Shennika
Hermanstyne

What do you enjoy most about your course?
“I like that it can be unspecific and there’s not one way of doing things. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever done before, it’s both intellectual and fun. The course involves projects that cover so many areas of Theatre Design and this really helps you to decide what area you might like to specialise in after graduation.”

How do you find the course staff?
“All of the course staff specialise in different areas and are still active within the industry, which means they have their own stories and unique experiences. They bestow onto you challenges and encourage independence. This sometimes makes things more difficult; however, I know that in the end it will be beneficial for my development."

“The course administrators are a friendly unit and very supportive, they never fail to keep us updated with new events or opportunities.”

Have you completed any placements during the course?
“I completed a two week work placement in London at the National Theatre. I worked in the Digital Drawing and Design department (DDD) and it involved working on AutoCAD. Due to my own initiative and my wanting to be useful, I ended up designing a prop bed for their Olivier Theatre Production - Saint George and the Dragon, which was an amazing achievement.

I also worked closely with the Production Design Assistant here, and assisted her by drawing designs and model pieces on AutoCAD for an exhibition she was working on. The DDD team really trusted me, and assigned me jobs without any supervision. I learnt a lot from my experience here and the confidence gained will certainly be beneficial post-graduation.”

What do you like about studying and living in Nottingham?
“I love studying and living in Nottingham because you don’t have to go far to find resources for your course, everything useful is available to us and is easy to travel to.

It’s full of events to go to or take part in. Public transport runs up until midnight which is incredibly useful when you’re coming home from an evening show at the Playhouse – definitely something that I don’t have available to me when I’m in my home town!”