CAPA International Education’s London Theater Program Provides Study Abroad Students with Unique Academic and Performance Options
London, England, and Boston, MA (PRWEB) October 17, 2013 -- CAPA International Education debuted both its new theater space “The Street” and expanded portfolio of creative and performance art courses for fall term 2013 students in its London Center. This combination of classroom and performance-based experiences represent a rare opportunity for theater majors who are studying abroad.
Of the US college students who study abroad, only 8.3% are fine or applied arts majors, down .3% from 2001 enrollment numbers (IIE, Open Doors, 2012). In addition to heavily sequenced coursework about which they worry getting out of step, fine and applied art majors express concern that study abroad locations will not include the studio space and/or equipment they need for their studies.
As they worked to expand the theater program, the CAPA London staff remained aware of this need for state-of-the-art theater space and expanded course offerings.
Housed at the CAPA London Center in west London, “The Street” is the first installation of its kind in London and the only theater created specifically to accommodate study abroad students. A fully equipped black box theatrical space that can operate in a number of configurations including end on, traverse, and thrust, it offers study abroad theater students rehearsal, workshop, and performance space in a versatile, multi-purpose environment.
“The Street” includes a state-of-the-art lighting system with profile spots and fresnel spotlights that use the latest LED technology to reproduce warm white light. Such lights generate very little heat, unlike traditional spotlights, and are ideal for smaller theater spaces. The lights are also environmentally friendly (they draw less power).
Additionally, the theater has an area-elastic sports floor made up of impact-resistant cradles with an integral foam impact pad allowing for 65% shock absorption.
In keeping with CAPA’s Global Cities programs, which use the urban landscape as an extension of the classroom, all of the theater program courses incorporate both formal classroom study as well as the rich and varied culture of the London theater environment. Expanded course offerings include Theatricality, Modern Acting, and Shakespeare in London. The course Playwriting will be added for the Fall 2014 term.
“The Street” will also host performances by visiting artists and theater groups, at times offering program participants the opportunity to work with professional actors. This opportunity will inspire cross-disciplinary collaborations and open up new ways in which study abroad theater students can explore and analyze the physical and intellectual spaces of London.
“At CAPA, we aspire to be the best in our field. Our commitment to our new black box studio space confirms this: providing a creative space for our students to share their work and a place where the performers of the future can meet and interact with those currently working in the industry,” said Michael Punter, CAPA’s Director of Theater Education. “New programs will continue to be developed and added, advancing the possibilities for this unique resource,” Punter said.
About CAPA International Education
Established in 1972, CAPA International Education is a trusted global leader in international education. With programs in Beijing, Buenos Aires, Dublin, Florence, Istanbul, London, Shanghai, and Sydney, CAPA Global Cities programs focus on academic excellence, personalized learning, and cultural engagement that is embedded within each class. CAPA’s curriculum is designed to be culturally enriching, using a tested and proven educational program called MyEducation that blends theme-based classroom learning and outside-the-classroom experiential learning opportunities. Through this approach, students are immersed in the culture in which they are studying and are continuously challenged, both academically and personally. Visit http://www.capa.org for more information.
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Dr. Carol Jambor-Smith, CAPA International Education, http://www.capa.org/, 617-986-3471, [email protected]
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