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Research Skills for Theatre-Making - TFT00076M

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  • Department: Theatre, Film, Television and Interactive Media
  • Module co-ordinator: Dr. Karen Quigley
  • Credit value: 10 credits
  • Credit level: M
  • Academic year of delivery: 2022-23
    • See module specification for other years: 2021-22

Module summary

This module aims to introduce students to the critical and practical thinking and research skills that will be crucial to their work on MA Theatre-Making, through engagement with examples of contemporary theatre and performance practices and their contexts, discussion activities and lecture-workshop content. The module also begins to examine the theatre-making skills that will be more fully addressed in Spring Term, with opportunities to explore, for example, micro-performances in the students' own sited contexts.

In all of this, the module emphasises the importance of research (in its practical and library-based senses) to postgraduate study. We will explore how to locate, gather and evaluate primary and secondary sources, and how to apply critical thinking skills to essay-writing of various kinds.

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Autumn Term 2022-23

Module aims

To develop a critical understanding of theatre and performance through analysis and discussion of a range of case studies and their contexts

To begin to develop a practical understanding of theatre-making and basic artistic decision-making skills

To begin to develop source-gathering, classification and analysis skills appropriate to postgraduate level research and writing

Module learning outcomes

The student will be able to:

  • discuss, evaluate and critically analyse theatre and performance case studies 
  • situate theatre and performance case studies within a range of relevant contexts
  • identify, classify and analyse a range of research sources 
  • make a solo micro-performance in their own sited context

Assessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
Portfolio		 N/A 100

Special assessment rules

None

Additional assessment information

Portfolio details:

The portfolio will include a written review of an online performance, a written exercise on gathering research sources and a video of a micro-performance each student has made in their sited context. Additionally, please note that I have selected 'variable' as the length for the portfolio. It will encompass approx 2000 words of writing and 1-2 minutes of video.

Reassessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
Refelective Essay		 N/A 100

Module feedback

Students will receive bespoke verbal feedback on their formative work within one week of completion of presentation, and written feedback on their summative work within 2020-21 University guidelines for return of feedback.

Indicative reading

Adiseshiah, S. & LePage, L. ed. (2016). Twenty-First Century Drama: What Happens Now

Arlander, A. et al ed. (2017). Performance as Research: Knowledge, Methods, Impact

Cottrell, S. (2017; 3rd edn.). Critical Thinking Skills: Effective Analysis, Argument and Reflection

Harvie, J. & Lavender, A. ed. (2010). Making Contemporary Theatre

Hilevaara, K. & Orley, E. ed. (2018). The Creative Critic: Writing about/as Practice

Kershaw, B. & Nicholson, H. ed. (2011). Research Methods in Theatre and Performance


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.