school of arts - application and portfolio advice

School of Arts

Portfolio AdviceFor International applicants includes application advice for non-portfolio courses

dmu.ac.uk/internationalportfolio

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Contents

Introduction

Welcome to the School of Arts

Submission

Submitting your portfolio

Portfolio advice for undergraduate courses

Fine Art BA (Hons)Photography and Video BA (Hons)

Application advice for undergraduate courses

Arts and Festivals Management BA (Hons)Dance BA (Hons)Drama Studies BA (Hons)Performing Arts BA (Hons)

Portfolio advice for postgraduate courses

Photography MAVisual Journalism and Documentary Photography

Application advice for postgraduate courses

Cultural Events Management MA

English language support

Centre for English Language Learning (CELL)

Contents

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Welcome to the School of ArtsOur students benefit from a range of first class facilities, such as the UK’s first Centre for Excellence in Performance Arts, as well as regular exhibitions and performances, including the nationally acclaimed Cultural Exchanges festival.

We have strong industry links with key cultural centres and organisations to provide our students with an innovative and creative learning environment, while many members of our academic team are also active practitioners and leading researchers.

We hope you find the following portfolio and application advice useful, should you have any questions please feel free to contact our admissions team at [email protected].

Best wishes,

Rob BrannenHead of the School of Arts

Introduction

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Submissions

Submitting your portfolioFor some courses we may wish to conduct an interview via telephone or Skype, so please ensure your contact details are correct. If you are living out-side the UK we will ask you to send us samples of your work. There are three ways that you can do this:

Option one - online submissionYou can submit a digital portfolio using our online portfolio submission website. Your portfolio could contain written work such as essays, artwork and moving images. Please present your artwork as either a PowerPoint presentation or one PDF. If you submit moving images such as animation or video, please use .MOV, .AVI or Quicktime format. Please save all of your files in one folder with your name as the title. You will need to compress/zip the fold-er. Once you have zipped your file you will need to submit it together with your name, UCAS or student reference number and the name of the course you are applying for at http://www.mailbigfile.com/dmuac

Option two - Personal websiteYou can also send us a link to a website that displays your work. The website must be public (no sign up, passwords or logins), written in English, and have clear navigation. Your website must render correctly in Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox and Safari.

Option three - CD/DVD by recorded postYou can also submit your portfolio by sending us digital files on a CD, DVD or USB memory device. Please label the disc/memory device clearly with your name, UCAS or student reference number and the name of the course you are applying for. Your portfolio could contain written work such as es-says, artwork and moving images. Please present your artwork as either a PowerPoint presentation or one PDF. If you submit moving images such as animation or video, please use .MOV, .AVI or Quicktime format. Please ensure your CD, DVD or USB works on both a Mac and PC.Please send this by recorded post to ensure safe arrival. The address to post to is:

Art, Design and Humanities Admissions TeamDe Montfort UniversityThe GatewayLeicesterLE1 9BH United Kingdom

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Portfolio AdviceUndergraduate courses

Portfolio advice

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Fine Art BA (Hons)Your Portfolio

Our Fine Art course is about independent self-directed study. Your portfolio should reflect a desire to pursue this. It should communicate creative thinking and range of experience.

Be selective and send your strongest work, a portfolio of 25-35 images is plenty. Start with the strongest work and show how it developed to that point.

What are we looking for?We are looking for:

• Creative thinking• Range of approaches • Willingness to experiment • Ability to take risks to arrive at innovative thinking• Evidence of engagement with contemporary fine art practice

Fine Art BA (Hons)

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Fine Art BA (Hons)SketchbooksSketchbooks vary in structure and content according to your practice, we like to see how you generate ideas and develop them visually.

Fine Art BA (Hons)

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Fine Art BA (Hons)DrawingInclude some drawing; show a range of approaches and mark-making.

Fine Art BA (Hons)

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Fine Art BA (Hons)Range of workInclude a range of work this could be 2D, 3D, lens and digital work, printmaking, drawing.

Fine Art BA (Hons)

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Fine Art BA (Hons)Range of work (continued)Include a range of work this could be 2D, 3D, lens and digital work, printmaking, drawing.

Fine Art BA (Hons)

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Fine Art BA (Hons)

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Fine Art BA (Hons)

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Fine Art BA (Hons)Written workPlease send a short piece of written work with your submission that shows your ability to contextualise your work within contemporary fine art practice. You should also write about your own ideas in relation to your practice. In your personal statement explain why you want to study fine art. All written work should be in English.

Fine Art BA (Hons)

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Photography and Video BA (Hons)

Photography and Video BA (Hons)Your portfolioWe want to get a sense of what you are interested in, what your knowledge about the subject area is like and how motivated you are.

In your personal statement please include a section describing what kind of photographic and film work you like, what photographers or filmmakers you have found particularly interesting or inspirational and why.

If you have never made a video because your school or college does not offer that then you may not have any video to show us. In that case you need to think about what kind of films and TV programmes you particularly enjoy and why. There may be a particular film or video that impressed you because of the way it was shot, lit or edited, so you could talk about that. It is important to be able to say why you like something, not just that you think it is good.


• An enthusiasm for both photography and video• A creative response to set projects• Evidence of photography and/or video you have done in your own time• The ability to discuss your interests in photography and video• Good communication skills with both written and spoken English

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What should a portfolio contain?Research and development sketchbooks/blogsIt is crucial to include some evidence of the development of the projects you show and the approaches taken such as sketchbooks or a blog that shows the thinking and influences behind the photographs and the progress to the final selection. Try to include treatments, scripts and storyboards or shot lists for video. We need this to see how you think and work, how you researched each project, what you rejected and what you kept for the final selection.


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What should a portfolio contain?Photographs and/or moving image workPlease send a selection of up to 20 finished images. If you have made some work independently outside of your course that has a particular theme, subject or focus then include some of that as it shows motivation and interest.

If you have them, please include 2 or 3 short videos up to a maximum of 5 minutes. If your moving image work is longer than this then please produce a showreel (like a movie trailer) of the work.


Include a clear indication of your role(s) in the video, for example camera operator, sound recordist, director, editor or production management.

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What should a portfolio contain?Written workA short piece (500-1000 words) of written work authored in English. An essay showing evidence of critical thinking and writing is preferable.


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Application AdviceUndergraduate courses

Application advice

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Arts and Festivals Management BA (Hons)Application advice

Arts and Festivals Management is an applied subject. This means we are looking for enterprising students who are proactive and able to make things happen.

You should be able to demonstrate a passion for and an interest in the arts. It might be that you regularly attend music events, or dance or theatre performances or that you regularly go to see films or attend art galleries and museums.

Another characteristic of our students is that they enjoy organizing activities. This could be doing things such as helping to put on your school prom or it might be that you’re the type of person that your friends turn to when they need someone to organize a social night out.

Other ways of demonstrating these qualities are that you might have put together a charity fundraising event or helped market and sell tickets for a school or college production.

Work experience is also very good especially any volunteering that you might have done at a music festival, in a local theatre or in an arts centre. Even having a regular job in a shop can demonstrate that you are somebody with a good work ethic and have good communication and team working skills and are able to understand what it is like to be managed as part of a team.

The more you can demonstrate the above experiences and skills the more your application will stand out and meet what we are looking for iin one of our prospective undergraduates on the Arts and Festivals Management degree course at De Montfort University.

Arts and Festivals Management BA (Hons)

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Dance BA (Hons)Application advice

In your personal statement we will want to hear about why you want to study Dance. You may reflect upon dance that you have studied at school or college but, if you want your application to stand out you should include examples of your own independent and wider reading or experiences around the subject. It is worth thinking about how examples from personal experience with performance, work that you have seen, texts that you have read and your general breadth of interest around the subject area can inform your statement.

You may also like to tell us about any other cultural interests you have (such as film, music, art, literature) especially if they complement or feed into your interest in dance.

Most importantly we are looking for people with a genuine enthusiasm for all aspects of the subject and an appreciation for each of the factors that contribute to it.

If you are applying for a joint honours Dance course, you should ensure that you cover both courses in your personal statement.

Dance BA (Hons)

What are we looking for?We are looking for students who:

• enjoy dance and performance• want to experience a broad range of contemporary dance practices• demonstrate a clear passion for their chosen area(s) and that they can recognise how studying dance at higher education level will en-

hance their future career opportunities• enjoy engaging with and discussing ideas• have high-level communication skills• have high-level analytical skills

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Drama Studies BA (Hons)Application advice

In your personal statement we will want to hear about why you want to study drama, including your experience of it both on and off the stage. This might include plays you have studied at school or college, performances you have been in and performances you may have been taken to see as part of your current course and, importantly, independently. You may also like to tell us about any other cultural interests you have (such as film, music, art, literature) especially if they complement or feed into your interest in drama.

As a Drama student we will expect you to have high-level communication skills. You will therefore want to make sure that your personal statement is not only lively and informative but that it is fluently and accurately written. Proof-read it carefully so that you can make sure that there are no grammatical or spelling errors or any typing mistakes.

Most importantly, we are looking for people who are passionate about drama and good at communicating their ideas.

If you are applying for a joint honours Drama Studies course, you should ensure that you cover both courses in your personal statement.

Drama Studies BA (Hons)


• enjoy drama and performance• want to experience a broad range of drama and performance practices• are interested in the interpretation and the contexts of drama• enjoy engaging with and discussing ideas• have high-level communication skills• have high-level analytical skills

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Performing Arts BA (Hons)Application advice

In your personal statement we will want to hear about why you want to study Performing Arts, including some examples of performances that you have seen or been involved in, and how they made you think differently about Performing Arts. This might include practitioners you have studied at school or college but, if you want your application to stand out, you should show that you engage more widely and independently. You may also like to tell us about any other cultural interests you have (such as film, photography, art, etc), especially if they complement or feed into your interest in Performing Arts.

As Performing Arts students we expect you to have high-level communication skills. You will therefore want to make sure that your personal statement is not only lively and informative but that it is fluently and accurately written. Proof-read it carefully so that you can make sure that there are no grammatical or spelling errors or any typing mistakes.

Most importantly, we are looking for people who are passionate about the arts and want to deepen their knowledge and understanding as well as increase their performance skills and creativity.

Performing Arts BA (Hons)


• love perfoming arts• want to experience a broad range of contemporary arts• are interested in the creative possibilities of live and digital arts in performance• enjoy creating and thinking about innovative performance work• want to shape and understand their place in the arts industry• have high-level communication skills• have high-level analytical skills

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Portfolio AdvicePostgraduate courses

Portfolio advice

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Photography MAYour PortfolioThe Photography MA aims to provide a stimulating environment for a group of highly motivated students, from a variety of photographic backgrounds.

The core activity of the programme, around which all other components revolve, is the creation of original photographic artwork using traditional, experimental or electronic means.

If you are applying as a professional or non-academic candidate please contact the admissions team at [email protected] for details regarding the written work you will need to submit.

Overseas applicants must be available for interview via Skype. The process will consist of an informal discussion about your recent photographic work, your background and your professional and personal ambitions for postgraduate study.


• Creativity

• Evidence of good practical and conceptual ability within photographic practice

• Competence in written and spoken English

• Ability to interpret, evaluate and communicate ideas visually with a good degree of technical competence

Photography MA

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What should a portfolio contain?Selecting work to support your application to the Photography MA is a key part of the application process. It should be carefully planned to ensure that your portfolio emphasises your interests, personality and professionalism, technical and aesthetic approaches and above all your creativity. Your portfolio should emphasise quality not quantity, avoid repetition and try not to show everything. Please limit your selections to a maximum of 20 images.

Organise your portfolio content into separate sections on different topics and projects. In each section show how your ideas developed. We do not want to see just the final outcomes of each idea.

Photography MA

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Photography MA

What should a portfolio contain?SketchbooksIt is useful to know the background to your work and the process of visual exploration and development, so include edited sections from notebooks, sketchbooks or work sheets, if you have them, to provide insights on your creative process and problem-solving capabilities.

Written workYou will need to send either a copy of your academic dissertation, an essay, report or other written component undertaken as part of your studies.

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Visual Journalism and Documentary Photography MAWhat are we looking for?There is not one type of student. However there are some common attributes. First and foremost we are looking for people with something to say. Whilst technology gives us new opportunities, content is still key.

We are looking for people who are inquisitive, questioning and reflective. At the same time, with press standards under increasing scrutiny, we are looking for people with integrity and an ethical approach.

If you feel you want to develop your skills as a visual storyteller, to explore issues and tell a story, find your voice, refine your journalistic practice and your ethical approach, reflect on your own practice, develop new career pathways, or use new technology to communicate ideas and concepts – this course is for you.

VJDP MA

Pictures courtesy of Martin Shakeshaft

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VJDP MA

What should your portfolio contain?A selection of up to 20 still images.

If you have recently graduated, include your best work from your studies. If you have made some work independently outside of your course that has a particular theme, subject or focus then include some of this as it shows motivation and interest.

For applicants from industry, please also include examples of your professional work, including tear sheets. and links to online presentationsIf your work includes multimedia production please include up to 3 examples (given time constraints we will look at a maximum of 5 minutes of excerpts).

Include a clear indication of your role in the video, for example camera operator, sound recordist, director, editor, production management.


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What should your portfolio contain?Written workPlease include a short piece (500-1000 words) of written work authored in English. An essay showing evidence of critical thinking and writing is preferable.

Personal statement Your personal statement in your application form should reflect your interests and any work experience you have, in particular anything related to the subject that you are applying for. Tell us about your interests, what motivates and inspires you and what your aims are for the future.

VJDP MA


Application AdvicePostgraduate courses

Application advice

Cultural Events Management MSc

Cultural Events Management MScApplication adviceYour personal statement is very important to us, it helps us understand why you have applied to do Cultural Events Management, what your interests are, and how we can help you develop your career.

It is important that you demonstrate you have a genuine desire and interest in studying the Cultural Events Management MSc. You should demonstrate that you know and understand the programme modules and how you anticipate that the modules will enable you to achieve your future goals.

You may wish to identify where your strengths and weakness lie, and what knowledge you are looking forward to developing, or what new knowledge you are looking forward to acquiring and why this knowledge will be beneficial to your future career aspirations.

Tell us about any cultural events you have been involved in that have impressed you and why. Give detailed information about any relevant work experience you have had and what you have gained from the experience which will benefit your studies.

With regard to your previous degree, we will be interested to know how it has prepared you for MSc study.

Your personal statement needs to be well focused, clearly written and grammatically correct.

English language supportOur Centre for English Language Learning (CELL) offers a number of courses throughout the year to help you achieve the level of English required for your course. We also offer language support to students once they arrive at DMU with weekly English classes and workshops.

• Accredited by the British Council - ensuring quality and high standards of teaching with regular monitoring and inspections

• A member of English UK, the National Association of Accredited English Language Centres

• A member of the British Association for Lecturers in English for Academic Purposes (BALEAP)

Intensive General English Course (IGEC)By the end of the course you will be able to communicate effectively in English within everyday situations, read and write simple essays and be able to organise your studies and work on your own.

English Language Preparation Programme (ELPP)This programme is divided into three courses, A, B, and C. Each course improves your skills and abilities in English for academic purposes up to a level suitable for degree level study.

Pre-Sessional English courseWe run a Pre-Sessional course for five weeks from mid-August each year to prepare you for the start of your degree in September.

Which English language courses do you need to take?The School of Arts requires all students to have achieved the necessary IELTS standard before they start their course. For full details visit the Centre for English Language Learning website http://www.dmu.ac.uk/englishlanguage

English language support

school of arts - application and portfolio advice

Documents

digital portfolio

following portfolio

portfolioportfolio advice

written work

nonportfolio courses

application advice useful

moving images s

school of artsour students