Bachelor of Dramatic Art

Overview

The Bachelor of Dramatic Art is a three-year intensive actor training program. The structure of the course provides intensive skills training, performance making projects, studio productions and wide variety of performance situations. The structure of the course: skills classes in the morning and rehearsals in the afternoon.

Description

Applications close 30 September 2009; late applications will be accepted via VTAC until 15 October 2009. Go to http://www.vca.unimelb.edu.au/dramaapply for details.

Each year of the course is divided into two semesters of sixteen teaching weeks and two weeks of assessment. There is a break of one week in the middle of each semester and a four week mid-semester break in June July.

Common study areas
The Theatre department provides its students with opportunities to work cooperatively with, and alongside, students of different courses on common projects. Acting students in all three years work with Directing students; Animateurs regularly work with Directors and Actors; and all Theatre students work with students from the Production department. The Postgraduate students in Voice and Actor Training work across all courses and years.

Books & Materials
Students in the theatre department are expected to bear the cost of play scripts and other course materials, such as stage make-up or tools, appropriate clothing, personal floor mats and some art materials. It is recommended that at least $1200 be allowed for these costs over the three years.

Part-time study
Due to the nature of the working process, the theatre department can only offer full-time study.

Attendance
As the primary mode of learning is experiential, students are expected to attend all classes. Absences due to severe accidents, illness, injury or any other reason can result in a student not having acquired the necessary experience and knowledge. Attendance at all classes, projects and tutorials is therefore compulsory.

A minimum attendance rate of 90% is required for all classes and projects. A student missing more than 10% of classes will be deemed to have failed their assessment. Where extenuating circumstances cause attendance to fall below these requirements, there may be grounds for Special Consideration for which formal application can be made through the Student Portal.

Objectives

The objectives of the course are:

• To produce professional theatre practitioners including actors, directors, animateurs and actor-trainers
• To produce actors who can perform the classical and contemporary dramatic repertoire;
• To produce actors who can work with ease in a film and television industry;
• To produce practitioners who have a kinaesthetic and conceptual understanding of the relationship between form and content;
• To produce creative leaders who can generate, develop and perform new work;
• To foster a clear understanding of, and respect for the ethics of theatrical practice;
• To foster a spirit of enquiry towards the development of new work;
• To encourage collaborative practice between actors, directors, writers, production personnel and animateurs;
• To encourage students to develop an awareness of their relationship and responsibility to their cultural environment and society by providing opportunities for informed critical enquiry, social interaction and cultural exploration during their studies.

The Faculty is committed to the development of the individual artist and, as such, does not subscribe to a single method of work.

Prerequisites

Applicants are required to have satisfactorily completed VCE or Year 12 equivalent with a study score of at least 25 in Units 3 and 4 English (any). An audition is required and interview and/or workshop may also be required.

Generic Skills

At the completion of the course students should be able to:

• Exhibit extensive theoretical and practical knowledge of their discipline including relevant professional knowledge, skills, discipline and ethics as they relate to a practising visual/performing artist.
• Demonstrate capacities for artistic imagination, creativity, transformation and interpretation.
• Demonstrate practical skills in respect of critical analysis, problem solving, report writing, team work and oral and written communication.
• Demonstrate a flexible and innovative approach to the national and international challenges for the professional visual/performing artist in the 21st century.
• Work at various levels, both as an individual and as a team member, in a wide variety of visual/performing artistic environments.
• Contribute to a range of visual/performing arts environments as artistic collaborators and leaders.
• Demonstrate an open, independent and inquiring attitude towards contemporary cultural developments and new ideas.
• Critically and creatively engage with topics of cultural significance across communities.
• Understand and appreciate how the visual and performing arts connect with the broader society and contribute to its social and economic development.
• Understand their relationship with and responsibility to their cultural environment and society.

Student Commitment

It is necessary to complete successfully the required hours of study in each semester. (For most of the course 36 hours to 40 hours a week are spent in class or rehearsal.)

In each semester every seven weeks intensive night and weekend work occurs as the students prepare for productions and assessments. The time commitment on these occasions can involve an extra 20 hours a week.

As the primary mode of learning is experiential, students are expected to attend all classes. Absences due to severe accidents, illness, injury or any other reason can result in a student not having acquired the necessary experience and knowledge. Attendance at all classes, projects and tutorials is therefore compulsory.

A minimum attendance rate of 90% is required for all classes and projects. A student missing more than 10% of classes will be deemed to have failed their assessment. Where extenuating circumstances cause attendance to fall below these requirements, there may be grounds for Special Consideration for which formal application can be made.

Assessment

Assessment is the monitoring of a student’s progress through the course and ultimately determines whether a student has achieved the Bachelor of Dramatic Art. The criteria for assessment are broadly as follows.

Students are assessed on their ability to be trained: to develop skills and professional attitudes so that they will become positive contributors to the profession. It is expected that those who gain the Degree gain employment in the areas of theatre, film, television and radio. It is therefore essential that students in each year of their training attain a level of performance which is deemed to be of sufficient quality. It is also expected that they will ultimately have the capacity to contribute to the development of the Dramatic Arts.

Assessment is based on mastery of skill, development of a methodology, the ability to work autonomously, the ability to transform feedback into action, the ability to transform skills and principles into an integrated practice; the ability to work with others and above all, a high level of attainment. Commitment, attendance and punctuality are also fundamental requirements. The final grade will reflect the degree to which a student can demonstrate an understanding of and engagement in the content and working processes introduced in the subject.

Assessment in the Theatre department is progressive and all work is taken into consideration when the assessment is made at the end of the year. Assessment is based upon whether or not students have successfully achieved the objectives set out. The sections of work within a subject are not separate units. Although in the year long subjects assessment can only be completed at the end of the year there are mid year evaluation sessions where students are given indicators of their progress Excellent / Satisfactory / Needs Improvement / Unsatisfactory.

Where specified, students are expected to keep a journal.

As part of the assessment process it is required that students submit a self-assessment before their assessment interview and before having access to staff assessments.

Course Progression Guidelines

The maximum time permitted for completion of the course is six years.

a)	A student who has twice failed to complete a subject may not undertake that subject again
b)	A student shall not enter the second or third years unless he/she has completed or is deemed to have completed the previous year and has completed any additional work prescribed pursuant to clause (c)
c)	A student who fails to complete all the subjects prescribed as comprising a year may be deemed by the Head of Discipline to have completed the year but shall not be recorded as having completed any subjects which he/she has not completed. A student who is deemed by the Head of Discipline to have completed a year in accordance with this provision shall complete any additional work as may be prescribed by the Head of Discipline.
d)	Notwithstanding the provisions of (b) and (c), a student shall not enter a second or third year if he/she has failed to complete, or has not been deemed to have completed, his/her principal subject of study in the previous year
e)	A student may not repeat any year of the course if they have not passed their principal subject of study.

Professional experience
A student may not engage in theatre or film activity other than as directed in connection with a course or without written approval obtained beforehand from the Head of Discipline or a staff member authorised by the Head of Discipline for this purpose.

Qualification for Award

The award of the Bachelor of Dramatic Art requires the successful completion of all the prescribed subjects.

Subjects by Year

Year 1

• 751-112 - Acting 1
• 754-101 - The Artist in the World - Part 1
• 754-130 - The Artist in the World - Part 2
• 757-113 - Voice 1
• 757-114 - Physical Performance 1
• 757-115 - Critical Studies
• 757-116 - Singing 1

Year 2

• 754-202 & 203 - The World in the Artist 2A & 2B
• 757-212 - Acting 2
• 757-213 - Voice 2
• 757-214 - Physical Performance 2
• 757-216 - Singing 2
• 757-217 - Language

Year 3

• 754-301 - Collaborative Contract
• 754-302 - Professional Development
• 757-311 - Acting Projects
• 757-312 - Acting 3
• 757-313 - Voice 3
• 757-314 - Physical Performance 3
• 757-316 - Singing 3

Subjects

Year 1

Credit Points:	50
Coordinator:	Tanya Gerstle
Contact hours:	18.5 hours per week
Semester:	Year Long

Subject description:

The foundations are laid for the development of the art of acting and the composition of original performances. The elements of acting are taught through classes, tutorials, projects and individual and group performances, and they include working spontaneously and using this spontaneity within the theatrical context; working authentically: emotionally, psychologically, imaginatively, physically and vocally; sustaining authenticity and concentration for the duration of a dramatic sequence; playing dramatic action, working through intention; analysing text for use in rehearsal; allowing transformation to take place using the materials of theatre and creating theatrical imagery.

Objectives:

On completion of Acting 1 students should have acquired the following skills:

• A facility with acting processes;
• The capacity for kinaesthetic awareness;
• The ability to recognise and work within particular aesthetic domains;
• The capacity to synthesise data and evaluate information;
• The capacity for imaginative, transformative and interpretive activity;
• The ability to perform;
• The capacity for mental, vocal, physical and emotional rigour in application to tasks;
• The capacity to work with unconditional positive regard for self and others;
• The capacity to utilise an internal evaluative mechanism;
• The capacity to give and receive informed feedback;
• The capacity to develop a work methodology; and
• The capacity to participate effectively in collaborative learning as a team member, whilst respecting individual differences.
• The capacity to identify the principles, disciplines, values and ethics of theatre and performance

• The capacity to engage in productive self directed learning and research

Assessment:

Assessment is based upon class participation, level of preparation, and the degree to which the stated outcomes have been achieved. Progressive assessment (70%); rehearsal (10%); performance (20%).

Students must achieve a pass in all three areas.

Time Commitment:

592 hours

Credit Points:	6.25
Contact hours:	2 hours per week
Supervised Studio hours:	5 hours per week including class preparation
Semester:	Semester 1

Subject description:

Subject Handout

Part 1: Ideas and Interpretations

This subject is to be taken in conjunction with 754-130—The Artist in the World (Part 2) in Semester 2.

The subject will introduce students to the key themes and ideas central to all performing and visual arts as interpreted by artists, philosophers and theorists.

This subject is offered as a weekly lecture and tutorial program.

We will proceed by looking at how these various themes inform processes and practices within and across art forms. Starting with Ideas and Interpretations which form points of intersection between the visual and performing arts we will explore pedagogical practices currently employed at the Faculty, as well as analyse some of the technical, aesthetic and conceptual frameworks applied in the development of creative works. We will investigate the influences of various historical and contemporary contexts on the application and interpretation of these themes. In addition we will examine the possibilities for research in and through the arts leading to new modes of representation and the creation of new knowledge.

A range of international and local visual artists, musicians, writers, directors, designers, composers, choreographers, performers, and filmmakers will present lectures about their own work that may coincide with the week’s tutorial topic.

The weekly tutorial readings provide a theoretical context for analysing selected themes found in contemporary practice. During tutorial discussions, students will be encouraged to speculate and reflect upon the relationship between ideas encountered in the lectures, tutorials and readings, and their own studio practice.

Semester 1, 2009
Lecture program

Wednesdays, 9.30 -10.30 am Federation Hall

18 February Welcome and Introduction to the Artist in the World

25 February Rodney Hall (novelist and playwright)

4 March Kristy Edmunds (Head of the School of Performing Arts)

11 March Mike Daisy (collaborative commons and on-line networks)

18 March Master Liu ( martial arts, movement and meditation)

25 March Joanne and Stuart Favilla (musical instrument makers)

1 April Paul Cox (filmmaker)

8 April Daniel Cramer (Berlin based visual artist)

15 April Easter Break (no lecture)

22 April Leisa Shelton (performance and theatre making)

29 April Barbara Campbell (visual artist)

6 May Clem Martini (Head of Drama, Calgary University) tbc

13 May Film festival

Objectives:

On completion of the Artist in The World subject students should be able to:

• identify key issues in contemporary cultural practice;
• acquire a critical vocabulary and refine written and verbal communication skills;
• develop an appreciation of the social and historical context of creative work;
• develop the ability to critically analyse and evaluate discourses and performances in contemporary arts practice; and
• develop a more reflective approach towards their practice and across disciplines.

Assessment:

Students must satisfactorily complete written work of 2,000 words or its equivalent and undertake active participation in tutorials to successfully complete the subject. Intellectual journal - 15 pages (45%); theoretical investigation - 800 words (30%); tutorial participation (25%). Hurdle requirement - 80% attendance.

Time Commitment:

5 hours per week including class preparation

Prescribed Texts:

Artist in the World Reader - Ideas and Interpretations (purchase from Student and Academic Services Unit)

Credit Points:	6.25
Mode of Delivery:	weekly 1 hour lecture and weekly 1 hour tutorial
Contact hours:	2 hours per week
Supervised Studio hours:	5 hours per week incl preparation assessment tasks
Semester:	Semester 2

Subject description:

The Artist in the World, part 2: Keywords in the Arts and Society, introduces students to a number of keywords which appear in contemporary debates on art and society. These debates make use of concepts drawn from within the arts but also from other disciplines including psychoanalysis, philosophy, anthropology, visual design, law, cultural theory and the sciences. Students are encouraged to gain awareness of the variety of ways in which words are used, and ideas and values constructed in these disciplines.

Lecture Program
Semester 2, 2009

July 15 – Martin Ng – Cardiologist, genetic researcher and turntable improviser

July 22 – Phillip Adams – Choreographer and director Ballet Lab

July 29 – Danius Kesminas – Visual artist and musician and all around crazed genius

August 5 – J.Hillis Miller – Theorist and critic

August 12 – Robin Fox – Electronic Musician and laser artist – Robin will perform a piece for computer and lasers

August 19 – Marco Fusinato – Visual artist and sound installation artist

August 26 – Maureen Gardner – Head of the School of Production at VCAM

September 2 – Kevin Murray – Curator and writer, ex director of Craft Victoria and current director of the South Project

September 9 – Deborah Cheetham – Indigenous opera singer, actor, author and program manger of the Willin Centre VCAM

Break: September 14

September 23 – Greg Burgess – Architect

September 30 – The Film Festival – curated by the CFI tutors

October 7 – Student presentations

 

 

 

Objectives:

On completion of the Artist in The World subject students should be able to:

• identify key issues in contemporary cultural practice;
• acquire a critical vocabulary and refine written and verbal communication skills;
• develop an appreciation of the social and historical context of creative work;
• develop the ability to critically analyse and evaluate discourses and performances in contemporary arts practice;and,
• develop a more reflective approach towards their practice and across disciplines.
  

Assessment:

Students must satisfactorily complete assessment to pass part 2 of the subject. Students are required to complete written work of 2,000 words or its equivalent and undertake active participation in tutorials for each component to successfully complete the subject. Intellectual journal – 15 pages (45%); critical investigation - 800 words (30%); tutorial participation (25%). Hurdle requirement - 80% attendance.

Time Commitment:

5 hours per week incl preparation assessment tasks

Prescribed Texts:

Artist in the World Reader from the Student and Academic Service Unit
Also you can download the subject handout here

Credit Points:	12.5
Coordinator:	Geraldine Cook
Contact hours:	6 hours per week
Semester:	Year Long

Subject description:

Voice is a physical activity, and as such, initial work is organised around a foundation of work that allows the individual to discover interdependence of voice and body. The focus of the work lies in addressing idiosyncratic habits which may inhibit the speaking actor.

The subject will include a selection from the following: physical awareness of breath in the body, muscularity, resonance, active listening, sight-reading, basic speech structures, kinaesthetic awareness of voice and language and meaning in the moment of speaking through storytelling and, approach to phonetics.

Students will be expected to draw upon their experiences of awareness through movement activities such as Feldenkrais, and Alexander Technique in order to facilitate the interdependence of voice and body. There will also be some combined voice/movement classes to enhance this process.

Objectives:

On completion of this subject students should have acquired the following skills

• A facility with voice processes
• The capacity for kinaesthetic awareness
• The capacity to apply points and processes raised in tutorial to class and performance work
• The capacity to work with focus, energy and responsibility in class
• The capacity to synthesise data and evaluate information
• The capacity for imaginative, transformative and interpretive activity
• The capacity for mental, vocal, physical and emotional rigour in application to tasks
• The capacity to work with unconditional positive regard for self and others
• The capacity to utilise an internal evaluative mechanism
• The capacity to give and receive informed feedback
• The capacity to develop a work methodology
• The capacity to participate effectively in collaborative learning as a team member, whilst respecting individual differences
• The capacity to engage in productive self directed learning and research
• The ability to perform
• The capacity to use problem solving skills
• The capacity to transfer skills into practice
• The capacity to translate theory into practice

Assessment:

Assessment is based upon class participation, level of preparation, and the degree to which the stated outcomes have been achieved. Progressive class assessment (70%); class assignments (20%); application of class work to rehearsal and performance (10%)

Time Commitment:

144 hours

Credit Points:	12.5
Coordinator:	Marie Dumont
Contact hours:	6 hours per week
Semester:	Year Long

Subject description:

This foundation year aims at awakening more deeply the actor’s sensitivity and performance potential through heightening their physical awareness. The playground provided is designed to encourage a sensate learning, ignite the student’s curiosity and stimulate their impulse to “play”. Fundamental to first year is the actors’ capacity to work from a grounded centre. The qualities of strength, flexibility, coordination and stamina are regarded as vital in preparing the actors’ physical availability. A strong sense of alignment, flow and release are necessary to allow vocal freedom. Awareness through Movement classes (Feldenkrais method) aim at presenting more physical choices to actors and enhancing their quality of movement. The students become available to physical patterns other than habitual tendencies, which often limit their range of expression. Students will also experience movement practices drawn from the work of Monika Pagneux. These practices enliven the performer and lead them to discover the essential components of the objectives outlined above. They encompass an exploration of sensorial perception, rhythmical play, physical improvisation, chorus work and ensemble skills.

Objectives:

On completion of this subject students should have acquired the following skills;

• A facility with movement processes;
• The capacity for kinaesthetic awareness;
• An understanding of the structure and movement capacity of the human body;
• The capacity for awareness in action;
• The capacity for spatial composition;
• A sense of rhythmical dynamics;
• The capacity to apply points and processes raised in tutorial to class and performance work;
• The capacity to work with focus, energy and responsibility in class;
• The capacity to synthesise data and evaluate information;
• The capacity for imaginative, transformative and interpretive activity;
• The capacity for mental, vocal, physical and emotional rigour in application to tasks;
• The capacity to work with unconditional positive regard for self and others;
• The capacity to utilise an internal evaluative mechanism;
• The capacity to give and receive informed feedback;
• The capacity to participate effectively in collaborative learning as a team member, whilst respecting individual differences;
• The capacity to engage in productive self directed learning and research;
• The ability to perform;
• The capacity to use problem solving skills;
• The capacity to transfer skills into practice;
• The capacity to translate theory into practice;

Assessment:

Assessment is based upon class participation, level of preparation, the degree to which the stated outcomes have been achieved, and the ability to process and integrate the material into performance work.

Assessment is progressive throughout the year.

Time Commitment:

144 hours

Credit Points:	6.25
Coordinator:	Richard Murphet
Contact hours:	2 hours per week all year
Semester:	Year Modular

Subject description:

This subject provides an opportunity to discuss a range of ideas and issues related to culture in general, and theatre in particular, in an analytical and enquiring manner.  Discussion will draw on examples from both contemporary and historical practices and will stimulate student’s interest in the critical context in which culture takes place.

The subject covers two main areas;

1. a general discussion of theatre/cultural practice and an introduction to reviewing or criticism including an investigation into the conventions of theatre criticism; and
2. an introduction to aspects of modern theatre history with an examination of a number of influential theatrical movements through particular dramatic texts.

Students will be expected to keep a journal.

Assessment:

Assessment is based on class participation, level of preparation, and the degree to which the stated objectives have been achieved.  Students are required to present a performance manifesto of 10 minutes duration.  Class participation (75%); manifesto/project
(25%).  In order to pass this subject, a passing grade is required in both areas.

Time Commitment:

48

Generic Skills:

At the completion of the course students should be able to:

• Exhibit extensive theoretical and practical knowledge of their discipline including relevant professional knowledge, skills, discipline and ethics as they relate to a practising visual/performing artist;
• Demonstrate capacities for artistic imagination, creativity, transformation and interpretation;
• Demonstrate practical skills in respect of critical analysis, problem solving, report writing, team work and oral and written communication;
• Demonstrate a flexible and innovative approach to the national and international challenges for the professional visual/performing artist in the 21st century;
• Work at various levels, both as an individual and as a team member, in a wide variety of visual/performing artistic environments;
• Contribute to a range of visual/performing arts environments as artistic collaborators and leaders;
• Demonstrate an open, independent and inquiring attitude towards contemporary cultural developments and new ideas;
• Critically and creatively engage with topics of cultural significance across communities;
• Understand and appreciate how the visual and performing arts connect with the broader society and contribute to its social and economic development; and,
• Understand their relationship with and responsibility to their cultural environment and society.

Credit Points:	6.25
Coordinator:	Geraldine Cook
Contact hours:	24 hours
Semester:	Year Long

Subject description:

Singing 1 is devised as an integral part of Voice and students’ singing skills are developed within the framework of their acting process. The singing component is introduced in the first two weeks of the year. The emphasis in the first block is to give students the understanding and confidence to approach a song as a performer, therefore a significant proportion of time is devoted to group singing and establishing an understanding of different music styles. The second block is introduced in Semester two after the students have completed two terms of work in Voice. The subject includes: exercises to develop breathing and supple diaphragm support; the relation of posture to singing; articulation exercises and games; games to develop rhythm sharing and pitch awareness; group singing.

Objectives:

On completion of this subject students should have acquired the following skills;

• The capacity to demonstrate the specific skills necessary for singing;
• The capacity to perform a song with simplicity and ease;
• To capacity to hear the elements of rhythm and pitch;
• The capacity to work with focus, energy and responsibility in class;
• The capacity for imaginative, transformative and interpretive activity;
• The capacity for mental, vocal, physical and emotional rigour in application to tasks;
• The capacity to participate effectively in collaborative learning as a team member, whilst respecting individual differences; and,
• The ability to perform.

Assessment:

Assessment is based upon class participation, level of preparation, and the degree to which the stated outcomes have been achieved. Progressive class assessment (100%). This subject will not be graded, and will be recorded as P or N.

Time Commitment:

24 hours

Year 2

Credit Points:	6.25
Prerequisites:	These seminars are offered at second year level. Second year students attend one x 2 hour seminar per week each semester from an available pool of approximately 12 seminar subjects. Seminars are held once a week and most seminars from semester one are repeated in second semester.
Mode of Delivery:	weekly seminar
Contact hours:	2 hour seminar per week in each semester
Semester:	Both Semesters

Subject description:

WORLD IN THE ARTIST 2B
SEMESTER TWO, 2009 

Please check your University email for information on how to enrol in one of the seminars listed below for semester two.

CLASSES BEGIN EITHER THURSDAY 16 JULY OR FRIDAY 17 JULY - PLEASE CHECK THE DAY AND TIME OF THE SEMINAR THAT YOU HAVE ENROLLED IN.

EAST/ WEST: PART 1
David Shea
Fridays: 2.00pm-4.00pm

Subject/Seminar Description:

This seminar is an in-depth look at the traditional divide between the cultures, philosophies, perceptions and approaches to the body in Eastern and Western models. Themes explored include scientific and spiritual cosmologies, eastern and western medicine, evolutionary ideas and creation stories, eastern and western architecture, rationality and meditation, martial arts and body enhancement, anatomical and holistic bodies, and mysticism.

There will be a strong concentration on current research in fields relating to the communication between traditional opposites such as quantum physics and its relation to spiritual views of time and space, art, music and literature, as well as medical research into meditation
and martial arts.

Assessment:

Contribution and participation in seminar discussion       25%
Total written work or equivalent project comprising 1500 words  75%
                        
Hurdle requirement: 80% attendance

SUBVERSIVE FILM IN ART
Oren Ambarchi
Thursdays 4pm-6pm

Subject/Seminar Description:

This seminar will introduce how aesthetic, sexual, and ideological subversives have used one of the most powerful art forms of our day to exchange or manipulate our conscious and unconscious, demystify visual taboos, destroy dated cinematic forms, and undermine existing value systems and institutions.

This subversion of form is illuminated by a detailed examination of films from Oren's collection including many rarely seen, or never released works. Avant-garde, underground, independent and exceptional commercial films will be viewed in their entire duration on a weekly basis followed by a group discussion and analysis.

*Please not that it not necessary to have attended this subject in the first semester. Additionally, none of the films screened in the first will be repeated in 2nd semester.

Assignment/Assessment:
Students will be required to submit a 1500 word written research assignment investigating one of the films viewed in the course or a film of their choice that relates to the ideas and topics discussed in the seminar.

Contribution and participation in seminar discussion               25%
Total written work or equivalent project comprising 1500 words 75%
Hurdle requirement: 80% attendance

THE HIDDEN LINKS OF THE AVANT-GARDE & POPULAR CULTURE
Oren Ambarchi
Fridays 11am-1pm

Subject/Seminar Description:

Pop and the avant-garde represent the cultural contradiction of late capitalism, the contradiction that has no dialectic. Pop music for example, has a mass audience, but its domination by the commodity form usually fosters "stupidity in listening". The avant-garde has the imagination to challenge passivity and stupidity, but usually addresses itself only to the art world. Is it possible to overcome the contradiction between the mass-market pop world and the avant-garde?

This course endeavours to explore the parallel worlds of pop and the avant garde and reveal how these contradictory cultural worlds have borrowed from each other and transgressed the rigid boundaries separating "high" and "low" culture to form secret and friendly alliances.

Assignment/Assessment:
Students are required to do a project researching a historical work, artist or movement that has ties to both the avant-garde and pop culture. This project has 2 requirements:
1. Each student will give a presentation of their project to the class
2. Each student will submit a written assignment of 1500 words reflecting their investigation

Contribution and participation in seminar discussion               25%
Total written work or equivalent project comprising 1500 words 75%
Hurdle requirement: 80% attendance

BODIES OF WAR IN ART AND PERFORMANCE
Adam Broinowski
Fridays 11am-1pm
 
Subject/Seminar Description:
 
This seminar provides views from the body in war through key samples of 20th century political performance and art. Artists have long recorded, reflected and reacted to the terror, cruelty, and pathos of war. But since the First World War, shocked out of their preconception that civilization had advanced beyond barbarity, influential artists opposed war by rupturing the way it was represented.
 
In providing a surface to touch to become critically aware of the burning lava of fear, joy and pride in war, artists over this century (Dix/Grosz/Hoch/Heartfield, Artaud/Brecht, Lanzmann/Ibuse, Hijikata/ Schneeman/The Living Theatre/Oshima, La Fura dels Baus/Dead Kennedys/Godard, Morris/Fairey/Banksy to name a few!) have often been uncomfortably out of place, exiles in their own societies while addressing the theme of war. What does the study of this violence and conflict through philosophy, art, performance and war documentary reveal? Is war ‘natural’?
 
Assignment/Assessment:
Contribution and participation in seminar discussion               25%
Total written work or equivalent project comprising 1500 words 75%
Hurdle requirement: 80% attendance

DIALOGUE WRITING
Raimondo Cortese
Fridays 2pm-4pm
Subject/Seminar Description:

The seminar focuses on writing dialogue and scenes for theatre, film or TV. The work involves a direct and intensive exploration of the written material. The focus is on action, on what words do (to the performer speaking and being spoken to).
Dramatic dialogue is dynamic – it inspires change. Students are encouraged to treat their dialogues as verbal creations, to be spoken out then written, without censoring or judging what happens. A series of simple exercises are used to allow the students to focus on action.

The aim is to not ‘interpret’ or ‘shut down’ the dialogue, but to instead focus on the complex reality of what is actually happening between people rather than what is literally happening. From there we discover where rewriting is required. We will also be exploring dialogues from theatre and film classics.

Assignment/Assessment:
By the end of the seminar participants will be required to hand in their written material. This can be a short play, film or TV script or a series of dialogues that defy strict categorisation.

Contribution and participation in seminar discussion               25%
Total written work or equivalent project comprising 1500 words 75%
Hurdle requirement: 80% attendance

PROTEST AND SURVIVE: OR DO PROTEST SONGS DREAM OF iTUNE SALES?
Elliot Howard
Fridays 2pm - 4pm

Subject/Seminar Description:

In this seminar we will investigate both historical and contemporary forms of protest and pose the question – what place does protesting have in contemporary artistic and political practices?  We will explore a range of material and disciplines including current Melbourne based protest movements and actions, popular music, film, art, current affairs, economics, climate change and theoretical perspectives. 

We will look at recent G8, Mayday and anti war protests, the films of Jean-Luc Godard, the Situationist movement, the events of May 68, the Hornsey School of Art and Byam Shaw School of Art sit-ins (1968 and 2009), the Baader-Meinhoff group, the Gorilla Girls and graffiti on Melbourne’s streets and laneways. We will place protest in the context of Generation Y’s first recession, the Global Financial Crisis and impending climate catastrophe.

Assignment/Assessment:
Contribution and participation in seminar discussion               25%
Total written work or equivalent project comprising 1500 words 75%
Hurdle requirement: 80% attendance

MASHIT: SOUND AND VIDEO ART
Bruce Mowson
Fridays 11am-1pm

Noise, mash-ups, soundscapes, video art, music-videos, electronic music, minimalisms, sound art: these and many more are sub-genre’s that can be produced using analogue and digital sound and video. In this seminar, we will be working in the computer lab to create any and or all of the above. In class, a range of topics and techniques will be introduced, including audio-visual theory, soundtrack creation, video installation, collage and appropriation, critical listening and looking.

Ultimately, we will be working toward a screening, performance or presentation at the end of the semester. Submission requirements will include a short written assignment and sound and/or video works.

Assignment/Assessment:
Contribution and participation in seminar discussion               25%
Total written work or equivalent project comprising 1500 words 75%
Hurdle requirement: 80% attendance

SENSORAMA: MULTI-DISCIPLINARY INSTALLATION AND PERFORMANCE
Bruce Mowson
Fridays 2pm-4pm

Subject/Seminar Description:

In the first semester, we explored the way we use our senses in our art, and thought about distinctions between perception, thought and memory. In this semester we extend these explorations, and look at new material from Film, psychoanalysis, Media art, Installation Art and Happenings. We will continue exploring the senses through exercises such as the blind walk, and will actively explore possibilities for cross-disciplinary collaboration.

We will be working toward an installation/performance event and catalogue, coordinated by students, at the end of semester. Submission requirements will include a short written assignment and an artwork.

Assignment/Assessment:
Contribution and participation in seminar discussion               25%
Total written work or equivalent project comprising 1500 words 75%
Hurdle requirement: 80% attendance

ZEN PAINTING AND POETRY
Professor Richard Perry
Fridays 11am-1pm
Subject/Seminar Description:

This course will introduce students to major painters and poets within the Chinese and Japanese traditions of Zen Buddhist art. Topics to be discussed include Buddhism vs. Zen Buddhism, form and emptiness, spontaneity and control, tradition and iconoclasm, heroes and swagmen, silence and sound, the brush as sword, and Zen in modern art.

The influence of Zen Buddhist aesthetics on ceramics and garden design will also be discussed. Students will be expected to participate freely in seminar discussions, and assessed assignments will include one haiku poem, one brief essay, and one short quiz.

Assignment/Assessment:
Contribution and participation in seminar discussion               25%
Total written work or equivalent project comprising 1500 words 75%
Hurdle requirement: 80% attendance

‘DO IT’
Elizabeth Presa
Fridays 2pm-4pm

Subject/Seminar Description:

‘Do it’ famously began as a discussion between artists Christian Boltanski and Bertrand Lavier, and writer and curator Hans Ulrich Obrist, in 1993 at the Café
Select in Paris.  Their discussion focused on the use of written instructions to make works of art in an effort to observe the effects of translation.  They were interested in how written instructions from artists could function like musical scores, which go though countless variations and interpretations each time they are performed.  ‘Do it’ has been staged in over 45 museums around the world.

The Centre for Ideas ‘do it’ project is presented in collaboration with Hans Ulrich Obrist. This year ‘do it’ focuses on art and philosophy. Eminent philosophers have been invited to write ‘do it’ instructions.  Participating philosophers include Jean-Luc Nancy, Julia Kristeva, Alexander Garcia Duttmann, Daniel Birnbaum
(Director of the 2009 Venice Biennale), Andrew Benjamin, Peter Singer as well as Beijing based philosophers.  Students from the Central Academy of Fine Art Beijing (CAFA), China’s leading art college, will participate in the exhibition.
 
The outcomes of your ‘translations’ will form the 2009 ‘do it’ exhibition at the George Paton Gallery 5 – 16 October

Assignment/Assessment:
Contribution and participation in seminar discussion               25%
Total written work or equivalent project comprising 1500 words 75%
Hurdle requirement: 80% attendance

EAST/WEST: Part 2
David Shea
Thursday 4pm-6pm

Subject/Seminar Description:

This seminar is an in-depth look at the traditional divide between the
cultures, philosophies, perceptions and approaches to the arts in
Eastern and Western models. Themes explored include scientific and
spiritual cosmologies, eastern and western medicine, evolutionary ideas
and creation stories, eastern and western architecture, rationality and
meditation, martial arts and body enhancement, anatomical and holistic
bodies, and mysticism.

In this second semester we will explore, in depth, aspects of subjects we covered in the first semester. We will also investigate many new areas, with a shift in focus towards presentations, both by my self and the students. My presentations, which will be the first hour of every week, will concentrate on the arts and in particular the visual arts, performance and music in traditional cultures all round the world and the religious, scientific and mythological philosophies, which form the roots of these cultures. It is not necessary to have done the first semester of East West to be a part of this seminar as we will be covering almost all new ground and re-visiting some of the first semester concepts in new contexts.

Assignment/Assessment:
Contribution and participation in seminar discussion               25%
Total written work or equivalent project comprising 1500 words 75%
Hurdle requirement: 80% attendance

DIALOGUES WITHIN INVISIBLE CITIES
Leisa Shelton
Fridays 2pm-4pm

Subject/Seminar Description:

Investigations into the evolving cross fertilisations within and between the languages of architecture, theatre, philosophy, the culinary arts, science and curatorial practice – to name but a few!

If Gay Bilson, William Forsyth, John Zorn, Peter Greenaway, Sophie Calle, Helene Cixous and Gordon Matta-Clarke were guests at our dinner table, what kind of conversations might emerge? 

This series of seminars will introduce students to a variety of processes developed by leading practitioners, working beyond the parameters of their specific disciplines to redefine both their practice and the way we experience the world through the encounters with their work.

Assignment/Assessment:
Contribution and participation in seminar discussion               25%
Total written work or equivalent project comprising 1500 words 75%
Hurdle requirement: 80% attendance

THE ART OF DESIRE: PSYCHOANALYTIC AESTHETICS
Dr Ashley Woodward
Fridays 11am-1pm
Subject/Seminar Description:
For roughly a century now, psychoanalysis has been a major force of influence in the arts, both in practice and criticism. This subject introduces and explores a variety of different psychoanalytic perspectives on art, as well as the relations between psychoanalysis, art, and politics. It will focus on the ideas of four major theorists: the psychoanalysts Sigmund Freud and Jacques Lacan, and the philosophers Jean-François Lyotard and Slavoj Zizek.

The seminar will also consider the ways psychoanalysis has been taken up by artists (for example, in surrealism), and how it has impacted on politics and culture. It will introduce key ideas in psychoanalytic theory, such as libido; the unconscious; phantasy; the uncanny; the symbolic, the imaginary, and the real; the figural; and so on.

It will also look at the application of psychoanalytic theory to a variety of art forms, including painting, cinema, and music, and consider the politics of public space in relation to how desire circulates through advertising, stencil art, and graffiti.

Assessment/Assignment:
Contribution and participation in seminar discussion               25%
Total written work or equivalent project comprising 1500 words 75%
Hurdle requirement: 80% attendance

 

Objectives:

On completion of World in the Artist seminar subjects students should be able to:

• demonstrate and analyse the philosophical and methodological basis of creative research activity;
• exhibit insight into the relationship between key theoretical concepts and original creative practice;
• exercise knowledge of highly specialised disciplinary practice and methodology;
• recognise the significance of research in creative work;
• develop a framework for addressing future inter-disciplinary research projects;
• demonstrate analytic skills and the ability to communicate complex concepts;
• exhibit lucid verbal and written communication skills and fluency within the student’s own practice and across other disciplines;
• develop a sense of individual perspective; and
• demonstrate familiarity with recent cultural debates and new cultural practices.

Time Commitment:

6 hours per week

Credit Points:	50
Coordinator:	Tanya Gerstle
Prerequisites:	Acting 1, Voice 1, Movement 1, Singing 1
Contact hours:	24 hours per week + every 6 weeks, extra hours will be required for rehearsals and performance
Semester:	Year Long

Subject description:

The aim of Second Year is to consolidate the Principles of Approach to Performance and the development of a personal methodology. The training includes:

• the investigation of elements inherent in the making and interpreting of work within the contexts of rehearsal and performance. Emphasis is placed upon projects within which the actor will focus on Naturalism, Shakespeare, Scene Study, Contemporary Theatre;
• playing a series of complex characters and communicating these characters to an audience, inhabiting and communicating different worlds to an audience;
• continuing to work authentically and achieving this in the context of theatre, film and television; and,
• using heightened language and applying dramatic structure to their work.

Objectives:

On completion of this subject students should have acquired the following skills:

• A mastery of acting processes;
• The ability to transform feedback into action;
• The ability to recognise and work within particular aesthetic domains;
• The capacity to synthesise data and evaluate information;
• The capacity for imaginative, transformative and interpretive activity;
• The ability to perform;
• The capacity for mental, vocal, physical and emotional rigour in application to tasks;
• The capacity to discuss the work in greater depth and from a variety of perspectives;
• The capacity to work with unconditional positive regard for self and others;
• The capacity to use a work methodology;
• The capacity to participate effectively in collaborative learning as a team member;
• The capacity to identify the principles, disciplines, values and ethics of theatre and performance;
• The capacity to engage in productive self directed learning and research;
• The capacity to master the architecture and form of a variety of texts;
• To demonstrate emotional, physical, vocal and imaginal range and fluency;
• The capacity to evaluate and remain in active dialogue with their work;
• A kinaesthetic and conceptual understanding of the shape and architecture of a text;
• A kinaesthetic and conceptual understanding of the relationship between form and content;
• Comprehend complex concepts and confront unfamiliar problems and solve them;
• Apply a philosophical and methodological understanding to any research activity; and,
• Express ideas, thoughts, concepts and communicate information based on a range of sources.

Assessment:

Learning is cumulative and progressive, increasing in difficulty as the year progresses, and no formal mark is assigned until year's end. Transformation, Mastery of Skill and Methodology and Active Reflection are fundamental to all areas of assessment.

Progressive assessment (50%); rehearsal process (20%); performance (30%).

Time Commitment:

848 hours

Generic Skills:

At the completion of the course students should be able to:

• Exhibit extensive theoretical and practical knowledge of their discipline including relevant professional knowledge, skills, discipline and ethics as they relate to a practising visual/performing artist;
• Demonstrate capacities for artistic imagination, creativity, transformation and interpretation;
• Demonstrate practical skills in respect of critical analysis, problem solving, report writing, team work and oral and written communication;
• Demonstrate a flexible and innovative approach to the national and international challenges for the professional visual/performing artist in the 21st century;
• Work at various levels, both as an individual and as a team member, in a wide variety of visual/performing artistic environments;
• Contribute to a range of visual/performing arts environments as artistic collaborators and leaders;
• Demonstrate an open, independent and inquiring attitude towards contemporary cultural developments and new ideas.
• Critically and creatively engage with topics of cultural significance across communities;
• Understand and appreciate how the visual and performing arts connect with the broader society and contribute to its social and economic development;
• Understand their relationship with and responsibility to their cultural environment and society;

Credit Points:	12.5
Coordinator:	Geraldine Cook
Prerequisites:	Voice 1
Contact hours:	4.5 hours per week all year
Semester:	Year Long

Subject description:

This subject requires students to extend the kinaesthetic awareness of voice and speech developed in First Year.  There is a closer examination and investigation of voice and speech techniques which can be applied to a range of texts and performance settings. 

Students are encouraged to work more autonomously to make choices appropriate to character, style and performance.  Content includes the following as transformative elements in performance:  the development and extension of breath release, placement, resonance, and range, accents and speech structures.

Objectives:

On completion of the subject, students should have acquired:

• The capacity to synthesise skills, which enable the interpretation of the written word into the spoken word;
• The capacity for kinaesthetic awareness in performance;
• The capacity for imaginative, transformative and interpretive activity;
• The capacity to work with unconditional positive regard for self and others;
• A work methodology;
• Problem solving skills;
• The capacity to transfer skills into practice;
• The capacity to translate theory into practice;
• The capacity to develop research skills in relation to the work needed for accent and dialect; and,
• The capacity to synthesise data and evaluate information.

Assessment:

Students are given ongoing class assignments within the year.  These may take the form of group vocal projects, soundscapes, demonstration of technical exercises and prepared and impromptu sight-readings. and progress.  Progressive class assessment (50%); class assignments (10%); Transference of skills from class to performance (10%); performance (30%).

Time Commitment:

108 hours

Credit Points:	12.5
Coordinator:	Marie Dumont
Prerequisites:	Movement 1
Contact hours:	4.5 hours per week all year
Semester:	Year Long

Subject description:

The focus is upon fine-tuning the skills acquired in year 1, through each individual connecting more vividly to their physical landscape as a rich environment from which to create. Physical improvisation will be extended into sound and word “play”. Awareness through Movement classes (Feldenkrais method) and the fundamentals of Monika Pagneux will continue to be a practical source of support, visited at a more demanding level and used as a springboard into performance work. Simple and applied acrobatics will be practised in Semester 1, social and period dance in Semester 2.

Semester 1
This discipline extends the potential of the playful body visited in first year. It challenges the actors’ sense of physical limitations, demands strength and a constant awareness of the power of the centre/pelvis. It provokes the performer with a highly dynamic form which can serve dramatic context.

Semester 2
This unit is to enhance the actor’s aptitude in relation to stylized movement, attitude, poise, precision, coordination and partnering.

Objectives:

On completion of the subject, students should have acquired:

• A physical vocabulary supporting an adaptability to different performance contexts;
• The capacity for awareness in action;
• The capacity for spatial composition;
• A sense of rhythmical dynamics;
• The ability to create movement sequences;
• The capacity to synthesise data and evaluate information;
• The capacity for imaginative, transformative and interpretive activity;
• The capacity for mental, vocal, physical and emotional rigour in application to tasks;
• The capacity to utilise an internal evaluative mechanism;
• The capacity to achieve autonomy within a group;
• Heightened ensemble skills;
• The capacity to transfer skills into practice;
• The capacity to translate theory into practice;

Assessment:

Assessment is based upon class participation, level of preparation, the degree to which outcomes have been met, and the ability to process and integrate the material into performance work. Notification of unsatisfactory progress may be made at any time during the year. Progressive class assessment (50%) class assignment (20%); application of class work to performance (30%).

Time Commitment:

108 hours

Credit Points:	6.25
Coordinator:	Geraldine Cook
Prerequisites:	Singing 1
Contact hours:	2 hours per week
Semester:	Year Long

Subject description:

The second year of the subject emphasises interpretation as well as the development of skills introduced in Singing 1. The subject will include a selection of exercises to develop power with simultaneous freedom in the throat; articulation exercises and games; exercises to develop the different resonating areas of the body; sounds and songs which focus on the development of ear and harmony; preparation and performance of a variety of songs for the class.

Objectives:

On completion of the subject, students should have acquired:

• A physical vocabulary supporting an adaptability to different performance contexts;
• The capacity for awareness in action;
• The capacity for spatial composition;
• A sense of rhythmical dynamics;
• The ability to create movement sequences;
• The capacity to synthesise data and evaluate information;
• The capacity for imaginative, transformative and interpretive activity;
• The capacity for mental, vocal, physical and emotional rigour in application to tasks;
• The capacity to utilise an internal evaluative mechanism;
• The capacity to achieve autonomy within a group;
• Heightened ensemble skills;
• The capacity to transfer skills into practice; and
• The capacity to translate theory into practice.

Assessment:

Assessment is based upon class participation, level of preparation, and the degree to which the stated objectives have been achieved.

Continuous class assessment (70%); performance (30%). This subject will not be graded and will be recorded as P or N.

Time Commitment:

32 hours

Generic Skills:

At the completion of the course students should be able to:

• Exhibit extensive theoretical and practical knowledge of their discipline including relevant professional knowledge, skills, discipline and ethics as they relate to a practising visual/performing artist;
• Demonstrate capacities for artistic imagination, creativity, transformation and interpretation;
• Demonstrate practical skills in respect of critical analysis, problem solving, report writing, team work and oral and written communication;
• Demonstrate a flexible and innovative approach to the national and international challenges for the professional visual/performing artist in the 21st century;
• Work at various levels, both as an individual and as a team member, in a wide variety of visual/performing artistic environments;
• Contribute to a range of visual/performing arts environments as artistic collaborators and leaders;
• Demonstrate an open, independent and inquiring attitude towards contemporary cultural developments and new ideas;
• Critically and creatively engage with topics of cultural significance across communities;
• Understand and appreciate how the visual and performing arts connect with the broader society and contribute to its social and economic development;
• Understand their relationship with and responsibility to their cultural environment and society;

Credit Points:	6.25
Coordinator:	Geraldine Cook
Prerequisites:	2nd Year standing
Contact hours:	2 hours per week
Semester:	Year Long

Subject description:

The purpose of this unit is to provide students with the opportunity to explore their kinaesthetic relationship to language and integrate this with formal language structures. Students will investigate how the actor is affected and changed by this relationship in order to realise vocal transformation.

The subject includes:

• Introduction to the History of Language with a particular emphasis on Australian English;
• Speech Skills (including specific needs of the individual);
• Shakespeare; and
• Phonetics for Accent and Dialect work and Radio.

Objectives:

On completion of the subject, students should have acquired:

• the ability to demonstrate a high level of sophistication in the communication of complex ideas and concepts;
• the ability to interpret and analyse different styles of writing;
• the ability to synthesise skills which enable the interpretation of the written word into the spoken word;t
• the ability to demonstrate an understanding of the range of the different styles of communication through text analysis;
• the ability to develop research skills in relation to the work needed for accent and dialect;
• problem solving skills.

Assessment:

Assessment is based upon class participation, level of preparation and the degree to which the stated outcomes have been achieved. Progressive class assessment (50%); class assignments (10%); transference of skills from class to performance (10%); performance
(30%).

Time Commitment:

32 hours

Year 3

Credit Points:	6.25
Mode of Delivery:	weekly seminar/workshop
Contact hours:	2 hours per week
Supervised Studio hours:	6 hours per week including class preparation
Semester:	Semester 1

Subject description:

Through the process of group building activities in tutorial settings, students will form collaborative groups and project ideas reflective of the diversity of disciplines. Additionally, throughout the course students will develop their project ideas through various forms of online collaboration including blogging, forum discussions, bulletin board postings as well as responding to collaborative work as it is developed and posted online.

Subject Coordinator - Alex Gibson

Seminar/ lecture Program

Friday 9.30-11.30am Art Auditorium

FEBRUARY 20, 27, MARCH 6, 13, 20, 27, APRIL 3, 24, MAY 1, 8.

Objectives:

On completion of the Collaborative Contract subject students should be able to:

• demonstrate confidence in their ability to initiate cross-disciplinary collaborative practice;
• develop cooperative approaches and exercise leadership skills;
• display critical, reflective skills;
• demonstrate the ability to work in an inclusive manner;
• gain confidence that insight is found in the creative process;
• recognise the cumulative and complex ways in which knowledge is formed;
• develop strong documentary processes;
• understand the role of accounting and project management; and,
• be able to disseminate information and publicly promote their project.

Assessment:

The group project must be presented before the end of the semester, to be reviewed by two academic members of staff (100%). Hurdle requirement – 80% attendance. Groups will be issued with a group mark.

Time Commitment:

6 hours per week including class preparation

Credit Points:	6.25
Coordinator:	Dr Elizabeth Presa
Prerequisites:	World in the Artist 2nd year seminars
Contact hours:	2 hours per week
Supervised Studio hours:	6 hours per week
Semester:	Semester 2

Subject description:

This subject will provide an integrated and generic introduction to the key issues and skills necessary to enhance a student’s artistic career. The aim is to develop a base upon which all students can build their own specialist skills. This subject will complement the existing specialist subjects on professional development on offer in each School. The presentation of the subject will be in the form of lectures by invited experts in the fields of intellectual property, copyright, ethics, small business development, financial management, taxation, marketing and publicity, and occupational health and safety. Extracurricular workshops will be offered in negotiation, time management, grant writing and presentation skills.

Seminar /Lecture Program
Fridays 9:30am – 11.30 am Federation Hall

Objectives:

On completion of the Professional Development subject students should be able to:

• exhibit sophisticated professional communication skills;
• undertake preparation of a curriculum vitae;
• demonstrate an understanding of ethical issues;
• identify career management strategies;
• identify problem solving and conflict resolution skills;
• exhibit experience of team processes; and,
• demonstrate knowledge of issues relating to personal safety, teaching aids, access to information,and financial and legal advice.

Assessment:

Students select from a menu of discipline related written assessment projects (100%). Hurdle requirement – 80% attendance.

Time Commitment:

6 hours per week

Credit Points:	50
Coordinator:	Tanya Gerstle
Prerequisites:	Acting 2, Voice 2, Physical Performance 2, Language
Contact hours:	26 hours per week
Semester:	Year Long

Subject description:

This is a year where the emphasis shifts to performance. Classes and/or tutorials continue and they are linked with the rehearsal and performance process. Students are now encouraged to set their own objectives in the work in consultation with a staff member. In this year there will be a series of projects which range from performing in plays from the existing repertoire, to new plays, to a Film and TV project, to original works.

Acting Projects: A series of plays directed either by staff members, or guest directors or student directors. These plays will be performed to the public and could take place in a variety of venues.

Performance Making: Performances may be developed dealing with a selection of the following skills: narrative, character, metaphorical coherence, thematic unity, theatrical conventions, the rule of significance (where the work expresses a significant attitude to some problem concerning humankind and/or his/her relationship to the universe). The development of this work will be guided by students’ preferences and needs. It could be exercise based or the time could be devoted to the rehearsal of a single piece. The work could be student or staff initiated.

Objectives:

On the completion of this subject, students should be able to:

• demonstrate a mastery of skill and methodology;
• apply critical and reflective modes of thinking;
• interpret and analyse a range of source material and work methodologies;
• practise theoretical concepts and synthesise learned skills by applying them to another context;

Assessment:

Transformation and Mastery of Skill and Methodology are fundamental to all areas of assessment in Acting Projects. Assessment is based upon class participation, level of preparation, and the degree to which the stated objectives have been achieved. Rehearsal process (50%); performance (50%). In order to gain a passing grade in this subject, a pass must be achieved in both areas.

Students are required to keep a journal.

Time Commitment:

912 hours

Credit Points:	18.75
Coordinator:	Tanya Gerstle
Prerequisites:	Acting 2, Voice 2, Language, Physical Performance 2
Contact hours:	4 hours per week
Semester:	Year Long

Subject description:

The work in this area will be to consolidate the craft areas and will be dealt with on a tutorial basis or in rehearsal. All work will be related to the particular project in rehearsal. Students are required to keep a journal. Other areas covered include Auditions/ Acting for Film and Television.

Objectives:

On the completion of this subject, students should have acquired the skills to

• demonstrate a mastery of skill and methodology;
• apply critical and reflective modes of thinking;
• interpret and analyse a range of source material and work methodologies;
• practise theoretical concepts and synthesise learned skills by applying them to another context;
• demonstrate self-sufficiency that will allow them to be self-motivated;
• set their own objectives and tasks within the work process;
• understand and articulate their process of work and be able to use it within a variety of frameworks;

Assessment:

Transformation, Mastery of Skill and Methodology and Active Reflection are fundamental to all areas of assessment in Acting 3.

Assessment is based upon class participation, level of preparation, and the degree to which the stated objectives have been achieved. Progressive class assessment (100%).

Time Commitment:

96 hours

Credit Points:	6.25
Coordinator:	Geraldine Cook
Prerequisites:	Voice 1 & 2, Language
Contact hours:	2 hours per week
Semester:	Year Long

Subject description:

This unit focuses upon 'the Actor’s voice at work' and is designed to refine and strengthen voice skills in performance. Students are required to develop techniques and approaches which serve the vocal requirements of performance as well as maintaining technical rigour by exercising autonomy with individual practice and extending and committing to vocal imagination within the performance requirements.

Class assignments are ongoing throughout the year and may take the form of prepared or impromptu sight reading, the development of choral work, group and solo prose/poetry readings and a selection of texts which extend the vocal requirements of the actor in relation to a variety of performance styles and contexts.

Objectives:

On completion of this subject students should be able to:

• apply critical and reflective modes of thinking;
• interpret and analyse a range of source material and work methodologies;
• practise theoretical concepts and synthesise learned skills by applying them to another context.

Assessment:

Assessment is based upon class participation, level of preparation, the degree to which outcomes have been met, and the ability to process and integrate the material into performance work. Notification of unsatisfactory progress may be made at any time during the year. Progressive assessment (20%); class assignments (10%); voice in performance (70%).

Time Commitment:

40 hours

Credit Points:	6.25
Coordinator:	Marie Dumont
Prerequisites:	Physical Perfomance 2
Contact hours:	2 hours per week
Semester:	Year Long

Subject description:

The focus of the movement course in the third year is consolidation of skill. This will take place within the framework of performance projects. The forms of practice explored in this year (i.e. Awareness through Movement sequences, exercises relating to ensemble skills) will be tailored to address any specific themes emerging from individual or group requests.

Classes and rehearsals will investigate the specific nature of the physical language now held by the individual actor and the relationship and role of that language within each performance project.

Objectives:

On the completion of this subject, students should have acquired the skills to:

• integrate the movement practices experienced to date;
• apply critical and reflective modes of thinking;
• interpret and analyse a range of source material and work methodologies;
• practise theoretical concepts and synthesise learned skills by applying them to another context; and,
• perceptiveness and inventiveness in using a wide range of stimuli to enrich the physical language of their performance work.

Assessment:

Assessment is based upon class participation, level of preparation, and the degree to which the stated outcomes have been achieved. Progressive class assessment (30%); application of class work to rehearsal and performance (70%).

Time Commitment:

40 hours

Credit Points:	6.25
Coordinator:	Geraldine Cook
Prerequisites:	Singing 2
Contact hours:	2 hours per week
Semester:	Year Long

Subject description:

The last semester of the subject focuses more intensively on the singing voice as an extension of the actor’s skills. The content will cover a selection of the following: exercises for breathing, resonance, power and articulation; dramatic and conceptual analysis of songs, leading to performance; the process of preparation/investigation of a wide variety of songs; the preparation of performances for the class, the school and, on Performance Day or for musical productions, for the general public.

Objectives:

On completion of this subject students should be able to:

• integrate the actor’s process within performance of a song;
• work beyond the limitations of fear and habitual vocal patterns;
• expand one’s expressive powers as a singer;
• work with various styles of music; and,
• show an understanding of the relationship between the song, the text, the dramatic moment and the audience.

Assessment:

Assessment is based upon class participation, level of preparation, and the degree to which the stated objectives have been achieved. Continuous class assessment (50%); performance (50%).

This subject will be recorded as P or N only.

Time Commitment:

40 hours