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Research Skills for Theatre-Making - TFT00101M

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  • Department: Theatre, Film, Television and Interactive Media
  • Module co-ordinator: Dr. Catherine Love-Smith
  • Credit value: 20 credits
  • Credit level: M
  • Academic year of delivery: 2023-24
    • See module specification for other years: 2024-25

Module summary

This module aims to introduce you to the critical and practical thinking and research skills that are crucial to 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 theatre-making skills, with opportunities to explore, for example, micro-performances in your own sited contexts.

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Semester 1 2023-24

Module aims

The aims of this module are:

  • 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

By the end of this module, you are expected 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 solo micro-performances in response to research areas

Module content

This module is designed to lay the theoretical and practical foundations for your studies with us, and to push your existing skill-set further. It will focus on developing research skills appropriate to a postgraduate level of study, including traditional scholarly disciplines for written work as well as specific skills for practice-as/by/based-research. In all of this, the module emphasises the importance of research (in its practical and library-based senses) to postgraduate study. You 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. You will also develop a portfolio of written and micro-performance responses to research areas explored through the module.

Assessment

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

Special assessment rules

None

Additional assessment information

Students will produce formative written and practical work throughout the teaching on the module, and will receive formative feedback throughout.

Reassessment

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

Module feedback

You will receive written feedback in line with standard University turnaround times.

You will receive bespoke verbal feedback on your formative work within one week of completion of presentation.

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.