1.0 AIMS Focussing on dance performance in a contemporary context, the Programme aims to:

Transcription

1 2. PROGRAMME SPECIFICATION Award : Post-Graduate Diploma in Contemporary Dance Performance Route Performance: Dance Awarding Institution/Body : University of Chichester Teaching Institutions: University of Chichester Programme Accredited by : University of Chichester QAA benchmarking group N/A Validation History Summer 2008 Rationale: This is an 11 month full-time programme. It is designed for students who have an undergraduate degree in dance or have equivalent professional performance/arts experience. It is an intensive year of training and provides performance opportunities to a variety of theatres, arts centres and educational settings. Distinctive Features The Post-Graduate Diploma in Contemporary Dance Performance provides opportunities to: develop technical and expressive dance skills in contemporary, ballet, contact improvisation and Pilates be part of an established, self-sufficient performance company, performing and making work that will tour in a professional context in the UK and abroad enhance future career options by gaining experience of working with professional dance artists and choreographers develop independent practice based performance research work collaboratively both within performance and across the arts and with new media explore a range of teaching and learning strategies and resources for a variety of teaching contexts develop means of documenting performance, teaching and critical writing skills 1.0 AIMS Focussing on dance performance in a contemporary context, the Programme aims to: increase understanding and critical awareness of the complexities of performance, performance contexts and structures in today s cultural context; (FHEQ Level 4) develop a comprehensive understanding of techniques applicable to creative research in order to extend the skills and strategies of the reflective practitioner in the performance profession; (FHEQ Level 4) enable students to view, carry out and articulate their performance practice in the context of current debates concerning arts practice as research; (FHEQ Level 4) encourage and foster the knowledge and skills necessary to challenge and contest boundaries at the forefront of the arts and develop new knowledge and practice; (FHEQ Level 4) provide opportunities to perform, create and tour challenging work in a professional context. 1.1 Intended learning outcomes:- (must be student achievement)

2 On successful completion of this programme students will be able to: Show evidence of development of new skills and techniques pertinent to performance, compositional or research practice at a high level; (FHEQ Level 4) View and reflect critically on their practice in the context of current arts professional and research cultures; (FHEQ Level 4) Contribute to, develop and, where relevant, challenge performance contexts and structures in today s cultural context; (FHEQ Level 4) Demonstrate, evaluate critically and apply current research skills to their practice; (FHEQ Level 4) Apply skills gained, for example, in dance & new technolieies to extend the boundaries and develop new knowledge and practice; (FHEQ Level 4)* Perform and/or create and/or document performance work that demonstrates originality and a critical awareness of current issues in the arts; (FHEQ Level 4) Ability to reflect upon own practise as a performer, choreographer, teacher and practitioner *denotes that this is applicable to certain optional modules not all Subject Knowledge Intellectual/practical skills Show evidence of development of new skills and techniques pertinent to performance, compositional or practical research at a high level; Critically analyse and make informed judgements about current developments in the arts and communicate these to specialist and non-specialist audiences Apply skills gained, for example, in dance & new technologies to extend the boundaries and develop new knowledge and practice* Increase understanding and critical awareness of the complexities of performance, performance contexts and structures in today s cultural context Develop new knowledge and practice through performing and/or making original artworks or developing new artistic strategies/practices and/or through critical analysis and Teaching and learning strategies and methods: Practical performance and research workshops, Laboratories Technique classes Rehearsals where tutors set students short or longer term critical performance research projects with different degrees of tutor input. Presentations about performance practice and research from visiting professional artists and from visiting arts research fellows Lectures designed to inform and stimulate performance study and practical research Tutorials and seminars support the students learning through their own creative research and practice Participation in the company tour involving reflective writing, evaluation and discussions with peers and tutors Assessment A range of coursework submissions including:

3 debate Make and perform art works that demonstrate originality and a critical awareness of current issues in the arts, particularly those associated with interdisciplinarity and the performance industries Individual and group seminar presentations Essays Performance and exhibitions Devising for various teaching situations Compositional devising Transferable Skills: the development of creativity and imagination, problem solving, the development of new knowledge/practice, time management, research project definition and planning, creating arts databases and bibliographic skills and presentation, communication and debating, IT skills including digital documentation of performance work and development of a website, group work including leadership and team membership, analytical skills and critical evaluation. Professional/attributes Teaching and learning strategies and methods Assessment: A range of coursework submissions including: individual and group seminar presentations. essays performances and exhibitions devising for various teaching situations compositional devising Teaching and learning strategies and methods Only where professional awards are Assessment

4 being made (i.e.) not employment skills). N/A 1.2 Quality indicators The quality of this programme is monitored by the following methods: principles regarding monitoring and evaluation. All modules include evaluations during the course of their delivery through constant tutor student dialogue, and at the end of their delivery. Students are issued with anonymous module evaluation forms to fill and discussions are held between student groups and tutors concerning the strengths and weaknesses of the module and suggestions for improvement. Module evaluations include an element of lecturer performance assessment for developmental purposes to comply with University of Chichester Learning and Teaching Strategy. The route complies with the University of Chichester Postgraduate Award Scheme Teaching strategy. At the start of each module, module co-ordinators communicate to new groups the changes that have been made as a result of evaluation. Route Boards play a key role in evaluating the route as a whole. They receive, comment on and amend where necessary the summary of analyses of student evaluations prepared by the Route Co-ordinator, which is then submitted for annual monitoring purposes. This mechanism ensures that matters that cannot be resolved at module or route level are dealt with by the relevant sections of University of Chichester The external examiner samples student work for each module and moderates grades awarded in line with national standards for M level work. S/he makes regular visits(at least 2 per annum) to see student work, discuss course content, student progress, satisfaction, recruitment and operation of the route with staff and students and s/he reports back annually through the external exam board and an individual report submitted to the Academic Standards Unit. 1.3 Admission Requirements

5 The admissions policy adheres to the University of Chichester Postgraduate Scheme rules and regulations in that applicants should be in possession of a good undergraduate degree in performance or a related area or have the equivalent in terms of professional performance experience and achievements. Interviews and auditions are mandatory in order to assess applicants suitability and practical skills. Normally applicants will be expected to have a 2:2 degree classification or above. In accordance with the postgraduate awards scheme applicants with appropriate accredited prior experience and learning (APEL) or with advanced standing will be admitted in line with the scheme rules and regulations. 1.4 Award requirements (includes interim awards) In line with the Postgraduate Awards Scheme students will obtain the following awards: - the postgraduate certificate (60 C.A.T.S. points) on successful completion of modules equivalent to 60 credits, which will constitute a coherent programme of studies embracing 600 hours of work at M level; - the postgraduate diploma (120 C.A.T.S. points) on successful completion of the certificate and further module(s), to make up 120 credits; 3. AIMS Focussing on dance performance in a contemporary context, the Programme aims to: increase understanding and critical awareness of the complexities of performance, performance contexts and structures in today s cultural context; develop a comprehensive understanding of techniques applicable to research in order to extend the skills and strategies of the reflective practitioner in the performance profession; enable students to view, carry out and articulate their performance practice in the context of current debates concerning arts practice as research; encourage and foster the knowledge and skills necessary to challenge and contest boundaries at the forefront of the arts and develop new knowledge and practice; provide opportunities to perform, create and tour challenging work in a professional context. 4. LEARNING OUTCOMES On successful completion of this programme students will be able to: show evidence of development of new skills and techniques pertinent to performance, compositional or research practice at a high level; view and reflect critically on their practice in the context of current arts professional and research cultures; contribute to, develop and, where relevant, challenge performance contexts and structures in today s cultural context;

6 demonstrate, evaluate critically and apply current research skills to their practice; through self-directed application of knowledge gained of, for example, new technologies, challenge and contest boundaries at the forefront of the arts and develop new knowledge and practice; perform and/or create and/or document performance work that demonstrates originality and a critical awareness of current issues in the arts. Ability to reflect upon own practise as a performer, choreographer, teacher and practitioner. 5. ADMISSIONS The admission of students to this programme is detailed in the University of Chichester Academic Regulations (2008) and section 4 of The Postgraduate Award Scheme. The admissions policy adheres to the University of Chichester Postgraduate Award Scheme rules and regulations in that applicants should be in possession of a good undergraduate degree in dance(normally a 2:2 or above) or a related area of performance or have the equivalent in terms of professional performance experience and achievements. Auditions & interviews are compulsory in order to assess applicants suitability for the degree particularly their practical skills. In accordance with the Postgraduate Award Scheme applicants with appropriate accredited prior experience and learning (APEL) or with advanced standing will be admitted in line with the scheme rules and regulations. Students whose first language is not English will be expected to produce evidence of their fluency and literacy at the level of 6.5 in the International Linguists qualifications. Typical candidates will either be undergraduates with good honours degrees in performance or combined arts, or practising dance artists, teachers or community dance workers with a performance degree, other arts qualification or relevant professional dance or performance experience.