Workshop Leadership is a semester-long module introducing and exploring the design and delivery of theatre workshops.  The module will address the academic stimuli of drama as a teaching medium and address the concerns and practical implications of professional and client group communication.  Students will undertake a combination of exercises, workshops and presentations, working with peers and external groups, to experience and practice the delivery of workshops.

Where possible, students will benefit from the University’s links to professional theatrical groups as well as diverse community groups, extending engagement and participation beyond the usual boundaries of contemporary theatrical practice.

Completion and pass (120 credits) of previous level.

At the beginning of the module, students will receive an outline explaining how the aims and key outcomes will be achieved in relation to the specific discipline(s) they are studying.  Irrespective of area, the syllabus will include:

• seminars instructing students in methods for creating or supporting the creation of original work;

• independent and collaborative projects culminating in presentations;

• workshops to experiment with established techniques;

• critical reflection and analysis of the methods employed and their effectiveness in a range of contexts.

Learning Outcomes LO 1 - 6

Scheduled teaching ensures that independent study is effective and addresses the learning outcomes and assessment tasks. Students are expected to (and to have the opportunity to) continue with their studies outside of scheduled classes. There will be a range of learning strategies deployed and individual learning styles will be accommodated. The module’s learning outcomes, its contents and delivery, have been scrutinised and will be regularly reviewed to ensure an inclusive approach to pedagogic practice.

The module and course utilise the University’s blended learning platform to support and reinforce learning, to foster peer-to-peer communication and to facilitate tutorial support for students. Reflective learning is promoted through assessment items and interim formative feedback points that ask students to reflect on their progress, seek help where they identify the opportunity for improvement in learning strategies and outcomes, and make recommendations to themselves for future development. Throughout the module, students build a body of work, including reflections on progress and achievement.

The School’s programme of employability events and embedded work-related learning within the curriculum supports students’ personal development planning. Through these initiatives, students are increasingly able, as they progress from year to year, to understand the professional environment of their disciplines, the various opportunities available to them, and how to shape their learning according to their ambitions.

On completion of this module students will be able to:

Knowledge and understanding
LO1: apply different concepts and processes to create or support the creation of new performance work;

Cognitive intellectual abilities
LO2: demonstrate practical and theoretical understanding of social, historical and artistic trends through their own practice;

LO3: develop skills of observation and visual, aural and spatial awareness;

LO4: investigate performance environments to determine how place, site and space shape the events they accommodate;

Transferable Skills
LO5: apply library and IT skills in independent research activities; articulating ideas and communicating information in visual, physical, oral and textual forms;

Subject Specific Skills
LO6: take responsibility as individual artists whether working independently or within a group for creative decision-making and demonstrate an understanding of the duties and functions of a specific industry profession;

LO7: contribute to the production of performance, for example through direction, choreography, dramaturgy, writing, scenography, workshop leadership and sound and lighting production or within the context of installation and site responsive work.

Students will be assessed through a variety of modes on their ability to engage in ongoing exercises and demonstrate their understanding of the methods appropriate to the professional specialism that they have studied.  They will also be assessed on their willingness to experiment and take creative risks, ability to integrate feedback, their capacity to generate new ideas and material, and/or their collaborative skills as demonstrated through in-class project work with peers. 

Process

Students are continuously assessed on this module, with their assessment referencing key events during each assessment period. This includes their work in exercises, practical presentations, and collaborative projects.  Together with their creative and collaborative skills, process is also evaluated in terms of professionalism, engagement, progress and ability to integrate feedback. 

Written Task (2000 words)

The written task will enable students to activate or reflect upon the practical skills they have acquired through the module using academic analysis.  Students may be assigned a portfolio, essay, or other writing task in order to enable them to demonstrate understanding of the skills that they have developed.