Teaching Responsibility

LJMU Schools involved in Delivery:

LJMU Partner Taught

Learning Methods

Lecture
Practical
Workshop

Module Offerings

5500ATCD-SEP-PAR

Aims

This module builds on the skills and understanding of facilitating and directing developed at Level 4. In Facilitation the focus broadens to include facilitation in a participatory performance contexts, inquiry based facilitation and the development of workshops with community groups over an extended period of time. Work on personal facilitation style continues but with a heightened degree of criticality and analysis with regard to developing dynamic relationships with participant groups. The Directing unit utilises earlier work on visual story telling as a foundation to move onto directing scenes from extant texts with an emphasis on developing productions suitable for youth groups.

Learning Outcomes

1.
Employ research and analytical skills to design a series of workshops for a specific participant group.
2.
Create a playful/dynamic rehearsal space that engenders engagement and ownership of material.
3.
Create comprehensive rehearsal notes detailing key reflections and plans for further work.
4.
Demonstrate an ability to facilitate discussion based activities that promote criticality and analysis.
5.
Utilise a range of strategies to devise and deliver a workshop or rehearsal that is appropriate to the participant group and meets agreed goals.
6.
Demonstrate a critical awareness of personal facilitation practice in real time, and an ability to adapt to prevailing circumstances.
7.
Analyse and evaluate their own and other's work as a facilitator in a real world context.
8.
Develop a coherent director's concept and plan for a youth Theatre production.
9.
Design and deliver exercises that explore narrative structure and character development appropriate to the participant group.
10.
Utilise appropriate techniques, exercises and levers to challenge inertia on the rehearsal floor.
11.
Demonstrate a critical awareness of key directing terminology and strategies and an ability to utilise these on the rehearsal floor.

Module Content

Outline Syllabus:Unit 1: Performance Based Participation The taught aspect of this unit will consist of a mixture of lectures and workshops. Within the lecture series, emphasis will be given to the work of Paulo Freire. Workshops will explore the practical application of this work in a participatory performance context including: • Silhouette and tableaux • Hot Seating • Forum Theatre Unit 2: Developing Work with Community Groups In this unit taught sessions will concentrate on the role of the facilitator when planning and delivering a series of workshops with a performance based outcome. Topics will include: • Creation of diagnostic exercises and other methods of preparing to work with a new group. • Utilising an exercise based methodology to create new work. • Identifying and responding to group dynamics • Development of longer term workshop programmes (residencies, summer schools etc.). • Recognising transference and counter transference. Unit 3: Inquiry Based Facilitation In this unit students, in small teams, will research and devise a inquiry based workshop and education pack to support a set text production. The workshops will explore the social, political and economic issues raised in the performance. Unit 4: Directing In the early part of the unit taught sessions will concentrate on the creation of dramatic performance from extant script and the ways in which directors can organise, shape and form the work. Students will be expected to analyse and evaluate their own work and that of others. This phase will end with a series of observed rehearsals in which students explore a selected play text by directing their peers. In the second phase of the Module students will individually articulate a director’s concept and develop key planning documents for a Youth Theatre production. The module will culminate in the student directing a scene from the production in an observed rehearsal with a group of young people. Placement & Residency Early in the module students will begin a process of finding a suitable 14hr placement with a community based organisation in Merseyside which delivers a professionally led drama programme. Once a host has been found the student will develop a placement proposal in negotiation with both the host organisation and a supervising tutor. This proposal will outline the student’s responsibilities and weekly time commitment to the placement. It must take into consideration a number of factors including: • The needs of the host group • The criteria of the module • The student’s timetable and other study commitments. It is important that student have the opportunity to watch professional practitioners at work within the placement and only gradually begins to take personal responsibility for delivering. Throughout the placement students will keep a reflective log book analysing and critiquing both the sessions that they observe and those they run themselves. To conclude the module, the cohort will deliver a week long residency in a local primary school. Working in groups of 3-4 students will lead a series of workshops and devising sessions over the week to create a performance/sharing on a given topic. All students on the module must undertake both the primary school residency and a placement.
Additional Information:Module Leader is Brendon Burns (b.burns@lipa.ac.uk)

Assessments

Practice
Portfolio