ABOUT THE PROGRAM
Thank you for your interest in our college program! We are excited to share more information with you as you pray about where the Lord is calling you to attend! There are a number of things that make our program unique and purposefully strategic to train and equip college-age students for their future ministry.
- We are a multi-faceted ministry! The Academy of Arts has multiple branches of ministry: The Logos Theatre, Venture Films, the Conservatory, Week-long Drama Seminars (traveling ministry to schools and homeschool groups during the school year), Summer Ministry Teams (traveling to churches for a one-night drama ministry), and our Co-op that provides classes in acting, choir, dance, film and sign language for ages 5-18. We do not apologize that we are a ministry – that is our heart first and foremost! We wish through all these different facets to “make the Bible come alive in minds and hearts through the power of storytelling.” Of course, this applies to the Conservatory as well. Students need to enter our program realizing that they will be a part of a hands-on, ministry-minded, immersive, discipleship experience.
- We are small in enrollment on purpose. Our student body is normally 30-40 students each year. Even with plans to extend our dormitory space, we want to keep our student body small in order for us to know, train, and disciple every student that comes into our program. Each staff member and student knows each other by name and interact together on a daily basis. Our desire is for each student to grow in their relationship with the Lord, be grounded in truth from the word of God, and master their craft of communication by the time they graduate from our program. By staying small, we are able to help each student on a personal level.
- We are a hands-on program. This means that we do not have many lectured sessions where students are simply sitting and listening in a classroom setting. We believe that this craft requires the learner to be doing as opposed to just listening to how something is done. Our classes are designed for the students to have their hands on the material they are learning and doing the task while being taught it. For example, instead of just watching a staff member on our set crew create a table for a set piece and him talking through the steps to the students, he will have materials for the students to be creating their own tables step by step with him. So, by the end of that training, they will have not only heard and watched, but they will have also DONE the task to help solidify their skill.
- Our program builds upon itself. The first year is a very foundational year where students are learning basics in every area from makeup, costumes, technical, scenery, and much more! Students will choose an emphasis after entering the program, where they will be spending the majority of their time. However, they will still receive training in the other areas of stage production to be able to communicate with each department effectively. We will have the students learn the basics, gain experience, create their own pieces from scratch, and eventually have them involved in training opportunities where they teach what they have learned. These opportunities include our Co-op, other co-ops in the area, leadership roles within Logos productions and camps, summer staff opportunities, positions on our traveling seminar team, and any other opportunities that arise that we can place students in to help them hone their skills.
- We strive to give as much experience as possible! The college is only one facet of The Academy of Arts multi-faceted ministry. Opportunities continue to open for the ministry, and we want our college students to have the flexibility to be able to take full advantage of the opportunities that arise. This means the students may have the opportunity to go on tour with a show, or travel throughout the school year to elementary and high school groups conducting week long training seminars, or touring with other ministries who are looking for experienced people to join their team. Every year is unique and provides different opportunities for our students.
- There is nothing “typical” about us. If you are looking for your “typical” college where you have the same, set schedule for the entire semester, and then go through the system to end up with a degree….we are not that place. We give intense training to our students and provide flexibility to give the best training possible so students are confident and excellent with their skills when they leave us. As we have mentioned before, our goal is discipleship and to see the Bible come alive in each student’s heart. Through the years, we have seen that we can help each student best, not by placing them in a large system, but instead working alongside them in all aspects of our customized learning program.
- When students leave our program, they will have a mastered skill (their emphasis) along with an overall knowledge of theater. They will have the training and experience needed to set them up for success wherever they go – whether that be a drama teacher in a school, starting up a drama program in their area, working with an already established theater as a part of their team, or joining The Academy of Arts Staff.
One-year GAP program
Students will work alongside different departments to “Gain A Perspective” for their future. This intensive program is designed to teach each student a servant’s heart while exposing them to many different aspects of ministry as they work alongside professionals to determine where their skills and interests lie as they are exposed to different aspects of dramatic production.
Two-year Associate’s Degree
Students join this intensive, hands-on program with the first year being a year of exposure to nearly all aspects of stage production with in-depth classes and discussions in Bible and philosophy. During the first year, students pick an emphasis where they would like to focus their time and training. Areas of emphasis include makeup, costume design and construction, stage construction, prop design and construction, stage lighting, and sound design/running sound for productions. Every student will be given opportunities in acting and directing. During the second year, each student will focus their time primarily on their emphasis and working with the staff to develop their skills in that area. At the conclusion of the second year, each student will receive an Associates Degree in Sacred Dramatic Production.
*In addition to the GAP Year and the Associates Degree, we do have a 3-year Bachelors Degree and then a 2-year Masters Degree following that. These are by invitation only. We invite students enrolled in our Two-year Associates program to continue their education with us if we see the student growing in their gifts by working hard and developing their relationship with the Lord. Again, discipleship is paramount for us and this only happens effectively when students want to be trained and taught, not students who are simply trying to “get by” and “do their time” to get a degree. For this continued education and discipleship to be successful, each student must have a teachable and willing attitude, as well as show a proclivity towards the emphasis they have chosen.
Both the 3-year Bachelor’s Degree and the Master’s Degree provide students with wonderful opportunities to continue in their area of emphasis, while taking on more responsibility and leadership.
