Essay: Unlock the Depth of Art and Philosophy: My Creative Exploration Through Film and Theatre Studies

1 From a very early age, I believe my most prominent strength has always been my vivid
2 imagination and the urge to seek deeper knowledge and insight to the world we live in and the
3 significance of the arts. As Shakespeare said “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and
4 women are merely players; they have their entrances and exits.” The unshakeable sense of
5 liberation when not only watching or creating a creative performance but gaining the
6 understanding of the philosophy behind it, is the very thing that generates my willingness to
7 take a slightly more academic approach to the arts and humanities.
8 To feed my curiosity, I decided to take Film Studies and Drama and Theatre studies at A-Level.
9 Film studies introduced me to to the significance of discussing and debating the social and
10 cultural elements of film. The subject also provided me with the skills needed to analyse and
11 deconstruct film. Examining the historical components of film through the ages, enabled me to
12 comprehend the slightly more philosophical aspects of the arts such as politics and national
13 identity. Thus, allowing me to expand my theoretical ideas as well as my ability to apply
14 ethical, logical and critical thoughts to my studies. As a whole, the course not only advanced
15 my creativity, but it allowed me to appreciate the academic side of a creative subject. Drama
16 and Theatre studies also brought my attention to the collaborative efforts it takes to make a
17 quality performance on stage and in front of the camera. Practical exploration and
18 interpreting extracts from various plays educated me on how issues, such as social constructs,
19 are reflected in the plays. It was interesting to me how, in both subjects, the influence of
20 the time it was made is so largely reflected in the art. The two subjects collectively enabled
21 me to understand what makes a great piece of art as well as appreciating the reasoning behind
22 it.
23 Outside of official studies, I thoroughly enjoy learning and educating myself on philosophy
24 and great philosophers. Western philosophy and metaphysics first appealed to me after reading
25 ‘Riddles of Existence’. Like Plato said “Philosophy begins in wonder”, my desire to gain a
26 deeper insight into not only the philosophy in the arts but philosophy as a whole continues to
27 increase as I proceed to question the world I live in. Initially, my interest in the subject
28 began at an early age when I found myself consciously questioning why certain things existed
29 as they did or if they even exist outside myself and my perception of it, which led to me
30 demanding a more profound answer to the many questions I had.
31 Aside my studies, I made the decision to take an extended gap year in which I continued to
32 attend regular castings in film, television and commercial work which aids my understanding of
33 acting and film work which is a great interest and huge passion of mine. With success, I have
34 been fortunate to work and film with major companies such as Oreo, Sony, Pokemon, BBC and
35 Netflix. During my time out of education, I have also been working two jobs part-time which
36 both give me the opportunity to work in challenging situations and often under pressure, which
37 are the environments I find myself thriving in. This summer, I was very fortunate to train for
38 three weeks and become a member at The National Youth Theatre.
39 There is no doubt in my mind that enrolling at university in the heart of the country which is
40 as stimulating and diverse as London, will only give me more access and opportunities. I am
41 aware I still have so much to learn but knowing there is more to discover is what I am most
42 excited for. Being a curious yet hard working creative, I believe I will massively benefit
43 from studying this subject.