Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE THS1105

 
TITLE Performance Skills 2: Festival

 
UM LEVEL 01 - Year 1 in Modular Undergraduate Course

 
MQF LEVEL 5

 
ECTS CREDITS 5

 
DEPARTMENT Theatre Studies

 
DESCRIPTION Students are required, in groups, to devise and rehearse a short performance piece (c. 15 minutes) to be shown as part of the First Year Festival. This theatre piece should be as independent from technical support (e.g. complex use of light, music, scenery, etc.) and embellishment as possible. Students are to create their piece using their own equipment first: voice, body, creativity, basic use of space, team work. A dramaturgical theme (e.g. Water) will be given to students. Performances will revolve around this theme in order to guarantee festival coherence.

Study-unit Aims:

The study-unit aims to:
(a) Apply processes necessary in the composition of short performances, from the phase of conception, creation of drafts and their revision, dress rehearsal, to actual performance and post-mortem evaluation;
(b) Differentiate between training/workshops and production situations;
(c) Set up a festival that calls on the smooth running of various theatre and performance pieces.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Knowledge & Understanding:

By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

(a) Give students an understanding of the work and processes behind the creation and presentation of performance;
(b) Introduce students to a festival dimension;
(c) Encourage students to develop a sense of ownership of their work;
(d) Encourage students to be proactive in their work.

2. Skills:

By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

(a) Propose material for a creative project in a clear and coherent manner;
(b) Develop organizational skills necessary for the smooth running of a project;
(c) Present own ideas as well as work in a group situation;
(d) Promote the work involved;
(e) Handle creative situations that necessitate responsibility and empowerment.

Main Text/s:

A. Oddey, Devising theatre: a practical and theoretical handbook (London: Routledge, 1994)
V. Spolin, Improvisation for the Theatre, 3rd edition (Illinois: Northwestern University Press, 1999).

Supplementary readings:

E. Barba and N. Savarese, A Dictionary of Theatre Anthropology: The Secret Art of the Performer, second edition (London: Routledge, 2006).

 
ADDITIONAL NOTES Venue - Valletta Campus Theatre (Ex-MITP)

 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Practical

 
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment Component/s Assessment Due Sept. Asst Session Weighting
Reflective Diary SEM2 Yes 30%
Performance SEM2 No 70%

 
LECTURER/S Simone Spiteri

 

 
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Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice.
It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years.

https://www.um.edu.mt/course/studyunit