MA Performance Making

(Autumn and spring terms)

This module includes:

Studio work: methodological training in a range of physical and vocal disciplines, developing into workshop experimentation.

Technical production skills: hands-on introduction to lighting, sound and video.

(Summer term and summer break)

Comprises Final Show, Essay and viva voce examination.

The summer term is entirely devoted to researching, developing and producing the Final Production, which operates as a student-run festival of works for the public. A self-reflective Evaluative Essay is delivered at the end of the summer, and a viva voce examination takes place in September.

Theory (autumn term)

This lecture-seminar module is designed to strengthen and broaden your critical, analytic and theoretical skills in relation to performance culture(s).

Professional orientation (summer term)

Short intensive workshops in articulating, promoting, and funding your own professional practice with the convenor, the Live Art Development Agency (LADA) and the College’s Institute for Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship (ICCE).

This module is taught by professional practitioners. This area of study focuses on the development of a narrative grammar and syntax and compositional concepts and strategies - how to ‘think performance’, assuming that all original work is a form of philosophy-in-action. Given the specific needs of the ‘auteur’ theatre-maker, you learn how to generate narratives, textures, atmospheres and content, starting with the tabula rasa of the empty space. Digital media may be included. Composition is supported by the introduction of hands-on production skills in Practical Study the Autumn Term.

The aims of this exercise are to encourage innovation and experimentation across your disciplines in order to find a performative language that reflects your collaboration. You will produce a short, 5-minute (maximum) piece to be performed on the day of assessment. In this context, ‘text’ is assumed to be any of the systems in operation, and not specifically the spoken word. It is for you to decide whether and how to use spoken text – as monologue, dialogue or multi-voice. You may decide to abandon its use altogether. The important thing is that every dramaturgical decision you make is by consensus. Performers will work as creative collaborators and not just as interpretive actors. Writers or Composers will work as creators of the overall ‘text’ in collaboration with devising performers. This may work in several ways during your process: you may write from the performers work, or the performers may work from the writers’/composers’ work. Or you may move between several kinds of collaboration and role. The vital thing is that you seek and find ways to build a very short work together that expresses your collaborative ideas and strengths.

In your companies:

a) Study the films (available for group viewing in the Library): Battleship Potemkin by Sergei Eisenstein and Mirror by Andrei Tarkovsky
b) Read these above all in terms of theories of montage and filmic narrative, sound, image, performance etc. and not just in terms of story-content. Choose one or both of these films on which to base your exercise. This is not necessarily an homage (though could be) and should be a piece of work that is inspired by (i.e. may refer directly or not to) the very different approaches to narrative in terms of editing, montage, camera work, use of light, sound, performance genre etc. in each filmmaker’s work.

• You may choose your own theme as a starting point, or use themes within the original.
• You may choose to incorporate excerpts from the film in your actual performance (i.e. as projection) or depart from them altogether
• Examine the application of the editing approaches in such films to the live performance
• Examine the specific difference/similarities between film and live performance
• The choice of approach is yours, so long as you start from your chosen film.

You may use costume, (found not made) objects, simple furniture (in stock), basic lighting plot from the general rig installed for the project as feasible and to be arranged well in advance with the appropriate member of staff (with the only additions being domestic lighting). Sound and video projection may be used.

This module is taught by professional practitioners. This area of study focuses on the development of a narrative grammar and syntax and compositional concepts and strategies - how to ‘think performance’, assuming that all original work is a form of philosophy-in-action. Given the specific needs of the ‘auteur’ theatre-maker, you learn how to generate narratives, textures, atmospheres and content, starting with the tabula rasa of the empty space. Digital media may be included. Composition is supported by the introduction of hands-on production skills in Practical Study the Autumn Term.

This term is designed to build on skills acquired in both Practical Study and Composition A via student-generated research-into-practice projects responding to the theme CITY.

These projects are about working/creating artwork as a citizen in and about the urban environment. You will develop your narrative and compositional skills in creative performative experiments. You are encouraged to work in collaborative groups, forming small companies, and to think of your projects as site-specific – even if performed in purpose-built performance venues. Projects are to be created for e.g.:
Site-based indoors/outdoors: local or other London space, if feasible and by arrangement.

The module is student-driven with students rehearsing a minimum of six hours each week on their projects from after Reading Week. The Tutor will be working to monitor and support projects via tutorials and attendance at rehearsals.