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Theatre as Industry - TFT00020I

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  • Department: Theatre, Film, Television and Interactive Media
  • Module co-ordinator: Dr. Ollie Jones
  • Credit value: 20 credits
  • Credit level: I
  • Academic year of delivery: 2023-24

Module summary

This module is designed to introduce you to a range of disciplines in the business and production aspects of taking a play from script to performance.
You will have the opportunity to undertake training and initial explorations in these areas (including marketing, budgeting, fundraising, production management, and producing), which may be further developed in future assessed production work, and your practice beyond the module.

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Semester 2 2023-24

Module aims

The module aims:

  • to develop your understanding of, and basic proficiency in, a wide range of processes involved in theatre production
  • to understand key current issues in theatre as an industry, including funding, freelance working, and marketing
  • to develop your capacity to reflect critically on your practical experience and contextualise it against the work of professional practitioners and existing literature on the subject and related areas of practice
  • to develop an enhanced understanding of the way that professional theatre works
  • to enable you to develop a portfolio of work, in preparation for undertaking a production role in a subsequent performance project

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module you are expected:

  • to develop your understanding of, and basic proficiency in, a wide range of processes involved in theatre production
  • to understand key current issues in theatre as an industry, including funding, freelance working, and marketing
  • to develop your capacity to reflect critically on your practical experience and contextualise it against the work of professional practitioners and existing literature on the subject and related areas of practice - to develop an enhanced understanding of the way that professional theatre works
  • to enable you to develop a portfolio of work, in preparation for undertaking a production role in a subsequent performance project"

Module content

Each week there will be a lecture and a practical workshop. The lectures will introduce a range of critical ideas and contemporary practices in arts administration and theatre production, and will introduce key case studies from arts organisations. The workshops will introduce you to the applied skills required in individual administration and production disciplines, including producing, budgeting, grant applications, marketing, project management, company management, and freelancing. During the module you will have the opportunity to develop your understanding of a range of aligned disciplines for the support and delivery of theatre productions, and to develop your own producing portfolio for hypothetical productions.

Assessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
Theatre as Industry		 N/A 100

Special assessment rules

None

Additional assessment information

Students receive formative feedback in taught sessions.

Reassessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
Theatre as Industry		 N/A 100

Module feedback

You will receive written feedback in line with standard University turnaround times. This will happen in a formative manner in practical workshops and seminars, and in a summative manner in feedback sheets on assessment tasks.

Indicative reading

Beckley, R. (2014). Open Book Theatre Management: Ethical Theatre Production.

Harvie, J. (2013). Fair Play: art, performance and neoliberalism.

O’Reilly D. and Kerrigan F. (2010). Marketing the Arts: A Fresh Approach.

Seabright, J. (2010). So You Want to Be a Theatre Producer?


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University is constantly exploring ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary by the University. Where appropriate, the University will notify and consult with affected students in advance about any changes that are required in line with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.