IMMERSIVE AND PARTICIPATORY PRACTICES - 2021/2

Module Overview

Immersive theatre has become an increasingly popular trend in UK theatre over the past few decades. By removing the traditional stage, it aims to envelop audiences within the performance, blurring the boundary between performer and spectator. Yet, site-specific performance and other applied or community-situated performances have long experimented with interactive forms of performance that play with conventional boundaries. In particular, global practices, such as Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed, have long ago developed legacies of spect-acting from which contemporary immersive performances can build upon.

This module will explore the interconnection between concepts of immersive performance and forms of participation in a theatrical experience. It will emphasise active exploration of the practices by which participation is facilitated and will look both at and beyond the Eurocentric immersive genre to explore practice by a diverse range of artists and practitioners.

Module provider

Guildford School of Acting

Module Leader

SHAUGHNESSY Robert (GSA)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 6

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

Module Availability

Semester 2

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

N/A

Module content

The module will begin with an intensive workshop series of 4 hours weekly for 5 weeks, followed by a series of practical sessions (2 hours studio time per week) developing a performance demonstration.

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

Solo performance demonstration and reflection

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate their developing creative practice as a performance-maker and facilitator.

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:
•Practice-based assessment (Performative Demonstration) – 60%
Typically to be handed in during teaching block 1
•Oral assessment (Post-demonstration Q&A) – 40%
20 minutes or equivalent. Typically to be completed during teaching block 1

Formative assessment
Continuous formative assessment occurs in every class and students will be guided to understand and recognise formative verbal feedback in addition to formal written feedback as essential to their development and learning journey.

Feedback
These are assessments that provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate and receive feedback from teachers, from peers and of self as directed. Students receive informal and formal verbal and written feedback and also benefit from personal tutorials/feedback panels where this feedback can be discussed after reflection and grading has taken place. Formal feedback will be published via SurreyLearn by a published date within three teaching weeks.

Module aims

• Acquire knowledge about forms of immersive performance
• Develop an understanding of concepts of participation and participatory theatre practices
• Build practical skills of facilitation
• Create and innovate forms of theatrical interaction
• Critically reflect on processes and experiences of theatrical encounter

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:
• Enable independent, creative and confident engagement with immersive and participatory performance practices
• Engage students through active, practice-based learning
• Enable the critically reflective practitioner

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: THE3039

Other information

Under the three term structure that commences from academic year 2019/0 – this module’s delivery falls in Semester 1 due to the teaching occurring in Teaching Block 1.

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 2021/2 academic year.