk

Gill Davis 020 8269 8026 Finance Administrator / H&S Coordinator [email protected] David Page 020 8269 8031 Finance Manage [email protected] Lai Sheung Chan 020 8269 6863 PA to the Deputy Principal and Artistic [email protected] LuisDirector De Abreu - Mobile 07956 676034 020 8269 6866 Deputy Principal And Artistic Director [email protected] Kerensa Gardner – Mobile 07525 906890 020 8269 6860 Executive Assistant to the Principal [email protected] Tanya Robb – Mobile 07889 723995 020 8269 6862 Agency Manager [email protected] Jo Treacy 020 8269 6865 Programme Adminstror [email protected] Joana Simas 020 8269 6868 Academic and Assessment Manager [email protected] Luisa Figuerola 020 8269 6861 QA & Teaching and Learning Manager [email protected] Matt Elliot – Mobile 07791 733374 [email protected] 020 8269 6864 Assistant Principal Heidi Guningham 020 8308 6990 Resources Centre Coordinator [email protected] Colin McMullen – Mobile 07921 040139 020 8269 8020 Premises Manger N/A Dru Roberts – Mobile 07800 802526 020 8308 6991 Physiotherapist [email protected]

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ACCESS TO THE BUILDINGS & FOB KEYS

Fob keys are used to give you access to Studio Centre, Birkbeck Centre and The Centre. They are primarily to protect you and it is considered important therefore that you to use them correctly. Student access to Admin Cottage is at the back of the building via a door entry system.

The terms and conditions which apply to your use of the fob key are:

 A deposit of £20 is payable to the Finance Department at the beginning of your programme of study and keys will only be issued by the Finance Department when the receipt for the deposit is shown.  This key is for your sole use and may be kept for the duration of your studies.  On the termination of your programme the deposit will be returned upon receipt of the key.  The loss or non-return of your key will mean that you forfeit the deposit and a fee of £15 will be charged for a replacement.  This key must not be given to another student or to anyone else nor may it be used to let anyone else into the building.  Access to the studios is for normal timetabled hours. Students may ONLY access studios outside these hours with the permission of the College. Students who abuse this rule will have their key de-activated.  Students may not invite strangers (boyfriends, girlfriends, parents etc) onto the premises at any time. Violation of this rule may lead to dismissal from the College.

Students are required to sign an agreement to uphold these conditions before being issued with a fob key.

LOCKERS

Lockers are available at the Birkbeck Centre site. To be issued with a key which can be collected from the Resource Centre, a £5 returnable deposit is required. We strongly recommend students have a locker to store their personal belongings safely.

Fobs and Lockers keys can be obtained from the Resources Coordinator and Resources Centre.

ACCESSING INTERNET, EMAIL & COLLEGE INTRANET

To access the College computers enter your first name DOT followed by your surname e.g.; fred.bloggs. Your password is password a prompt will appear specifying a new password on first logon. Your new password must have a minimum of 7 characters. The domain is: dbcserve.DBCUK.local

All staff have emails and you are able to contact them through this mode of communication. The addresses are: first name DOT followed by surname e.g. [email protected]

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To access the College Intranet log on to the college website and click on the Intranet enter your user name which is first name DOT followed by your surname e.g.; fred.bloggs. Your password is Welcome2bird; a prompt will appear please enter the code displayed as confirmation of that you understand and have read the confidentially clause. You will then be asked to specifying a new password on first logon. Your new password must have a minimum of 7 characters.

This mode of communication is strictly for college business.

If you have problem logging on contact Kerensa Gardner or Heidi Guninham.

CODE OF PRACTICE for USE of COLLEGE PCs, E-MAIL & INTRANET

The College Policy Given the increasing availability of computer, Internet and e-mail access for students, this Code of Practice is provided to regulate usage and inform you of the College policy in that respect. The College makes computers and Internet services available to its students as a tool to help them study efficiently and encourages use of this technology in a professional and reasonable way so that the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the College’s information and computing services is neither prejudiced nor misrepresented to the general public. The rules in this Code of Practice are very important and any violation could result in disciplinary action.

Access to Computers, Computer System and Internet Access to Bird College computers and computer system is solely for our legitimate business purposes. For that reason violation of ANY of these rules is considered Gross Misconduct possibly resulting in summary dismissal from the programme of study.

Unauthorised Software Software other than that provided by the College is not to be loaded onto College computers unless specifically authorised by your Programme Leader.

Confidentiality of Passwords Passwords are confidential and must not be given to another person.

Virus Notification Immediately notify your Programme Leader if you observe, or become aware, of a virus or any other programme that could damage the computer system.

Generation or Storage of Offensive Material The use of our computers for the generation or storage of distasteful or offensive material is strictly forbidden (‘offensive’ means may cause distress if it is received or discovered).

Use for Discrimination and Harassment You are strictly forbidden from using our computers for the purpose of discriminating against or harassing a person by any means whatsoever.

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Jokes Using e-mail for the receipt and distribution of jokes and banter is not permitted. E-mail is one of the least secure methods of communication. What may seem a joke to you may be offensive to someone else.

Newsgroups, Bulletin Boards and Browsing (surfing) Participating in a chat room, newsgroup and/or browsing (surfing the net) is not allowed unless authorised by your Programme Leader.

Chain Letters Use of e-mail to generate, participate or otherwise become involved in e-mail chain letters/messages is forbidden.

Junk Mail Sending of and responding to junk e-mail (Spam) is forbidden.

Uploads and Downloads Uploading and Downloading, opening or distributing unauthorised software is forbidden.

Viruses Generating or participating in the distribution of a virus or any other action that may compromise the security and safe function of our telecommunication system is forbidden.

Confidential Information You are responsible for ensuring that you only use e-mail to reproduce, replicate, duplicate or distribute confidential or sensitive College information to the APPROPRIATE party. Negligent distribution of College information to those for whom it is not intended is a disciplinary offence.

Good Practice Procedure Check your mailbox daily, more often if warranted. Once read, messages should be either deleted or archived. If you have arranged for someone else to receive your e-mail, you must have notified that person in advance.  Do not leave confidential or sensitive information on your computer screen.  Virus check all material received from the Internet.  Virus check all material that you may pass along.

ACCOMMODATION - OVER 18s PROCEDURE

The College is very aware of the importance of good accommodation for students who are often away from home for the first time. Estate Agents frequently submit lists of flats, houses and bed-sits for rent in the area and these lists are made available to students over the age of 18. Try to keep accommodation as close to the College as possible, keeping costs and travelling to a minimum.

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It is expected that any student aged 18 at the start of the academic year, irrespective of their year of study, will make their own accommodation arrangement’s, however there are a small number of host families that take students aged 18+.

Hall of Residence accommodation for the first year students is also available at Avery Hill, which is part of the University of Greenwich’s facilities.

Further details on any aspect of accommodation can be given by the Head of Registry.

ACCOMMODATION - UNDER 18s PROCEDURE

Students aged 16 must reside with a College approved Host Family, unless they are living at home. However, students aged 17+ may be permitted to opt out of host family accommodation and make independent arrangements such as living with other Bird College students or renting privately. Prior written parental consent will be required if a student chooses the latter option, in addition approval from the college will be required. The approval of the college will be made on a case by case basis.

For further details on accommodation please contact the Head of Registry.

PROCEDURE FOR WORKING IN THE STUDIO

The following constitutes a code of practice for working in the studio in an efficient, productive and safe manner:

 Students must arrive at least 15 minutes before their first physical class of the day in order to warm-up and be physically and mentally prepared for the start of the day. This is particularly important in order to avoid injury.  Students should arrive on time to each class.  Clean and correct dancewear must be worn in all dance classes. Students  Students should bring water and a clean towel to all physical classes.  Jewellery is not allowed in class. It is best left at your accommodation.  Outdoor shoes are not allowed in any of the studios.  If you have to walk through a studio in the middle of a class, wait until the end of the exercise. If there are a number of you, wait and go together.

STUDIO RESERVATION

The PA to the Deputy Principal (Miss Chan/Room 9) governs the use of studios. Any student wishing to use a studio for practice or rehearsal should first seek permission to ascertain that it is free.

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LOST PROPERTY

The College is not responsible for jewellery, dance wear, wallets, mobiles phones, iPods etc. left in the any of its buildings or at either of its hired premises. All personal belongings should be clearly marked with student’s name or contact details. The college recommends that students should avoid bringing valuables into the premises wherever possible. Additionally, the college advices that students take all their valuable possessions into the studios and teaching rooms and not leave them unattended in dressing rooms.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES POLICY

This policy has been developed by the Management Team in consultation with all other members of staff.

Bird College promotes the concept of Equal Opportunities for all. We recognise the need to counteract ideas and instances of individual and institutional discrimination on the grounds of race or ethnic origin, marital status, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age or disability. We seek to provide a learning environment, which dispels ignorance and prejudice, promoting Equal Opportunities by:

a) Adopting the use of inclusive language; b) Examining teaching materials within departments; c) Challenging inappropriate remarks to or about an individual or group; d) Valuing the role of all members of the college and encouraging them to participate and lead in all college activities; e) Considering the practicality, where necessary, of adapting premises and equipment and providing special aids for the disabled; f) Stressing the need for all members of the college to listen to each other as part of a sound work ethic; g) Promoting positive views of all members of the wider community.

All students are selected without regard to race or ethnic origin, gender or sexual orientation. Age and disability are disregarded providing they can successfully complete a physically demanding specialised dance training course of three year’s duration, followed by reasonable expectations of a professional performance career in dance. In cases where this is not thought to be possible the College will seek to guide the applicant towards an appropriate alternative. The policy will be monitored and will be reviewed annually. All members of the College are required to observe and comply with this policy.

Any instances of harassment will be dealt with seriously. It will be investigated under the College’s disciplinary or grievance procedures.

Disability Statement The College believes that it is in its own best interest, and of those who work in it, to ensure that the human resources, talents and skills available throughout the community are considered when employment opportunities arise. To this end, within the framework of the law, we are committed, wherever practical, to achieving and maintaining a workforce that broadly reflects the community in which we operate.

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Every possible step will be taken to ensure that individuals are treated equally and fairly and that decisions on recruitment, selection, training, promotion and career management are based solely on objective and job related criteria. When recruiting and retaining employees with disabilities we will make use of the good practice information available and where necessary seek advice from appropriate agencies.

ACCESS POLICY

The College recognises that many of its students, visitors and staff, whether disabled or otherwise, have individual needs when using College and facilities. However, we also recognise that for some students, the nature of their disabilities may mean that they experience specific difficulties related to accessing education, and the physical environment. As part of the ongoing commitment to the delivery of an inclusive educational service, we will endeavour to ensure that disabled students receive the same standards of education as non disabled students. In the light of this the College will:  Inform all staff that our policy for the provision of educational services ensures the inclusion of disabled students. Such communications will address the legal obligation of staff, and the College.  Provide appropriate disability awareness training for staff, which will explain the College policy towards disabled students and the effective implementation and monitoring of it.  Address acts of disability discrimination via existing conduct codes, where appropriate.  Encourage suppliers and contractors, to adopt similar policies towards disabled students. In order to ensure that the educational services it provides effectively meet the needs of disabled students the College will:  Consult with disabled students, parents, staff and disability organisations.  Plan to make access improvements to enable disabled people to use its services. Furthermore, the College will effectively communicate their availability to both students and staff.  Regularly review whether its education (and other) services are both accessible and effective, and take appropriate action.  Monitor the implementation and effectiveness of this policy on a regular basis.  Operate an accessible complaints procedure whereby disabled people can make improvement suggestions and request assistance.

SAFEGUARDING POLICY

The directors and trustees have accepted this policy and will implement it. They will ensure the policy is reviewed thoroughly on an annual basis and will monitor it by replying to reports, from the Principal and staff, tabled at Full Board of Director meetings.

A INTRODUCTION

Please note - the reference to young people in this document specifically refers to Children, Young People and Vulnerable Adults

Legal context

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1 In autumn 2006 the Minister for Lifelong Learning informed educational institutions of the expectation that higher education institutions (HEIs) will operate to the same high standards and legal requirements of schools and further education institutions in the area of safeguarding young people. 2 In Spring 2009 The Home Office announced the launch of the new Vetting and Barring Scheme to protect and enhance the protection of young people and vulnerable adults

Formulation of policy 3 This policy has, in the process of its formulation, been shared with the Bexley Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCB). The policy will be kept under review with Bexley. The policy takes due account of guidance issued by the DfES/Department for Innovation, Universities & Skills, and other relevant bodies and groups, including the College’s Health & Safety Committee who have been consulted in the course of its formulation.

B POLICY STATEMENT

Young people’s needs and rights 4 Bird College fully endorses the needs and rights of all young people:  the need for physical care and attention;  the need for intellectual stimulation;  the need for emotional support and security;  the need for social contact and relationships;  the right to have their needs met and safeguarded;  the right to be protected from neglect, abuse and exploitation;  the right to be protected from discrimination; and  the right to be treated as an individual.

The College’s commitments 5 In the context of these needs and rights, the College’s Executive Team and the Board of Directors are committed to ensuring that the College:  fully recognises the welfare of young people as paramount and that all young people (whatever their age, culture, disability, gender, language, racial origin, religious beliefs and/or sexual identity) have the right to protection from abuse  raises awareness of issues relating to the welfare of young people  provides a safe environment for young people to learn, work and play within the College’s and in off-site activities in which the College has lead involvement  identifies any young people who are suffering, or likely to suffer, significant harm  takes seriously and responds quickly and appropriately to all suspicions and allegations of abuse, including referral to the relevant investigating agency; and  in undertaking these commitments, adopts an appropriately rigorous approach to risk assessment and management.

6 Specifically, the College recognises the need to work with other agencies in undertaking its safeguarding commitments, including:  to designate a senior member of staff as having lead responsibility for child protection, and ensure that they receive appropriate training  to have in place and to follow procedures in line with relevant interagency (local safeguarding children board) guidance  to operate safe recruitment procedures

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 to have in place procedures to deal with concerns/suspicions about a young person’s welfare  to have in place procedures to deal with allegations of abuse against members of staff and students  to liaise with feeder education providers regarding pre-16 students where appropriate  to ensure staff working with young people receive appropriate safeguarding training and are aware of their responsibilities, including the identification of young people at risk of significant harm  to review this policy procedures annually  to report annually to the Board of Directors on the implementation of this policy

Types of abuse 7 The College recognises that at times young people may subject to abuse or neglect. It is therefore important to be clear what this may entail. Abuse can be physical abuse, neglect, sexual abuse and/or emotional abuse. These categories reflect those provided for all agencies to use within the national guidance set out in Working together to safeguard children.

Possible Signs & Symptoms of Abuse The following signs may or may not be indicators that abuse has taken place, but the possibility should be considered. This is not an exclusive list and many of the signs and symptoms could fall into more than one category. Guidance on recognising signs & symptoms of can be found in Chapter 4 of London Child Protection Procedures (2007). Also pupils with learning difficulties often exhibit some of these signs (e.g. reluctance to get undressed for dance / P.E., constant tiredness) which are not necessarily signs of abuse but symptoms of their condition. However it must also be remembered that disabled children are 3 times more likely to experience abuse or neglect than non-disabled peers.

Physical Abuse  Unexplained and so called “accidental” injuries, burns or bruising  Improbable excuses or refusal to explain injuries  Refusal to undress for physical teaching activities  Self-destructive tendencies  Aggression towards others  Fear of physical contact - shrinking back if touched  Admitting that they are punished, but the punishment is excessive  Fear of suspected abuser being contacted Emotional Abuse  Physical, mental and emotional development delays  Sudden speech disorders  Continual self-depreciation ('I'm stupid, ugly, worthless, etc')  Overreaction to mistakes  Extreme fear of any new situation  Inappropriate response to pain ('I deserve this')  Unusual attention seeking behaviour  Extremes of passivity or aggression Sexual Abuse  Being overly affectionate or knowledgeable in a sexual way inappropriate to the child's age  Itchy or pain in the genital area

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 Other extreme reactions, such as depression, self-mutilation, suicide attempts, running away, overdoses, anorexia  Personality changes such as becoming insecure or clinging  Being isolated or withdrawn  Inability to concentrate  Become worried about clothing being removed  Suddenly drawing sexually explicit pictures  Trying to be 'ultra-good' or perfect; overreacting to criticism Neglect  Constant hunger  Poor personal hygiene  Constant tiredness  Poor state of clothing  Emaciation  Untreated medical problems  No social relationships  Compulsive scavenging  Destructive tendencies  Stealing food/money  Poor school attendance  Compulsive attention seeking

Investigating agencies 8 For the avoidance of doubt Bird College is not an investigating agency. This function is carried out by local authority social services departments and other agencies with statutory powers (the police and NSPCC),

Notice to staff of criminal offences in relation to young people 9 The College’s Executive Team and Board of Directors note and draw to the attention of all College staff to the criminal offences that may be committed in connection with the welfare of children, in particular those involving abuse of trust which prohibit staff from engaging in or encouraging sexual activity with students who are under the age of 18 or who are otherwise vulnerable.

C NOMINATED OFFICER WITH LEAD RESPONSIBILITY FOR ISSUES RELATING TO THE SAFEGUARDING OF CHILDREN AND VULNERABLE ADULTS

The Nominated Director (Geoff Pine) The Board of Directors shall appointed a Nominated Director (Geoff Pine) to oversee the review and implementation of the policy and the effectiveness of procedures and policies.

10 The Principal (Shirley Coen) and Board of Directors nominated a senior officer as Designated Officer (Matt Elliot) with lead responsibility for issues relating to the safeguarding of young people. The Designated Officer will work with a team of appropriate staff to assist in the discharge of these responsibilities. The team will undertake appropriate training.

11 The Designated Officer is the Assistant Principal who is a senior member of the College’s Executive Team.

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12 This person will receive training in safeguarding issues and inter-agency working, as required by Bexley Local Safeguarding Children Board, and will be required to receive refresher training at the required intervals and is also required to keep up-to-date with developments in safeguarding issues.

13 The Designated Officer (Luis De Abreu) is responsible for:  the College’s safeguarding practice  ensuring that safeguarding is afforded utmost priority at the most senior level within the College  ensuring that there is a staff structure and committee structure in place to fulfil safeguarding responsibilities  liaising with human resources about safe recruitment procedures, Criminal Records Bureau disclosures, induction of new staff and training  liaising with the Health and Safety Committee  ensuring that funding and staff are available to fulfil safeguarding responsibilities  ensuring procedures are in place for managing allegations against staff; children in need of protection, whistleblowing; and safe recruitment practices  ensuring that secure records of child in need of protection concerns are stored and shared appropriately  developing College-wide procedures, practice and guidance for safeguarding, taking into account any local safeguarding children board guidance  creating links with the local social services department children’s service teams where appropriate  creating a network of Delegated Safeguarding Officers  ensuring that monitoring review systems are in place to incorporate new guidance and legislation and to test out existing systems  ensuring that the College has procedures for dealing with allegations of abuse against members of staff, volunteers and students  referring any suspected cases of abuse to the relevant investigating agency  providing advice and support to other staff and working with other agencies such as the local authority and local safeguarding children’s board  overall responsibility for liaising with schools and colleges  ensuring that staff undertake training appropriate to their roles  remedying without delay any deficiencies or weaknesses in regard to child protection that are brought to their attention  reviewing existing policies and procedures  ensuring procedures are in place for managing allegations against staff, whistleblowing and safe recruitment practices  overseeing the development of any press strategy and responses to press enquiries  overseeing the referral of cases of suspected abuse or allegations to the appropriate agencies  ensuring that the College’s Board of Directors considers the institutional policy on safeguarding children and vulnerable adults each year  reporting deficiencies in procedure or policy identified by the relevant LSCBs (or others) to the Board of Directors at the earliest opportunity

Delegated Safeguarding Officers

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14 Delegated Safeguarding Officers (Luisa Figuerola and Druanne Roberts) are drawn from the College’s staff in key areas of activity with responsibility for safeguarding issues.

15 These Delegated Safeguarding Officers:  report to the Designated Officer  will know how to make an appropriate referral  will be available to provide advice and support to other staff on issues relating to safeguarding  have particular responsibility to be available to listen to young people studying at or visiting the College  will deal with individual cases, including attending case conferences and review meetings as appropriate  will have received training in child protection issues and inter-agency working, as required by the relevant LSCB(s), and will receive refresher training at the required intervals  will undertake other tasks as directed by the Nominated Officer

D RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE COLLEGE’S BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Board of Directors responsibilities 16 The Board of Directors of the College has ultimate responsibility for the safeguarding of young people and vulnerable adults. This includes the making and reviewing of institutional policy and monitoring of its implementation. The Nominated Director will act on behalf of the Board of Directors and will report to the Board of Directors at least annually.

TOUCH POLICY

Some of the teaching methodologies of the College require teachers to provide tactile feedback to students. The College’s policy with regard to touch is as follows:

TYPES OF TOUCH:  Facilitative tactile feedback: this type of touch reinforces the students ability to connect and relate to movement kinaesthetically  Manipulative tactile feedback: this type of feedback is used when the teacher aims to correct physical awareness  Guidance tactile feedback: This is type of feedback when the teachers aims to guide the student through a specific action.

AIMS:  Facilitate and heighten the learning experience  Raise awareness of the physical requirements of the a specific exercise or technique  Assist the student in the journey of self discovery  Aid the student to reach the required understating of the technique  Help the students to achieve their full physical potential

The College endeavours to provide a learning environment where both students and staff feel comfortable and protected. Students are able to express their wish not to be touched and should feel

Student Handbook 2013-14 55 at all times they can approach a member staff to discuss any issues relating to touch and being touched.

IMPLEMENTATION:  Tutors will, when appropriate, seek the student’s approval before any form of physical contact.  The policy will be in student and staff handbooks and reviewed at the beginning of each academic year.  Touch will be used in a positive manner and will aid teaching / learning strategies and will also be part of specific feedback methodologies.  If through touch a member of staff has a concern about a student, they will inform the Deputy Principal, who will take the necessary actions, or inform the necessary agencies.  If students feel that they would like to inform a member of staff that they would prefer not to be touched, they can inform the tutor through the following methods: by conversation at the end of the class, by letter or email, as part of a dialogue about the student’s progress, or alternatively, the student can inform another member of the teaching staff.  Teachers and students will respect each other’s personal space and will inform if close and direct contact is intended. Students will not ever have any form of redress, no matter how subtle, following the sharing of any information.

EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY POLICY

COMMITMENT

At Bird College we are committed to promoting equality of opportunity and eliminating discrimination throughout all our activities. These include employment of staff and provision of further and higher education programmes in dance, music and theatre performance, instrumental tuition to children and adults and participation in musical groups.

Our aim is to create and maintain a working and learning environment in which all people have the opportunity to participate fully, give of their best and achieve their full potential.

The policy is intended to put this commitment into practice – to provide equality and fairness for all our employees, our students and other users of our services.

We recognise that everyone has a right to equality of opportunity irrespective of age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, marriage and civil partnership, race (including ethnic origin, colour, nationality and national origin), religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.

We also want to ensure that everyone is treated with dignity and respect and that the working and learning environment is free of harassment and bullying. We have therefore developed a separate Dignity at Work policy which sets out our approach. (You will find a full copy of the Policy on the Intranet)

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GENERAL HEALTH AND SAFETY GUIDELINES

The College is committed to providing a safe environment for its Students and Staff. It is expected also that staff and students themselves will be aware of, and will follow, the College’s policies and procedures that are necessary to maintain a safe and healthy working environment.

The detailed arrangements for dealing with emergencies and such matters as fire evacuation, first aid reporting and accident reporting are set out in the College Health and Safety Statement.

All students must: Take reasonable care for the health and safety of themselves and of other persons who may be affected by their acts or omissions; co-operate with all members of staff in maintaining the requirements of the Health and Safety at Work Act and all other safety regulations affecting the College; not misuse or interfere with any equipment provided, either intentionally or recklessly, in the interests of health and safety at the College; agree that they may be required to provide and wear suitable and appropriate clothing.

Neglect in maintaining a good Health and Safety policy can lead to accidents, fire and health hazards. Many injuries result from a simple slip, trip or fall. They result from such things as untidiness, trailing cables, spilt liquid, books/papers on the floor, unsafe stacking of scenery and props etc.

The benefits of maintaining a good Health and Safety Policy are: Improved efficiency  Reduction in accidents  Compliance with the law  Elimination of fire hazards

Accident Prevention It is in everyone’s interest to identify potential accidents before they happen. To avoid an injury caused by carelessness, we should all bear in mind the following: If you see a hazard – REPORT IT!  Do not misuse equipment – if it is broken, report it  Know yourself – your abilities, skills and limitations  Know the task you are involved in and the potential hazards you face  Adopt a positive attitude towards Health & Safety – think about what precautions already exist  Keep your workplace tidy and dispose of waste appropriately  Familiarise yourself with the procedures for fire evacuation

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ADDRESS & TELEPHONE NUMBERS

Bird College Bird College Bird College Studio House The Centre Birkbeck Centre 59 Station Road 27 Station Road Birkbeck Road Sidcup Sidcup Sidcup Kent Kent Kent DA15 7DR DA15 7EB DA14 4DE Tel: 0208 300 6004 Tel: 0208 302 1456 Tel: 0208 308 9322

SECURITY On a normal working day, all college buildings are opened by 8am. When the buildings are shut at the end of the day, the alarm system is armed. This is the responsibility of the Premises Manager, Ray Pearce.

Access to the studios is for normal timetabled hours. Students may only access studios outside these hours with the permission of the College. Students are not permitted to use the Gym without the supervision of a member of staff.

Students are not permitted to enter the College alone. There should always be at least 2 students present for security and health & safety reasons.

When vacating a college building at the end of the day you are required, along with a member of staff, to shut windows and close blinds. You are also required to check that all fire exits and fire doors are closed and that the main entrances are closed. The Premises Manager will inspect the building before locking up and will ask any remaining students to vacate the building in order that a final security check can be made.

Under no circumstances must you give or lend your ‘FOB KEY’ to another person including other students.

To prevent any unauthorised access, you must ensure that all outer doors are closed properly when entering and exiting college buildings, and in particular, the back door/fire exit at Studio House must remain closed at all times. Please ensure that you report all suspicious activity to a member of staff but if you feel vulnerable, telephone the police (999) first.

FIRE REGULATIONS Students are requested to acquaint themselves with the procedures for evacuation at each of the college buildings in which they attend classes. These are posted on the student boards in Birkbeck Centre and Studio House. In other buildings used by the College, students should seek out the relevant information board.

In the unlikely event of a fire, an alarm bell will ring continuously. Students should leave the premises as quickly and quietly as possible and, at the appointed place of assembly, should respond to the roll call.

FIRE PROCEDURE – BIRKBECK CENTRE, BIRKBECK ROAD On discovering a fire - raise the alarm without delay.

On hearing the alarm - Students should exit, without stopping to collect belongings, through the main front door and assemble on the opposite side of the road. Do not re-enter the building until authority

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FIRE PROCEDURE – STUDIO HOUSE, 59 STATION ROAD On discovering a fire – raise the alarm without delay. On hearing the alarm - Students in studios 1 & 2 should exit through the studio fire doors. Students everywhere else should exit through the front door. Everyone should assemble in the staff car park at the rear of the Studio Theatre. Do not re-enter the building until authority has been given.

FIRE PROCEDURE – THE CENTRE, 27 STATION ROAD On discovering a fire – raise the alarm without delay.

On hearing the alarm – Students should follow the signs to the nearest fire exit, without stopping to collect belongings. Everyone should assemble quietly on the front lawn of Benedict House School in Victoria Road which is adjacent to the main rear car park.

The College will hold a fire drill at the start of each term, and may hold unannounced drills during the course of the year.

FIRE EXTINGUISHERS All fire extinguishers at the College comply with current legislation and have clear instructions as to their use however, NEVER attempt to tackle a fire if:

 You have not received appropriate training  You are unsure what is burning  You have any doubts about using the equipment

BOMB PROCEDURES  If you discover a suspicious object:  Do not touch  Contact a member of staff  Await further instructions and keep people at a safe distance

FIRST AID In the event of an accident or injury occurring on College premises, it should immediately be reported by the member of staff present, or by the year representative, to the relevant office where it will be recorded in the Accident Book.

First Aid Boxes are provided in all buildings; either in studios, medical room, staff room, main office or reception.

The following members of staff have received approved training in First Aid:

Lai-Sheung Chan Colin McMullen Liam Doyle Heidi Guningham Katie Love Matt Elliot Claire Lindsay Ben Ibbot Bob Wharf Mo Meziane Ed Martinez-Yanez Virginia Angus Dru Roberts Jo Treacy Belinda Basu Andrew Wilson Steve Trill Jennifer Appleby Delia Ellard Ben Tribe Dave McAllister

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Jennifer Davis Bonnie Roots Kim Hubbard Ruth Goodwin

NB For other venues used by the College, please refer to their notice boards. In the event of an accident or injury occurring elsewhere, the College cannot be held responsible; it will endeavour, however, to give support, guidance and advice to hasten recovery. Students are advised to carry basic First Aid items such as plasters and antiseptic cream in their bags.

ELECTRICAL SAFETY Please ensure that you visually check electrical items before use. Look for damaged plugs, cables etc. Do not use equipment that appears to be unsafe. Prevent anyone from using the item and report your concerns to a member of staff. Do not attempt to repair electrical items yourself.

Report electric shocks to a member of staff immediately. Prevent others from using the equipment and wait for professional assistance.

LIFTING & HANDLING Ensure that you know the correct method for lifting heavy items. If in doubt, do not lift. A separate booklet on manual handling procedures is supplied with this handbook.

NO-SMOKING POLICY It is against the law to smoke in enclosed public places and the relevant notices are clearly displayed around the College.

ACCESS EQUIPMENT There may be occasions when access equipment i.e. ladders, scaffolding etc. may be located at the College, where renovation and repair work is being carried out. Under no circumstances should you use this equipment.

A FULL COPY OF THE COLLEGE HEALTH & SAFETY MANUAL IS AVAILABLE FROM LIAM DOYLE – HEALTH & SAFETY CO-ORDINATOR

ATTENDANCE PROCEDURE

For Bird College students to gain the greatest benefit from their education and training it is vital that they attend regularly, on time and every day the college is open unless the reason for the absence is unavoidable.

It is very important therefore that we ensure you attend regularly and this policy sets out how together we will achieve this.

Why Regular Attendance is so important

Any absence affects the pattern of a student’s college experience and regular absence will seriously affect learning and training. Any student’s absence disrupts teaching routines so may affect the learning of others in the same class.

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The College requires 100% attendance. Students should note that both the College and validating partners consider ‘absence without consent’ to be a serious breach of the regulations. Attendance levels below this may lead to one or more of the following:

 Disciplinary action (e.g. suspension)  Failure to complete a subject component or unit  Failure to progress to the next year or to gain the final award

Understanding types of absence

Every day absence from college is classified by the college, as either AUTHORISED or UNAUTHORISED. This is why information about the cause of absence is always required.

Authorised absences are days away from school for a good reason like illness, medical or dental appointments which unavoidably fall in college time, emergencies or other unavoidable cause.

Unauthorised absences are those which the college does not consider reasonable and for which no “leave” has been given. This includes: Staying off college unnecessarily Missing individual lessons over the course of a day Day trips and holidays in term time which have not been agreed

Students will be registered in their first lesson of the day and this will be recorded centrally and used to determine whether or not a student has attended college or not. If a student is going to be late for their first session they should inform Jo Treacy so that an accurate record can be kept.

Persistent Absenteeism (PA)

Any problems with regular attendance are best sorted out between the college and the student. A student becomes a ‘persistent absentee’ when they miss 20% or more of college time. Absence at this level is doing considerable damage to any student’s professional training prospects and we need to work in partnership to remove any barriers.

We monitor all absences thoroughly. Any case that is seen to have reached the PA mark or is at risk of moving towards that mark is given priority.

PA students are tracked and monitored carefully through our pastoral system.

Absence procedures

In the event of an absence due to illness or extenuating circumstances (please refer to separate policy), students should telephone The Programme Administrator Jo Treacy on 020 8269 6865 before 9.45 on each of the days the student is absent so that tutors can be informed. (In the event of a student being too ill to contact the college personally, he/she should ask someone reliable to inform the Programme Administrator on the above number on the student’s behalf by the stated time). If a student does not telephone before this time and there is not an exceptional reason this absence will be considered as unauthorised. Several absences of this type will lead to disciplinary action.

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If a student is unwell during the course of the day, whilst at College, the student should see a member of staff and if he/she are instructed to go home, the student should make sure that they also notify the Programme Administrator Jo Treacy on 020 8269 6865.

If a student is away for more than 7 days (including a weekend), an illness must be confirmed by a medical certificate, which should be handed in to the Programme Administrator. The student must also notify the Programme Administrator Jo Treacy on 020 8269 6865 on their return before commencement of their first class. The student is also required to notify the College Physiotherapist Druanne Roberts after a long period of absence from college due to illness or an injury prior to starting a full timetable. It is essential that the student does not participate in full physical activities until they have had instructions from the College Physiotherapist Druanne Roberts, to do so.

Lateness

Poor punctuality is not acceptable. Students must endeavour to attend all lessons on time and only exceptional circumstances should be considered as an acceptable reason for late attendance. Late arriving students disrupt the training of others as well as themselves.

How we manage lateness

The college day will normally start at 8/8.15 for warm before your first class but this can vary depending on the individual timetable. All students are expected to make their first lesson on time and maintain this throughout the day. Students who are persistently late will meet with their tutor/Assistant Principal where strategies will be discussed and targets set to develop improvement. Students who fail to demonstrate an improvement will be subject to disciplinary action.

Authorised Absence

Absence is not normally allowed for any reason other than medical or serious personal reasons (e.g. family bereavement). If a student has a dentist / doctors or hospital appoint the student must fill in an absence form which can be obtained from Lai-Sheung Chan in advance of the appointment. Students should make every effort to arrange Doctors/Dentist appointments at the beginning or end of the day to avoid major disruption to their lessons.

Term Dates and Holidays

Term dates should be carefully studied before holiday plans are made as permission is not given for holidays to be taken in term time. Any requests for absence should be made in writing to the Deputy Principal Luis De Abreu or in his absence his Executive Assistant Lai-Sheung Chan well in advance of the occasion. Students must also gain permission from the Deputy Principal before accepting outside performance work or activities.

Recording Attendance

All staff take a register for each class, and the following coding system operates for the registering of absence:

A - absent without consent or notification EX - absent with consent or notification (extenuating circumstances or

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for doctor/dental appointments when these cannot be arranged outside of College hours) S - sick (only if Programme Administrator is informed in time, otherwise recorded as A) PH - physiotherapy appointment W - watching because of injury or sickness approved

Staff should only enter the appropriate code if they are aware of the reason. If the absence list has not yet been generated then the member of staff should enter ‘A’ and this will be monitored and altered where necessary in the office.

Sanctions

Students who are persistently late or absent will be subject to disciplinary action. Below are the sanctions that will placed on students who fail to demonstrate improvement after discussion with their tutor/Assistant principal.

 When attendance falls below 96% a meeting will be held between the student and their tutor/Assistant Principal. At this meeting targets will be set to initiate improvement and support measures will be put in place to ensure the student can make positive steps to prevent the attendance figure dropping. Students will be issued with a ‘first’ warning  When attendance falls below 90% students will receive a ‘second’ warning and will meet with the Assistant Principal. Further targets will be set.  When attendance falls below 85% students will be placed on ‘early morning sign in’. Students whose attendance reaches this low level will be required to sign in at Studio house between 8.00am and 8.30am every morning for a fixed period. You will meet with the Deputy Principal who will determine the fixed period. Failure to sign in will mean the student is blocked from attending any lessons on that day.

It is the hope and desire of Bird College that these sanctions will never need to be used, but as a College we have a responsibility to our students to ensure they get the most out of their training and education whilst a student at the college. If, despite the measures above, a student fails to commit to their training and education then further disciplinary action will be considered. This can include asking students to leave their programme of study.

Tutors will take a register at every session. Students who miss lessons over the course of a day will also be subject to sanctions.  If a student misses more than 5 individual lessons in a week, and they have been marked as present in college, they will meet with their tutor/Assistant Principal. Targets will be set and an action plan put in place to promote improvement. Students will be issued with a ‘First’ warning.  Students will be monitored over a two week period. If they are still missing individual lessons they will meet with the Assistant Principal who will issue a ‘second’ warning and discuss a further action plan.  Students will be monitored for a further set period. If at the end of this period the student has missed any lessons they will be placed on ‘early morning sign in’. Students will be required to sign in at Studio house between 8.00am and 8.30am every morning for a fixed period. They will meet with the Deputy Principal who will determine the fixed period. Failure to sign in will mean the student is blocked from attending any lessons on that day. If a

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student misses any lessons they will also be blocked from attending any further lessons that day.

ASSESSMENT REGULATIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES AND LONG TERM MEDICAL CONDITIONS

1 AIM OF POLICY 1.1 The purpose of this document is to provide a clear policy statement, supported by operational guidelines, to ensure that students with disabilities and long-term medical conditions receive a parity of opportunity in assessment and thus demonstrate their achievement of learning outcomes. 1.2 This policy is underpinned by the Ethos and Mission Statement of Bird College. A key principle supporting this mission is the college’s commitment to provide a nurturing environment in which each student is treated equally both as an individual as well as an artist, and where his/her talent is respected and nurtured regardless of any differences. 1.3 Additionally, the policy meets the requirements of the Quality Assurance Agency Code of practice: “Institutions operate systems to monitor the effectiveness of provision for disabled students, evaluate progress and identify opportunities for enhancement.” “Institutions enable staff to participate in a range of continuing professional development activities in order to enhance their knowledge, reflect upon and develop their practice, and contribute towards a fully inclusive institutional culture.” “Academic assessment practice ensures that disable students are given the opportunity to demonstrate the achievement of learning outcomes and competence standards.”

2 ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESS FOR DETERMINING ENTITLEMENTS 2.1 This section of the policy provides an outline of the process that a student has to go through in order to obtain alternative assessment and examination arrangements. 2.2 Principles of this policy are that: a) Disabled and dyslexic students will have their evidence considered individually b) Students are able to disclose information during the recruitment process c) Disabled and dyslexic students are responsible for identifying themselves and their potential needs to staff d) Suitable documentation will be required in order to grant the student with alternative assessment and examination arrangements e) The purpose of this policy is to place disabled and dyslexic students on equal terms with other students, not to give them an advantage or infringe on academic validity, rigour or comparability of the assessment f) The college has the primary responsibility for ensuring fair assessment and examination regulations g) Policy and practice should not be dependent on students individual funding arrangements h) Policy and practice should be applied consistently across the College

Enrolment/Induction 2.3 Students should be informed of the policy at induction. The College will also ensure that the policy is clearly outlined in the Student Handbook and that the procedure for negotiating assessment arrangements is included in the Student Programme Handbook. The policy will also be available upon request and in the College’s intranet.

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On the Programme 2.4 On arrival to the College, or when a student has a new impairment, long term medical condition or when there have been changes to the exiting needs, students must contact the Assistant Principal for an examination of their entitlement to assessment and examination provisions. 2.5 No authorisation of alternative assessment arrangements will be made unless an evaluation of the students’ entitlement has been obtained. The evidentiary requirements for obtaining these entitlements are as follow:  Dyslexia: Assessment report form a Chartered Educational Psychologist or a recognised dyslexia qualification, normally dated no earlier than 3 years prior enrolment at the College  Disability: Assessment report or confirmation from a relevant professional or specialist agency ( i.e. GP, Medical Consultant, Community Care Assessor, Rehabilitation Officer, Occupational Therapist)

2.6 Any student who has not presented the necessary supporting evidence for entitlement to alternative assessment arrangements within the required timescale cannot have his/her needs retrospectively taken into account for exams and assessments unless the student can show a valid reason for not having declared it. 2.7 Personal tutors should direct students to contact the Assistant Principal to obtain entitlements to examinations and assessment provisions. 2.8 students claiming entitlements will need to complete an Entitlement form and forward it to Jo Treacy (Programme Administrator) at the Academic Studies Office. 2.9 Entitlements will be approved by Matt Elliot (Assistant Principal). If the student had not yet disclosed that information when enrolling in the Programme, this new evidence will subsequently be entered in the student’s record file for future reference. 2.10 Alternative assessment/examinations are arranged between the tutor of the component, the student and the relevant senior manager (Luis De Abreu, Matt Elliot, Joana Simas). 2.11 Students with disabilities, dyslexia or long term medical conditions requiring alternative assessment arrangements must report to the Assistant Principal and complete an entitlement form. The form should be submitted at least 6 weeks prior to the assessment/examination so any necessary arrangements can be organised in advance.

EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES POLICY

1. Bird College Principles

1.1 The fundamental principle underlying the work of Bird College is that courses delivered should be comparable in standard with the awards granted and conferred throughout Further Education Institutions in the United Kingdom. The college has a duty to maintain the standard of its awards, so that the employers, professional sector, and artistic community can have confidence in the level of achievement that those awards represent.

1.2 The college has a duty to insure that all assessments are conducted in a fair, supportive and impartial fashion, and that each student has the opportunity to demonstrate his/her true level of academic performance.

1.3 The college is obliged to ensure that a system is in place to support students who have been unable to complete formal assessments due to reasons outside their control and thus take into consideration extenuating claims.

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1.4 Students must understand the crucial difference between circumstances which constitute valid reasons for an extenuating claim and those which stem from their own negligence and inability to organise their time and are, therefore, invalid.

1.5 There are periods in the academic year which are particularly intensive in terms of assessment load and which some students find stressful. However, it is expected that students entering a full time course at Further Education level will develop the skills to deal with those periods and still produce satisfactory work whilst meeting deadlines. “Assessment Stress” shall not in and of itself be considered as an extenuating circumstance.

1.6 Students should be aware that ALL assessments must be completed. Therefore, any assessment not attended or submitted, even those for which an extenuating circumstances claim has been accepted, will have to be fulfilled once those circumstances cease to exist. No assessment mark will, at the time of the postponed assessment’s occurrence, be affected by the extenuating circumstances nor will they influence the academic judgement of the Board.

1.7 Claims for extenuating circumstances should be made at the time of the unforeseen circumstances and not retrospectively.

1.8 All work that is handed in after the official deadline or any assessment not attended, will be graded as 0% unless accompanied by an extenuating circumstances form, which is subsequently accepted as valid. Any assessment work which fails to comply with the stipulated deadline and for which there are no valid extenuating circumstances, will not in any instance achieve a mark higher than 40%.

1.9 Claims relating to multiple assessments affected, which can be covered by the same extenuating circumstance, should be detailed on a single pro-forma.

2. Definition of extenuating circumstances

2.1 Circumstances which are out of the student’s control and that have a detrimental impact on the student’s ability to achieve the learning outcomes of the component and/or fulfil its assessment requirements.

2.2 A student may wish to declare that extenuating circumstances have played a part in the student’s inability to attend and successfully complete a formal assessment. Prior consultation with the most relevant member of staff such as, Personal Tutor, Resident Physiotherapist, Head of Department, Academic and Assessment Manager, Assistant Principal. A student may wish to declare that extenuating circumstances have contributed to a failure to submit a written piece of work within a set deadline.

2.3 It is the responsibility of any student with a long-term condition or problem as for example injury, disability, dyslexia, dyspraxia, physical and psychological illness, to seek advice from the most appropriate member of staff (as above) in order to ensure that the student is able to study and undergo formal assessment procedures.

2.4 A long-term condition or problem as stated above does not constitute an extenuating circumstance unless the student can provide evidence that the condition or problem was exacerbated close to or during the assessment.

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3. Valid extenuating circumstances

3.1 Illness or injury at the time of an assessment or in the period leading up to a formal assessment;

3.2 Severe emotional or mental stress at the time of an assessment or in the period leading up to a formal assessment, as for example social and family problems, bereavement or traumatic event.

3.3 Other factors which are outside the student’s control. IT problems are the sole student’s responsibility and will not be considered extenuating circumstances unless the college has suffered a total system failure over a long period of time. It is expected that students will take reasonable measures to insure that written work is saved and appropriately backed up in order to avoid foreseeable problems such as loss of computer records.

4. Evidence in support of claims of extenuating circumstances

4.1 Claims of extenuating circumstances must be submitted by completing the College’s form as well as providing supporting evidence for the claim. Claims of extenuating circumstances will not be considered without being accompanied by valid independent evidence signed by an appropriate third party (the third party should be a person who knows the student in a professional capacity and that has had first-hand knowledge of the circumstances). Only original documents will be accepted.

4.2 The college recognises that at times, the evidence required may be of a sensitive and personal nature. If the particular circumstances are so severe that the student does not want for the information to be divulged, the Student Welfare Officer (Assistant Principal) or Independent Counsellor can write to the member of staff responsible for approving the claim, on behalf of the student describing the circumstances and their findings. The Student Welfare Officer will need to see documentary evidence supplied by the student in order to be able to confirm that the facts can be verified.

4.3 Acceptable evidence to be submitted with an extenuating claim may include:

 Medical Certificate issued at the time of the illness. The Certificate is required to specify the nature of the illness and the dates affected;  A letter from the Counsellor, Resident Physiotherapist or Student Welfare Officer;  A letter from the student’s personal tutor;  A solicitor’s letter indicating the nature and dates of legal proceedings, summons to attend court, report from a police officer;  Letter from a transport official confirming unforeseen disruption to transport;

5. Procedures for submitting and dealing with claims of extenuating circumstances

5.1 As delineated above, extenuating circumstances claims must be completed using the college’s form accompanied by independent evidence. Hard and electronic copies can be obtained from the Academic Studies Office.

The completed claim form should be submitted to:

Joanne Treacy- Programme Administrator

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6. Procedures for dealing with deferred assessments due to extenuating circumstances

6.1 Dance

If the student was unable to attend a Technique assessment due to injury, he/she will be given the necessary time in order to heal and regain technical proficiency. Depending on the time scale, the student will either be assessed at the end of the academic year or in the First Term of the following year. The Head of each specific Technique Department will determine whether the assessment will be a free class or a repetition of the set work.

6.2 Performance

Acting If part of the assessment deferred was a solo performance, the assessors would find an opportunity for the students to sit the assessment in the current or following academic year. Additionally, if a student is unable to sit a duologue or scene performance assessment, the assessors would take into consideration the reasons for absence and depending on their deliberation would decide whether the student would be re-assigned another partner.

Students must understand that it may not be possible to organise the precise conditions that pertained to students who undertook the assessment at the prescribed time. For example, there may not be an audience other than the assessors, and the assessment may not be held in the same venue.

Singing If the student was unable to attend either the technical or the performance part of the assessment, or both, the Assessors would find another opportunity to complete the assessment within the current Academic year. Students must understand that if it is the performance part of the assessment that has been missed, it may not be possible to organise the precise conditions that pertained to students who undertook the assessment at the prescribed time. For example, there may not be an audience other than the assessors, and the assessment may not be held in the same venue.

Musical theatre If the student was unable to attend a Musical Theatre assessment, the Assessors will find another opportunity for the student to be assessed such as the Summer Show.

6.3 Integrated Professional Studies/Contextual Studies

If the student was unable to submit a piece of written work, the Academic and Assessment Manager will assign that student a new deadline in agreement with the specific component’s tutor. If the student was unable to attend an oral presentation, an alternative assessment date will be found by the Academic and Assessment Manager in agreement with the specific component’s tutor.

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DISCIPLINE AND COMPLAINTS - REGULATIONS AND PROCEDURES

Bird College has a strategy in place to deal with any inappropriate conduct by a student or any other disciplinary matter. The College also has a procedure should a student wish to lodge a complaint against another student, member of staff or the actions of the College. These procedures are detailed below.

If a student is suspected of or has been alleged to have been participating in illegal activity whilst on College premises, then he/she will immediately be suspended and the police will be informed.

Student discipline procedure 1.1 This procedure covers all matters of student discipline, for example if a student is reported for unacceptable behaviour in College, irregular attendance, lateness to class etc.

1.2 In the first instance he/she will be interviewed by a member(s) of the Executive Team. If this interview is not able to resolve the matter, the ET may at its’ discretion suspend the student from his/her studies while an enquiry is held.

1.3 The College will aim to complete the enquiry as soon as possible.

1.4 The student may at all times request the company of a colleague, tutor or family member/guardian to witness a meeting.

1.5 The College will confirm any findings, recommendation or decision in writing.

1.6 If the student still feels the matter is unresolved to their satisfaction he/she at this point may seek further recourse through the validating organisation (for example the University of Greenwich or Trinity College). The College will give a student the necessary contact details should he / she wish to take this option.

For a student who wishes to complain about a fellow student at Bird College or a member of the College staff: 2.1 This procedure is for a student who wishes to make a complaint about a fellow student or member of staff, such as their conduct or behaviour.

2.2 In the first instance he/she will be interviewed by a member(s) of the Executive Team. If this interview is not able to resolve the matter, the ET may at its’ discretion suspend all students and staff concerned while an enquiry is held. The student will be expected to put their complaint in writing before action can be taken.

2.3 The College will aim to complete the enquiry as soon as possible.

2.4 The student may at all times request the company of a colleague, tutor or family member / guardian to witness a meeting.

2.5 The College will confirm any findings, recommendation or decision in writing.

2.6 If the student still feels the matter is unresolved to their satisfaction he/she at this point may seek further recourse through the validating organisation (for example the University of

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Greenwich or Trinity College). The College will give a student the necessary contact details should he / she wish to take this option.

For a student who wishes to complain about Bird College 3.1 This procedure is applicable should a student wish to make a complaint about a matter concerning Bird College, such as a problem with an operational aspect of the College.

3.2 In the first instance he/she will be interviewed by a member(s) of the Executive Team. If this interview is not able to resolve the matter, the ET will hold an enquiry into the allegation. The student will be expected to put their complaint in writing before action can be taken.

3.3 The College will aim to complete the enquiry as soon as possible, and undertakes to give the student a written progress update on a weekly basis.

3.4 The student may at all times request the company of a colleague, tutor or family member/guardian to witness a meeting.

3.5 The College will confirm any findings, recommendation or decision in writing.

3.6 If the student still feels the matter is unresolved to their satisfaction he/she at this point may seek further recourse through the validating organisation (for example the University of Greenwich or Trinity College). The College will give a student the necessary contact details should he / she wish to take this option.

Appeals against academic judgement 4.1 The format for an appeal against an Examination Board decision is a different process from the above. In the first instance students should speak to the Deputy Principal & Artistic Director. The college follows the procedure for appeals as set by the applicable validating institution. For Example:  Diploma in Professional Musical Theatre Trinity College, London  Foundation Degree in Creative Industries: Acting University of Greenwich  BA (Hons) in Dance and Theatre Performance University of Greenwich

A full copy of the Appeals Procedures can be obtained from the Academic Office.

STUDENT REPRESENTATION ON COLLEGE COMMITTEES

Students are able to elect representatives to serve on College committees. This gives students a very important opportunity for their views and concerns to be raised and dealt with in a formal arena.

Prior to the commencement of each meeting student representatives will be provided with an agenda. Minutes are taken and published. Normally meetings take place once a term.

The committees are as follows:

Board of Directors Two final year students serve on this Board. The Board of Directors is the forum where the running of the College is monitored.

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Academic Board One student from each programme serves on this Board. The main function of this board is to draw together the work of the College’s programmes of study, other College activities, and plan for future academic provision.

Programme Boards There are three programme boards, one for each programme of study. Two students from each year of each programme serve on their programme’s Board. The main function of these boards is to monitor quality assurance mechanisms of the programme. Changes to the programme are proposed, agreed and then are take to the Academic Board for approval.

Student Council All student representatives meet with the Deputy Principal on a regular basis to discuss day to day matters. This group forms part of the student council who meet once a term or more often if required to act as a proactive committee to generate initiatives that enhance the student experience.

Student representatives should canvas the views of their colleagues in order to present a balanced view of any issues; also they must report back any matters agreed at a College committee or meetings.

ACCESSING THE PHYSIOTHERAPY SERVICE

A College has a resident physiotherapist who is available for consultation during the week. Should students incur an injury they must make an appointment with the physiotherapist. The procedure is as follows:

 If an injury occurs in a class, the student should advice the member of staff whose class they are taking.  Students should then make an appointment with the physiotherapist at earliest convenience  The appointment sheet can be found in the Common Room at Birkbeck Centre.  Students will receive a note discussing the injury and what action should be taken.  This note should be presented to each teacher at the beginning of each class.

NB: Students who are unable to dance should watch dance classes and continue to attend all lectures, drama and singing classes, unless authorised to do otherwise. Physiotherapy treatment should be arranged during dance class time and not during Contextual Studies lectures where possible.

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STUDENT WELFARE AND PASTORAL CARE

THE PERSONAL TUTOR SYSTEM At Bird College we take the responsibility of the welfare of our students very seriously. If our students are happy and content they will progress technically and academically with greater ease. At points in our life we all face times that are more challenging, therefore, we provide you with a personal tutor to assist you in coping during these times. You will be given the opportunity to meet with your Personal Tutor on a regular basis both as a member of a group and individually and will be able to discuss academic, personal and progression matters.

1. What is a Personal Tutor?

The role of a Personal Tutor is to support you in your development and progression at Bird College, ensuring you gain the most from your time as a student. The Personal Tutor system will:  support your personal and academic needs  support your ability to self manage  help to ensure health and well-being of individuals  provide a support structure that is secure for students and promotes an ‘open door’ policy

2. How Does Personal Tutoring work?

As students on the Pre Vocational course you will be tutored as a whole group. Your tutor will be Matt Elliot, Assistant Principal.

3. Individual/Group Meetings

You will meet with your Personal tutor and your tutor group once every month. In these meetings you can discuss all manner of things. There will be specific things your tutor will need to cover but these meetings are essentially for you to share and seek support. You will also see your tutor individually. These meetings can be arranged at mutually convenient times and either the tutor or tutee can request a meeting. As with all classes at Bird College these meetings are a compulsory part of your timetable.

4. Some common Issues

What can I discuss with my Personal tutor? You can discuss anything you wish with your personal tutor. Personal, finance, health, accommodation and academic concerns may all be matters you need support with. If it concerns technical development or your progress in a particular class it may be more appropriate to speak to your technique or class tutor. It may also be about your progression on to a full time vocational course. Your personal tutor is there to support any needs you have and when they can’t they will know who to refer you to. I want to change my personal tutor The simple answer and the most common answer to this question will be ‘you can’t’. Remember this is a professional relationship. It is important to the college that you feel comfortable enough to talk to your tutor in an honest and open way. Give yourself time to build the appropriate relationship. It can take a while to get to know someone and trust them. Your personal tutor isn’t there to be your friend but to help guide you when necessary. If after a few months you are still struggling to build the appropriate relationship with your tutor then please speak to the Assistant Principal. My tutor is never available

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Your personal tutor is also a member of the teaching faculty and therefore will have a busy timetable. Your tutor should keep you informed of their ‘free’ times. It may not be easy to find them around the college so you should make an appointment to see them. You should use email to contact them or telephone if they have given you permission to do so. Please try and keep your contact to within reasonable working hours and respect any cut off given by your tutor. If you cannot make contact with your personal tutor and it is urgent you should contact your Head of Year or the Assistant Principal. Once you have made an appointment please ensure you show up or you inform your tutor that you need to cancel or reschedule. What if something is too personal to discuss with my tutor? No matter how comfortable your relationship is with your tutor there may come a time (eg. health or relationships) when you would be more comfortable speaking with someone else. Your tutor can refer you to the most appropriate person. You can also see your Head of Year or the Assistant Principal. Contacting your tutor If you know your tutor’s ‘free’ time and their location then you can pop in to see them as part of our ‘open- door’ policy If you wish to make an appointment to see your tutor then you should use the contact method they have suggested. This will normally be through the college email system.

5. General Advice and Structure

If there is something troubling you talk to someone about it. There are people who are trained and can help you work through the problems you encounter. As well as your Personal Tutor the college provides a host of people that can assist you in various matters.

Below are some people that are important in the structure of support within Bird College.

STUDENT WELFARE STRUCTURE

Assistant Principal Matt Elliot You can make an appointment at anytime to see Matt Deputy Principal Luis DeAbreu You can make an appointment to see Luis whenever you need to. Tutors Responsible for working with a designated group of students monitoring their welfare and providing guidance across all courses and all years Nutrition and Well-being tutor Sue Brice  To offer guidance and support to students who need to have a healthier understanding of nutrition and fitness  You should ask your tutor for a referral if you need to see Sue

Learning Support Tutor/s Liz May Brice, Fuschia Peters  Work with assigned Students who require additional learning Support  You should see your Head of Year if you require further support

Physiotherapist Druanne Roberts  Provides a Physiotherapy service for all students

Resource Centre Coordinator Heidi Gunningham

College Councillor

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Marian Gittins

Registry Manager Naomi Seal  Accommodation matters

Quality Assurance and Teaching and Learning Manager/Hear of Year 1 Luisa Figuerola  Will provide support to tutors and students

Assessment and Academic Manager/Head of Year 2 Joana Simas  Will provide support to tutors and students

Student Council Further support Groups  Please provide suggestions through your Student Rep to the Assistant Principal

Useful Contacts

Night Line: London Nightline is a confidential www.nightline.org.uk listening, support and practical information service for students in London. Opening Hours: 6pm to 8am every night of term Beat: beat is the leading UK charity for people with www.b-eat.co.uk eating disorders and their families.

British Dyslexia Association: Information and http://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk support. FRANK: Friendly, confidential drugs advice www.talktofrank.com Rape Crisis: Rape Crisis Centres provide a range www.rapecrisis.org.uk of specialist services for women and girls that have been raped or experienced another form of sexual violence. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA): Support and advice www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk service Brook: Sexual health charity www.brook.org.uk London Lesbian and Gay Switchboard: www.llgs.org.uk Information, support and referral system

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LEARNING RESOURCES

Bird College LRC is based in Admin Cottage (next to Birkbeck), and is a vital resource for your studies here, whether practical or theoretical. The LRC is open Monday – Friday from 9.00am- 4.00pm.

The library currently stocks 2,800 specialised books and 560 DVDs. You can also find:  The Stage  Dancing Times  Dance Europe  Dance Magazine  Journal of Dance Medicine & Science  Theatre & Performance  Dance Theatre Journal  Ultra Fit

Outlined are not only the library regulations, but also ways in which you can use the library to help you with your assignments, and to develop your own personal interest in dance and performance.

The LRC currently has 6 computers with internet access available to students plus, colour and black & white printers and a scanner.

LRC  All materials must be issued by the Librarian before being taken from the Library.  Books are loaned for 2 weeks, and DVDs loaned for 1 week.  Materials from the LRC may not be passed to other students without informing the Librarian  Students with outstanding loans will incur fines of 15p per item per day and will not be issued with further materials until they are returned.  Students engaged in dissertations may negotiate longer loans.

Photocopying  Photocopiers available for student use can be found in the reception at The Centre and the LRC. Photocopy cards are available from the Resource Centre and the Reception at The Centre at a cost of £3.00 for a 40 copy card and £6.00 for a 100 copy card. It is advisable to write your name on the back of the card as they are easily lost. Using Bird College Computers  Logging on to a computer at the LRC: · Use lower case - type in your Christian name, a full stop then your surname; e.g.bird.college · Use password as your initial password · Then use ctrl alt delete to create your own password (if you forget your password ask Heidi to reset it for you) · Save your work to your U: drive which will enable you to access saved work on any college computer · All students must use Bird College email for college correspondence.

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Your email address will be: [email protected] College computers currently use Microsoft 2007. Printers*  You will find the Black & White printer (Brother HL 6050DN) and the Colour printer (Brother HL 4140CN) in the main computer room.  To print Ctrl P then from the drop down box select either of the printers shown above  *Printing charged at 5p per sheet.

Links with other libraries Although Bird College has a small collection of specialised material, with all the key texts you require during your time here; we do however, have strong links with other libraries, including Laban Centre, Royal Academy of Dance, Roehampton Institute and Rose Bruford. It is also worth investigating your local library for inter-library loans. Students wishing to use Rose Bruford’s Learning Resource Centre should be aware that to do so you will need to have a Bexley Library card. You will also need to sign in at their reception and receive a visitor’s pass before using their facilities.

BA & FDA Students Did you know about the library services and resources that are available to you with the University of Greenwich?  Have access to University resources and services through the University Portal (go to www.gre.ac.uk and select Student Portal from the My Greenwich drop down menu). Each student is emailed by the University Student Helpline with their University  username and password (2 emails) when they are invited to start online registration.  Have access to the library’s electronic resources via the Library & IT portal tab (databases, journals and ebooks).  Students can visit and borrow up to 16 items from the University of Greenwich’s campus libraries at Greenwich, Eltham and Medway. To use the libraries students will need a University of Greenwich student ID card.  You can register to use the SCONUL Access Scheme. This is a nationwide scheme that allows students to use and borrow from other university libraries. The Greenwich University Portal gives easy access to the university's online resources including those of the library. The single portal login means that you don't have to remember lots of different passwords for different university services; for example, once logged into the portal you can access e-resources without needing to login again. You also get customised content so it delivers to you, at the appropriate time, the information you are going need as a student/member of staff at the university.

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BIRD AGENCY

The College has a personal management agency that represents Bird College students throughout their time at College. Students may not be represented by any other agencies whilst they are enrolled on a College programme. Students who wish to be represented by an outside agent must first see the Deputy Principal and Artistic Director.

Personal Management Responsibilities Bird Agency is a professional theatrical employment agency registered with the Department of Employment and advertises in theatre publications such as Contacts and The British Theatre Directory. The Agency endeavours to provide suitable professional work experience.

The Agency will represent students in all discussions with production management in respect of fees, working conditions and contracts and will advise on the handling of general finance, income tax, national insurance, accommodation and travel. Guidance will be given in relation to personal presentation for audition, professional etiquette, personal CVs, organisation of photographs and the suitability of specific auditions. Regular communication will be maintained for the duration of the employment.

For all work secured by Bird Agency commission will be payable at the following rates:  Theatre……………………….. 10%  Radio………………………….. 12%  Television…………………….. 15%  Corporate & In-House Video.. 15%  Commercial Voice-Over…… 15%  Films…………………………… 15%  Commercials………………….. 15%  Photographs…………………… 20%

Whilst at College students may not attend auditions advertised in any journal, or paper, or by invitation through a third party, or accept performance work unless permission has been granted. Students that do undertake approved performance work will pay the College commission at the above rates.

Fees are payable by the production companies to the Agency and thereafter to the student.

Upon successful completion of the course, students may continue to be represented by Bird Agency, either solely or in addition to other agencies, but only on condition that the Agency is kept up to date with current whereabouts and employment.

ESSENTIAL SPENDING

Theatre Fund Attending live performances is a vital part of any preparation for the theatre profession and the College is determined that students should attend as many concerts, exhibitions, shows, plays and dance productions as possible. The Theatre Fund has been set up to provide a programme of theatre outings each year at reduced prices. All students are required to pay an annual subscription of £175.00 in the first term, providing a fund that can then be used to block book well in advance. In

Student Handbook 2013-14 77 this way, the best possible discounts can be obtained. You will be requested to top up the fund to £175 at the start of each start of each academic of study. Any unused monies are refunded at the end of the programme.

Portrait Photographs Portrait photographs are required for a variety of purposes and are taken at the end of the first year at start of the final year. These are taken by a recommended College photographer at a nominal cost of approximately £50.00 per student. Permission is sought from all students under 18 to appear in College publicity material.

Production Fees A small production fee of £35.00 is made each year prior to the Summer Show. This goes towards the overall costs of the summer production.

Make-up All students are given advice and instruction in the first year. A basic make-up kit will costs approximately £35.00 and will last for a reasonable period. See the information sent to you before the start of the programme.

Books - Required Reading You may need to purchase a small number of books, up to about £50.00. This cost can be reduced by buying second-hand copies. The College will advise you of sources for purchasing all materials required for your programme. Photocopying At various times you will need to photocopy materials for study. Photocopy cards are sold for £3.00 and £6.00 from the Academic Studies Office .

Dance Societies’ Examination Fees Examination fees will be due from time to time according to individual needs. Students will be informed in good time of the current cost.

Bird Agency Students who are represented by the College agency will be liable for an agency fee from any professional earnings.

Graduating Students only Gown and mortarboard hire from Ede and Ravenscroft Ltd, Cambridge, will be arranged through their website for the Bird College Graduation Ceremony. You will be given full details about this a couple of months before the ceremony.

ADVERSE WEATHER PROCEDURE

In the event of adverse weather conditions, the college will notify students and staff of changes to timetable and opening hours. Notification will be through the following:  A message on the college website and intranet  Students representatives will be notified through texts  Students will be notified by student representatives

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Please note that in adverse weather the College may still be operating a skeleton timetable and students should always check the college website for notices www.birdcollege.co.uk

ADDITIONAL REMINDERS

 Smoking is strictly prohibited in any of the College’s premises  Food and drink, other than water, should not be consumed in studios  Please inform the Main Office in the event of changes in address, telephone or mobile numbers, doctor or any other information relating to personal details that are kept on file  The responsibility of being fit for training lies with the student

Finance  All fees must be paid up prior to graduation. Any outstanding amount is cause for the awarding of the degree or diploma to be suspended  Any outstanding library book, resource or debt to the college holds the same penalty  Maintenance cheques should be collected from the Main Office

Student Parking – the car parks at all of the College sites are for staff only. Students who drive to College must find alternative parking without causing inconvenience to neighbours. Students are advised that parking space is very limited.

Mobile Phones – These must be switched off during classes, lectures, tutorials, rehearsals etc.

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