University of Plymouth

Faculty of Arts and Humanities School of Humanities and Performing Arts

Programme Specification

BA (Hons) Directing

Definitive Document Approved: 25.6.18

Implementation Date: September 2019

Amended by Minor Change: 4.2.19 & 3.4.19

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1. BA (Hons) Directing

BA (Hons) Directing (360 credits)

UCAS code JACS code: W420

2. Awarding Institution: University of Plymouth

Teaching institution(s): University of Plymouth 3. Accrediting body(ies)

No accrediting bodies exist for directing degrees in the United Kingdom. 4. Distinctive Features of the Programme and the Student Experience

• Professional Theatre Company Model o The combined modules across THPF, Acting, and Directing allow the students to

collaborate, improving student experience. By implementing a professional theatre company model within the subject’s strategy for degrees, we are providing our students with a small company incubation period that allows them to create their own work alongside their school work.

o The Theatre Company Model is one of the distinctive features of the Plymouth Conservatoire. The creation of each of our degrees is done purposefully so that our students are able to generate their own theatre company based on collaborations with other Plymouth Conservatoire students. Directors, actors, theatre practitioners, and dancers all offer unique talents to any performance, and in the specifications of each degree, the students are required to work across all programmes in certain modules (PLYCO423, PLYCO522, PLYCO618) to generate performance material. In doing so, we create an interdependence on all degrees that illustrate the collaborative nature of performance making. The Theatre Company Model is designed so students are able to create and share material with their peers both in modules and in addition to their coursework. The model enables the development of individual practical skills as well as skills in collaborative practices and the creation of material.

• Placements in a Professional Theatre o In the second year of the degree, the students undertake placements with a

professional theatre. The placements are conducted in workshops such as lighting, sound, costumes, or theatre or stage management. The students will learn production skills from professionals which opens the possibility for the students to gain apprenticeship employment in one of these areas before going on to a directing appointment after graduation.

• Partnership with Theatre Royal Plymouth o Plymouth Conservatoire is our unique partnership with Theatre Royal Plymouth

(TRP) which allows students the possibility of working with a professional theatre in many aspects. As a partner with TRP, we offer students access to professional

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directors, actors, designers, and producers who bring with them a wealth of specialised and skilled expertise. Further, the students are able to access the professional spaces of TR2 and Theatre Royal in the modules offered by the theatre such as our introduction modules and final year performance lab modules.

• Apprenticeships in a Professional Theatre o In the final year, students will undertake a semester-long professional apprenticeship

with a theatre off-site. The apprenticeships are designed to build students’ skills as directors and contribute to the working environment of a theatre. Students will be required to evaluate their own contribution and discuss the different strategies for collaboration undertaken within the theatre.

• The Opportunity to Assistant Direct a Professional Director o The apprenticeship and integration of the students onto the acting modules allow the

directing students the opportunity to assistant direct a professional director and further understand the complexities of the craft and unique directing styles. These placements and apprenticeships are designed to assist the students in networking and building their CVs for future employment.

5. Relevant QAA Subject Benchmark Group(s)

The relevant QAA Subject Benchmark Group is Dance, Drama and Performance (2015): http://www.qaa.ac.uk/en/Publications/Documents/SBS-Dance-Drama-Performance-15.pdf . Although no specific degree in Directing currently exists in the UK, this benchmark group includes JACS W420: Directing for Theatre. 6. Programme Structure In the first year, directing students take two modules with the acting first years, two modules with the theatre and performance first years, one module with all first year students (THPF, Acting, Directing and Dance), and one module specifically tailored to the directing craft. It is our belief that directors should undergo actor training as well as theatre making to better equip themselves as directors. In doing so, the students gain a better understanding of their actors’ processes and gain insight on generating new ideas for productions. 20th Century Performance Practices brings together the cohort of first years in the Conservatoire to study the theory and principles in twentieth- and twenty-first century performance studies. Like the other first years, the directing students will benefit from this module due to its blend of theory and practice. The final module in the directing degree’s first year is focused on script analysis for directing. This module will begin to give the students a necessary toolkit to better understand a text. The second year includes two placement modules, as well as modules on performance making, cultural awareness, and performance styles. One required ability of directing is to converse with designers during the planning and creating stages. To do so, directors must possess a working knowledge of a professional theatre and the two placement modules will place the directing students in a professional theatre workshop or in a management apprenticeship. The placements will take place over the course of two semesters, allowing the students to experience one craft for one semester before switching to another craft in the new year. The final year includes modules on dramaturgy, director’s research, applied practices, festival practices, and a work placement module. During the first semester, the students apprentice at an off-site professional theatre (to be agreed on by Plymouth Conservatoire staff in discussion with the student). This placement may be in any country (UK or abroad) and should reflect the student’s employment intentions after graduation. During this semester, the students will also take

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Dramaturgy for directors online through the University’s virtual learning portal – Moodle/DLE. The second semester requires Directing students to collaborate with other students in the Plymouth Conservatoire to generate community-integrated work based on applied practices, as well as a new performance for festivals. Directors will also complete a research project in their final semester to better understand the importance of director’s research in performance.

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Year 1DRAMA422 (Theatre

Making and Collaborative Processes) 20 credits

ACT410(Page to Stage 1:

The Physical Action)20 credits

PLYCO423 (20th Century Performance

Practices) 20 credits

DRAMA424 (The Body in

Performance)20 credits

ACT400 (Self and Character) 20 credits

Directing (DIR) 401 (Directing Analysis)

20 credits

Year 2DIR502 (Work Placement 1)

20 credits

DIR501 (Advanced Directing)20 credits

ACT510 (Page to Stage 3: Beyond the

System) 20 credits

DIR503 (Work Placement 2)

20 credits

PLYCO522 (Theatre Residency20 credits

ACT505 (Training for Actors 2: Embodying

Text) 20 credits

Year 3DIR601 (Dramaturgy

(Online)) 20 credits

DIR602 (Work Placement 3)

40 credits

DIR610 (Director's Research) 20 credits

DRAMA601 (Advanced

Performance Training)20 credits

PLYCO618 (Festival Practices) 20 credits

Semester O

ne

Semester O

ne

Semester O

ne

Semester Tw

o

Semester Tw

o

Semester Tw

o

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7. Programme Aims The programme is intended to:

1. Enable students to achieve a proficient understanding (both theoretical and practical) of the role of a director in a creative process.

2. Provide students with an environment that is both supportive and challenging thus fostering their ability to engage with experimental material and encourage them to problem-solve in a coherent and creative manner.

3. Emphasize the importance of transferable skills such as collaboration, project management, and written and verbal communication so that our students are employable in a variety of fields after graduation.

4. Offer a curriculum that encourages students to critically engage with current cultural/social issues in performances and texts.

5. Develop the students’ ability to apply directorial skills and techniques in specific performative contexts.

6. Generate critical and analytical knowledge obtained through the students’ engagement in work-based/placement settings.

8. Programme Intended Learning Outcomes The numbers in brackets refer to the benchmarks stated in the QAA Subject benchmark PDF: http://www.qaa.ac.uk/en/Publications/Documents/SBS-Dance-Drama-Performance-15.pdf .

8.1. Knowledge and understanding On successful completion graduates should be able to:

1) describe, theorize, interpret and evaluate performance texts and events from a range of critical and technical perspectives and use appropriate subject specific vocabularies [5.3.i]

2) possess a repertoire of interpretative skills, practices and techniques (physical/aural/spatial) and apply them effectively to engage with an audience [5.2.viii]

3) plan, facilitate, deliver and evaluate projects that apply dance, drama, participatory and performance subject expertise in social, educational, community and other socially engaged settings [5.4.ii]

4) access and analyze historical source materials to identify the original conditions and contexts for production [5.3.iv]

8.2. Cognitive and intellectual skills

On successful completion graduates should possess:

1) techniques informed by or derived from particular cultural forms/histories/contexts and/or practitioners [5.2.v]

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2) the ability to investigate performance environments to determine how place, site and space shape the events they accommodate [5.3.v]

3) the ability to operate and think reflexively, creatively, critically and technically to develop ideas and construct arguments [5.7.i]

4) subject-based research, and be able to examine information, materials and experiences, formulate independent judgements, and articulate reasoned arguments through reflection, review and evaluation [5.7.ii]

8.3. Key and transferable skills

On successful completion graduates should have developed the ability to:

1. analyze the role which dance, drama and performance, in all its forms, may play in contributing to cultural debate and active citizenship [5.4.i]

2. question the ethical implications and appropriateness of performance work to ensure activities are undertaken in safe and supported environments for specific audiences/participants [5.4.iii]

3. engage interdisciplinary approaches and understand different theories or paradigms of knowledge [5.7.iv]

4. use project management skills, involving the ability to investigate, organise, curate and realise activities [5.10.iii]

8.4. Employment related skills On successful completion graduates should be able to:

1) effectively lead, facilitate, participate and problem solve within team working contexts [5.8.i] 2) understand group dynamics to operate collaboratively within collective, creative and

professional contexts to generate and pursue shared goals [5.8.ii] 3) articulate ideas and communicate information comprehensibly in visual, physical, oral and

textual forms [5.9.i] 4) demonstrate skills of observation and visual, aural and spatial awareness [5.3.ii]

8.5. Practical skills

On successful completion graduates should possess:

1. a repertoire of interpretative skills, practices and making techniques (physical/aural/spatial) and be able to apply them effectively to engage with an audience/performance [5.2.ii]

2. responsibility as an individual artist whether working independently or within a group for creative decision making [5.2.vii]

3. the ability to anticipate and accommodate change, ambiguity, creative risk taking, uncertainty and unfamiliarity in the performance process [5.6.iv]

4. the ability to recognise situational and interpersonal factors and how these can be effectively accommodated to facilitate productive working relationships [5.8.iii]

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9. Admissions Criteria, including APCL, APEL and DAS arrangements

All applicants must have GCSE (or equivalent) Maths and English at Grade 4 (or Grade C prior to 2017) or above. All applicants are required to complete an interview/audition.

Entry Requirements for BA (Hons) Directing

A-level/AS-level Normal minimum entry requirements at A-level to include a minimum of 2 A levels, General Studies accepted. As a standard, all applicants are required to interview before an offer is made.

BTEC National Diploma/QCF Extended Diploma

Candidates are interviewed before an offer is made. Grade DMM. If you hold a BTEC qualification it is vital that you provide our Admissions team with details of the exact modules you have studied as part of the BTEC. Without this information we may be unable to process your application quickly and you could experience significant delays in the progress of your application to study with us. Please explicitly state the full list of modules within your qualification at the time of application. As a standard, all applicants are required to interview before an offer is made.

Access to Higher Education at level 3

Candidates are interviewed before an offer is made. Pass a named Access to Higher Education Diploma (preferably performing arts, humanities or combined), with at least 33 credits at merit and/or distinction.

United States Grade Point Average

3.00 As a standard, all applicants are required to interview before an offer is made.

International Baccalaureate

28 points If overseas and not studying English within IB, must have IELTS 6.0 overall with 5.5 in all other elements. As a standard, all applicants are required to interview before an offer is made.

UCAS Tariff 112 As a standard, all applicants are required to interview before an offer is made.

10. Progression criteria for Final and Intermediate Awards

Students achieving a total of 120 credits will be entitled to receive a Certificate of Higher Education. Students achieving a total of 240 credits (of which at least 120 are at level 5 or above) will be entitled to a Diploma of Higher Education. 320 credits (of which 80 are at level 6 and a further 120 at Level 5 or above) qualify a student for an Ordinary Degree. 360 credits will entitle the student to be awarded the BA (Hons) Directing Degree.

11. Non Standard Regulations

There are no exceptions to regulations. 12. Transitional Arrangements

There are no transitional arrangements.

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Appendices Programme Specification Mapping (UG) – core/elective modules Operational Specification: mapping of Award Learning Outcomes

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Appendix 1: Programme Specification Mapping (UG): module contribution to the meeting of Award Learning Outcomes CORE MODULES: tick those Award Learning Outcomes the module contributes to through its assessed learning outcomes.

Core Modules

Award Learning Outcomes contributed to (for more information see Section 8) Compensation

Y/N

Assessment Element(s) and weightings [use KIS definition] E1- exam E2 – clinical exam T1- test C1- coursework A1 – generic assessment P1 - practical

Knowledge & understanding

Cognitive & intellectual skills

Key & transferable skills

Employment related skills

Practical skills

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

Level 4

ACT410 X X X Y Practical 100% DRAMA422 X X X X Y Coursework 40%;

Practical 60% PLYCO423 X X X X Y Coursework 100% DIR401 X X X X X Y Coursework 60%;

Practical 40% DRAMA424 X X X X X Y Coursework 100% ACT400 X X X Y Coursework 100%

Level 4 LOs X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

Level 5

ACT510 X X X Y Practical 100% ACT505 X X X X Y Practical 100% DIR501 X X X X Y Coursework 60%;

Practical 40% DIR502 X X X Y Coursework 100% DIR503 X X X X Y Coursework 100% PLYCO522 X X Y Practical 100%

Level 5 LOs X X X X X X X X X X X X

Level 6

DIR601 X X X X X Y Coursework 100% DIR610 X X X Y Coursework 100% DRAMA601 X X X X X Y Coursework 40%;

Practical 60%

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PLYCO618 X X X X X Y Practical 100% DIR602 X X X X X N Coursework 100%

Level 6 LOs X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X Confirmed Award LOs X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

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Operational Specification: mapping of Award Learning Outcomes. Module Code

Level

Credits

C - core

E - elective

Award Learning Outcomes (for more information see Section 8 of the Programme Specification) Please map where a module does one or more of the following: I – ALO is introduced P – ALO is practised (e.g. formative assessment and feedback; basis of tutorial or workshop) A –ALO is assessed

8.1 Knowledge & understanding

8.2 Cognitive & intellectual skills

8.3 Key & transferable skills

8.4 Employment related skills

8.5 Practical skills

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

DRAMA422 4 20 C I,P,A I,P,A I,P,A I,P,A ACT410 4 20 C P,A I,P,A I,P,A PLYCO423 4 20 C P,A I,P,A I,P,A I,P,A DRAMA424 4 20 C I,P,A P,A I,P,A P,A I,P,A ACT400 4 20 C DIR401 4 20 C A I,P,A I,P,A I,P,A I,P,A DIR501 5 20 C I,P,A P, A P, A I,P,A DIR502 5 20 C P, A P, A P, A DIR503 5 20 C P, A A A I,P,A ACT510 5 20 C P, A A P, A PLYCO522 5 20 C P, A A ACT505 5 20 C A P, A P, A A DIR601 6 20 C P, A A P, A A A DIR602 6 40 C A P, A A P, A P, A DIR610 6 20 C A P, A P, A

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DRAMA 6 20 C I,P,A A P, A P, A PLYCO618 6 20 C A A A A P, A