Choreography MA

Core modules

Choreographing the Self

This module will introduce you to current practices and concerns in contemporary choreography. Through practical studio-based learning alongside reading and discussion you will be introduced to a variety of artistic perspectives. You will explore ways to embed this new knowledge in the context of your own developing artistic practice through the creation of solo work. 

Practice-Research Methods

This module asks what is ‘practice-research’? Current literature and practices are explored, including topics such as:

• Terminology
• Triangulation frameworks
• Outputs
• Documentation
• The role of dramaturgy and artist as agent
• What makes practice ‘practice-research’?
• What can practice offer research?

You will design and trial a practice-research methodology relating to your own research interests.  

Audiences and Documentation

In this module, students will investigate and analyse different models of engaging with audiences of theatre and performance and documenting experiences, processes, and practices. Students will be introduced to different approaches to and critical considerations of audience engagement, which might include: participant-spectatorship and immersive theatre; technologically-engaged performance and audience experience; community engagement and performance co-creation; theatre historiography and archives; and popular or contemporary performance and its audiences. The module will invite students to consider who the audiences for their own work might be and will participate in ‘artist survival’ activities around identifying and reaching their audience(s), documenting their practice, pitching for funding, and preparing grant applications.

Creativity and Collaboration

Students on the module will be introduced to a number of different models of creative partnership and practices of collaboration/co-creation. A wide-ranging and interdisciplinary context for this work will be provided in order to enable students to contextualise their own work in a critically-informed manner. At the core of the module will be the placement or negotiated project. Students will devise a creative portfolio plan in negotiation with the module leader to ensure that their chosen practical activity satisfies the module’s learning outcomes. The creative portfolio plan will also require that they have chosen a structure which will allow them to demonstrate reflective engagement with the experience.

Optional modules (you will choose one)

Final Choreographic Research Project

In this module you will work with your individual supervisor and the Programme Leader to produce an independent choreographic research project with a public facing final performance outcome. The Practice Research Methods module is designed to prepare you for this final project and the Negotiated Study and Performance Making modules will have given you further opportunities to develop your understanding of your practice as research.  

Dissertation 

This module is a final written dissertation. It is an opportunity for you to focus on an area of research interest of your choice. You will be supported by your individual supervisor to demonstrate a systematic and comprehensive understanding of the techniques applicable to your own research and advanced scholarship in choreography. 

Overview

The course is delivered from both scholarly and practical perspectives to ensure that you develop an advanced understanding of current research across a range of theoretical and practical fields. You will be taught through a range of teaching, learning and assessment modes by an energetic team of practicing artists and active researchers with international profiles in their specialist field. You will engage in independent study that involves practical research and rehearsals, viewing, reading and writing. The diversity of assessment includes practice-based work, written assignments, oral presentations and portfolio. There is an increasing emphasis upon autonomous learning throughout the modules.

Contact hours

In your first term you will study two modules and on average attend 9 hours of timetabled taught sessions each week (including lectures, tutorials and studio sessions) and be expected to undertake at least 27-32 hours of independent study each week. Your second term will combine a taught module, with a similar amount of taught and independent study hours as above, and a negotiated independent module that will require 35 hours of independent study supported by supervisory and tutorial hours.  Your third term will be pre-dominantly self-directed (including meetings with your supervisor), during which you can expect to undertake 35 hours of independent study each week. 

Part-time study is normally undertaken on a half-time basis.