Contemporary Performance Making – (M.A.)

Contents

Contemporary Performance Making has a strong practical focus and students may choose to do a practical dissertation creating a full-length professional standard performance piece. This has proved a very popular and highly successful element of the course and students have gone on to present their degree shows as part of events such as National Review of Live Art and East End Collaborations. Another very popular element is the professional placement and several students have gone on to receive employment after graduating as a result of their placement.

The MA programme has a flexible modular structure designed to accommodate both full-time (30-40 study hours per week) and part-time students (15-20 study hours per week). All students will undertake five core modules and a practical project or, if preferred, a written dissertation.

Modules (all core)

Specialist option in either Performance Directing, Solo Performance or Performance Writing

Students explore each option, as groundwork for focusing on a single approach to their final performance project or written dissertation in the final two terms. Students will produce two practical pieces (10-15 minutes duration, one focusing on the performer and one on mise-en-scene) together with documentation of their work.

Professional Placement

This module runs in the second term. In the first five to six weeks of the module students will attend lectures and workshops on professional development with staff and guest lecturers/leading experts in the field. In the second part of the module, students will undertake a placement/apprenticeship (minimum three weeks/90 hours) with an established partner organisation, such as a national or international theatre company, festival organisation, or university with whom we will sign a learning contract. We have had MA students on placements in London, Europe, the US, Canada, Romania and France.

Performance Project/Dissertation

During the spring and summer terms you will work towards your practical performance project or dissertation. The performance project will take the form of a final presentation-performance (lasting approximately 50 minutes and including documentation with visual material and a written commentary) either in directing, performance writing or solo-performance. In term two, students will start preparing for their performance project. In the first part of term two there will be a set of intensive workshops where students will be working within their chosen specialist area with guest artists. Then in term three students work independently with dedicated rehearsal spaces and staff supervision where needed.

Digital Performance Technologies

This is an exciting new practice based module which focuses on providing in-depth practical instruction in a laboratory setting for sustained experimentation - with vocabularies and strategies of multimedia and digital performance composition. Students work with video shooting and editing technique, sound recording and processing techniques, interactive programming and multi-media real time integration.

Research Methodologies

The aim of the module is to enhance the development of independent student thought and an understanding of interdisciplinary research methodologies in performance studies. This will be achieved through an engagement with abstract concepts and group discussions of advanced ideas and current trends in performance. In this way, students will be encouraged to discuss and analyse their own and others' approaches. This will also serve as a platform for students to test their ideas and present a series of short papers on selected topics.

Approaches to Performance/Mise-en-Scène Making

This module addresses the interdisciplinary nature of contemporary performance. It will give close attention to the multiplicity and diversity of approaches to performance making used over the last 100 years at an advanced level. Students will study a variety of practical and theoretical approaches that will contextualise their own work.

International students may obtain help towards their studies from the British Council in their country of residence and can undertake work placements.