production
Skip to Content

LW3008: THE ART OF PERFORMANCE (2015-2016)

Last modified: 25 Mar 2016 11:39


Course Overview

What makes the presence of bodies performing on stage a work of art? What plays out on stage and in the audiences' imagination when the auditorium lights dim and the curtain rises? What happens when the invisible divide between audience and performers is removed or when the performance leaves the auditorium and enters the street? These are some of the questions we will explore in relation to works of modern and contemporary theatre and performance art from around the world. 

Course Details

Study Type Undergraduate Level 3
Session First Sub Session Credit Points 30 credits (15 ECTS credits)
Campus Old Aberdeen Sustained Study No
Co-ordinators
  • Dr Adrienne Janus

Qualification Prerequisites

None.

What courses & programmes must have been taken before this course?

  • Any Undergraduate Programme (Studied)
  • One of English (EL) (Studied) or French (FR) (Studied) or German (GM) (Studied) or Literature In A World Context (LW) (Studied) or Hispanic Studies (SP) (Studied)
  • Programme Level 3

What other courses must be taken with this course?

None.

What courses cannot be taken with this course?

Are there a limited number of places available?

No

Course Description

This course introduces students to an exemplary selection of the most innovative and exciting works of modernist drama and performance art. It will explore the historical and aesthetic development of this art form: from European naturalist and symbolist drama of the late 19th and early 20th century to the influence of Japanese Noh on modernist theatre; from the performance events of the European avant-garde (Futurism and Dada) to the Balinese theatre and rituals of the Tarahumara Indians that informed Artaud's conception of the 'theatre of cruelty'; and from the post-war 'theatre of the absurd' to contemporary performance art as aesthetic, political, technological (and gendered) events. 

Contact Teaching Time

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

Teaching Breakdown

More Information about Week Numbers


Details, including assessments, may be subject to change until 31 August 2023 for 1st half-session courses and 22 December 2023 for 2nd half-session courses.

Summative Assessments

1st Attempt: 100% continuous assessment: two 3, 500 word essays (40% each); seminar assessment (20%). Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%).

Formative Assessment

There are no assessments for this course.

Feedback

Informal oral feedback on performance in class. Feedback on essays will be in the form of written comments on work, utilizing a standard feedback sheet. Additionally students will be invited to make appointments to discuss their work with their tutor. Informal feedback will be provided in oral form.

Course Learning Outcomes

None.

Compatibility Mode

We have detected that you are have compatibility mode enabled or are using an old version of Internet Explorer. You either need to switch off compatibility mode for this site or upgrade your browser.