Programme Specifications

• September 2023

• To advance teaching, learning and research into the field of scenography as a discrete artistic practice and academic discipline.

• To research and develop the function of scenography in the generation and presentation of a wide range of aesthetic events including theatrical production; physical, non-textual and devised performance; dance; installation, and events within which the visual aesthetic and scenographic composition and direction bear an especial, creative significance.

• To disseminate knowledge of the theory, methodology, key practice and criticism which establishes, constitutes and supports the discreteness of the subject area.

• To develop in students the knowledge and abilities to be able to consider critically and productively the role of scenography in contemporary performance contexts.

• To develop student ability to apply, demonstrate and advance their learning through the realisation of analytical, creative and reflective responses within original creative output.

• To develop practical initiatives in the area of devising scenography and the acquisition of knowledge through experiential learning.

• To develop student ability to undertake independent research and apply this within both academic and creative contexts.

• To develop students interpersonal and teamwork skills and their ability to apply these within both academic and creative contexts.

• To provide students with sufficient ranges of intellectual and practical skills, transferable skills and experiences to make informed career choices.

• • To empower students to become articulate practitioners and creative thinkers; self-reflexive and analytical; able to communicate and account for their aesthetic interests and choices; curious about research and the exploration of theory; eager to participate in intellectual debate.

  • To provide students with key forms of theoretical and practical knowledge necessary for an understanding of drama, theatre and performance as related sites of study, thought and creative practice.

  • To encourage the academic examination of a broad range of forms and genres of drama, theatre and performance, looking through and beyond historic paradigms to explore and understand the development of contemporary practices.

  • To develop methodologies for critically analysing a wide range of dramatic, theatrical and performative texts and practices, both historic and contemporary, contextualising a knowledge of these within relevant historical, aesthetic and socio-political conditions.

  • To examine ways in which drama, theatre and performance are constructed, disseminated and received.

  • To develop and employ distinctive pedagogical approaches - both practical (practice as research) and theoretical (analytic, historical, critical, contextual) - which utilise the particular cultural and geographical resources of Aberystwyth - its landscape, language and history - and which value its characteristic physical, social and cultural ecology; to utilise the particular material assets of Aberystwyth as a creative stimulus.

  • To draw upon traditions of experimental theatre-making, particularly devised performance and site-specific work, which have been developed in Wales.

  • To provide students with the opportunities and conditions for experiential and reflective learning, encouraging practical initiatives in conceiving theatre and performance and the acquisition of embodied knowledge.

  • To enhance the development of personal intellectual skills (of research and analysis) necessary for independent and collaborative research in both academic and creative contexts.

  • To enhance the development of interpersonal and teamwork skills for independent and collaborative research in both academic and creative contexts, to deadlines and under pressure, with flexibility, imagination, self-motivation and organization.

  • To enhance the development of communication skills, enabling students to express themselves coherently, imaginatively and persuasively in writing, performance and interactive media

  • To provide students with a sufficient range of intellectual, creative, practical and transferable skills and experiences, to make informed career choices.

The programme provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, skills, qualities and other attributes in the following areas:

• Scenography, as both aesthetic practice and event, within various historical, ethnic and artistic contexts.

• Key practices and practitioners and the concepts and principles under-pinning scenographic composition and exposition

• The function of scenography within the dramaturgy of theatrical and other performative events

• The processes by which scenography is created and realised within a range of performance contexts.

• The interplay between theory and practice in the academic study of scenography.

• A1 Drama, theatre and performance as related key concepts and sites of study, thought and creative practice.

  A2 A range of dramatic, theatrical and performative texts, practices and genres from various historical, cultural and aesthetic contexts and genealogies.

  A3 A range of key theatre and performance practitioners and practices, including theorists, writers, directors, designers, actors and critics and text-based, body and movement-based, image-based and site-based practices from a variety of performative, aesthetic and cultural traditions.

  A4 The processes, methodologies and strategies by which drama, theatre and performance are created and realised.

  A5 The ramifications of social, cultural, political and historical context upon the nature, form, function, circulation and reception of drama, theatre and performance

  A6 Debates about the social, political and aesthetic function of drama, theatre and performance

  A7 The impact of past traditions and paradigms on contemporary theatre and performance practice.

  A8 Key contemporary trends in drama, theatre and performance practice.

  A9 Critical perspectives on drama, theatre and performance and the interplay between practice and theory.

  A10 The ramifications of cultural and geographic context upon dramaturgy and techniques of exposition.

  A11 Personal responsibility for working within defined parameters, structures and resources to achieve creative outcomes; the importance of health and safety in the working environment

• The ability to examine critically a wide range of scenographic practice(s)

• The ability to engage in research through a variety of strategies.

• The ability to identify, interpret and take into consideration the cultural frameworks surrounding and informing scenography.

• The ability to develop and effectively apply conceptual and practical procedures appropriate to scenographic composition and exposition

• The ability to embody and sustain intellectual argument within diverse forms of exposition and from a range of critical perspectives.

• The ability to effectively document procedures of scenographic practice

• 10.2.1 Intellectual skills
  
  By the end of their programme, all students are expected to be able to demonstrate:

  B1 The ability to identify, describe, interpret and discuss critically a range of theatre and performance events and practices from various historical and artistic contexts and genealogies at an appropriate level both on paper and through oral means.

  B2 The ability to understand the interplay between theory and practice in the academic study of drama, theatre and performance, its practices and practitioners.

  B3 The ability to analyse, interpret and evaluate the structure and staging of theatre and performance as aesthetic events within a variety of stylistic conventions and genres and from a range of critical and theoretical perspectives.

  B4 The ability to read and interpret performance texts from a range of critical perspectives.

  B5 The ability to demonstrate an intelligent awareness of the repercussions of social and cultural context upon the form and function of drama, theatre and performance.

  B6 The ability to work effectively in group settings to develop, rehearse and produce performances of various genres.

  B7 The ability to embody and sustain intellectual argument through written, live or mediated presentation, demonstrating the requisite communication skills.

  B8 The ability to formulate and implement individual research, drawing upon and selecting from a wide range of information sources to undertake independent enquiry.

  B9 The ability to effectively notate and document workshops and procedures of development, rehearsal and performance.

  Learning and Teaching:

  Teaching methods will include: lectures, demonstrations, seminars, tutorials, and practical workshops. Learning methods will include: structured academic reading; close discussion of topics guided by reading; research exercises, analytic exercises; production exercises; group projects.
  Teaching and learning is via practical workshops, small-group seminars, lectures, production projects and group based project work. Teaching is frequently mixed-mode, interrogating theory through practical investigation and practice through the lens of various theoretical perspectives.
  

  Assessment:

  Assessment methods will include: written and practical examinations, critical and creative portfolios, practical productions, seminar presentations, group activities, and a dissertation. Increasing emphasis will be placed in teaching, learning and assessment methods on students’ independence and self-management of their own learning as they progress through the degree.

  10.2.1 Professional practical skills (where appropriate)

  The programme does not purport to offer professional theatre training. However, graduates will, in the normal course of study, encounter modules which teach fundamental performance production and theatre design skills. These will include the following: acting, lighting, design, set, scenography and technical theatre.

  At the same time students will be encouraged to think creatively and to produce practical work that reflects current experimental trends in which theatre is seen as a component of an inter-disciplinary network of different artistic practices. To this end students will be asked to think about performance writing, choreography, and the use of digitalised images and other new media forms.

• The ability to structure and communicate ideas effectively in a variety of situations, and through a variety of media

• The ability to pose and solve intellectual problems

• The ability to listen and make use of critical advice

• The ability to make effective use of available (including on-line) resources

• The ability to manage time effectively

• The ability to apply creative, imaginative and problem-solving skills in a variety of situations

• The ability to work independently, and in groups

• The ability to use a range of information technology skills and resources, appropriate to tasks.

• The ability to apply a range of research skills

• By the end of their programme, all students are expected to be able to:

  D1 Apply creative, imaginative and problem-solving skills in a variety of theoretical and practical situations

  D2 Research, evaluate, synthesize and organise information independently and critically.

  D3 Structure and communicate ideas effectively in a variety of situations and using a variety of oral, written, visual, and performative means.

  D4 Develop effective time management, managing workloads effectively and operating within available budgets, resources and deadlines.

  D5 Work responsibly, constructively and creatively in group contexts.

  D6 Work creatively under the guidance of others.

  D7 Work independently, taking the initiative where appropriate.

  D8 Respond positively to constructive feedback and criticism and to be sensitive in offering feedback and criticism to others.

  D9 Be self-motivated and self-disciplined, displaying a capacity for self-assessment and self-criticism and management of stress in a variety of work contexts.

  D10 Use a range of information technology skills and resources.

  Teaching and Learning:

  Teaching methods will include: lectures, demonstrations, seminars, tutorials, and practical workshops. Learning methods will include: structured academic reading; close discussion of topics guided by reading; research exercises, analytic exercises; production exercises; group projects.

  Assessment:

  Assessment methods will include: written and performed, written and practical examinations, critical and creative portfolios, practical productions, seminar presentations, group activities, and a dissertation. Increasing emphasis will be placed in teaching, learning and assessment methods on students’ independence and self-management of their own learning as they progress through the degree.