| Unit name | Performance Histories |
|---|---|
| Unit code | THTR20010 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Professor. McGirr |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | Department of Theatre |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Why is this unit important?
In this unit, students develop their analytical and research skills, learning to work with physical and digital archives, objects, and performance ephemera and how to examine less tangible impacts of performance on history. Students will develop more critical awareness of both the material and cultural traces of performance and their significance in both social and theatrical terms. In addition to the core learning objectives, this course will:
How does this unit fit into your programme of study:
This Year 2 core unit develops the approaches to theatre and performance introduced in Year 1 and expands contextual frameworks and research methodologies. It particularly builds on the close reading and critical analysis skills developed in Reading Drama and Analysing Performance as well as the industry knowledge gained in Pitching Productions. Students are introduced to the practice and tools of theatre history and asked to interrogate the traces of past performance events and to use these traces to analyse the interrelationship of theatre and society. This work will prepare students for research-based courses later in the degree and for practical work demanding historical sensitivity and nuance.
Overview of content:
This unit is broken into three case studies. The first explores performance traces of a theatrical event, giving students the opportunity for hands-on work with objects in the Theatre Collection including promptbooks, programmes, playbills, print editions, costumes, props, pictures, publicity materials, merchandise, collectibles and theatrical records. The second and third case studies explore the interrelation of theatre, society and history, analysing the impact of significant theatrical events on the world outside the theatre and on the development and practice of theatre itself.
Topics may include, but are not limited to:
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
Students will develop confidence in working with archival objects, both tangible and digital. They will accrue knowledge about past theatre’s role in shaping present theatrical practices and its impact on the society they inhabit. They will improve collaborative working skills and learn how to share responsibilities for a collective project as well as improving their communication skills.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
Whole-cohort lectures and small group seminars. Seminars will include practical experimentation with physical and digital archives, work with objects and museum pieces, discussion groups and text work. Additional learning opportunities include field trips.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Although there are no formal formative assessments, students will learn through doing in seminars. They will also have opportunities for small group and 1-2-1 tutorials before each assessment.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
Small Group Presentation (5 min/student) on an object from Theatre Collection (40%) [ILOs 1,2, 4]
2,000 word essay (individual) (50%) [ILOs 1,3, 4]
Contribution Mark (10%) [ILO 5]
When assessment does not go to plan
When required by the Board of Examiners, you will normally complete reassessments in the same formats as those outlined above. However, the Board reserves the right to modify the form or number of reassessments required. Details of reassessments are normally confirmed by the School shortly after the notification of your results at the end of the academic year.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. THTR20010).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
