School of Performance and Cultural Industries

Welcome to the School of Performance and Cultural Industries. Here you’ll find everything you need to know about starting or returning to your studies.

If you’re a postgraduate researcher, find your faculty welcome and induction information to help you get started.

All students

What do I need to do before I arrive?

If you’re a new student, you will receive a welcome email with all the information you need to get started at Leeds and a checklist of things to do, like registration and module enrolment. This will be sent to the email you provided us with. If you need to change your email address, please email pcistudentinfo@leeds.ac.uk.

If you’re a returning student, make sure you have registered and enrolled on your modules. We’ll be in touch to let you know about anything that you need to do before you arrive, and any meetings that are taking place to help prepare you for the next year of your studies. This will include a meeting for returning students in Welcome Week.

If you have not received any communication as we approach Welcome Week, email cistudentinfo@leeds.ac.uk.

You will need to create an IT account so you can access the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures Handbook on Sharepoint and Welcome, Induction, and Transition Sharepoint page for Performance and Cultural Industries.

Will I be required to attend face to face sessions?

We are aware of how important face to face sessions are to our students, so by default, all activities will take place in person and on campus in the first instance unless otherwise specified.

I am a new student

What does my welcome week timetable look like?

We’ve worked in partnership with current students to develop our Welcome Week timetable and will be sharing this with you via email at the start of September. Welcome Week begins on Monday 25 September and runs until Friday 29 September, and all new students are expected to attend on campus.

How will I meet my academic personal tutor? How will academic personal tutoring work?

Every student has an academic personal tutor - an academic assigned to help and guide you through your studies. Throughout the year, you will meet with your personal tutor to discuss how your studies are going.  

At the start of the academic year the school will assign you a personal tutor. You will be given more information about meeting your personal tutor, the importance of engaging with the academic personal tutoring process and how your personal tutor can support you.  

Where can I go for support?

The University has a wide range of support available.

Our School Student Support Officer is Antony Butcher. You can email Antony Butcher at a.j.c.butcher@leeds.ac.uk, they can provide welfare and pastoral support and help you identify other University services. 

For academic support, you can contact your personal tutor, module leader or programme leader.

If you have any questions, a great place to look is the  Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures (AHC) Handbook and the relevant School of Performance and Cultural Industries (PCI) page. If your question isn’t answered there, you can email pci@leeds.ac.uk for general enquiries or you can email pcistudentinfo@leeds.ac.uk for programme, module, teaching and registration enquiries.

The AHC Wellbeing Project works with students to enhance student wellbeing in the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures by helping students to expand their knowledge about wellbeing approaches. The project is co-run with student representatives to provide resources, a weekly newsletter, regular social media posts, and a series of taster events.

For more information on the support that is available across the university, please see the Helpful support contacts page on the For Students website.

Where do I turn if I need extra academic support?

In the first instance, academic support can be provided by your personal tutor.

  • Skills@library also provide a wide variety of workshops and tutorials that may be helpful in developing your academic skills. For example:

How will I find out more about my programme?

We will provide lots of information about your programme during Welcome Week, but in the meantime, details about your programme can be found below:

Undergraduate:

Taught Postgraduate:

How will I get to know other students?

Welcome Week will have a range of activities that current students have told us help settle in quickly. Interactive staff and student-led sessions will take place throughout the week to help you meet other students, as well as an introduction to the PCI Society, our departmental performance society where you can meet students from across the school.

There are also buddy schemes that you can sign up to at the university. These can connect you with other students and can be a great way to meet people and make friends or other useful connections (like study buddies). The University Buddy Scheme is open to all students across the university, Connections: the Lifelong Learning Centre’s buddy scheme is specifically for mature students, and the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures has it’s own Buddy Scheme for students of Arts, Humanities and Cultures.

What welcome activities do you have planned to welcome me to PCI?

We’ve got an exciting range of activities planned to include a tour of the city, a quiz, watching a show together and a practical workshop.

Are there any specialist software or systems that I need for my programme and where do I find out information about it?

In PCI we use a range of technologies to enhance your learning. Before arrival, it might be helpful to familiarise yourself with the Microsoft Office suite, and the video chat app Teams. Please check out IT Services website for more information on how to access these applications as a student.

You will be given the opportunity to explore our Virtual Learning Environment (Minerva) in Welcome Week, and we’ll be using this throughout your time with us.

All of the applications are available as part of your enrolment onto your course. You won’t need to purchase any specialist software for your programme. 

Where can I access resources for my degree? 

Our Virtual Learning Environment, Minerva, is the best place to start to find resources for your programme and your modules.

As well as this, the University library has a whole host of subject specific material available for you to use.

For technical resource, equipment and studio bookings, please contact the stage@Leeds technical team. Their information is included on the School of PCI Handbook Sharepoint page.

What is the role of course representatives and how do I volunteer?

Course reps represent the views and opinions and provide feedback on behalf of the student body. When lots of people volunteer to be course reps, we’ll organise an election which will be held during the first Town Hall meeting in the first few weeks of term.   

Are there any societies I can join for the school/programme?

Yes! We’ve got a really fantastic range of student led performance/music societies that you can get involved with. You’ll be sent information on all of the societies before you arrive, and you’ll also have a chance to hear from them during Welcome Week. We’ve also got a fantastic School Society who are here to help you get the most out of your time in the School. Connect with the School of Performance and Cultural Industries Society via Facebook.

Are there any peer mentoring schemes operating in my school?

For undergraduates, our peer mentoring scheme matches you with a second or third year, to help you settle in, develop skills and answer any questions you might have. We’ll put you in touch with your peer mentor in the next couple of weeks. They’ll stay in touch with you over Semester 1, helping you to get the most out of your time here.  

How does assessment work on my programme?

Assessment varies from module to module and could imclude leading a workshop, making a performance, conducting a group presentation, developing online content such as a blog, and writing formal essays and reports. In your first year, assessments are fully supported by your module tutors, as well as online tutorials which you can find here on the Skills@Library website.

For more detailed information on assessment, please see the links to your programme above.

Where can I find opportunities for work to develop my career?  

At the University of Leeds, we have a dedicated Careers Centre to help you develop and identify opportunities that will help with your future career. They offer mentoring schemes, careers events and expert advice to help you on your way.

Other useful links