DRAM20030 Staging Performance: A Practical Approach

Academic Year 2022/2023

This course introduces students to issues of collaborative approaches in the creation and staging of performance. Key issues examined are: the creation of material; the body and gesture, developing text, use of space, and the staging of performance. Students research experientially, methods of creative techniques of leading international theatre makers such as Anne Bogart, Tim Etchells, and Elizabeth LeCompte among others, to generate original concepts for performance in group collaborative settings. The course has a practical focus and students work towards a final in-class group presentation of their original material in performance. The course develops and enhances students' understanding of how theatre is made and staged, and have first hand experience of generating original material for performance.

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

- Understand how material for performance can be generated in collaborative group settings
- Analyse and apply select creative processes of select leading theatremakers
- Understand the role of the body, space, and text in performance making and staging
- Develop skills to create, stage, and present a group collaborative presentation /performance
- Apply and test techniques of theatre making examined on the course
- Demonstrate reflective and evaluate assessment of original material generated

Indicative Module Content:

Weeks:
1. Introduction
2. You and the Story: Biography as source material for text and performance
3. The Words. The Body.: Generating concepts through text and movement
4. Devise and Edit: Creating a Story to Distill
5. In Search of a Notion: Selection and Election of an Idea
6. Unpacking the Road Map: Looking at Methodology to Create
7. Excavate and Dig: Being Robust in Decision-making
8. Continue and Dig: Questioning Form, Style, and Content
9. Rehearsing Performance Assignments: Assignment Presentation 1
10. Feedback and Rehearsing Assignment
11. Final Presentation: In-class Assessment
12. Course Review and Feedback



Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Autonomous Student Learning

76
Practical

24
Total

100
Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Each class has a practical and theoretical/research-driven focus. Students are encouraged to generate original material from a range of prompts/sources to include: biography; current affairs and trends in media; and research of historical material. Students are introduced to practical methods of compiling their individual research with recourse also to research of the required readings of precedence of theatre practitioners.
Key aspects of the teaching and learning approaches are: the support of students' individual creativity and their developing work in collaborative settings, and the encouragement of student reflection on the role and potential of theatre to examine social and topical issues in performance. 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations
Learning Requirements:

None.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Essay: Critical Reflection Document Coursework (End of Trimester) n/a Graded No

30
Presentation: Practical Group Presentation Week 12 n/a Graded No

40
Continuous Assessment: Contribution in class and submission in -class of preparation / tasks - a report on required reading and/or a developing writing task(s) Varies over the Trimester n/a Graded No

30

Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 
Remediation Type Remediation Timing
In-Module Resit Prior to relevant Programme Exam Board
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 
Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

As students work in group settings, attendance is required and expected at all classes so that work can be developed sequentially over the course of the module and Feedback on students work is delivered individually and in groups on a continuous weekly basis throughout the module. Following student group presentations in week nine, formal feedback is given in week 10 to prepare students' final assessment in week 11. Class 12 is a group Feedback session and preparation for the Essay (Critical Reflection Document). Feedback on the essay (CRD) is available in the post- assessment period.

Name Role
Mr Feidlim Cannon Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Dr Paul Halferty Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
 
Autumn
      
Small Group Offering 1 Week(s) - Autumn: All Weeks Wed 16:00 - 17:50
Autumn
      
Spring
      
Small Group Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Wed 16:00 - 17:50
Spring