Modules

• Year 1

  Core Modules

  Editing for Film and Television (20 credits)

  ×

  Editing for Film and Television

  Overview

  An introduction to the fundamental principles of film editing and critical approaches to montage. The course seeks to give students the necessary core skills to develop both their technical ability in non-linear editing and in tandem their critical approach to theorising film practice. On completion of the module the student will have achieved intermediate competence in digital postproduction techniques and in critical approaches to picture and story editing for film and television. The course provides a springboard for more advanced practical projects in subsequent years. The module seeks to deepen students’ appreciation of the critical context of their work. Students can explore film theory creatively; demonstrating how conceptual language can help them classify and clarify the production workflow and offer a greater understanding on how certain effects/meanings are generated by their practice.

  Learning Outcomes

  By the end of this module students should be able to:
  
  1. Demonstrate a fluency in the terminology/parlance of film post production and an ability to use a range of specialised communication skills in support of established practices within film and video production
  
  2. Engage critically and practically with approaches to editing/montage and their effect on ‘meaning’.
  
  3. Produce work that demonstrates a strong working knowledge of editing techniques for film and television.
  
  4. Demonstrate the intelligent creation, manipulation and theorisation of the moving image.
  
  5. Work in a flexible, creative and independent environment, showing self-discipline, self-direction, good communication and good team working skills.
  
  6. Demonstrate intermediate knowledge of post production workflows and digital file handling using Final Cut Pro or Avid Media Composer.
  
  7. Be ready to take Apple certified professional end user exam FCP101 to become an Apple Certified Professional user of Final Cut Pro.

  Skills

  Significant new skills students’ will acquire include:
  
  1. Proficiency at nonlinear film and television editing
  
  2. Intermediate knowledge of codecs, acquisition formats and broadcast delivery
  
  3. A greater understanding of the parlance used for film production
  
  4. Familiarisation with multiplatform delivery of visual content; Web, BlueRay DVD,
  
  5. An enhanced critical understanding of montage and film editing

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Stage/Level

  1

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  FLM1007

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Core

  Theatre Now: Contemporary Performance (20 credits)

  ×

  Theatre Now: Contemporary Performance

  Overview

  This module offers Level 1 Students an introduction to major contemporary theatre practices and is intended to dovetail with the students’ work on DRA1001. The course will explore emerging and challenging strands of theory and practice from the early Twentieth Century to present day. Themes include Poststructuralist discourse, Gender and Queer Theory, Installation as Theatre and Hyperreality.
  
  Teaching delivery:
  - asynchronous lectures through powerpoint or voice thread with comment function
  - combination of asynchronous screenings and synchronous screenings, synchronous responses to screenings in live chat or online teams class
  - essay writing tutorials x4 delivered synchronously in weeks 4, 5, 6, 7
  - small group seminars in person, recorded/broadcast for students who cannot be present

  Learning Outcomes

  Describing, theorising, interpreting and evaluating performance texts and events from a range of critical perspectives
  
  Reading the performance possibilities implied by a script, score and other textual or documentary sources.
  
  The capacity to analyse and critically examine diverse forms of performative discourse and their effects on representation in the arts, media and public life
  
  Information retrieval skills, involving the ability to gather, sift, synthesise and organise material independently and critically evaluate its significance.

  Skills

  Critical evaluation, Research-led inquiry, Writing Skills, Teamwork

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Stage/Level

  1

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  DRA1005

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Core

  Introduction to Theatre: The Material Stage (20 credits)

  ×

  Introduction to Theatre: The Material Stage

  Overview

  This module is about theatre and performance as live events taking place on the material stage. This module will examine theatre and live performance by drawing on a wide historical and geographical range of theatre practices: from ancient Greece to the contemporary stage; from Ireland to South Africa and Japan. You will explore several key themes concerned with theatre’s role and relation to myth, ritual, conflict, memory, space and the body. Where relevant you will also attend a number of live performance which will be part of the curriculum.

  Learning Outcomes

  Having completed this module, you should:
  • be able to interpret and analyse theatre events as a complex matrix of relationships between texts, participants (spectators, performers), spaces, and the material, historical and cultural contexts of their production and reception.
  • be able to identify and interpret the cultural frameworks that surround performance events, and with which these events engage and interact.
  • be able to analyse, evaluate and interpret theatre and performance from a range of critical perspectives using a variety of theoretical frameworks.
  • have developed critical, analytical and written skills through the submission of assignments.
  • have developed essay writing skills and deepened their understanding of how written work is assessed.

  Skills

  Textual analysis; application of theory to practice in theatre-making; essay-writing skills.

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Stage/Level

  1

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  DRA1001

  Teaching Period

  Full Year

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Core

  Introduction to Film Practice (20 credits)

  ×

  Introduction to Film Practice

  Overview

  A 12 week introduction to the fundamental principles of film practice. The course seeks to follow the contours of the film production cycle from development, through pre-production, to production/shooting and post-production/editing. Students acquire, via workshop and studio activity, a range of basic skills appropriate to each stage in the production process.

  Learning Outcomes

  On completion of this modules students will:
  have a critical understanding of the basic language and form of film production\have acquired expertise in a key set of film production skills\become familiar with a range of film production equipment\have developed a familiarity with a range of filmic genres and approaches and their respective conventions.

  Skills

  Instruction will be provided in the following key skill areas:
  basic cinematography\basic editing (Final Cut Pro)\basic scripting, story boarding and mise-en-scene.\basic sound recording techniques (on location)\basic lighting for location

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Stage/Level

  1

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  FLM1004

  Teaching Period

  Autumn

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Core

  Introduction to Film Studies 1 (20 credits)

  ×

  Introduction to Film Studies 1

  Overview

  The module will introduce students to the principles of film form, narrative, styles and methodologies of film criticism. It will concentrate on American and British cinema and the examples drawn from these two very different cinematic industries will help increase and broaden knowledge of film and cinema, audiences and industries.

  Learning Outcomes

  The objectives of the module are to introduce students to key ideas and approaches in film history and criticism.

  Skills

  Reading, film analysis.

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Stage/Level

  1

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  FLM1001

  Teaching Period

  Autumn

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Core

  Optional Modules

  Production Practices (20 credits)

  ×

  Production Practices

  Overview

  Production Practices is a core module designed to provide single-honours Drama students with an appropriate degree of expertise in the use of various technical apparatus necessary to realise the demands of production in live performance and/or recorded media.

  Learning Outcomes

  Having completed this module students should:
  
  Have achieved an appropriate degree of expertise in the use of various technical apparatus necessary to realise the demands of production in live performance and/or recorded media;
  Be able to engage creatively and critically with the skills and processes of production, design and rehearsal by which performance is created, and have an ability to select, refine and present these in performance;
  Be able to work creatively and imaginatively in a group and to have developed the creative skills needed for the realisation of practice based work.

  Skills

  Technical skills pertinent to the production of a live performance and/or recorded media.

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Stage/Level

  1

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  DRA1006

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Introduction to Acting for Stage and Screen (20 credits)

  ×

  Introduction to Acting for Stage and Screen

  Overview

  This module will build on performance and production skills in the context of a performance project.

  Learning Outcomes

  To enhance practical theatre skills and further deepen student awareness of the processes of production and techniques of performance.

  Skills

  Application of theory to practice; collaborative skills, critical analysis of performance (self and others).

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Stage/Level

  1

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  DRA1004

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

• Year 2

  Core Modules

  Fiction Film Practice (20 credits)

  ×

  Fiction Film Practice

  Overview

  This module consolidates and extends students’ practical filmmaking skills by focusing on the development, production and post-production of a short fiction film. Through a series of lectures and workshops students will explore the practice and discourse of narrative filmmaking and how to work with actors to create story meaning. Key roles in the production process will be examined throughout and students’ knowledge of the craft of these roles will be strengthened. These roles include producing, cinematography, sound recording, production design and editing. This course of study culminates in the production of a short fiction film where students follow the industry path of writing, directing and post-producing in a collaborative team. Furthermore, through the study of cognate work and production theory, students will learn to reflect on their creative practice and articulate this work in the context of contemporary film practices.

  Learning Outcomes

  1. Apply an understanding of how fiction films create meaning in your own film practice. [Assignments 1 and 2]
  2. Evaluate the impact of drama directing strategies and techniques employed in the professional film production process. [Assignment 2]
  3. Employ aspects of the conventions of narrative storytelling techniques in a short fiction film. [Assignment 1]
  4. Work effectively and cooperatively as a part of a production group. [Assignments 1 and 2]
  5. Employ intellectual enquiry and debate through practice-based collaboration with fellow students, academics and professional practitioners. [Assignments 1 and 2]
  6. Undertake a range of production tasks in small groups to enhance your appreciation of good communication in the production environment and improve interpersonal skills and group communication in the context of filming on location. [Assignment 1]

  Skills

  1. Ability to cast, rehearse and work successfully on set with actors.
  2. A greater understanding of the technicalities of film production.
  3. Fluency in the terminology of film production.
  4. Ability to consider how performance style and acting choices feed into the narrative weight and meaning of a film.
  5. Ability to employ aspects of the theory of drama directing to enhance narrative meaning and the emotional and narrative quality of the resulting film.
  6. Ability to consider aesthetic qualities of film through the prism of the production processes and decisions behind them, and being able to critically evaluate the narrative, emotional and stylistic value of the production processes as individual elements and as a whole.

  Coursework

  40%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  60%

  Stage/Level

  2

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  FLM2032

  Teaching Period

  Autumn

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Core

  Optional Modules

  Radio Drama (20 credits)

  ×

  Radio Drama

  Overview

  An introduction to the theory and practice of directing, writing and performing for radio and podcasting. Seminars will introduce key theoretical and practical principles linked to selected case studies. Students will apply these skills in their own short radio dramas as writers, script editors, SFX Spot/Foley Operators, directors or actors. We will work closely with students on the Broadcast production degree on the technical aspects of this module. The module is open to students on all drama and Broadcast Production programmes and on the Creative Writing programme in the Seamus Heaney Centre.

  Learning Outcomes

  Having completed this module students should:
  Have an understanding of the distinctive demands of acting, writing and directing for radio
  Have a critical appreciation of radio drama as a genre and be familiar with a range of relevant examples

  Skills

  Oral communication, team-working and specialist technical skills.

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Stage/Level

  2

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  DRA2014

  Teaching Period

  Autumn

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Popular Genres (20 credits)

  ×

  Popular Genres

  Overview

  This module presents key theories and concepts in the study and analysis of popular genres in the media. Students will examine a range of factual and fictional genres, interrogating the ways that they have been defined, interpreted and used by producers, broadcasters and distributors, audiences and academics.
  
  This will support students in developing their skills in analysing media productions, as well as when taking genre into consideration for their own practical work in other modules.

  Learning Outcomes

  On completing this module, students should be able to:
  • Identify popular genres
  • Understand and apply the basic concepts of genre analysis
  • Understand key interpretations of popular broadcast genres
  • Assess, interrogate and challenge such interpretations in relation to specific texts and / or groups of texts
  • Analyse broadcast texts through the lens of genre theory

  Skills

  • Textual analysis of audio-visual material.
  • Applying critical concepts to texts.
  • Critiquing critical concepts.
  • Oral communication and argumentation (seminars).
  • Written communication (assessed work).
  • Time management.
  • Independent research.
  • Group work (seminars).

  Coursework

  80%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  20%

  Stage/Level

  2

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  BCP2004

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Broadcast Journalism (20 credits)

  ×

  Broadcast Journalism

  Overview

  This course aims to introduce students to the theories around producing broadcast factual and documentary stories, both for television and radio. It will build on the practical skills students have already acquired and will allow those interested in specialising in factual, documentary and journalism to incorporate factual and documentary values, approaches, story and editorial decision-making into their work at every level. It will examine the differences between styles and genres and commercial and public service broadcasters. It will introduce students to the law and broadcasting codes as they apply to factual and documentary programme making. The practical skills will give students a deeper ability to research, develop, write and create structured and creative factual and documentary stories for TV and radio.

  Learning Outcomes

  At the end of this module students will be able to identify what makes successful factual or documentary content for broadcast and identify a target audience for their piece. They will demonstrate how to write for broadcast, and how to combine a script, sound clips, effects, and/or moving images into their story effectively. They will show a competence in audio and video recording, story for broadcast and project management from concept to final delivery.

  Skills

  Devise, research, write and produce a factual or documentary story for TV or radio.
  
  Includes: Carrying out a broadcast interview; recording with audio or video recording equipment; writing for broadcast; structuring a factual or documentary story for broadcast; audio and or video editing; reflecting on your own work.

  Coursework

  20%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  80%

  Stage/Level

  2

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  BCP2001

  Teaching Period

  Autumn

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Creative Enterprise in Film and Digital Media (20 credits)

  ×

  Creative Enterprise in Film and Digital Media

  Overview

  The Creative Industries are an increasingly important contributor to not only the Northern Irish cultural and economic landscape, but the global economy more generally. This interdisciplinary, school wide module introduces you to the practicalities of engaging with creative enterprise and developing ‘real world’ transferrable skills by taking you through the process of creating, running and growing a creative company. Aligned with the QUB Innovation Centre Project and Enterprise SU, it draws on the Qubis Customer Discovery Methodology to help you to identify potential customers, partners and mentors industry, and build your business model around conversations with them. It also provides you with the skills to undertake a critical evaluation of the Creative Industries in the UK and Ireland.
  
  
  The module will be taught through seminars, workshops and field work. Students create their own business idea in groups and undergo a Customer Discovery process which involves conversations with people who are key to their creative business area. Further to this, students produce a business portfolio, develop a group pitch, and written or video essay as part of their module assessment. 
  
  Indicative Syllabus:
  
  1. Creating a USP and business plan
  2. Understanding your place in the market
  3. Incorporating a business with Companies House
  4. Drafting shareholders agreements
  5. Budgeting, cashflows and accounts
  6. Hiring and managing staff
  7. Creating storyboards, proposals, scripts and prototypes with a development team
  8. Applying for start up and growth funding
  9. Pitching for business in the creative industries
  10. Selling or winding up a company

  Learning Outcomes

  On Completion of this module, the learner will be able to:
  
  1. Identify, analyse and evaluate the landscape of creative companies in the UK and Ireland including TV and film production companies, virtual and augmented reality production companies and digital agencies;
  
  2. Compare and contrast the functionality of different industry departments and how they interact to enable the production of film slates characteristics of the various technologies underpinning these changes;
  
  3. Demonstrate methodologies for applying creative enterprise knowledge to develop their career and make independent films;
  
  4. Conceptualise and pitch ideas, and understand the business side of film, TV and digital production;
  
  5. Distinguish between the various roles within a film, screen and digital media team;
  
  6. Demonstrate enhanced skills in verbal and written communication.

  Skills

  In taking this module, the learner will acquire and enhance their skills in:
  
  1. Networking, team-building and team-working
  2. Entrepreneurship and commercial/business management
  3. Verbal and oral communication and presentation

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Stage/Level

  2

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  FLM2031

  Teaching Period

  Autumn

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Acting for Musical Theatre (20 credits)

  ×

  Acting for Musical Theatre

  Overview

  This module introduces Level 2 undergraduate students to the distinctive challenges of acting for musical theatre: namely, sustaining a character, sustaining relationships between characters, and sustaining the overall dramatic narrative while singing. Through a combination of studio-based practice, rehearsal, performance and critique, students will learn how the core tasks of dramatic acting can be integrated with vocal technique to produce the unique performance genre of musical theatre, In so doing, students will gain practical knowledge of the history of musical theatre and its formal evolution over time. Key works of musical theatre to be studied will likely include West Side Story (Bernstein/Sondheim, Oklahoma (Rodgers/Hammerstein), Guys and Dolls (Loesser) and She Loves Me (Bock/Harnick).

  Learning Outcomes

  • to acquire knowledge of major types of musical theatre across a range of periods and styles (eg, quasi-operatic, naturalistic)
  • to perform scenes and songs from canonical works in the musical theatre repertoire
  • to enhance skills in performance analysis, peer-to-peer discussion, and self-reflection
  • to enhance skills in research-informed theatrical performance

  Skills

  Collaborative and practical work, leadership, team-building, giving formative feedback to peers, responding appropriately and creatively to formative feedback from peers and module convenor, research and analysis, written communication, oral presentation.

  Coursework

  90%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  10%

  Stage/Level

  2

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  DRA2060

  Teaching Period

  Autumn

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Gender, Culture, and Representation – Backwards & in Heels (20 credits)

  ×

  Gender, Culture, and Representation – Backwards & in Heels

  Overview

  This interdisciplinary module introduces students to the central ideas of gender theory and to a wide variety of representations of gender across a range of media, including theatre, performance, literature, visual art, film and television. Using key texts and cultural works students are encouraged to examine critically the representation of gender across media, and the political, legal, and ethical dimensions of gender within our culture. The module involves a critical engagement with the relationship between identity, representation and culture and explores theories concerning the social construction of the masculine and feminine body. The module engages with several key issues, including the representation of femininity and masculinity, gender in the literary and theatrical canon of Western culture, the spatiality and temporality of gender, and its intersections with issues of race/ethnicity, class, and labour. Students will be asked to think about these issues and ideas across disciplines but also within their areas of study through seminars.

  Learning Outcomes

  Having completed this module, you should:
  
  * have engaged with a variety of representations of gender, the body and sexual identities within socio-historical, theoretical and representational frameworks and across multiple forms of media,
  
  * have cultivated an understanding of the theoretical and practical movements that have shaped the construction and representation of gender, sexuality and the body in culture,
  
  * have developed a critical understanding of the relationship between representation and identity.

  Skills

  Having completed this module, you should:
  
  * have developed reflexive thinking and independent critical and analytical skills.
  
  * have developed imaginative and communicative skills based on the application of reading materials to class presentations
  
  * have developed research and writing skills

  Coursework

  60%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  40%

  Stage/Level

  2

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  AEL2001

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Drama and Mental Health (20 credits)

  ×

  Drama and Mental Health

  Overview

  This module will explore the relationship between Drama and mental health regarding the historical development of both subjects and their interrelationship in contemporary healthcare practice. Students will analyse key theories and practices in Drama by variously engaging with both canonical and contemporary plays that engage with mental health and its vicissitudes. Students will be trained in key aspects of acting that pertain to the on-stage performance of the interior life of characters constructed for performance. Students will have the opportunity to work with staff who engage with mental health in various subject areas across QUB and local health and social care trusts. Students will engage with the intersection between aesthetic performance and professional training in health and social care to gain a unique insight into how dramatic art can impact positively on mental health.

  Learning Outcomes

  In completing this module, students should be able to demonstrate, where appropriate, knowledge and understanding in a range of the following areas:
  
  • critical awareness of research methodologies and methods used to investigate Drama and mental health;
  • a range of key components of performance within Drama to include: ideational sources, body, space, image, sound, text, movement, environment;
  • applications of performance in educational, community and social contexts and pedagogical perspectives as appropriate to Drama education;
  • the use of group processes in the creation of work including working collectively, co-creation and hierarchical and non-hierarchical structures;
  • the interdisciplinary elements of drama and how to apply appropriate knowledge, concepts and skills from other disciplines.

  Skills

  Students will be able to demonstrate the following:
  
  • engaging in performance and production, based on acquisition and understanding of appropriate performance and production vocabularies, skills, structures, working methods and research paradigms;
  • describing, theorising, interpreting and evaluating performance texts and events from a range of critical and technical perspectives and using appropriate subject-specific vocabularies;
  • analysing the role which drama may play in contributing to debates on mental health;
  • questioning the ethical implications and appropriateness of performance work to ensure activities are undertaken in safe and supported environments for specific audiences and participants.
  
  Students will have the ability to:
  
  • work in planned and improvisatory ways, to anticipate and accommodate change, ambiguity, creative risk-taking, uncertainty and unfamiliarity;
  • operate and think reflexively, creatively, critically and technically to develop ideas and construct arguments;
  • effectively lead, facilitate, participate, and problem solve within team working contexts;
  • recognise situational and interpersonal factors and how these can be effectively accommodated to facilitate productive working relationships;
  • articulate ideas and communicate information comprehensibly in visual, physical, oral and textual forms;
  • critically use information retrieval skills, involving the ability to gather, sift, manipulate, synthesise, evaluate and organise material.

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Stage/Level

  2

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  DRA2064

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Non-Fiction Film Practice (20 credits)

  ×

  Non-Fiction Film Practice

  Overview

  Students will explore documentary methods and structures though practical exercises, film analyses, and film production so as to develop a systematic knowledge of production within the non-fiction genre. They will engage in analysis of selected documentary practices and outputs and gain a comprehensive overview of key concepts in non-fiction production, in particular narrative, address, point of view, and montage through discussion and making. Advanced skills in research, planning, scripting, shooting and editing will be applied to self-initiated projects.

  Learning Outcomes

  Having completed this module students should:
  
  • understand practices of non-fiction film production in relation to their social, cultural, economic, political and technological contexts;
  
  • reflect critically on the uses of relevant production techniques in the use of image and sound in non-fiction film production;
  
  • employ models of analysis in order to consider, discuss, and evaluate contemporary documentary films and their significance
  
  learn new production skills and apply these in group collaboration.

  Skills

  Research and analytical skills in creative practice
  
  Communication and presentation
  
  Combining methodologies from film practice with its institutional, intellectual, and societal contexts

  Coursework

  40%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  60%

  Stage/Level

  2

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  FLM2028

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  Yes

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Acting Shakespeare (20 credits)

  ×

  Acting Shakespeare

  Overview

  This module focuses on Shakespearean drama as a theatrical script: that is, words intended to be spoken in performance before an audience and not as dramatic poetry to be read or studied as such. In both its workshop format and its critical writing assignment, this module is centred on Shakespeare in performance.

  Learning Outcomes

  Learning outcomes for this module include: knowledge of the key components of Shakespearean performance and the processes by which it is created and realised; an understanding of how to read Shakespearean texts and how transitions from page to stage may be effected; the ability to contribute to the creation of Shakespearean performance through an understanding of appropriate performance vocabularies, techniques, crafts, structures and working methods; the ability to engage in appropriate independent research, whether investigating past or present Shakespearean performances or as part of the process of creating new performance.

  Skills

  To aid closer reading of both text and performance; to aid interpretive abilities; to encourage creative interpretations in the student; to aid directorial and performance abilities.

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Stage/Level

  2

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  DRA2022

  Teaching Period

  Autumn

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  The Art of the Actor (20 credits)

  ×

  The Art of the Actor

  Overview

  This module aims to build on foundational skills developed at Level 1, placing these within the wider context of performance and theatre production. Lectures and workshops will be themed around a menu of key skill areas and students will select from these according to their specialist interests. The module will provide an understanding of the evolution of the philosophy and practice of actor training in terms of the cardinal figures in the field.

  Learning Outcomes

  During the course of this module you will develop an understanding of the theory and practice of selected modern acting techniques and an overview of approaches to acting from Stanislavsky and Meisner. You will also explore a practical interaction with another actor in performance.

  Skills

  You should have developed your teamworking, communication and problem-solving skills to a high level.

  Coursework

  50%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  50%

  Stage/Level

  2

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  DRA2003

  Teaching Period

  Autumn

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Modernis Theatre (20 credits)

  ×

  Modernis Theatre

  Overview

  Engagement with a range of theatre movements including: Naturalism; Realism; Symbolism; Expressionism; Futurism; Epic Theatre; Surrealism; Dada; Existentialist Theatre; Theatre of the Absurd. Engagement with the work of philosophers and practitioners of the theatre including: Ibsen; Chekhov; Stanislavski; Strindberg; Büchner; Brecht; Marinetti; Apollinaire; Camus; Ionesco.

  Learning Outcomes

  Creative and imaginative skills as shown through the realisation of practical research projects. Communication in a variety of oral, written, visual and performance media. Developing ideas and constructing arguments and the capacity to present them in appropriate ways. Understanding of group dynamics and an ability to implement them in practical contexts.

  Skills

  The capacity to analyse and critically examine diverse forms of performative discourse and their effects on representation in the arts, media and public life. Information retrieval skills, involving the ability to gather, sift, synthesise and organise material independently and critically evaluate its significance.

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Stage/Level

  2

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Drama 3: Renaissance to Romanticism (20 credits)

  ×

  Drama 3: Renaissance to Romanticism

  Overview

  Forming the third of a planned five-part Drama survey curriculum exploring the breadth of theatrical history and theory as well as dramatic literature, Drama 3 will explore the development of theatre in its most formative stage. Students will discover some of the most significant movements and figures in theatre history, including the Commedia dell'Arte, Shakespeare, the Spanish Golden Age, French Neoclassicism, and Romanticism, among others. The course will demonstrate the myriad links between theatrical practices developed between the 16th and 19th centuries and the means by which we continue to make theatre today.

  Learning Outcomes

  Having completed this module you should have a deep understanding of the events in world and theatrical history that come to shape the theatre as an institution. You should learn how Shakespeare becomes a central figure in world theatre both through his plays and as a tool of theoretical debates. In addition, you should gain an understanding of the transitions of the 19th century and how they lead the way to the modernist theatre that is the subject of the next class in the progression.

  Skills

  Critical and analytical learning, research skills, interpersonal skills, project work.

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Stage/Level

  2

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  DRA2001

  Teaching Period

  Autumn

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Documentary Film Studies (20 credits)

  ×

  Documentary Film Studies

  Overview

  The module examines key critical issues in so-called “non-fiction” filmmaking. Many major filmmakers, periods and movements which have come to constitute the documentary tradition as we know it today will be identified, and discussed, examining how the formation of the various modes of documentary filmmaking are partly historical but more importantly, conceptual. In particular, the module will interrogate the commonplace notion of documentary as a specific kind of film preoccupied with truth and social reality. And yet, every representation has within it elements of the subjective, the fantastic, the unconscious and the imaginary just as every fiction has elements of the document within it. The module will study films that play at the border of fiction and non-fiction rather than assume a distinct category like ‘documentary’ to be elaborated.

  Learning Outcomes

  1. Advanced skills in the critical analysis of documentary forms, genres and contexts
  2. An understanding of critical approaches to the study of documentary film, particularly in relation to the role of documentary in other artistic practices;
  3. An understanding of the interplay between notions of fiction and documentary;
  4. An understanding of the visual, audio and verbal conventions through which images, sounds and words make meaning;
  5. Advanced skills in written, oral and visual communication.

  Skills

  Organising and synthesising of a range of formal and historical materials

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Stage/Level

  2

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  FLM2012

  Teaching Period

  Autumn

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  World Cinema (20 credits)

  ×

  World Cinema

  Overview

  This module will introduce and explore a number of films drawn from a range of global production contexts, in particular those outside of Europe and North America. Students will consider films in relation to theoretical issues of national identity, ethnicity, globalisation and hybridity, alongside more pragmatic issues of production, distribution and exhibition. Films studied may include examples from Brazil, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Senegal, Algeria, and Israel/Palestine.

  Learning Outcomes

  Upon successful completion of the module, students should be able to demonstrate:
  
  1) a broad knowledge of a range of film production contexts outside of Europe and North America
  
  2) an understanding of the various critical and theoretical approaches to world cinema/s
  
  3) an understanding of the relationships between cinema, identity, and globalisation
  
  4) the ability to analyse and evaluate films produced outside of Europe and North America

  Skills

  1) Critical thinking skills
  
  2) Analytical skills
  
  3) Skills of rhetoric and argumentation
  
  4) Presentation skills
  
  5) Written, verbal, and visual communication skills

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Stage/Level

  2

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  FLM2013

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Educational Drama (20 credits)

  ×

  Educational Drama

  Overview

  This is a skills based course, which looks at how theatre and drama techniques may be used in an educational setting as both an aesthetic encounter and a learning tool. In experiencing the key techniques of the practice, students will also examine its history as a form and the theoretical principles on which it is based. Students will work in groups to devise and deliver a drama workshop in a real school setting targeted at Primary, Key Stage 3 or GCSE Levels.

  Learning Outcomes

  Students will acquire an understanding of the practice of theatre-in-education in a national and international context
  Students will acquire a basic competency in the practices and techniques of theatre-in-education
  Students will acquire an understanding of the history and techniques of process drama.
  Students will acquire a basic competency in some of the techniques used in process drama

  Skills

  Drama Workshop Skills

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Stage/Level

  2

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  DRA2007

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Principles of Business in Arts, Cultural and Creative Industries (20 credits)

  ×

  Principles of Business in Arts, Cultural and Creative Industries

  Overview

  This course is designed for Stage 2 students in all Creative Arts disciplines (Drama, Film & Broadcast, Music & Sonic Arts) to introduce and explore key elements in the ‘business’ of creative work: the planning, management and delivery of cultural and creative projects, events and/or activities. As part of an interdisciplinary class and with elements of independent group work throughout, students will share their knowledge from their own programmes and gain new insights to the crossover of skills and opportunities and the benefits of multidisciplinary teams.
  
  The course runs in two parts. The first half of the course will introduce students to the unique planning and delivery challenges of cultural and creative work with students’ active engagement in observing or putting the theory into real-life practice. In the second half, students will work through one of two options (subject to availability): to work in teams to enhance, deliver and evaluate a programmed event or activity with a cultural business; or to undertake independent field research in the development of an event or activity proposal for a cultural business.
  
  Assessment will be principally based on reflexive journaling and some practical assessment of their participation (the production of a short-form report or plan).
  
  Part 1 will be delivered mainly through classroom lectures, seminars and discussions on the different functions of management and planning in the arts, cultural and creative industries.
  
  Part 2
  Subject to availability in any given year, students will choose one of two strands for Part 2 of the programme. Activities offered in these strands each year will be selected in discussion between Subject Leads of Creative Arts and relevant staff in creative centres on campus, enabling students to access contemporary events and knowledge relevant to their studies.

  Learning Outcomes

  On completion of this course, students are expected to be able to:
  1. Recognise common features and approaches to planning and delivery of arts, cultural and creative activities, events or projects
  2. Express improved understanding of the industry context of their chosen discipline, recognising influences, norms and constraints on creative and cultural business
  3. Articulate how increased understanding of creative business might influence their own creative or industry practice, their future study and professional development.
  4. Understand the collaborative and team-based nature of arts, cultural and creative industries planning and delivery.

  Skills

  The completion of this course will support the following skills:
  • Reflective & reflexive thinking
  • Evaluation and observation
  • Report and/or proposal writing
  • Practical skills in event/project management/planning
  • Teamwork and collaborative working

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Stage/Level

  2

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  SCA2002

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Experimental Practice (20 credits)

  ×

  Experimental Practice

  Overview

  This is a level 2 module exploring creative practice in experimental and alternative forms of film. We will focus on a particular form or forms of experimental filmmaking which may include: the autobiographical or portrait film; the city symphony; and/or the essay film.
  
  The class will help students to produce alternative, personal work that, by demonstating a personal voice or style, will prove a valuable addition to their portfolios. Students will gain skills in cinematography, sound design, and editing.
  
  The class will focus on originating and refining project ideas, developing structure, and creating visual and audio aesthetics for films in these modes, along with exploring critical concepts through creative practice. This will be supported by appropriate technical instruction and some critical-historical exploration of the experimental forms explored.
  
  It is advantageous for students to take FLM2015 Cinema and Modernism, and/or FLM2012 Documentary Film Studies prior to or alongside this class.

  Learning Outcomes

  On successful completion of the module, students should be able to demonstrate:
  1. An increased ability to design creative practice to explore critical concepts.
  2. An increased ability to conceive and control concept, structure and visual/ aural stylistics in alternative production.
  3. A heightened awareness of their own personal approaches, themes, and production style in creative practice.
  4. A critical and historical understanding of the alternative forms of practice featured in the class, including some key figures and concepts involved in each.
  5. An increased understanding of and dexterity with production tools including cameras and editing software.

  Skills

  1. Analytical skills are developed during project development, production, editing, and evaluation. Students must assess the sophistication and coherence of their creative ideas in all of these stages and find appropriate ways to develop them in light of this.
  2. Critical thinking skills are developed through the design of production work to explore or interrogate critical concepts.
  3. Skills of rhetoric and argumentation are developed through the proposal and evaluation, and non-assessed presentations.
  4. Oral communication skills are developed through production process and in the non-assessed presentation
  5. Technical skills in the use of cameras and editing software are developed during the production process and in training workshops
  6. Organisation skills and problem-solving abilities are developed during planning and production periods.

  Coursework

  40%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  60%

  Stage/Level

  2

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  FLM2027

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Film and Sound: History and Theory (20 credits)

  ×

  Film and Sound: History and Theory

  Overview

  This module will explore the relationships between film and sound, examining how the aesthetic, historical and cultural significance of film sound practices have been understood in the context of evolving technologies.

  Learning Outcomes

  By the end of the of module, students should be able to demonstrate:
  1) The ability to undertake the close critical analysis of sound in film.
  2) The ability to link sound practice to sound theory.
  3) An understanding of the ways in which sound technology affects film aesthetics.
  4) An awareness of the social and cultural significance of sound in film.

  Skills

  1) Critical thinking skills
  2) Analytical skills
  3) Skills of rhetoric and argumentation
  4) Presentation skills
  5) Written, verbal, and visual communication skills

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Stage/Level

  2

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  FLM2014

  Teaching Period

  Autumn

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

• Year 3

  Core Modules

  Optional Modules

  Work-based Learning (20 credits)

  ×

  Work-based Learning

  Overview

  This module provides an opportunity for student to utilise disciplinary skills in a work-based environment within the context of reflective practice. Students will negotiate suitable placements in consultation with their academic supervisor and participate in a programme of related classes and events. Simulated work-based projects in which students work in groups with the support of the university’s Enterprise Unit in the Students’ Union are also possible.

  Learning Outcomes

  On completion of this module, students should have:
  Increased ability to relate academic theory to the work environment
  A developed understanding of the organisational culture, policies and processes
  The ability to reflexively and critically evaluate their own learning from the placement
  An appreciation of enterprise and innnovation
  Enhanced career knowledge

  Skills

  Employability skills, including effective communication, teamworking and problem-solving.

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Stage/Level

  3

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  AEL3001

  Teaching Period

  Full Year

  Duration

  24 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Gender and Media (20 credits)

  ×

  Gender and Media

  Overview

  The module aims to introduce students to exploring broadcasting through the lens of gender. Students will analyse the representation of women and women’s lives in fiction, and the extent to which women are represented in factual programming; they will examine the roles women play in the media industries and to what extent women are involved in producing television; and they will analyse how broadcasting serves women. The practical element of the assignment, and practical presentation exercises throughout the module will also allow participants to develop presentation and debating skills.

  Learning Outcomes

  At the end of this module students will be familiar with the issues around the roles women play in the broadcasting industries, the research on inequalities and the campaigns to address those inequalities; they will be able to recognise and analyse gendered programming; they will be able to apply theories around broadcasting and gender to programming examples and deconstruct them; in addition, they will be able to evaluate their own work, and how it can challenge the broadcasting landscape.

  Skills

  Analysis and critical thinking; analysing broadcasting; understanding theories around gender; broadcasting presentation skills; structuring an argument for presentation.

  Coursework

  90%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  10%

  Stage/Level

  3

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  BCP3004

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  The Theatre of Brian Friel (20 credits)

  ×

  The Theatre of Brian Friel

  Overview

  Brian Friel was the most acclaimed playwright from Northern Ireland and one of the most internationally acclaimed playwrights of his generation. Students taking this module will learn how Friel wrote plays that proved to be popular with audiences around the world and gained such approval from leading critics and scholars. In addition, students will gain an understanding of the applications of performance in educational, community and social contexts. Students may also have the opportunity to engage with local hard-to-reach communities with Friel’s work to help them develop personal, social and interactive skills.

  Learning Outcomes

  • Understanding historical, contemporary and international contexts of production, circulation and reception of Friel's plays.
  • Developing ideas and constructing arguments on Friel's plays and the capacity to present them in appropriate ways.
  • Understanding the public and community nature of performance practice, with particular emphasis on collaborative learning and heuristic principles, on 'learning through doing' in group contexts in relation to Friel’s plays and related paratheatrical material
  • Understanding of the applications of performance in educational, community and social contexts and pedagogical perspectives as appropriate to drama
  • Understanding of the use of group processes in the creation of work including, for example, working collectively, ensemble, co-creation and hierarchical and non-hierarchical structures
  • Questioning the ethical implications and appropriateness of performance work to ensure activities are undertaken in safe and supported environments for specific audiences/participants.

  Skills

  • Describing, theorising, interpreting and evaluating performance texts and performance events from a range of critical perspectives;
  • Reading the performance possibilities implied by a script, score and other textual or documentary sources;
  • Realising a script, score and other textual or documentary sources in the engagement with hard-to-reach communities;
  • Planning, facilitating, delivering and evaluating projects that apply drama, participatory and performance subject expertise in social, educational, community and other socially engaged settings
  • Development of creative and imaginative skills as shown through the realisation of practical research projects on Friel's plays.

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Stage/Level

  3

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  DRA3010

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  British Film: Mainstream and Fringe (20 credits)

  ×

  British Film: Mainstream and Fringe

  Overview

  This course will explore British film and cinema by focusing on regional, marginal and minority cinemas of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. As well as examining the visual culture of British and Northern Irish cinema, this module will also examine the industrial contexts and aesthetic strategies of the UK’s regional cinemas. It will engage with such issues as the relationship between national, transnational and regional cultural identities; the representation of and engagement with ethnic minorities and immigrants; and the emergence of alternative ‘regional’ identities among disenfranchised populations.
  
  The module will also explore audience reception, looking at how the national and regional contexts influence popular and critical judgments, as well as at the formal and thematic elements of the films which guide viewer response.
  
  Films studied may include I Know Where I’m Going (Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger, 1945), Blue Scar (Jill Craigie, 1949), A Taste of Honey (Tony Richardson, 1961), Above Us the Earth (Karl Francis, 1977), Local Hero (Bill Forsyth, 1983), The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover (Peter Greenaway, 1989), Orlando (Sally Potter, 1992), Brassed Off (Mark Herman, 1996), Divorcing Jack (David Caffrey, 1997), Orphans (Peter Mullan, 1998), Dirty Pretty Things (Stephen Frears, 2002), In This World (Michael Winterbottom, 2002), Hunger (Steve McQueen, 2008).

  Learning Outcomes

  • To demonstrate advanced skills in the critical analysis of various aspects of film culture
  • To explore notions of film and cinema and how these link to cultural and social change
  • To plan and conduct an original research project which engages with the topics covered on this module and to present written work of a high quality
  • To demonstrate enhanced generic skills in written and oral communication, the process of research, the organisation of material, and the presentation of informed critical arguments that relate to relevant issues and debates.

  Skills

  - skills of analysis and critical engagement
  - advanced level research skills
  - ability to explore conceptual debates
  - specific knowledge of the processes of censorship and regulation

  Coursework

  90%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  10%

  Stage/Level

  3

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  FLM3032

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Solo Performance (20 credits)

  ×

  Solo Performance

  Overview

  This module will explore the history, theory, and practice of the individual performer on stage, in manifestations including storytelling, stand-up comedy, performance art, the confessional (often queer) performances of the 1990s, and various types of fictional performances featuring a sole performer acting against absent interlocutors. Artists examined may include Anton Chekhov, Eugene O’Neill, Marina Abramovic, Holly Hughes, Karen Finley, John Leguizamo, Anna Deavere Smith, Neil Watkins, and many others.
  
  Concurrently, students will be asked to develop and perform their own work, either through the emulation of an historical style, or through the creation of a uniquely personal performance method.
  
  Key issues will include: Poor Theatre, engaging with audiences, creating characters/selves, performing autobiography, monologue theatre, and one-person theatre vs. performance art, among others.

  Learning Outcomes

  Having completed this module, you should:
  
  Understand different forms of performance featuring a single performer throughout history.
  Be able to analyse solo performances of different styles and types.
  Be able to create and perform your own solo performance, either based upon previous styles or as a new invention.
  Be able to help colleagues and fellow students develop and improve their performances (as a director).

  Skills

  Research and analytical skills
  Performance skills
  Communication and speech
  Interacting with others (both in interactions between performer and director, as well as performer and audience)
  Creative writing

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Stage/Level

  3

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  DRA3063

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Media and Time (20 credits)

  ×

  Media and Time

  Overview

  The media are time-based; they have a narrative flow from line to line and scene to scene and episode to episode, with each programme fitting into the wider flow of its schedule or platform, and into the wider schedule of the audience’s day and life. The media are also key mechanisms for communicating ideas and information about history and about potential futures, through fact and fiction. This module explores the ways that the media engage with time, drawing mainly on television and film. This will include the presentation of history and possible futures through both fact and fiction, including consideration of the political and cultural role of history and historical drama. It will include engagement with key concepts such as heritage drama, nostalgia and authenticity. It will also include consideration of the temporal nature of the media themselves, such as in their narrative construction and scheduling, and how that plays into the lives of the audience.

  Learning Outcomes

  By the end of this module, students should be able to:
  
  Analyse media texts in relation to key ideas relating to time, history, memory and nostalgia;
  
  Analyse the social and cultural role of history as related through the media;
  
  Analyse media narratives in relation to their temporal construction.

  Skills

  Students will practice and develop core academic skills of research, analysis and communication through class work, independent research and assessed work.
  
  Analysis and interpretation of media texts in relation to specific theoretical concepts.
  
  Understanding of the social and cultural significance of the representation of history and potential futures in the media.

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Stage/Level

  3

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  BCP3003

  Teaching Period

  Autumn

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Film Culture and Fandom (20 credits)

  ×

  Film Culture and Fandom

  Overview

  This module explores film culture and film fandom. It focuses on the different ways in which film as an object is engaged with, paying attention to ideas of performative film fandom and creative practice fandom such as ‘shipping’ and blogging and amateur filmmaking. It examines practices of film fandom and the importance of film as a cultural object as a site of identification, nostalgia, engagement and exploration. Research practices related to fandom will be examined and ideas of ethics, collation of personal response and the analysis of fan-created material will be explored in detail via the module assessment.
  
  Students will develop their understanding of the practices of film fandom and how film acquires deeper meaning and significance within specific fan cultures. The module will also explore hierarchies of fandom, cult fandoms and specific controversies related to different fan activity such as the gendered responses to recent material, for example the fan created version of The Force Awakens which removes the central female protagonist.
  
  These debates will be grounded within discussions of broader film and taste cultures, and will darw upon relevant analogous debated pertaining to spectatorship and audience behaviour. Sessions could explore participatory fan cultures, hierarchies of fandom, online and offline fan behaviour, cult cinema, cinema and nostalgia and film festivals.

  Learning Outcomes

  1. To gain an understanding of fandom, fan culture and film.
  2. To explore aspects of fan behaviour in relation to broader ideas about film culture.
  3. To demonstrate advanced skills in the critical analysis of various aspects of fan culture
  4. To plan and conduct an original research project which engages with the topics covered on this module, and present written work of a high quality
  5. To demonstrate enhanced generic skills in written and oral communication, the process of research, the organisation of material, and the presentation of informed critical arguments that relate to relevant issues and debates.

  Skills

  1. Skills of analysis and critical engagement
  2. Advanced level research skills
  3. Ability to explore conceptual debates
  4. Specific knowledge of fandom and interactive film culture

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Stage/Level

  3

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  FLM3035

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Participatory performance practices (20 credits)

  ×

  Participatory performance practices

  Overview

  This practice-as-research module will introduce students to the different methods employed by contemporary theatre makers to position the audience as participants in performance. The module provides students with the opportunity to explore the political effects of audience participation, and to examine audience relationship and the use of space, including non-traditional performance spaces.
  
  Examples of methods that will be explored include: site-specific work, audio performance/tours, artivism, digital dances. Consideration will be given to how these participatory methods move us individually, but also socially and collectively.
  In weekly workshops and seminars students will explore these practices through discussion and practical experimentation. Seminar discussions will explore relevant critical and theoretical texts, and consider socio-political, cultural and historical contexts. Workshop group exercises will introduce students to the methodologies of key practitioners and will prepare students for the creation of their own studio-based participatory performance. Workshop discussions will connect relevant critical and theoretical texts to practice and will consider developments in participatory theatre within their socio-political and historical contexts.
  
  In one session, there will be a guest lecture/ workshop by a Northern Ireland-based practitioner.

  Learning Outcomes

  On completion of this module students should have developed:
  
  - an experiential and theoretical comprehension of participatory methodologies
  
  - an awareness of key practitioners that engage with participatory methodologies and the cultural and historical contexts of their work
  
  - the ability to present research in the form of devised participatory performance and both oral and written presentation - the ability to work creatively and imaginatively in a group

  Skills

  - the ability to present research in the form of devised participatory performance and both oral and written presentation
  
  - the ability to work creatively and imaginatively in a group
  
  - the creative skills necessary for the realisation of studio-based work that interweaves theory and practice
  
  - skills of observation and the ability to critically evaluate their own and others’ practice
  
  - visual, aural and spatial awareness

  Coursework

  90%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  10%

  Stage/Level

  3

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  DRA3067

  Teaching Period

  Autumn

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Advanced Musical Theatre (20 credits)

  ×

  Advanced Musical Theatre

  Overview

  Building on the foundational knowledge and core skills gained in DRA2060 (Acting for Musical Theatre), this advanced Level 3 module provides intensive practical and dramaturgical study of a significant musical theatre composer and/or lyricist. Through a combination of studio-based practice, rehearsal, performance and critique, students will gain (i) higher-level skills in acting and staging musical theatre and (ii) proficiency in dramaturgical analysis of musical theatre. Logistics permitting, the module will culminate in a public performance in the Brian Friel Theatre, thereby enabling students to present critically informed practical work outside of a classroom setting. Key works of musical theatre to be studied will likely include those of Stephen Sondheim (e.g., Company, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, Sunday in the Park with George, and Passion).

  Learning Outcomes

  . to acquire deeper dramaturgical knowledge of musical theatre by focusing on the work of a major composer and/or lyricist (e.g., Stephen Sondheim, Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein, Leonard Bernstein).
  . to perform scenes and songs from works by a major composer and/or lyricist (see above)
  . to enhance skills in performance analysis, peer-to-peer discussion, and self-reflection
  . to enhance skills in research-informed theatrical performance

  Skills

  Collaborative and practical work, leadership, team building, giving formative feedback to peers, responding appropriately and creatively to formative feedback from peers and module convenor, research and analysis, written communication, oral presentation.

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Stage/Level

  3

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  DRA3065

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Film and Music: Theory and Criticism (20 credits)

  ×

  Film and Music: Theory and Criticism

  Overview

  This module considers how music and image interact in film, and the social and cultural aspects of these associations. Students will be introduced to a range of key theories, in particular those surrounding music in classical cinema, and will obtain a precise understanding of the ways in which music ‘works’ in film, achieved via the close analysis of a range of filmic texts.
  
  The module also considers ways of discussing film music in non-specialist terms, and as such no formal training in music is required to enrol on this module.

  Learning Outcomes

  Upon successful completion of the module, students should be able to demonstrate:
  
  1) the ability to analyse the associations between music and film in a sophisticated manner
  
  2) a broad understanding of the various critical and theoretical approaches to film music
  
  3) an understanding of scoring practices in film, including how they have developed over time
  
  4) an understanding of the sociological and cultural aspects of film music

  Skills

  1) Critical thinking skills
  
  2) Analytical skills
  
  3) Skills of rhetoric and argumentation
  
  4) Presentation skills
  
  5) Written, verbal, and visual communication skills

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Stage/Level

  3

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  FLM3024

  Teaching Period

  Autumn

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  The Art of Interaction (20 credits)

  ×

  The Art of Interaction

  Overview

  This module aims to provide an understanding of the complexities involved when people interact in challenging situations involving life-changing decisions. The module is delivered in collaboration with healthcare and social care staff and students in QUB and local NHS services. Students will engage with various models of interaction including acting for the stage, the sociology of symbolic interaction, simulation-based education in healthcare and social care, and applied behaviour analysis. Students will learn how to draw upon these different models as they analyse their own performance and that of their peers in Drama and other subject areas as they perform in complex and challenging interactive scenarios. Students will be able to demonstrate leadership as part of their continuous assessment by analysing and providing feedback on the interactive skills of other students. By completing the learning outcomes students will gain a more nuanced understanding of human interaction as it is manifest on stage in theatrical performance and in other professional contexts.
  
  (Convenor: Dr Paul Murphy, p.murphy@qub.ac.uk)

  Learning Outcomes

  Creative and imaginative skills as shown through the realisation of research projects on theatre and social justice.
  Communication in a variety of oral, written, visual and performance media.
  Developing ideas and constructing arguments and the capacity to present them in appropriate ways.
  Understanding of group dynamics and an ability to implement them in research projects.

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Stage/Level

  3

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  DRA3057

  Teaching Period

  Autumn

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Dissertation (20 credits)

  ×

  Dissertation

  Overview

  A dissertation to enable students to pursue a topic in depth and show their understanding of the area in general.

  Learning Outcomes

  Knowledge and understanding of a specialised area of study\n\nability to analyse and compare films and film sequences\n\nability to engage in independent research.

  Skills

  Skills in visual analysis, writing and scholarly presentation. Project planning and general communication skills.

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Stage/Level

  3

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  FLM3010

  Teaching Period

  Full Year

  Duration

  24 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Film Genre Studies (20 credits)

  ×

  Film Genre Studies

  Overview

  A study of the key texts, both written and filmic, regarding the idea of genre in the cinema. Teaching will be by lecture and seminar and assessment by examination and essays.

  Learning Outcomes

  To pursue in depth the general notion of film genres and specific examples of it by a review of the literature and the films relevant to it.

  Skills

  Reading, writing, visual analysis.

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Stage/Level

  3

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  FLM3008

  Teaching Period

  Autumn

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Dissertation (20 credits)

  ×

  Dissertation

  Overview

  General introductory seminars and individual tutorials leading to a dissertation which may be linked to a performance project or existing performance.
  8000 word length (or combination of practical output + 6000 words)

  Learning Outcomes

  To develop research skills (including performance research).

  Skills

  Research skills.

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Stage/Level

  3

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  DRA3025

  Teaching Period

  Full Year

  Duration

  24 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Postconflict Drama: Performing the NI Peace Process (20 credits)

  ×

  Postconflict Drama: Performing the NI Peace Process

  Overview

  This module will investigate the role of the arts, and specifically theatre and performance, in contributing to processes of conflict transformation, the politics of reconciliation, and the modes through which a post-conflict society deals with the past. It will examine different approaches various practitioners and performances have adopted in dealing with the legacies of political violence and it considers how theatre/performance is being used to assimilate traumatic history into public memory.

  Learning Outcomes

  On the completion of this module, students will:
  • have a critical understanding of how theatre/performance engages with questions of memory, history, testimony, witnessing, conflict transformation, commemoration and politics of reconciliation.
  • be able to evaluate how contemporary theatre/performance is responding to – and influencing – the post-conflict experiences of Belfast and beyond.
  • Be able to identify and evaluate different dramaturgical strategies employed by playwrights to deal with the past and the violent legacies of the Troubles.
  • Have improved their critical and intellectual understanding of the relationships between theatre, politics and performance;
  • Have improved their oral communication, time-management and essay writing skills through the submission of an essay abstract and the provision of formative feedback by peers & tutor.

  Skills

  Reflexive and independent thinking; awareness of interdisciplinary approaches to study. Writing of essays, seminar papers, presentations, use of library bibliographies and databases.

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Stage/Level

  3

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  DRA3042

  Teaching Period

  Autumn

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Hollywood Cinema 2 (20 credits)

  ×

  Hollywood Cinema 2

  Overview

  Hollywood Cinema has arguably become the dominant mode of film exhibition, functioning as the yardstick by which other forms of cinema are defined and measured. By overtly considering the spectacularism inherent to Hollywood Cinema in the wake of the Paramount decree of 1948, this module offers a critical overview of its history, production and exhibition processes, aesthetics and key theoretical approaches of contemporary Hollywood Cinema in order to elucidate its spectacular potential. In addition to delineating the notion of spectacle, it explores how cinema has used spectacle since the collapse of the studio system to seduce audiences with the promise of an experience unique to the film theatre.

  Learning Outcomes

  Ability to demonstrate in written and oral form an appropriate level of critical engagement with the institutional history and aesthetic tendencies of post-war American cinema;
  
  Ability to apply appropriate historical understanding and critical approaches in the analysis of specific films and their social and economic contexts
  
  Demonstrate an understanding of how contemporary Hollywood Cinema positions itself as a spectacular form of entertainment.

  Skills

  Skills in the written and oral presentation of analytical study of images, sounds and written word, working in a flexible, creative and independent way, showing self-discipline and organisational competence (time-management, etc.), relating general historical issues and theoretical debates to other related issues and debates.

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Stage/Level

  3

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  FLM3019

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Advanced Theatre Practice (20 credits)

  ×

  Advanced Theatre Practice

  Overview

  To hone student skillsets in one of three distinct strands: Acting, Directing and Production Skills.

  Learning Outcomes

  Having completed this module you should have:
  1. Significant command of fundamental skills in and approaches to acting, directing or production.
  2. An understanding of the rigours and commitment required in mounting a full production.

  Skills

  1. Have a developed command of at least one key production or performance skillset and an understanding of related skillsets.
  2. Have developed your team-working and problem solving skills.
  3. Have developed your capacity for reflective review.

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Stage/Level

  3

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  DRA3005

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Beckett in Performance (20 credits)

  ×

  Beckett in Performance

  Overview

  As a director of his own work as well as one of the twentieth century's most innovative playwrights, Samuel Beckett has had a major impact on theatre and performance of the last fifty years. This module will explore Beckett's theatre for stage, radio and television, concentrating on his use of each medium, and in particular, the body in performance. In workshop and presentation sessions, students will explore practically Beckett's approach to performance, informed by a range of theoretical issues relating to gender, authority, technology and the body.

  Learning Outcomes

  Students will acquire a detailed, contextualised knowledge of the work of one of the most influential playwrights and theatre practioners of the twentieth century, and will develop both their theoretical and practical understanding of gender and the body in performance.

  Skills

  Research and analytic skills. Communication, team work and interpersonal skills.

  Coursework

  60%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  40%

  Stage/Level

  3

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  DRA3050

  Teaching Period

  Autumn

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Advanced Film Practice 2 (40 credits)

  ×

  Advanced Film Practice 2

  Overview

  Production of final year film piece.

  Learning Outcomes

  On completion of the module the student will have experience of crewing a short documenary film from development through to completion.

  Skills

  On completion of the module the student will have experience of crewing a short fiction or documentary film from development through to completion.

  Coursework

  60%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  40%

  Stage/Level

  3

  Credits

  40

  Module Code

  FLM3011

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Advanced Film Practice 1 (20 credits)

  ×

  Advanced Film Practice 1

  Overview

  An examination of film project development exploring the generation and researching of film ideas from initial concept through to script development and testing of creative approaches.

  Learning Outcomes

  Reading, writing, visual analysis, image/sound/filmmaking, interpersonal skills and experience of new technologies.

  Skills

  On completion of this module students will:
  
  1. Have advanced their interpersonal skills through groupwork
  
  2. Advanced their film production skills including experiencing new technologies
  
  3. Increased their understanding of how film projects develop and the various tasks involved in the pre-production stage
  
  4. Advanced their ability to write a range of key production documents (such as treatments, scripts, talent and location release and ethics forms)

  Coursework

  60%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  40%

  Stage/Level

  3

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  FLM3001

  Teaching Period

  Autumn

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional