Applied Theatre is a placement-learning module, which investigates the process of making drama and theatre in communities and non-traditional performance spaces, both practically and critically.
The main emphasis of the module is on developing the practical skills and contextual understanding needed to facilitate theatre processes and/or performances in partnership with a local community group or organisation. The main feature of the module in Semester One is a structured experimentation with a range of applied theatre techniques, which are read against important critical questions. This part of the module is taught through seminars and practical workshops, exploring case studies, key concepts and techniques, critical questions, ethics, aesthetics, and project design. In Semester Two, the main feature of the module is the delivery of a practical drama, theatre or performance project, of a significant scale, and taking place in partnership with a chosen constituency within the local community. This part of the module is made up of independent, student-led research and practice. The student project is supervised practically through placement visits by Drama staff, ongoing creative laboratories, as well as by the submission of research, project design and planning materials. The module is assessed formatively through presentations in class of practice and research, and summatively through the delivery of the placement project, reflective writing, and, where necessary, an end of project viva.
This module aims to:
On completion of the module students will be able to demonstrate:
This module is delivered through a range of practical workshops and exercises, as well as seminars, independent rehearsals, research and placement project work.
In teaching block 1, there are three phases. Firstly, the emergence of applied theatre as a form of practice is placed into context through seminars on its historical trajectory of development. The key features of this development, and the critical questions it raises, are explored through practice and research. Practical work draws on case studies taken from the field, and research covers key concepts relating to education, social action, and therapy. In the second phase, students work intensively on the skills needed to design and deliver effective placement projects. Students are also responsible for arranging CRB checks at this stage of the module, well in advance of beginning placements. Simultaneously, students identify a constituency in the community, and undertake independent research relating to it. Phase three involves students being supervised in developing an applied theatre company profile, planning and presenting their project, and undertaking preparations to work in the community.
In teaching block 2, students work in the community to deliver their projects, involving 10-12 hours (minimum) of facilitation with their chosen constituency. This may involve workshops, drama processes, or theatre performances, or a mixture of methodologies appropriate to the aims of the project. The main medium will, however, remain within the parameters of drama, theatre, or performance. Student groups are assigned a tutor as a supervisor for their project, who will visit and observe their practical work in the community as appropriate. In parallel with the placement, supervisors host a weekly "creative laboratory" during class time, where students on placement can test project ideas and receive feedback on their work from peers and a tutor.
| Definitive UNISTATS Category | Indicative Description | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching | 11x2hr seminars | 22 |
| Scheduled learning and teaching | 11 x 2hr practical workshops | 22 |
| Guided independent study | Individual independent study | 106 |
| Scheduled learning and teaching | Group independent practical work | 150 |
| Total (number of credits x 10) | 300 | |
In Semester One, work is supported through a range of formative assessment which provide regular feedback in relation to learning. Students will create a theatre company profile and project pitch, reflecting their approach to the chosen constituency, and deliver this to the class in the form of a presentation. Practically, students will present their facilitation skills for review (such as leading part of a workshop), supported by research-informed planning documents. In Semester Two, supervisor visits to the placement will provide key points of formative assessment, and the creative laboratories running alongside the placement, will provide continuous feedback on projects as appropriate. Supervisors will tend to visit towards the beginning of the placement project.
In Semester Two, bespoke arrangements will be made for the summative assessment of practical work; some projects may require more than one assessment visit, others may not. All students will deliver a minimum of 10-12 hrs of facilitation in their chosen constituency. Students' practical skills in facilitation will be summatively assessed through direct observation by a visiting tutor on a minimum of one occasion, therefore. This visit will be scheduled towards the end of the placement. Students will also submit a piece of reflective writing, accompanied by project documentation (as appropriate); this element of summative assessment enables students to submit a research-informed evaluation reflecting their individual, practical contribution (5000 words including bibliography). Students may also be required to give an end of project viva in their group; this is not given a separate mark in the portfolio, but is used by tutors where clarification of the learning achieved seems necessary.
| Learning Outcome | Assessment Strategy |
|---|---|
| a critically informed and contextualised understanding of the chosen methodology, or methodologies, of applied theatre practice used in the placement project | Formatively through class presentation and submission of planning documents. Summatively through reflective writing |
| the knowledge and creativity needed to construct a practical applied theatre project based on research (Key skill: Research and Information Literacy) | Formatively through class presentation and submission of planning documents. Summatively through reflective writing |
| the ability to lead applied theatre processes and/or performances in the community, through the effective application of skills in facilitation | Formatively observed in class demonstration. Summatively observed in placement visit/s |
| an advanced ability to work independently as a professional in a community context, self-managing time, documentation, ethics, and legacy (Key skill: Entrepreneurship) | Summatively observed in placement visit/s and through reflective writing |
| the ability to reflect meaningfully upon the personal praxis demonstrated in creating, launching, and delivering the placement project | Summatively through reflective writing |
| Description of Assessment | Definitive UNISTATS Categories | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Portfolio with examination (60%) and essay (40%) | 100 |
| Total (to equal 100%) | 100% | |
It IS NOT a requirement that any major assessment category is passed separately in order to achieve an overall pass for the module