My first assignment; Beyond the Front Line

Ok so today I got a full brief on what is to be expected in the coming month, on my first semester here on a HND Media Performance course at the University of Salford, and boy... its big.

As far as my experience with performing arts goes, I have only ever been involved with small scale theater work, as in some presentations/public speaking here, a bit of entertaining there, mostly just theatre. All next week I will be rehearsing at the Lowry in Manchester from 11am til 7pm everyday (and maybe Saturdays, that wasn't clear) for a large scale, on site (as in, outdoor, not-in-the-theatre/studio) performance of a military invasion of Salford. It is being produced by Slung Low and its pretty much their ball game, with the Lowry supplying some funding and a setting, they are doing most of the work, Salford University are supplying students... lots and lots of students. Almost all of the students under the umbrella of 'performance' are to be taking part in this venture, although I am still unsure how everyone will be worked (my guess is that they just need a shit-ton of soldiers.)

Wow..   ...I know right? that's big, here is the website that Slung Low have thrown up if you want to take a look, it looks like it could be quite intense, I know it will be a grueling task (not just the rehearsals and performance, but getting to and from the Lowry from my accommodation everyday) not to mention if it spills out over the weekend I won't be able to go home, which means I'll be missing work and the chance to earn some lolly. I'm not sure how I feel about it actually, I mean on the one hand its an amazing thing to be a part of, and while it really is asking a lot for a first year HND student, its what I wanted really, to be challenged. That and I'm not one to shy away from an adventure, regardless of how much hard work it is. On the other hand, it does seems like they are taking the piss. I've been here a week, I was in hospital on Monday for kidney pain, missing my induction as a result of that, and not only am I paying to be at university, but I will be losing money doing this assignment by:

a) Not being able to work at the club, and b) Possibly spending my money on buses/taxis to and form the Lowry everyday.

Another thing which is a general worry about the course is that, it seems to have a very little amount of academic pieces which are highly assessed (for example, my first assignment up there is marked using a percentage system, 50% process (rehearsal,) 25% performance and 25% written evaluation.) I'm not used to this! I studied psychology, which you may have heard of as an almost completely academically assessed course, its all essays, worksheets, exams with a few presentations and seminars in there. I've spent a year on access preparing for an entirely different course, of course I understood that psychology and performing arts would be worlds apart but I was hoping my experience in theatre would be enough. Maybe I was wrong...