Anja Hartl, University of Birmingham

 

In November 2023, I was able to spend a week at the University of Birmingham as part of the Erasmus+ staff mobility programme. The University of Birmingham was an attractive place for me to visit because I had already collaborated with colleagues at the Department of Drama and Theatre Arts, where I also taught several classes.

The Department of Drama and Theatre Arts is located in Selly Oak, a satellite campus that is, however, not too far from the big main campus (see picture), which reunites old and modern buildings and offers many opportunities for students to meet: cafés, the library, study spaces. During this week, I taught two lectures and three seminars. Studying in the UK usually involves less hours spent in class and more hours spent with self-study and in study groups. In literary studies, especially, the reading load is considerably higher – so you finally have an opportunity to read all those books! Often, 50-minute lectures are complemented by two-hour seminars in smaller groups, which means that there is more time to go in-depth, to discuss and to analyse.

At the Department of Drama and Theatre Arts, students not only read texts but also take part in practical courses on performance, dramaturgy and acting, for example. The more conventional literature seminars are offered by the English Department. If you are interested in doing so, I would definitely recommend trying to get into a drama course.

With roughly 1.2 million inhabitants, Birmingham is the second-largest city in the UK. It is a vibrant place with lots of cultural sights and activities. I stayed in Bournville, a green and quiet area not too far from campus. You can visit the Cadbury chocolate factory there as well. I would definitely recommend taking part in a guided tour of the “Back to Backs” houses, which gives you insight into the living conditions of the working class in Birmingham in the 19th century. There is no underground in Birmingham, the most common mode of transport is by train or by bus. Birmingham has an airport and is close to Liverpool, Manchester and Oxford, for example. London is a two-hour train ride away. In other words, there are lots of opportunities for exploring other places in the UK – and Birmingham itself, and the university in particular, is a fantastic place to visit and study at!