PERFORMANCE LAB - 2019/0

Module Overview

This module introduces students to contemporary devising practices to prepare them to create devised performance in response to particular stimuli and devising methods. In particular, the module will enable students to understand plural approaches to devised performance and develop a practice ‘toolkit’ from which they will draw to create a performance in the second term. The module will introduce specific techniques, which may be adapted from the work of specific practitioners and/or developed for the module. Students will be encouraged to see devising as a rich field of practices and to locate their own emerging practice within this field. Classes may include workshops, self-directed tasks, presentations on practices, reading/attendance at performance/viewing to support the teaching of practices and concerns in contemporary devising practice. Students will be able to actively experience and reflect on modes of devised performance in a relatively secure ‘laboratory’ before going on to make a performance in the second term. The second term specifically support students with focused formative feedback on how to refine and clarify their methods and focus as they prepare their performances. Throughout both terms, students will see the process of working from early ideas to focused devising, rehearsal and performance.

Module provider

Guildford School of Acting

Module Leader

MCNAMARA Anna (GSA)

Number of Credits: 30

ECTS Credits: 15

Framework: FHEQ Level 5

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Year long

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

N/A

Module content

Indicative content includes devising methods and strategies that may draw on work by:

Complicite

Forced Entertainment

Gecko

DV8

Frantic Assembly

Goat Island

Artists commissioned by Artangel, e.g. Janet Cardiff

Sophie Calle

Lone Twin

Action Hero

In the second term the module will focus on processes of making performance and reflection and may attend to:

Stimuli (place, text, objects, movement etc.)

Identified practices

Specified concerns/themes/politics etc.

It will involve (in varying ways, based on the project):

reflection on work to date

identifying connections between stimuli, practices, themes, concerns, etc.

forming parts or a whole through project specific processes (e.g. through creating a script or score)

clarifying focus

rehearsal for performance

performance

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

Solo performance pitch Reflective essay

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to work toward the following learning outcomes:

Identify one or more processes for devising performance

Contribute an informed practical creative response to devising strategies

Focus and specialise on one approach to devising and/or synthesize differing approaches to develop their own practices

Contribute and informed practical creative response to emerging ideas for performance

Reflect on their own contribution to focused devising processes and realisation processes

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of

A ‘project pitch’ presented towards the end of the first term for what the group performance in the second term might work towards (non-binding) that evidences clear and reflective engagement with the module content so far, including devising methods and strategies, referring to relevant work by contemporary theatre and performance artists.

A performance, showing attention to the whole project towards the end of the module (timing dependent on form)

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate

Knowledge and understanding of devising strategies

Reflection on own practice, including in relation to relevant examples of work in contemporary theatre and performance

Attention to practices, themes, ideas etc in a particular process and performance

Formative assessment

Continuous formative feedback will be given by tutors throughout both terms with some sessions in the second term dedicated to student ‘presentations’ of work-in-progress for focused tutor feedback.

Module aims

• Introduce students to one or more processes for devising performance
• Enable informed, creative, practical engagement with one or more devising strategies
• Enable informed, creative, practical engagement with an emerging idea or ideas for performance
• Enable students to reflect on their contribution to focused devising processes and realisation process

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:

Prepare students to locate themselves as practitioners within an existing field of contemporary theatre and performance practice. The module will introduce students to devising methods, drawing on professional practices where relevant before moving on to focused processes of creating performance. In so doing, it will provide a staged process of moving from devising practices to performance. Public performance is not required, there may be useful reasons why a final work is not public, for instance, if it engages in autobiographical or community-based work. This work will be devised by students, facilitated and supported by staff. It will prepare students to create their own making processes for the final year, specifically in devised work and the dissertation.

Indicative learning and teaching methods include:

Practical workshops

In-class reflection and discussion

Presentation of work-in-progress with tutor feedback

Rehearsal and performance times

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: THE2031

Other information

Under the three term structure that commences from academic year 2019/0 – this module’s delivery is year-long due to the teaching occurring in Teaching Blocks 2 and 3.

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2019/0 academic year.