Anne Minors Performance Consultants Qualify with Distinction from University of Warwick

	Anne Minors Performance Consultants: Anne Minors and Mike Elliott, masters of art in theatre consultancy.

Anne Minors and Mike Elliott of Anne Minors Performance Consultants have recently achieved masters degrees in Theatre Consultancy from the University of Warwick, earning a distinction and merit respectively.

The unique MA in Theatre Consultancy course was established by the University of Warwick to bestow a recognized accreditation to the discipline of theatre design and provide a professional qualification for those already working within theatre consultancy.

"Working alongside others in the building industry it became evident that qualifications existed in other spheres but not in the areas of theatre design and consultancy," explains Minors. "We have a vocational subject yet no means of studying it and, while it may be that only a certain amount can be learned through theory, providing a course for existing theatre consultants gives the opportunity to move everyone's skills up to the next level."

The MA course consists of two years of part-time study including three one-week residential courses offering a comprehensive program of lectures delivered by luminaries in the industry. The diverse range of topics covered included power consumption, structural engineering, mechanical loading, rigging, sound and acoustics, lighting, architecture, licensing law, and theatre history.

It also addresses the soft skills that theatre consultants need including the process of liaison between the client, funding bodies, architects, local authorities, and construction teams and the psychological and social understanding of design possibilities.

"We were both keen to take the course for several reasons," explains Minors. "As ex-chairman of the Society of Theatre Consultants, I felt it important that there was some accreditation within the industry for theatre consultants and to enable specialists to gain a wider understanding of as many aspects of the role as possible. Michael Holden, current chairman of the STC, successfully negotiated the founding of the course with Margaret Shewring and Ronnie Mulryne of the Theatre Studies department at Warwick University."

"The course succeeded in uniting the myriad different aspects involved, allowed us to share knowledge in a non-competitive environment through discussions with our peers, increased awareness and, as a result, improved understanding, communication, and working practices."

"It also brought together people who came into consultancy from different backgrounds enabling us to share the expertise from other areas."

"I would recommend the course to anyone working in theatre consultancy as it gives you the opportunity to pause, reflect, and study the subject in more detail, qualities which are all too rare in the activity of everyday working life. I felt it honed our analytical skills and stretched us -- and has benefited the company in producing two well-rounded, more broadly knowledgeable consultants!"

The numbers attending the course have increased since its initial intake two years ago. Minors and Elliott were two of only six students in its first year, which has now swollen to fifteen by its third year. Numbers are set to increase as awareness of the course and its good reputation grow on an international scale. Minors and Elliott are already planning to present a workshop to new students in 2013.

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