Erin, TaP student, spent the Autumn term in Greece at the University of the Peloponnese. Read below about her experience.
It was definitely enlightening to be part of an education system outside of the UK, where I felt that this particular university had a wide range of courses to choose from in the Theatre department. The breadth and depth of each course was something I greatly appreciated and it delved into topics I did not study in London.
The location itself is great. Very scenic, quiet town, with plenty of good places to eat. The highlight was the friendliness and kind hospitality of the people there, who made the experience that much more enjoyable. The students are motivated, helpful and participative in class. The schedule is busy, but you always feel like you are learning a lot and making good friends along the way.
There are a lot of cats around, who are all very friendly and super cute. Personally, it was a big highlight.
Firstly, because the biggest campus where most of my classes took place was a 20 to 30-minute walk away, which I was not used to as someone who has always lived in a big city. I got used to cycling everywhere. When I was not at school, there were good restaurants mere minutes away, and central where the Old Town was is nearby. There is not the same kind of nightlife and diverse range of cuisines (although Greek food is extremely delicious) that you will find in London. On the other hand, Greece has gorgeous beaches and beautiful natural scenery and tourist attractions. The weather was sunny even during the winter, which is not something you will experience in London.
There were plenty of administrative issues to handle. This particular university uses an e-learning platform but it is originally all in Greek and not easy for international students to navigate. Announcements regarding matters such as class cancellations were mostly relayed to us through word of mouth by other students, rather than through the proper channels by the teachers. Hence, we were often informed of such news last minute.
Another obstacle was of course the language barrier. It is a privilege to be able to go overseas and be fluent in the language lessons are primarily taught in. I am not sure what I expected the classes to be like, but some teachers were not fluent in English, and of course you are always behind the rest when understanding the teacher’s instructions. There was a class where the teacher always forgot to translate for me and depended on other students to help me out, which made me feel lost and frustrated constantly, especially during practical exercises. I also went there with the expectation that teachers would have already prepared an alternative method of examination/assessment as students from the UK have to leave in December despite the semester ending in February for Greek students. This was not the case. It is important for Goldsmiths students to sort this out early and have a discussion with each of their teachers at UoP.
I gained a lot of practical skills and experience in a short period of time. Of course, I took more practical classes so there less time was spent translating theory. Each class was very different, which I loved.
In Physical Theatre III, I learned so much about my body and what I am physically capable of. I learned to be technical and precise in my movements, while conveying intention and being dynamic and engaging.
In Directing III: Devised Theatre, I applied my leadership and creative skills in an intellectually demanding and highly collaborative group project that culminated in a performance. I learned more about my own directing style and how to tackle the many problems and conflicts that came my way. I came out of this more mature, confident and self-aware.
In Acting III, I honed my acting skills and went out of my comfort zone to portray a character who is basically the polar opposite of myself. After discussions with the teacher, we chose to explore a scene in Othello, where dealing with Shakespearean text and language was a difficult but welcome challenge.
Overall, I believe that after this experience I have become a more well-rounded and experienced theatre practitioner, increasing my adaptability and competence that I can continue to apply at Goldsmiths.
It was tough for me as there were no students to seek advice from and it seemed Go Abroad was not too knowledgeable as well due to the last batch going there in 2019. Therefore, it was hard to know what it will be like to actually be there beforehand. For Goldsmiths students intending to do an exchange programme at UoP, you may come to me directly and email me at echen002@gold.ac.uk.