Extension/Compensation for Creative courses at university

I hope this will make a Difference

Bimm Brighton

In my final year of a music performance degree. Having to scramble to do a home recording and performance of a couple of tracks when the original assessment was a live show. We were fully prepared with a date and performance time but it was pulled with no notice. I had to let a 10 piece band go. Studying a performance based degree is different to studying politics or studying physics. We have equipment, people and locations that we have to use on a daily basis. Performance degrees are even different to studying music in a more traditional manner as we are mostly graded on showmanship as well as accuracy and technique. However I feel that at the end of this year if i do manage to complete my degree that I will have been cheated and I will feel like I have cheated. A performance degree without performance is like studying politics and only reading and writing about the way it is discussed in a movie. What have I actually learnt? What have I actually accomplished? Low level recording skills? You might say this. However. My degree specifically is in bass performance. I went to college and studied recording techniques. My first year at university we covered recording techniques too but for one term. So justifying online study with recording skills is not a possibility as it is something almost everyone could already do. No. There is o justification and there is no reasoning to explain how I am meant to say I have a performance based degree without completing a single live performance! Physics students can think and write anywhere. Lab work is difficult but can be completed under social distancing guidelines. Live performance however cannot. If social distancing is the way forward all musicians and audiences will be prepared to embrace it most wholeheartedly (it means no one will spill your beer in a crowd!) but something has to be done for people who are paying to study a performance based subject and are receiving nothing!

BIMM Brighton....Mother of promising and Frustrated 3rd year student

YES

as someone who performs in a band, it is despicable that these courses are being marked at only 70% potential.

I hope you get the extension x

I completely agree

As much as it’s not BIMM’s fault entirely, being robbed of valuable time & expected to meet the same deadlines from home is unreasonable to say the least. if we’re not even getting half of the time on the course with the use of facilities why should we be expected to pay full price for a product that hasn’t been delivered? hope there is at least half to a full refund for the masters course with the option to extend our courses with a fair opportunity to experience our course in the future when life returns to some kind of normality. an online course shouldn’t be valued anywhere near the full course fees.

Totally agree with this, there’s an argument that we knew what we were signing up for and that it was a risk, but at the end of the day that’s not really what it’s about, it’s not BIMMs fault, but having longer to work together while at uni would be life changing

I second this statement.

Uni jus feels like a massive scam now

My band and i are going collage soon like many others, it would be great to be able get back together and express our passion, it helps mentally and keeps up wanting to do what we do, it would help many others aswell. Even if its social distanced

Lets hope this extension is given.

Music students above all need ensemble experience which cannot be provided on line. Please grant an extension time for their studies.

Honestly, my mental state taking a turn for the worst and me not being able to collaborate with people has massively hindered my ability to work- WE NEED EXTENSIONS

As a music student at ACM I am lucky that I am not paying any fees cause of college. However this time is being stolen and its gravely unfair especially as the school system does nothing to support the arts anyway at secondary school.

The course as it is in lockdown sadly not worth the thousands of pounds of debt that will be incurred.

Very well stated and an entirely reasonable argument.