Module Identifier PF21420  
Module Title DEVISING PERFORMANCE 1  
Academic Year 2006/2007  
Co-ordinator Ms Jill Greenhalgh  
Semester Semester 2  
Other staff Dr Heike Roms, Professor Mike Pearson  
Pre-Requisite PF21220  
Course delivery Practical    
Assessment
Assessment TypeAssessment Length/DetailsProportion
Semester Assessment [1] Reflective Report: a 1000 word reflective analysis on the process and presentation of the 'etude'. This work will be assessed against the following criteria: - Awareness and articulation of the strategies and procedures engaged. - Understanding and articulation of relationships between the given theme and the conceptual procedures engaged. - Understanding and awareness of personal functioning within the etude. - Understanding and awareness of group functioning within the etude. 25%
Semester Assessment 2] Conceptual Group Project: presented by the group; either live, on video, or by other means; outlining the conceptual procedures employed in devising a proposed performance work, in response to a brief given by the teaching staff. The presentation is to incorporate written, visual and physical material; both group and individually authored; as specified within that brief. The groups will be no more than 8 persons. The duration of the presentation will be 20 minutes. This work will be assessed against the following criteria: - Understanding and effective application of conceptual procedures discussed within the module. - Understanding of relationships between the material, chosen strategies and the proposed context. - Clarity of exposition. - Persuasiveness of presentation. - Evidence of group working within the conceptual framework of the project. 75%
Supplementary Assessment Failure of Assessment 1 would necessitate the submission of a 1000 word written analysis of a devised work, specified by the teaching staff, and analysed in relation to the strategies and procedures explored within the module. Failure of Assessment 2 would necessitate the submission of a 3000 word written analysis of a site work, specified by the teaching staff, and analysed in relation to the strategies and procedures explored within the module.  

Learning outcomes

On completion of this module, students should be able to.

1. To identify and employ conceptual procedures appropriate for conceiving non-textual performance.
2. To demonstrate an awareness and critical understanding of various theories and practices of dramaturgy.
3. To demonstrate an awareness and critical understanding of compositional procedures involved in writing for modes of performance other than those of dramatic dialogue.
4. To compose and organise intellectual and dramatic material specifically for live exposition within an academic context.

Brief description

THIS IS A CORE MODULE AND IS OPEN TO PERFORMANCE STUDIES STUDENTS ONLY

The module is structured and delivered across three elements:
1. A series of lectures and classes, timetabled biweekly, across the first five weeks of the semester.
2. Participation in a collaborative performance process, led by 3rd year Performance Studies students.
3. Development and presentation of assessed submissions

Aims

On completion of this module, students should be able to.

1. To identify and employ conceptual procedures appropriate for conceiving non-textual performance.
2. To demonstrate an awareness and critical understanding of various theories and practices of dramaturgy.
3. To demonstrate an awareness and critical understanding of compositional procedures involved in writing for modes of performance other than those of dramatic dialogue.
4. To compose and organise intellectual and dramatic material specifically for live exposition within an academic context.

Content

The module offers a initial series of lectures and exploratory classes introducing theories and principles of devising: addressing the generation, composition, juxtaposition, dramaturgy, placing and exposition of physical, visual, aural, and textual performative material.

These classes will be followed by a weekend workshop, during which students will be involved in the realization presentation of short performance etudes; working closely with 3rd year Performance Studies students: These 'études' being conceived by students from PF30520 Devising Performance 2.

Students will then develop a conceptual group project for presentation and assessment.

Transferable skills

Creative problem solving, outcome recognition, and the identification of appropriate strategies and procedures, are encouraged and assessed across the duration of the module

Module Skills

Problem_solving Creative problem solving, outcome recognition, and the identification of appropriate strategies and procedures, are encouraged and assessed across the duration of the module  
Research skills Appropriate personal research and the development of effective personal research practices, are implicitly encouraged throughout the module, and are assessed through their impact on the development and presentation of the assessed submissions.  
Communication The individual student's ability to articulate and communicate their ideas and opinions is developed and encouraged across all aspects of the module, and the assessment forms recognise effective communication across written, verbal and performative material.  
Improving own Learning and Performance Self-regulation, motivation and time-management are demanded to maintain engagement with the development of the course and the completion of its concomitant assessed assignments. Assessment procedures recognise effective self-management and self-motivation.  
Team work Group working is addressed across the duration of the module. Practical classes demand the application of skills necessary to conduct successful collaborative activity. The assessed group project relates directly to the development and employment of such skills.  
Information Technology Skills of information handling are exercised through the conduct of research, presentation processes, and the collation of materials, within both assessed submissions, and are recognised in the assessment of those submissions.  
Application of Number This element is not assessed.  
Personal Development and Career planning The module encourages the initial development of skills directly applicable to careers within cultural (particularly theatre/performance) industries. Further transferable skills (project planning and execution, the development of personal creative initiatives) are also developed through the completion of assessment tasks, though careers need awareness does not of itself constitute an assessed element.  
Subject Specific Skills The generation and ordering of intellectual and dramatic material in contexts outside either the play script or the auditorium; group creation, organisation and presentation; textual composition; and the organisation of alternative sites of exposition.  

Reading Lists

Books
** Recommended Text
Auslander, Philip ((1997)) From Acting to Performance Routledge
Bachelard, Gaston (trans.) John R. Stilgoe ((1994)) The Poetics of Space Beacon
Etchells, Tim: ((1999)) Certain fragments: contemporary performance and Forced Entertainment: Routledge
Fusco, Coco (1999) Corpus Delecti.Performance Art of the Americas Routledge
Garoian, Charles R. ((1999)) Performing Pedagogy State University of New York Press
Goldberg, RoseLee ((1988)) Performance Art: from Futurism to the present Thames and Hudson
Goulish, Matthew ((2000)) 39 Microlectures. In Proximity of Performance Routledge
Grotowski, Jerzy ((1969)) Towards a Poor Theatre Methuen
Hodges, Nicola ((1994)) 'Performance Art into the 90s' in Art and Design Magazine No. 38 Academy Group
Kaye, Nick ((1996)) Art into Theatre. Performance Interviews and Documents Harwood
Kaye, Nick ((1994)) Postmodernism and Performance Macmillan
Kaye, Nick ((2000)) Site-Specific Art Routledge
Oddey, Alison ((1996)) Devising Theatre Routledge
Savran, David ((1986)) The Wooster Group 1975-1985: UMI Research Press

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 5