SPECIALIST STUDIES - 2024/5

Module Overview

Building on Level 4 taught modules and production experience, this module is designed to advance students' exploration of their chosen subject areas to an intermediate level of understanding and competence. Each student will choose from one of three strands within the module: technical theatre, design realisation or stage/production management.

Module provider

Guildford School of Acting

Module Leader

FRANKLIN Jo (GSA)

Number of Credits: 45

ECTS Credits: 22.5

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:

• Stagecraft refreshers


• Research techniques, skills and methodologies


• CAD drawing


• Sustainability in production


• Specialist studies within each strand relevant to industry current practices and processes.

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

N/A

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate increasing confidence in verbal, digital and written communication as well as in technical and managerial skills appropriate to their chosen specialist strand. They will also be able to demonstrate emerging understanding and skills in independent research and analysis.

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

• Oral-type examination/presentation, A short (10 minutes) viva presentation, demonstrating achievement and understanding of specialist studies and how this relates to proposed research topic (addresses learning outcomes 1 & 2)


• Coursework, Written research proposal (2000 words) on a topic of individual choice related to your specialist studies.(addresses learning outcomes, 3, 4, 5) 

• Individual tutorials on research topics


• Informal feedback in practical sessions


• Draft research proposal

• Verbal tutor feedback in tutorials


• Verbal tutor and technician feedback in practical sessions


• Written feedback on draft research proposal

Module aims

• Develop students' competence and confidence in specialist studies to an intermediate level
• Refresh and embed key inter-disciplinary skills which are foundational to all aspects of theatre production
• Introduce students to research strategies and methodologies
• Encourage and support students to undertake research into relevant contemporary industry challenges
• Support students to make informed choices on career pathways within their specialist strand.

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to enable students to increase in knowledge and understanding of both specialist skills within their chosen strand as well as interdisciplinary skills. There is a mix of seminars and practical sessions, individual tutorials to provide academic guidance and independent learning to focus on self-motivated research in a chosen topic area.

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: PRO2036

Other information

Guildford School of Acting trains students, within their chosen fields, to have an understanding and appreciation of Employability, Digital Capabilities, Global and Cultural Capabilities, Sustainability, and Resourcefulness and Resilience. This module is designed to allow Theatre Production students to develop knowledge, skills, and capabilities in the following areas:

Digital capabilities

Students will be expected to use digital methodologies/platforms for research and creation of the assessed presentation. They will also use current industry software and technical equipment appropriate to their specialist studies strand, increasing competence and confidence in these areas.

Global and cultural capabilities

Teaching within specialist strands will introduce a range of global practices and methodologies used internationally in the creative industries. Students will be encouraged to explore outside of standard UK practice and evaluate production methodologies in a range of cultural contexts.

Employability

All learning within this module reflects and is informed by current practice in the creative industries and so will develop employability within each student appropriate to their chosen strand. The oral presentation supports and enhances confident verbal presentation and the research proposal challenges students to analyse and evaluate practice towards innovation and improvement in the creative industries; all key skills which develop employability. ¿

Resourcefulness and resilience

This module emphasises development of the Level 5 student as an increasingly autonomous learner, expecting a high level of independent research and self-motivated further stud, As such it encourages and challenges students to become more resourceful and resilient.

Sustainability

Sustainability is explicitly addressed in this module, through discussion of industry current guidance and practices. Throughout practical aspects of the module students will be expected to engage in sustainable practices within production, following GSA policies and practices and informed by current creative industry guidance.

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 2024/5 academic year.