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Performance Opportunities and Commitments Policy

Productions and performances are central to your learning as a musician, and a vital part of the learning experience offered by the School of Music. This document is a comprehensive statement of the School's policy on the allocation of such opportunities and commitments, the principles that underpin the allocation process, the relationship between such performances and your work towards the award you are registered for, and the contribution of staff across all departments towards creating for you a balanced and individual learning journey.

It also sets out the School's expectations of you as a student and the means whereby you may appeal allocation decisions.

This policy covers a wide range of activities including, but not limited to:

  • the role of singers in opera
  • orchestral performances
  • composing for visiting ensembles
  • chamber groups
  • masterclasses

The School's expectations of you​

It is a basic expectation that all students will contribute to the musical life of the School by participating in Conservatoire performances and productions. As a student you are expected, from the outset, to show comprehensive professionalism in your approach to these opportunities and commitments by being:

  • present
  • on time
  • prepared
  • focussed
  • courteous of colleagues
  • active and generous in collaboration

Conservatoire performances and productions represent both an opportunity for you to learn, and a commitment that comes with becoming a member of the Conservatoire's community of artists. You are therefore expected to contribute to Conservatoire performances and productions as agreed with your Head of Department.

Principles underpinning the allocation of experiences​

Two principles underpin the allocation of performance opportunities and commitments. Opportunities are allocated in such a way as:

  • to enhance your own learning
  • to maintain the vibrancy of the Conservatoire's musical community and therefore, by extension, enhance the learning of the community

Heads of Department, working in collaboration, will reach a decision on the allocation of roles for Conservatoire performances. Taking into account the diversity of opportunity that resides across both Schools, they will consider:

  • Your individual learning journey, including assessment requirements
  • Your readiness to learn from the experience
  • The best role for you within an individual performance or production, given the personnel required
  • The needs of other students
  • The placing of the performance or production within your wider studies
  • Equity of experience across departments and programmes.

The same considerations will apply for performance experiences outwith the Conservatoire, whenever Conservatoire staff are involved in the selection of student performers.

Resolving Concerns​

If you feel that a particular allocation of a performance experience is disadvantaging your learning, you should, within 48 hours of receiving the allocation, contact your Head of Department explaining why, in your view, the particular allocation is inappropriate. Similarly, if you feel that you are being disadvantaged by a lack of opportunities you should, in the first instance, raise this with your Head of Department. The Head of Department, mindful of the principles and considerations set out above, will re-evaluate the situation and, if possible, resolve your concern.

If, after discussion with the Head of Department, you do not feel that your concern has been satisfactorily resolved, you may appeal the allocation by writing to the Head of Programme (Undergraduate or Postgraduate), who will liaise with the Head of Department and the appropriate Programme Board to seek a resolution. The result of this discussion, and a rationale for the resulting decision, will be given to you in writing. If, at this stage, you feel that this decision does not provide a satisfactory resolution, you may appeal in writing directly to the Director of Music according to the process set out in Conservatoire's Regulations, Codes of Procedure and General Rules.

Performance Ethics​

The Performance Opportunities and Commitments Policy operates in tandem with the Conservatoire's Performance Ethics Policy that can be found on the Ethics moodle page https://inspire.rcs.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=6488.

If you have a concern about the ethics of a performance in which you are involved, please speak in the first instance to your Head of Department or Head of Programme.