COLLABORATIVE PRINCIPLES - 2023/4

Module Overview

Students will be expected to arrive on time and appropriately prepared for physical and vocal work. Research and preparation will be necessary in pursuit of some of the modules aims. Students are required to warm up and dress appropriately for classes.

This Module interrogates the landscape of collaboration, artistic autonomy and self-made work for the actor. Following two interdependent strands: Collaborative Principles and The Working Journal students will draw stimulus from their life stories, observation and sourced image/sound whilst working within the ensemble to discover languages from which they can self-generate work and process through conscious critical response. Rooted in explorations of play, risk, impulse and trust the module allows students to become aware of themselves in relation to their peers and find creative solutions as a company of actor creators. We aim to promote positive working ethics: collaboration, kindness, support, understanding, listening and integrity.

Module provider

Guildford School of Acting

Module Leader

NETHERCLIFT Sabina (GSA)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 4

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

Module Availability

Year long

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

N/A

Module content

Indicative content includes:

 

• Actors Games – developing ensemble, a quality of attention, concentration, play and presence.


• Autobiographical devising.


• Development of the working Journal – as self reflection and documentation.


• Critical Response Processes. 


• Contact improvisation.


• 5 Rhythms.


• Small scale devised / verbatim project – May include interview, observation / translation and documentation.


• Use of Improvisation to engender spontaneity, impulse and the immediate.


• Practical exercises to develop understanding of the embodied experience of Time and Space through Observation and Translation.

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

N/A

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate a growing understanding of embodied actor creator process.

The module is continually assessed through the three teaching blocks.

 

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consist of a portfolio of workshop activities.

 

Submission of the actors working journal – To be submitted at the end of week 5, Semester 2.

 

Formative assessment and feedback will be given through a session at the end of teaching block 1 and teaching block 2. Formative feedback will also occur during practical sessions on a verbal basis. The feedback will usually be in a group context, but may sometimes happen one to one with the tutor.

Module aims

• • Introduce the key principles of:
  - The Actor Creator.
  - Self-Generation.
  - Imagination and Play.
  - Game.
  - Ensemble / Breath / Group Impulse.
  - Trust.
  - Risk.
  - Form.
  through a range of experiential approaches.
  
• • Introduce the key principles and to provide students with key vocabulary and terminology of a range of collaborative and devised methodologies.
• • Inspire an open, generous and playful approach to the practical and analytical tools of the actor creator.
• • Introduce the working journal in relation to research, curation and documentation skills through the exploration of a range of collaborative and devised methodologies – With an emphasis on the actors’ journey towards embodiment and the living expression of knowledge.
  • Begin to reflect upon and document personal learning using the actors journal.
  
• • Engender trust in the ensemble and non-script-based texts as stimulus for the actor to create performance.
• • To explore an understanding of artistic autonomy and resilience through critical processes.
• • Engender an appreciation of the uncertainty of knowledge.

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:

 

Give an inclusive practical and theoretical understanding of the key concepts that underpin the acting training across the programme.


Place an emphasis on the practical development of embodied skills that are required for extended and best practice in the profession.
 

Enable students to acquire an open, generous, versatile actor creator process and integrate their knowledge across acting disciplines all of which lead on to a firm foundation moving toward the study at Level 5.

 

The learning and teaching methods include:

Practical, skills based and tutor led group sessions.
Visual, Audio and Kinaesthetic methods of learning – including use of VLE.

Week Intensive 1 (12hrs)

Week intensive 2 (20hrs)

Practical classes (46hrs)

Rehearsal and showing (4hrs)

68 hours for self-reflection, research, documentation and class preparation time.

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: ACT1030

Other information

GSA delivers its provision across three teaching blocks, within the University of Surrey’s existing semester structure.

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 2023/4 academic year.