Course Catalogue

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In this course students receive hands-on training in the core fields of dramaturgical practice which includes: production dramaturgy, creative programming and performance curation; the arrangement and contextualisation of performance works for public presentation. Students are introduced to key figures and debates in the development of the role of the dramaturg / performance curator while advancing their own practice through creative exercises and skills workshops. To enhance their understanding of the importance of context in their work, students will explore the existing dramaturgical practices of theatres in Scotland.

10 x 3-hour workshops over 10 weeks, as scheduled in MyCampus.

Available to all students fulfilling requirements for Honours entry into Theatre Studies, and by arrangement to visiting students or students of other Honours programmes who qualify under the University's 25% regulation

None.

None.

Group Workshop Performance, 30 minutes duration - 45%

Casebook (1250 words) - 15%

Essay (2,500 words) - 40%

Reassessments are normally available for all courses, except those which contribute to the Honours classification. Where, exceptionally, reassessment on Honours courses is required to satisfy professional/accreditation requirements, only the overall course grade achieved at the first attempt will contribute to the Honours classification. For non-Honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for the overall course is not achieved at the first attempt. This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions for this course are described below. 

This course aims to:  

■ introduce students to the professional practices and critical contexts of dramaturgy. 

■ develop the intellectual, practical and professional skills necessary for successful dramaturgical work on both a production and institutional level in preparation for a career in the creative industries.  

■ enhance students' understanding of the theatre ecology of Scotland as a central case study and to enable them to respond inventively and critically to its needs. 

■ provide students with a range of techniques for developing dramaturgical concepts (which includes season programming and festival curation) in order to present these in a pitch/workshop presentation format. 

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ recognise, evaluate and utilise a range of creative practices and theoretical debates in the role of dramaturg and curator. 

■ explain, reflect on and critique their own dramaturgical/curatorial practice in relation to a range of historical and contemporary approaches to professional dramaturgy as well as the needs of a specific, defined context.

■ identify and discuss the social, political and ethical goals underpinning particular forms of dramaturgical work.

■ present their ideas creatively, coherently and persuasively in oral and written form, following established scholarly conventions as appropriate. 

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.