PGCert Performance Teaching
One year part-time or two years part-time
Performance Teaching is designed to support professional musicians, actors, theatre technicians and dancers who also teach. It presents a unique opportunity to develop creative and reflective practice in performance teaching. You will be encouraged to identify a personal pathway for your development, focusing on the pedagogy of performance and creative practice in the performing arts, in specific contexts that are most relevant to your career aspirations.
The PGCert in Performance Teaching will prepare you for employment as a professional artist-teacher in a range of contexts, including Higher Education, specialist performing arts schools and junior conservatoires, state and independent schools, community and lifelong learning, and inclusive learning programmes such as Sistema-inspired initiatives.
Participants with enough current Higher Education teaching experience have the option of completing an elective, Reflective Practice in Higher Education, which will lead to professional recognition from the UK Higher Education Academy.
Listen to Vanessa Lingham and Sue Dent, Guildhall staff and also students on the PGCert Performance teaching, discuss the programme and the pedagogy of performance in our podcast.
PG Cert students in a workshop |
How you'll learn
The programme takes a blended learning approach, combining intensive workshops with online learning activity. Supported by a team of world-renowned practitioners, researchers and guest speakers, you will develop skills and knowledge in the fundamental principles of pedagogy, professional frameworks, teaching and facilitation approaches.
Where appropriate, the programme team will support you in accessing opportunities for practical experience of facilitating learning in a range of contexts, drawing on the Guildhall School’s extensive network of partners.
With a strong emphasis on reflective practice, you will develop an informed awareness of the national and international landscape of performance teaching. You will be supported by a personal Pedagogy Mentor, and will participate in guided peer support groups.
Who should apply?
This programme attracts applicants who are interested in creative, innovative and evidence-based performance teaching and offers:
- A strong focus on critically reflective practice, framed by professional guidelines such as the Higher Education Academy Professional Standards Framework
- Interdisciplinary perspectives
- Feedback on practical work in Higher Education or Inclusive Learning settings
- Teaching and mentoring delivered by an experienced team who individually have strong professional reputations as educators, performers and researchers
- An educational philosophy that celebrates professionalism, international perspectives, creativity, and innovative practices in performance teaching
*Please note if you require a Tier 4 (general) student visa to study in the UK, this is not an eligible programme. Home/EU students will not be eligible for a UK government postgraduate loan on this programme.
Programme outline
The programme is one year or two years part-time, delivered in intensive bursts at specified weekends and in school holidays, thus making it ideal for those with busy portfolio careers. Students take the following modules:
Core Module 1: Fundamental Principles in Performance Pedagogy
and
Elective A: Reflective Practice in Higher Education (This module is only available to students who currently teach in Higher Education contexts, as this is a prerequisite for meeting the requirements of the UKPSF).
Or
Elective B: Reflective Practice in Inclusive Learning
A student taking the programme over two years will undertake the Core Module in year one, and the elective in year two.
Assessments
Core Module:
- Individual presentation on your core values and principles in teaching
- Group workshop & presentation on aspects of working with groups
- 3000 word essay linked to topics from the core module
Elective Module:
- Portfolio (approx. 6000-7000 words), to include:
- Write ups of 4 observations of other teachers, plus 1500 word reflective commentary on these
- Video documentation of 2 of your teaching sessions, together with feedback on these, and an action plan in response to this feedback
- Overall 1500 word reflection on your learning for the year and next steps
- Mapping document, linking to a professional standards framework
See the full programme specification, including module specifications and assessment criteria.
Workshop Schedule
Download the workshop schedule for this course (PDF)
Programme Leader
The PGCert Programme Leader is Carlos Lopez-Real.
Open Evening
Find out when our next PGCert Open Evening is on the Open Day page.
Find out more
Find further information on how to apply or contact us if you have any questions.
