Back to Work.

It's Monday. I'm back in St.Mary's and trying to catch up a bit. Former Simmarian Rebecca Romero won a gold in the cycling in Beijing over the weekend, which prompted smiles all round and with seven other athletes who connect to the University. It's a very happy and expectant campus to return to.

It's also day one of Kasia's Physical Theatre summer school so I'm fighting the jet lag by running around the theatre. I'm really pleased I've signed up though as it gives me a chance to work with Kasia as a student and really understand how much she gives as a lecturer.

From September we start three pathways through the degree programme. Theatre Arts, Applied Theatre and Physical Theatre but all of the staff are very keen that we should find common links between these. One idea, which I've really grown into, is the thought that the three programmes might share a foundation performance course, which would give all our undergraduates a basic vocabulary and approach to rehearsals and performance. It would enable us to genuinely share our work and encourage the students to appreciate good practice on the programme, which ever pathway it was coming from. With that in mind it's great to take part and see where Kasia's own training has led her. It's also just fun and liberating as a lecturer to be taught by a colleague.

We varied the work - some games, some direct performance skills and an hour of Feldenkreiss mat work. By the end I was tired but happy not to be completely out of my depth.