| Unit name | Independent Study: Performance Project |
|---|---|
| Unit code | THTR30015 |
| Credit points | 40 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Wozniak |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
THTR10002 Production for Design and Performance or DRAM10028 Production Skills for Performance 1 Performance Forms and Analysis Performance Histories or Politics of Performance. |
| Co-requisites |
none |
| School/department | Department of Theatre |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
The unit will provide a structured and supervised opportunity for final-year students to research, develop and produce a student-directed practical project. A proposal that focuses the practice-as-research enquiry will be negotiated and agreed with a supervisor, and students will collaborate in small groups towards a 20-minute performance or installation. This will be performed for a public audience, shown as part of Gradfest, a well-established student-produced, programmed and marketed showcase of graduating students’ work. A viva will provide an opportunity for individual students to reflect critically on the process and performance shown in relation to their enquiry, and to contextualise their work. The unit prepares students for postgraduate practice-as-research or professional practice.
(1) To propose, plan and execute an effective practice-as-research project;
(2) To be able to apply a range of complex critical, theoretical and aesthetic ideas to practice;
(3) To present work that is highly assured, well-composed dramaturgically, articulated and performed with confidence;
(4) To demonstrate ability to work within the disciplines of production and project processes, managing time, working to deadlines and within production budgets;
(5) To work independently, reach individual decisions and make constructive personal judgements within a collaborative context;
(6) Reflect effectively on individual work within a collaborative production context, with reference to an appropriate range of critical ideas and related theatre/arts practices.
Teaching will be delivered using a blend of synchronous and asynchronous sessions, including lectures, group tutorials, production meetings and rehearsal observation In TB1, lecture, seminar and on-line discussion sessions will largely be focussed on professionalisation and research methodologies and on formulating initial research proposals and groups In TB2, initial meetings between groups and supervisors to discuss and develop practical enquiry and questions will be followed by studio-based supervision of practice, observations of rehearsals and work-in-progress.
Formative assessment Research proposal; performance project pitch; CV and professional portfolio; Performance abstract Summative assessment (1) 20-minute group performance or equivalent practice, for an individual mark (70%) If a live physical performance is not possible, digital and other alternatives will be used to assess student practical work. (2) Individual Viva (30%) (15-minutes) The individual Viva will be 15 minutes long, structured such that there is 5 minutes in which the student can present their reflections, followed by 10 minutes of questions. These will be focused around critical discussion of the performance shown in the light of the abstracts, individual roles, understanding of group decisions and process, the conception of the work, inspirations, theoretical and aesthetic contexts, and how the practice could be developed further.
Reading and references will be provided individually according to the agreed project.
