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Drama: Theatre and Performance Undergraduate Handbook 2015 Entry Contents Welcome from Head of School ................................................................................. 1 Staff Contact Details and Research Interests ............................................................ 2 Contact and Welfare Information ............................................................................. 3 Attendance ................................................................................................................ 7 Frequently Asked Questions..................................................................................... 8 Your Degree: Aims and Objectives .......................................................................... 11 Table of Modules ..................................................................................................... 13 Assessment and Examination Information ............................................................. 15 Assessment Criteria ................................................................................................. 18 Teaching and Learning Methods ............................................................................. 24 First Year Module Outlines ...................................................................................... 26 Appendix: Guide on Essay Referencing ................................................................... 29 Please Note: Although every effort is made to ensure that all information contained in this handbook is correct at the time of going to press (September 2015), the University cannot accept responsibility for errors or omissions. The University also reserves the right to introduce changes from the information given, including the addition, withdrawal or restructuring of courses and/or modules. The terms and conditions on which the University makes offers of places on its courses of study, including those covered in this handbook, may be found in the University of Sussex Undergraduate Prospectus, copies of which can be obtained from the Admissions Office in Sussex House. An online version of this handbook is available at http://www.sussex.ac.uk/english/internal/forstudents/uginformation/ughandbooks You can use this version to access the weblinks included. From Professor Tom Healy, Head of School A very warm welcome to the School of English. Through BA degrees in English Literature, English Language, American Studies, and Drama, we engage with the historical, creative, performed, theoretical, and linguistic aspects of English as a world language and literature. The School is committed to providing our students with teaching of high quality, founded on the expertise of over 45 members of academic faculty whose research has overwhelmingly been celebrated as internationally excellent. Our aim as a School is to provide you with a supportive and intellectually stimulating environment as you work in your chosen degree course. I hope that you will take full advantage of what Sussex University has to offer you. All the School's staff wish to help you to make the most of your time here. Studying in the School you become a part of an academic community that explores how language, whether read or performed, is the foundation of the investigations we undertake about the human place in the world. We want to work with you in helping you further your development into independent, informed and questioning thinkers. Yet how much you get out of your time here depends on how much you put in, and I encourage you to be an enthusiastic participant in your degree course. Above all, studying with us should be rewarding and enjoyable. If you feel at any point that is not the case, let us know and we will try to help. I very much hope that you have a pleasurable and productive time with us at Sussex. Tom Healy Head of School 1 Drama Staff Contact Details and Research Interests English School Office: Arts B133, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QN Tel: (01273) 877303 E-mail: [email protected] Dr Sara Jane Bailes (Head of Drama) Room B220, tel: 01273 876608, email: [email protected] Contemporary performance and live art (UK, US and Europe); critical theory; theatre composition; feminism; writing and performance Dr Augusto Corrieri Room B349, tel: 01273 873699, email: [email protected] Contemporary European performance and dance; conceptual art; ecology and performance; critical and performative writing Benjamin Fowler Room B337, tel: TBC, email: [email protected] Contemporary theatre directing; adaptation and experimental approaches to classical text; performance and new media Dr William McEvoy Room B351, tel: 01273 876609, email: [email protected] Contemporary British and European theatre and performance; site-specific performance; theatre and ethics; theatre criticism Lisa Peck Room B319, tel: 01273 873681, email: [email protected] Acting and theatre-making pedagogies; theatre in education; feminist theatre; approaches to directing and devising Dr Jason Price: Room B346, tel: 01273 877204, email: [email protected] Popular, radical and applied theatre practices; dramaturgy and directing methods; theatre and social change 2 Lee Kennedy (Drama Technician) Room B310, tel: 01273 873128, email: [email protected] Sarah Ayliff (Course Coordinator for Drama) Room B133, tel: 01273 872650, email: [email protected] Please refer to individual staff members’ websites or look on individual office doors for office hours during which members of faculty are available for consultation. Contact and Welfare Information Where do I go for Information? The English School Office is located in Arts B133 on the first floor of the Arts B Building and the staff there are happy to help you with any queries you may have. The office is open 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday. The office phone number is (01273) 877303 and the office e-mail is: [email protected]. English Faculty contact details can be found at: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/english/internal/people/peoplelists/group/academic-faculty Email You will be registered for an email account here at the University of Sussex, and it is important that you check this account regularly during the week in term times, as much communication is done by email. University emails will automatically be sent to your University account rather than other personal accounts, such as gmail. The Web The School of English website has lots of useful information including faculty contact details, module and course information and up-to-date news and events in the School: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/english/internal/ Study Direct You will have access to Study Direct, our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) where you will be able to engage with academic resources and activities created and shared by your tutors and peers. The main page will give an overview of your course and provide links to individual module sites where you will typically find module documents, library reading lists and (where available) lecture recordings. For modules with on-line essay submission, Study Direct is the portal for submission. You will find the links to Sussex Direct and Study Direct at http://www.sussex.ac.uk/students/ 3 Sussex Direct When you arrive you will be registered to Sussex Direct, which is your personalised online gateway to university information. The system will provide you with your study timetable information, as well as help you track your marks, assessment deadlines, exams timetable and attendance. Behind the scenes, Sussex Direct helps your Academic Adviser, and Student Advisers, to support your studies. You will also be able to access your library account and personal information pages, including; contact, financial, printing and training course information. Notice boards Some key information may be displayed on student notice boards in the Arts B Building (in the lobby area outside the English School Office, B133), so it’s important that you familiarise yourself with where they are located and check them regularly. Pigeonholes Undergraduate pigeonholes for students in the School of English are located on level 2 of Arts B opposite B237 and these should be checked regularly. The pigeonholes contain post and coursework/feedback from assessments. Students will be emailed when coursework is ready to be collected. Undergraduate Examinations Handbook There is some information about examinations and assessments in this handbook, but more detailed information can be found in the Undergraduate Examinations Handbook, which is published on-line by the University’s Academic Development and Quality Enhancement Office: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/adqe/documents Essay manuals The School publishes manuals on the planning and writing of essays. While much of the information in the manuals for different courses is the same, it is important for joint degree students to note that there are differences, particularly in citation and referencing styles for English Language/Linguistics and English Literature. So, for English Language modules, please use the English Language manual and for Literature modules, please use the English Literature manuals. If you’re ever uncertain about questions of essay-writing process, style or format for a module, be sure to ask your tutor for more information. The manuals can be found on the School of English undergraduate handbooks page: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/english/internal/forstudents/uginformation/ughandbooks Event Booking System The event booking system is used by the School Office to invite students to events within the School. The event will appear in your Sussex Direct timetable as either compulsory or something that requires a request of acceptance. Typical events include book launches, extra workshops and Drama performances. 4 Who can I talk to? Your Academic Adviser The role of your Academic Adviser is to monitor your academic progress and to give you advice and help on academic or personal issues that may be affecting your studies. You will meet your Academic Adviser during the first term, and they will be available during their office hours for you to talk to should you need their help and advice. You will also meet with them each year to review together how your studies are progressing. Student Life Centre The Student Life Centre is based in Bramber House, and is open every weekday 9am – 5pm. The Student Life Team are there to help with the following issues: Personal concerns Student funding: Access to Learning Fund, all scholarships, bursaries and Vice Chancellors loans. Student mentoring Information about taking a temporary break (temporary withdrawal) or withdrawing from the University. Student complaints Student discipline Submission of mitigating evidence Help with understanding University procedures Specialist financial advice services are provided by the Student Union Advice and Representation Centre. You can contact the Student Life Centre by: telephoning 01273 87 6767; emailing [email protected]; or texting ‘slcentre’ to 88020. Further details about the Centre are available at: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/studentlifecentre Student Mentors Student mentors are current students who are here to help you settle into university life. They can show you how different systems work (e.g. Sussex Direct), advise you on time management and revision skills and a range of other issues – no question is too small. Drop-in sessions are open to anyone or you can e-mail one of the mentors and they will arrange a time to see you. See the website: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/studentlifecentre for more information on Student Mentors or contact the Student Life Centre. Student Representatives and the School Student Experience Group The Student Representative Scheme is run jointly by the Students Union (USSU) and the University. Student reps provide an essential link between students, the University and the Students' Union. Because reps are themselves students, fellow students are happy to seek assistance from them when they have concerns or opinions about their education and experience at the University. Each student cohort year elects both subject-area reps and School-level reps. Subject-area reps liaise with and represent students at the local level. School-level reps take forward relevant issues to School- 5 and University-level committees. All reps meet once a term at the School Student Experience Group to exchange information and ideas. Further information on the student representation scheme including voting dates can be found at: http://www.sussexstudent.com/student-reps/ The University of Sussex Students’ Union (USSU) The Students’ Union offers a wealth of resources to help you during your time at Sussex, as well as numerous clubs and societies that cater for your extra-curricular interests. The Union’s Student Advice Centre offers free, confidential advice on a range of academic and non-academic issues, including housing, finance, counselling and sexual health. The USSU is located in Falmer House. http://www.sussexstudent.com/ The Careers and Employability Centre To help you with your academic development, the Library and the Careers and Employability Centre have created the Skills Hub. It brings together all the workshops, web resources and services at Sussex to help you develop a wide range of skills including: Writing and Referencing Library and Research IT Skills Employability Exams and Assessments Personal Development The Skills Hub also has a live event feed so you can find out about workshops and events to help you develop your skills: www.sussex.ac.uk/skillshub The Careers and Employability Centre is located in the Library and is there to help you with all aspects of career development and employment, both during your studies and after you have graduated. They offer study skills support, such as workshops and individual tutorials for more effective learning and developing better study habits and have online resources such as Study Success at Sussex. http://www.sussex.ac.uk/s3/ They can also help with finding a part-time job during your studies or in the vacation, putting together a CV, finding work experience, information about postgraduate opportunities, and a range of other career related areas. Don’t wait till your final year to visit — they have services for students at every level of study. www.sussex.ac.uk/careers/ 6 Attendance The School of English takes your attendance at seminars, workshops and lectures seriously. Our overwhelming experience is that a casual approach to preparation for, attendance at, and participation in, these classes leads both to a far poorer result in your degree than you are capable of achieving and to poor preparation for your future after university. Poor attendance and preparation is also unfair on your fellow students who are working to make these classes stimulating and effective. We expect a minimum of 80% attendance at seminars and workshops. Attendance is also taken in some lectures. If you are ill or cannot attend classes for any other reason you should email [email protected]. If you find that ill health or other circumstances are affecting your studies we strongly recommend you drop into the Student Life Centre and speak to one of the team. http://www.sussex.ac.uk/studentlifecentre If your attendance becomes poor without notified good cause, the School’s progress boards may withdraw you from your degree course and you will have to leave the University. The School’s Director of Student Experience and the School Office monitor attendance registers and will warn you if your attendance starts to become unsatisfactory. Failure to rectify this may result in you not being able to complete your modules and your degree. Photo: Stuart Robinson 7 Frequently Asked Questions What are the University’s term dates? 2015-16 Arrival Weekend Freshers' induction Autumn Term# New Undergraduates attend Teaching induction (all attend) Teaching starts Teaching finishes Christmas vacation Private study period Attendance only if required* Mid-year assessment period Attendance only if required* starts Mid-year assessment period Attendance only if required* ends Inter-session week Spring Term# Teaching starts Teaching finishes Winter Graduation Easter teaching break and Spring Vacation Private study period Attendance only if required* Year-end assessment period starts Year-end assessment period ends Summer vacation Summer Graduation Resit period Attendance only if required Summer Term# # Term dates for all students:- UG, PGT and PGR Sat 12 Sep 2015 Mon 14 Sep 2015 Thur 17 Sep 2015 Mon 21 Sep 2015 Fri 11 Dec 2015 Sat 12 Dec 2015 – Sun 03 Jan 2016 Mon 04 Jan - Wed 06 Jan 2016 Thu 07 Jan 2016 Fri 22 Jan 2016 Sat 23 - Sun 31 Jan 2016 Mon 01 Feb 2016 Fri 06 May 2016 Tue 19 - Fri 22 Jan 2016 Sat 19 Mar – Sun 03 Apr 2016 Mon 09 - Wed 11 May 2016 Thur 12 May 2016 Fri 10 Jun 2016 Sat 11 Jun 2016 Mon 18 - Fri 22 July 2016 Late August - early Sep: tbc * exams may be scheduled on Saturdays Where can I see my timetable? On Sussex Direct (which you are automatically registered to when you are registered at the university); go to the Study page and click on Study Timetable. 8 What happens if I can’t hand my work in due to illness/other circumstances? If you believe you have a good reason why you cannot hand in work on time you can submit Mitigating Evidence (MEC). Information on how you can do this can be accessed here: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/studentlifecentre/mitigation Your MEC statement should be completed as early as possible, either before or normally within 7 days of the assessment deadline. This should be supported by independent documented MEC evidence submitted within 21 days of the assessment deadline. An early submission of your claim may also speed up an assessment of entitlement to additional support should your circumstances indicate ongoing health or support issues. Where do I hand in my work? Your Sussex Direct webpages will give all assessment details, including whether the assessment is to be submitted via e-submission through Study Direct or in hard copy via the School Office. Electronic submissions For assignments that need to be submitted electronically, please refer to the frequently asked questions available on the following webpage for further information: www.sussex.ac.uk/adqe/standards/examsandassessment/esubmission You are encouraged to use the internet-based text-matching service, Turnitin, prior to submitting your assessments. This may help you identify problems with your referencing. Turnitin is also used during the marking process as a means of checking the originality of submitted work. School Office submissions If your assignment needs to be handed in to the School Office, please make sure that you submit 2 copies of your assessed work. The two copies must be individually stapled and one cover sheet stapled to one copy. Cover sheets are available from the School Office throughout the year. Please include your candidate number and the module code at the top of each page of all work submitted. What happens if my work is late? Work submitted late will be subject to the following penalties: Up to 24 hours after the deadline - a penalty deduction of 5 percentage points, so, for example, an original mark of 65% will be reduced to 60%. After 24 hours and up to 7 days (1 week) late - a penalty deduction of 10 percentage points. Work will not be accepted more than 7 days after the original deadline. A mark of 0 and a nonsubmission will be recorded. It is extremely important therefore, that you do hand all of your work in on time. Losing marks for lateness can have a significant impact on your degree classification. Where do I collect marked work? Marked work that has been electronically submitted will be returned by the same method. Work that has been handed in to the School Office will be returned by the tutor. 9 Where can I see my marks? Your marks can be viewed on Sussex Direct, along with progress reports written by your tutors. Marks and feedback will be returned within 15 working term time days. Where do I get a photocopy card from, and where is the nearest photocopier? You can purchase a photocopy card (and recharge it) in the Library. The nearest photocopiers and printers are in the Library. Where is the nearest computer cluster? A small number of computers are available off the English Social Space (B274) on the second floor in Arts B. Computers are also available in the Shawcross Building and in the Library. Where do I update my contact details? If your contact details change you should update them on your Sussex Direct account. Where can I find information about modules? Information about modules that you are registered in can be found on Sussex Direct, including the modes of assessment, assessment deadlines, weightings and credit details. For modules that you are not currently taking, please see the School of English website: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/english/internal/coursesandmodules/ugcourses What is Study Direct? Study Direct has a range of on-line academic resources to help you with your studies. Each of your modules has its own site on Study Direct, and it is the chief means by which your tutors will interact with you outside classroom time. Some modules also have readers and lecture outlines which will be available for you to download and print. I want to transfer to a different degree course – what should I do? You should talk it through with your Academic Adviser if you want to change your degree course. If you decide to transfer to a different degree course this is only possible at certain times of the year, and you should contact Anne Woodbridge, Curriculum and Assessment Officer, Arts B138 (opposite the School Office). She will give you a transfer form and explain the procedure to you. What do I do in an emergency? If there is an accident or emergency you should phone the campus emergency hotline on 3333 (from a mobile or external line call 01273 873333). Do not dial 999. If you hear a fire alarm, leave the building straight away by the nearest exit and go to the local building assembly point. …and remember, the staff in the English School Office (Arts B133) are here to help you with any queries you may have. 10 Your Drama Degree: Aims and Objectives Photo: Stuart Robinson The Drama course at Sussex introduces students to a range of academic and performance-based skills in their first year and develops them in the second year. By your second and final year, you will be able to pursue your own interests under the supervision of your tutors. Theory and practice are considered complementary throughout this course and while you take both seminar and studio-based modules, you will find yourself considering the implications of practical work in discussion while theoretical issues are explored through workshop practice. Your studies will focus on a range of theatre practices, plays and issues of relevance to the Modern and Postmodern period, reflecting the research strengths of the Drama staff and preparing you for a professional career in the arts and other related areas. Areas and approaches you cover include textual and performance analysis, making performance, critical theory and theories of drama and creative writing. You will find that you engage with many different aspects of the theatre process and from a range of perspectives. While studying for a degree is primarily a solo endeavour, our modes of assessment actively encourage group work and collaborative skills, independent research, developing your own creative voice and your self-confidence. By the end of the degree course you will be able to confront complex ideas and arguments relating to theatre and performance more generally, and develop opinions and perspectives informed by evidence and suitable intellectual frameworks. You will also understand a good deal about theatre– making and theatre practitioners from the contemporary and historical periods. You will learn how to conduct research, write clearly, and work and communicate with others. In addition, you will be able to transfer your extensive skills in group and collaborative work, and in the practical and academic workings of theatre, to a range of possible careers both in and beyond the creative industries. 11 Our students Drama students at Sussex either take Single Honours or Joint Honours degrees (which means they have a diverse range of additional material that they can bring to Drama classes). Some students come straight from school or college, while others have had a gap year or are returning to education after a longer period. We also attract international students from Europe and further afield. This means that student interaction is varied and lively, drawing on diverse experiences and perspectives. What You Achieve Knowledge of different kinds of theatre in text and performance from a range of periods and contexts Understanding of key theories of drama, theatre and performance Practice-based skills in analysing, exploring, making and devising theatre The ability to present ideas clearly and analytically in group and oral presentations The skills to interact successfully with small or large groups and to communicate creatively and with confidence. Research skills and IT competence In addition you will be able to Set yourself ambitious goals for your study at Sussex and improve on existing skills Plan how you will manage your time to achieve these goals Develop a critical awareness of your work and your working methods Articulate your strengths to employers Take control of your own career development Drama Courses at Sussex Drama Studies at Sussex can form part of a range of Joint Honours modules, allowing you to combine your study of texts, theorists and theatre practice with other subjects such as English, Film Studies and Modern Languages. BA Courses in Drama at Sussex: BA Drama: Theatre and Performance BA Drama Studies and English BA Drama Studies and Film Studies BA Drama Studies and Languages (French, Italian and Spanish) Each degree courses aims and learning outcomes can be found on the web. Go to: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/english/internal/coursesandmodules Please note: if you are a joint honours student, you will need to refer to the relevant department handbook for the other part of your degree e.g. English or Film Studies. 12 What modules will I take during my degree course? The table below shows you which Drama modules you will take as part of your degree course. To see what modules you will take from your joint subject, please look up the relevant course structure at: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/english/internal/coursesandmodules/ugcourses If you have any doubt about what modules you are taking please ask in the English School Office, Arts B133. Drama: Theatre and Performance (Single Honours) First Year Term Autumn (core) Autumn (core) Autumn (elective) Spring (core) Spring (core) Spring (elective) Second Year Term Autumn (core) Autumn (core) Spring (core) Spring (option choice: choose 1 of 2 options) Spring (elective) Third Year Term Autumn (core) Autumn (core) Spring (option choice: choose 2 of 3 options) Module Q3255 Q3256 Q3258 Q3259 Module Q3260 Q3107 Q3004 Q3026 Q3261 Thinking Through Theatre Theories and Contexts in Drama Elective Credits 30 15 15 Reading and Staging Theatre Texts Theatre and Performance Analysis Elective 30 15 15 Critical Theory and Performance Approaches to Contemporary Performance Modern and Postmodern Drama Writing for Theatre Performance: Directing and Composition Elective Credits 15 30 15 30 30 15 Module Q3262 Issues and Perspectives in Contemporary Performance Q3109 Final Year Performance Project Q3263 IRP: Dissertation Q3264 IRP: Practical Q3265 Professional Placement 13 Credits 30 30 30 30 30 Your Drama Degree: Assessment and Examination Drama and English (Joint Honours) Drama and Film Studies Drama and a Language First Year Term Autumn (core) Module Q3255 Spring (core) Q3258 Second Year Term Autumn (core) Module Q3107 Spring (option choice: choose 1 of 2 options) Q3026 Q3261 Third Year Term Autumn (core) Module Q3262 Spring (option choice: choose 1 of 2 options) Q3263 Q3264 Thinking Through Theatre Modules from your joint subject Reading and Staging Theatre Texts Modules from your joint subject Credits 30 30 30 30 Approaches to Contemporary Performance Modules from your joint subject Writing for Theatre Performance: Directing and Composition Modules from your joint subject Credits 30 30 30 30 30 Issues and Perspectives on Contemporary Performance Modules from your joint subject IRP: Dissertation IRP: Practical Modules from your joint subject Credits 30 30 30 30 30 PLEASE NOTE: While the above module tables are accurate at the time of printing this handbook (September 2015), the curriculum may have changed by the time you are in your second and final years – i.e. some new modules may be running and some modules may not be offered depending on staffing and research leave. The English website will always have the most up-to-date degree course structures – please go to http://www.sussex.ac.uk/english/internal/coursesandmodules/ugcourses 14 The Credit System Each module has a certain number of credits. Degree courses at Sussex are modular, with each academic year being a largely ‘self-contained’ unit of study. Full-time students are expected to spend at least 30 working weeks on their studies - a grand total of at least 1,200 student-hours per year. Sussex, like other Universities, uses a measure called “credit” which reflects this input of time. In the system used here, each academic year contains at least 120 credits (i.e. a credit is equivalent to 10 hours of student effort). These credits are divided amongst the modules. By knowing the number of credits for each module, you will have a guide to the relative amount of work required - i.e. a 15- credit module should require only half the total amount of work needed for a 30-credit module. The credit allocated to a module is meant to indicate the total amount of effort required over the duration of the module. This can include time spent on many relevant learning activities such as reading background material, preparing and writing essays, attending lectures and tutorials and revision for exams. These figures can only be an approximate guide. The most important reason for this is that individual students come with different backgrounds and have different strengths, and this affects the amount of effort (and time) that will be needed to cope with the various modules in the degree course. If you find yourself spending much more, or much less, time on a module than is appropriate for that credit loading, then you should talk to your module tutor and your academic adviser to make sure that you are spending your time effectively. Time management is an important part of studying for your degree. Modes of Assessment Drama assesses your work in a variety of ways and seeks to assess the many skills and areas of knowledge present in the course. The following section considers our main assessment modes and what they ask of you. Essays You will be asked to write a number of essays over the three years spent in Drama. The most important assessed quality of an essay is the extent to which it analyses the object(s) of your inquiry. You also need to be able to construct cogent arguments that are solidly based on and supported by evidence. Generalization and assertion are virtually meaningless as they lack argumentative support. Every paragraph should aim to address the essay’s title. An essay should not recycle opinions from classes but rather probe them for their strengths and weaknesses while developing your own perspective and ideas. You should consult books, scholarly journals, and other learning resources to give your work depth, and so that you can compare your thoughts with those of others. All materials must be referenced correctly to avoid the risk of plagiarism. For information about referencing, please refer to the appendix at the end of this booklet (page 29 onwards). Essays vary in length but should always include an introduction and a conclusion unless otherwise stipulated. By omitting either of these, you make it more difficult for your reader to navigate through your argument/discussion and to understand what your final positions are. 15 Group Presentations You will also be asked to work in groups to demonstrate certain aspects of your learning. Such assessments often involve a performance presentation and a reflection on what you have done and why you have done it. Much like an essay, research is required and you will need to work collaboratively in order to process all the group’s ideas. While the virtuosity of your performance is not marked directly, the strength of your ideas and your ability to convey them clearly are. You will also need to be self-reflective when analysing and accounting for your ideas, and so critical distance from your work is essential in order to consider what you have created with due rigour. Oral/Seminar Presentations You will also be asked to give presentations in class, either individually or as part of a small group. Usually you will be given a time limit and a topic and you will be expected to present an informed response to the task set. Presentations should be well researched and cogently argued. Supporting materials, such as power points and hand-outs, may be appropriate, but don’t allow presentation to replace content. Practical Assessment In the final year performance project and in other modules with performance elements, marks will be awarded for the way in which you approach the objectives of the project and the ways in which you execute them. Your development of ideas and their implementation, ongoing attendance and active participation, your interaction with the tutor, and your engagement with the learning objectives of the module all contribute to your final mark. Critical Reflection In performance project modules you will document and record your experiences, and keep other documents drawn from your process, such as notes taken from secondary materials, sketches for set design or costumes, photographs relating to ideas, etc. Along with readings and other materials, this documentation provides the raw material for your critical reflections on the process. You may, for example, consider the way your own performance developed and refer back to two important sessions in your notebook, as well as the theoretical texts read for the class. Again, much value is placed on analytical skills and the ability to be able to stand back and offer a considered critical appreciation of your own process. Useful assessment information Writing well and avoiding academic misconduct Plagiarism, collusion, and cheating in exams are all forms of academic misconduct which the University takes very seriously. Every year, some students commit academic misconduct unintentionally because they did not know what was expected of them. The consequences for committing academic misconduct can be severe, so it is important that you familiarise yourself with what it is and how to avoid it. The University's guide to study skills gives advice on writing well, including hints and tips on how to avoid making serious mistakes. Visit http://sussex.ac.uk/s3/writingwell and make use of the resources there. You will also find helpful guides to referencing properly and improving your critical writing skills. 16 If you are dealing with difficult circumstances, such as illness or bereavement, do not try to rush your work or hand in something which may be in breach of the rules. Instead you should seek confidential advice from the Student Life Centre. The full University rules on academic misconduct are set out in the Undergraduate Examination and Assessment Handbook; see: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/adqe/documents Handing in formally-assessed work It is important that you are quite clear about where and when work must be handed in. Deadline dates for coursework are shown on your study pages on Sussex Direct (http://direct.sussex.ac.uk). End-of-year results At the end of each academic year, the English Undergraduate Progression and Award Board meets to determine your progression to the next year of your course, or, in the case of final-year students, the degree class you will be awarded. Details of your results, including examination results, will be available on your Sussex Direct study pages following the meeting of the board, and a ‘pass list’ will be published on the notice board in Arts B listing the students who have progressed to the next year. If at the end of year 1 or year 2 you have not passed enough modules to progress to the next year, you will be asked to resit in September some or all of the modules you have failed. You will be contacted by letter if this is the case. More detailed information regarding examinations and resits is in the Undergraduate Examination Handbook, which will be available in the autumn term, and is also available at: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/adqe/documents The pass mark for all undergraduate modules is 40%. At the end of the year, you must have achieved 120 credits’ worth of modules in order to progress to the next year of your degree course. Marks for the 1st year do not contribute towards your degree classification (final degree result), but you must pass the first year in order to progress to the second year. For a three-year degree course your 2nd year marks contribute 40% to your degree classification, and the final year contributes 60% to your degree classification. 17 Assessment Criteria Assessment Criteria for written work: 0-19 A mark in this range is indicative that the work is far below the standard required at the current level of your degree course. It indicates that the work is extremely weak, unstructured and seriously inadequate. This will be because either the work is far too short, is badly jumbled and incoherent in content, or fails to address the essay title or question asked. It will show very little evidence of knowledge or understanding of the relevant module material and may exhibit very weak writing and/or analytical skills. 20-39 A mark in this range is indicative that the work is below, but at the upper end is approaching, the standard required at the current level of your degree course. It indicates weak work of an inadequate standard. This will be because either the work is too short, is very poorly organized, or is poorly directed at the essay title or question asked. It will show very limited knowledge or understanding of the relevant module material and display weak writing and/or analytical skills. Essay work will be poorly structured, exhibit no clear argument, may have very weak spelling and grammar, very inadequate or absent references and/or bibliography and may contain major factual errors. Quantitative work will contain significant errors and incorrect conclusions. 40-49 A mark in this range is indicative that the work is of an acceptable standard at the current level of your degree course. Work of this type will show limited knowledge and understanding of relevant module material. It will show evidence of some reading and comprehension, but the essay or answer may be weakly structured, cover only a limited range of the relevant material or have a weakly developed or incomplete argument. The work will exhibit weak essay writing or analytical skills. It may be poorly-presented without properly laid out footnotes and/or a bibliography, or in the case of quantitative work, it may not be possible to follow the several steps in the logic and reasoning leading to the results obtained and the conclusions reached. 50-59 A mark in this range is indicative that the work is of a satisfactory to very satisfactory standard at the current level of your degree course. Work of this quality will show clear knowledge and understanding of relevant module material. It will focus on the essay title or question posed and show evidence that relevant basic works of reference have been read and understood. The work will exhibit sound essay writing and/or analytical skills. It will be reasonably well structured and coherently presented. Essay work should exhibit satisfactory use of footnotes and/or a bibliography and in more quantitative work it should be possible to follow the logical steps leading to the answer obtained and the conclusions reached. Arguments and issues should be discussed and illustrated by reference to examples, but these may not fully documented or detailed. 60-69 A mark in this range is indicative of that the work is of a good to very good standard for the current level of your degree course. Work of this quality shows a good level of knowledge and understanding of relevant module material. It will show evidence of reading a wide diversity of material and of being able to use ideas gleaned from this reading to support and develop arguments. Essay work will exhibit good writing skills with well-organized, accurate footnotes and/or a bibliography that follows the accepted ‘style’ of the subject. Arguments and issues will be illustrated by reference to well documented, detailed and relevant examples. There should be clear evidence of critical engagement with the objects, issues or topics being analysed. Any quantitative work will be clearly presented, the results should be correct and any conclusions clearly and accurately expressed. 70 – 84 A mark in this range is indicative that the work is of an excellent standard for the current level of your degree course. The work will exhibit excellent levels of knowledge and understanding 18 comprising all the qualities of good work stated above, with additional elements of originality and flair. The work will demonstrate a range of critical reading that goes well beyond that provided on reading lists. Answers or essays will be fluently-written and include independent argument that demonstrate an awareness of the nuances and assumptions of the question or title. Essays will make excellent use of appropriate, fully referenced, detailed examples. 85 - 100 A mark in this range is indicative of outstanding work. Marks in this range will be awarded for work that exhibits all the attributes of excellent work but has very substantial elements of originality and flair. Assessment Criteria for Presentations: 0-19 A mark in this range indicates that the presentation is far below the minimum standard expected. It indicates an extremely weak presentation that is unstructured and well below the minimum standard expected. This will be because either the presentation is far too brief, very poorly organised and incoherent in content, or fails to address the issue, topic or theme required. The presentation will exhibit minimal evidence of knowledge or understanding of the material, may contain major factual errors and presentation or speaking skills may be extremely weak. 20-39 A mark in this range indicates that the presentation is below, but at the upper end of the range is approaching, the minimum standard expected. It indicates a weak presentation below the minimum standard expected. This will be because either the presentation is too short, poorly organized, poorly structured and difficult to comprehend, or is poorly focussed on the issue, topic or theme required. It will exhibit minimal knowledge or understanding of the material covered and may display very weak presentation or speaking skills, or contain substantial factual errors. 40-49 A mark in this range indicates that the presentation meets the minimum standard expected. A presentation of this quality will show limited knowledge and understanding of the material covered. It will show evidence of some preparation and comprehension, but the presentation may be weakly organised, cover only a limited range of the relevant material or develop a weak theme or argument. It may exhibit weak presentation or speaking skills, lack appropriate visual aids and may contain some significant factual errors. It may not be possible to follow several steps in the logic and reasoning or in any conclusions reached. 50-59 A mark in this range indicates that the presentation is of a satisfactory to very satisfactory standard. A presentation of this quality will show clear knowledge and understanding of the material covered. It will be focussed and show evidence of thoughtful preparation and clear comprehension of the material delivered. The material will be reasonably well structured, coherently presented and exhibit clear speaking skills supported, if relevant, by adequate use of clear visual aids. There may be some omission of relevant material or limited develop of a topic, theme or argument, it may contain minor factual errors and it may not be possible to follow all steps in the logic and reasoning or in any conclusions reached. 60-69 A mark in this range indicates a good or very good presentation. A presentation of this quality will show a good level of knowledge and understanding of the material covered. It will be well focussed, show evidence of very thoughtful preparation and a very clear comprehension of the material delivered. The material will be well structured, accurate, very coherently delivered and exhibit high level presentation and speaking skills well supported, if relevant, by good use of clear visual aids. Most or all relevant material will be included, any relevant topic, theme or argument will be clearly developed and it will be possible to follow all steps in the logic and reasoning and in the conclusions reached. There should be clear evidence of critical engagement with the theme, issue or topic being presented. 19 70+ Such marks are given for an excellent or outstanding presentation. A presentation of this standard will exhibit excellent levels of knowledge, understanding and presentation skills comprising all the qualities stated above, with additional elements of originality and flair. It will exhibit a critical engagement with the material presented and include independent argument regarding the theme, issue or topic being presented. It will be excellently presented in a fluent speaking style supported if relevant by excellent visual aids. Assessment Criteria for practical work: 0-39 A mark in this range indicates that the work has not reached the necessary standard. Little or no evidence of preparation, of rehearsal and/or creative engagement. The work is messy, untidy, undisciplined and fails to reflect original project goals. Little thought given to staging or audience perspective/experience. Creative ideas (such as are present) are superficial, misconceived; does not understand the form of the work or its relation to content; expression is at best simple or unclear. Focus of task and approach to task lacking in appropriate ambition. Performance is poor to adequate. Attention to the group and overall structural developments are poor; marked by inattention; failure to respond to or work with other performers in a respectful/supportive way. 40-59 A mark in this range indicates satisfactory to very satisfactory work. Some evidence of preparation, of rehearsal and creative engagement. Some thought given to staging and audience perspective/experience. Keeps reasonably close to original project goals. Creative ideas are simple/predictable, possibly somewhat derivative or reliant on formulaic approaches, and rather safe; genre understood and related to content; expression largely clear; execution supports intentions; individual performances competent to good. Attention to the group and overall structural developments are variable; periods of attention mixed with a lack of focus or engagement and lapses in concentration or clarity. 60-69 A mark in this range indicates a very good piece of performance work. Clear evidence of sustained preparation, of rehearsal and creative engagement. Staging is thoughtful and appropriate, and shows careful consideration. Keeps to original project goals. Creative ideas are sophisticated/imaginative; focus of task and approach are appropriately ambitious and demanding; communicative potential of creative ideas understood; relationship of form and content fully understood; individual performances are expressive and well delineated. The ensemble playing is of a good to high standard (few lapses of concentration); focus on the piece’s coherence is mostly excellent; very good overall responsiveness to and awareness of objectives and other performers. 70+ A mark in this range indicates excellent performance work. High quality in staging and structure of work reflects sustained and rigorous preparation in all regards. Fulfils all original project goals and objectives. Creative ideas are innovative, highly sophisticated; focus of task and approach to assignment are highly ambitious but measured and complex; context of work fully understood and integrated. The form of the work may be challenging; communicative demands of creative choices fully understood. Individual performances are focused, eloquent and compelling. The ensemble playing is of the highest order, displaying sustained concentration, focus, and responsiveness to other performers. As practical work is concerned with processes, marks may be awarded for the extent to which students have engaged with the various tasks set over the weeks in workshops and in the production project module (Final Year). Students who are consistently responsible and active, well prepared, and able to reflect critically on their contributions tend to be awarded higher marks. Their work will be focused, informed by a range of contextual considerations that affect both performance and its reception, and 20 committed to the expansion and development of the skills required to participate in a major theatrical project. Grid Marking The School of English uses a grid system for marking for written work. This makes our marking precise and transparent. It also provides students with detailed feedback, helping you to see where your strengths and weaknesses lie and how you need to improve. We consider three main elements when marking your work: 1) Argument and Analysis, 2) Knowledge and Research, and 3) Writing and Presentation. Your written assignments must address all three areas to be successful and your overall mark takes all three areas into consideration. In the feedback that you receive on your written work, your tutor will inform you of how you have performed in each of these three areas. Your tutor will also offer suggestions for how you can improve your work in future. Argument and Analysis: Your work should contain a coherent and accurate main thesis/argument that is built around strong ideas and high quality thinking. Your work should perform thorough and considered textual analysis/close reading and pay appropriate attention to the formal levels of the text(s) under consideration. Knowledge and Research: Your work should show excellent and thorough comprehension of any texts that you discuss. It should also engage with primary texts in a sophisticated way and make use of relevant historical, intellectual, or literary contexts. Where appropriate it should also demonstrate wide and critical reading of secondary sources. Writing and Presentation: Your work should be well structured and organized and should be written in a clear and persuasive manner. Your referencing should accurately and consistently follow scholarly conventions, as should your formatting and presentation. Your essay should also avoid mistakes in spelling, punctuation and grammar. Please refer to the information overleaf for further detail on marking criteria. 21 KNOWLEDGE & RESEARCH ARGUMENT & ANALYSIS Marking Criteria 0-39 40-49 50-59 60-69 70-74 75-79 80-85 86-100 Very limited textual analysis; no argument or incoherent argument; fails to focus on topic(s) addressed; below the standard required at the current level of course. An elementary or incomplete analysis; no argument or incoherent argument; some attempt to focus on topic(s) addressed, but prone to stray from point or lose focus. In general, analysis demonstrates adequate interpretation of the material, although there may be some lapses; fairly coherent argument; in general, maintains focus on topic(s) addressed, although there may be some lapses. Sound analysis of the material, with some awareness of the complexity of the issues discussed; argument is clear, focused and scholarly. Advances a wellconsidered analysis or interpretation; argument is clear, focused and scholarly; presents an original approach to the material that questions established views. Advances a welldeveloped and striking analysis or interpretation; argument is clear, focused and scholarly; presents a fresh and original approach to the material that questions established views. Advances an outstandingly bold analysis or interpretation; argument is clear, focused and scholarly; presents a fresh and original approach to the material that questions established views. As for 70-85; analysis and argument transcend the expectation of the level of the assessment. Very limited use of primary and secondary reading; very limited awareness of relevant contexts; poor textual comprehension; below the standard required at the current level of the course. Limited use of primary and secondary reading; inadequate awareness of relevant contexts; poor textual comprehension. Some use of primary and secondary reading; some awareness of relevant contexts; adequate textual comprehension but there may be some limitations or lapses. Strong engagement with primary and secondary texts; good awareness of relevant contexts; good textual comprehension. Wide use of and close engagement with primary and secondary reading; evidence of independent research; detailed knowledge of relevant contexts; excellent textual comprehension. Wide and penetrating use of primary and secondary reading; evidence of independent research; detailed knowledge and sophisticated use of relevant contexts; excellent textual comprehension. Wide and highly sophisticated use of primary and secondary reading; evidence of independent research; detailed knowledge and highly sophisticated use of relevant contexts; excellent textual comprehension. As for 70-85; use and treatment of primary and secondary reading and knowledge and use of relevant contexts transcends the expectation of the level of the assessment. 22 WRITING & PRESENTATION 0-39 40-49 50-59 60-69 70-74 75-79 80-85 86-100 Writing that is poorly structured and organised, with inadequate expression and frequent errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation; presentation and citation/ referencing does not follow guidelines; below the standard required at the current level of the course. Writing that is sometimes poorly structured and organised, with some inadequate expression and some errors in grammar, spelling and punctuation; presentation and citation/ referencing does not follow guidelines. Writing that shows a basic but limited command of structure, organisation, and expression; few errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation; presentation and citation/ referencing mostly follows guidelines, with some lapses. Writing that is well organised and structured and shows a sure command of expression; strong grammar, spelling, and punctuation, although there may be a small number of minor errors; presentation and citation/ referencing in line with guidelines. Writing that is extremely well organised and structured and shows an excellent command of expression; flawless grammar, spelling, and punctuation; presentation and citation/ referencing in line with guidelines. As for 70-74; overall, writing shows a high degree of sophistication and assurance. As for 70-79; overall, writing is distinguished by nuance, sophistication, complexity and regard for style. As for 70-85; writing is distinguished by a command of style and exposition that transcends the expectation of the level of the assessment. 23 Teaching and Learning Methods Photo: Stuart Robinson Teaching in Drama at Sussex is based on the complementarity of theory and practice. Students will engage with major practitioners, performances, plays and performance projects around the table for seminars in discussion, watching work (live and recorded) and in the studio for workshops. Theory can never encompass the complexities of performance, yet approaching the stage without theoretical preparation can lead to naive or aimless work. At Sussex, practice is treated as a form of embodied learning; students make discoveries in the studio which will be informed by and relate to theoretical positions and ideas. Students can expect to split their contact hours between theory and practice. Drama is mainly taught through seminars and practical workshops, and you will be expected to prepare for both outside of class. All teaching and learning methods are designed to promote independent thought and autonomous work. Seminars Seminars are discussion-based classes, and you will therefore need to have read (and sometimes watched) the performance, play, theory or set texts under discussion in order to contribute and allow the seminar to cover areas important to the group. Your tutor is a facilitator of discussion and will not spend the class talking only for you to take copious notes. Your ideas and verbalised responses are key to the success of a seminar. Seminars help you develop the skills required to convincingly articulate arguments, to defend your opinions but also to acknowledge the validity of other people’s views and possibly integrate them into your own. Opinions change as we learn more. The seminar format can involve open discussion or allow for small groups to formulate points of interest and ideas before relaying them to the group as a whole. Seminars exist for your benefit and you will only be able to make the most of them if you play an active role on a regular basis. Attendance is critical. 24 Practical Workshops Workshops allow you to approach issues related to performance, whether these involve exploring the strategies, games or propositions of a practitioner or theatre group; investigating or realizing a text in order to understand more about its possible meanings; responding to each others work creatively, or devising scenes, characters or actions. Workshops can involve being set practical exploratory exercises or they function as laboratories for performance projects or performative presentations that will be assessed. In all of these cases, you should arrive prepared for physical work and dress appropriately. Clothing should be comfortable and allow free movement. Shoes should have a soft rubber sole. Like seminars, workshops are about experimenting with ideas, only this time your arguments are conveyed through the body and the voice, through movement, gesture, text, space and time. Because work is often carried out in pairs or groups, you will have to learn how to negotiate, to give and take, to listen as well as contributing (listening often is a way of contributing) and to articulate a common approach to the task you have been set. Practical Facilities The Debating Chamber (Falmer House, Student Union) – The Debating Chamber in Falmer House was upgraded in 2008 and is one of Drama's teaching and production spaces. The upgrade transformed it into a professional standard working theatre space that accommodates a wide range of performance possibilities. The DC contains a full lighting rig and sound system. Seating is fully flexible and can be arranged in a variety of configurations to suit the work undertaken. The Silverstone Drama Studio (Silverstone Building, Room 125) – Silverstone Studio has, over the last 5 years, become one of our primary teaching and production spaces. It is a dedicated ‘black-box’ space suitable for workshops, seminars and the practical exploration of theatre. It has a control room (for operating lights and sound), lighting storage, an adjacent green room and a costume and props cupboard. The studio has a powerful stereo PA system and an efficient lighting rig. It can be configured in all sorts of imaginative ways and students are encouraged to rehearse their own projects here. The Creativity Zone (Pevensey III) - Drama also has access to the Creativity Zone, a unique, white, hightech multimedia lab space, a cross between a theatre studio and a ‘white cube’ art gallery. Some of your classes will be timetabled here. The space includes flexible walls (the space can break down into smaller rooms), a sophisticated system of data projectors, “live feed” video projection, wall-mounted plasma screens, and a surround -sound and visual system. Performance projects take place in all of the above 3 spaces as does all of your assessed practical work. Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts (ACCA) – This year the ACCA will reopen. A purpose built multi-disciplinary arts centre designed as part of the original campus, the building has been closed for a number of years for refurbishment. A new Artistic Director has recently been appointed and in Spring 2016 Drama is expected to begin sharing space in the building. This new arts centre will provide all Drama students with exciting opportunities to become involved and to see, participate in and contribute to different creative projects. 25 Photo: Stuart Robinson First Year Module Outlines The following pages give brief outlines and learning outcomes for Year One modules in the Drama degree course. The information is only a summary and will be supplemented by module-specific materials. Year 1, Autumn Term Q3255: Thinking Through Theatre (30 credits) Thinking Through Theatre will introduce students to a range of analytical, critical, and practical issues and approaches that have an impact on how theatre is thought about and composed. The module seeks to broaden students' understanding of what theatre is, how it can be made, and the challenges and opportunities encountered in making theatre. In seminars, students will discuss some of the important key terms, debates and ideas that inform and delimit theatre-making as a political, social and ideological arena of aesthetic practice; in parallel workshops they will explore and extend those ideas practically; screenings of performances complement and support your learning. Throughout the module students will be encouraged to develop a critical attitude to viewing, experiencing and making theatre. They will also be introduced to skills and techniques for developing socially responsible studio practice. Alongside seminars and workshops, students will attend performances (usually scheduled outside of class time) and these will inform weekly discussions. By working collaboratively in order to think through issues and develop material throughout the term, students gain relevant critical and practical skills necessary for working together effectively and generously for the duration of their degree course. The module aims to embed a fundamental idea that permeates the rest of the degree as a whole: that theatre 'thinks' and is a way of thinking; that it processes concepts and issues in a way in which essays, for example, do not. Over the course of the module, students will be introduced to a number of different ways in which theatre 'thinks' about the world and the means it has at its disposal for effecting this. 26 Learning Outcomes: Demonstrate a knowledge of the issues and contexts involved in making contemporary theatre Recognize and explain how performance 'thinks' when processing issues and themes Map theory onto practice and practice onto theory Demonstrate practical and group-work skills by means of performance Q3256: Theories and Contexts of Drama (15 credits) (Single Honours students) This module will introduce students to a range of key concepts and contexts that have been used to think critically and theoretically about drama, theatre and performance. Indeed, the distinction between these three terms will be the starting point of the module. By presenting a range of philosophical, theoretical and conceptual categories for thinking about art in its historical and aesthetic contexts, the module will allow students to engage with fundamental debates around the nature, purpose and function of drama, reflecting on the various social, cultural, aesthetic and ideological ways of thinking about the medium. The module will deal both with generic concepts such as mimesis and representation, as well as more specific cultural and artistic categories such as ‘modernity’, ‘realism/naturalism’ and the ‘avant-garde’. At the same time, it will contextualise these concepts and movements philosophically and historically by linking the work of theatre theorists with wider movements and historical developments, such as the exploration of modernity in the context of the avant-garde, existentialism and absurdism, or postmodernity in relation to liveness, the ephemeral and performance art. The overall aim of the module is to promote a series of lateral connections between drama, theatrical movements and concepts, and wider social, cultural, historical and philosophical currents. Learning Outcomes: Reflect on a range of theories of theatre and performance Express critical and theoretical ideas clearly Contextualise and historicise theoretical ideas Make links between different theorists of theatre and performance Year 1, Spring Term Q3258: Reading and Staging Theatre Texts (30 credits) This module will introduce students to approaches to reading and staging theatre texts taken from a range of historical periods. The module will interrogate the structure of dramatic texts, their cultural and historical frame, and question the impact of performance and its material conditions on the chosen works. Furthermore, it will introduce students to practical techniques for translating a text from page to stage. Weekly seminars will explore the issues, historical and cultural contexts of these plays, while accompanying workshops will focus on exploring the status of the text in relation to performance, asking whether it is a blueprint, a set of instructions, a springboard or a resource for performance. In workshops, students will also explore different staging practices, from original practices to the stylised, from radical, postmodern approaches to ones that draw on the techniques of theatre practitioners such as Brecht, Bogart and Stanislavsky. The module will lead students to understand how they may prepare a text for performance, how practical approaches to the text bring new ways of understanding its composition, form and meaning. The overall aim is to broaden the student’s understanding of the complexity of the text’s relationship with performance and encourage them to think about practice as a form of embodied theory: experiential, critical, evolving and dynamic. 27 Learning Outcomes: Demonstrate understanding of the relationship between theatre texts and their performance contexts Demonstrate understanding of the various ways in which dramatic texts can be staged or performed and the consequences of these processes Use critical vocabulary effectively to discuss the creation of performance from dramatic texts Demonstrate understanding about the relationship between theatre as a material practice and theatre texts as one element of performance Q3259: Theatre and Performance Analysis (15 credits) (Single Honours students) This module introduces students to a variety of ways through which they might understand and analyse theatre and performance, with an emphasis on the particularities of the two (as opposed to film or television). It draws attention to the difficulties involved in the process and in doing so asks what can be achieved through analysis and for whose benefit analysis might be undertaken. How we analyse performance is dependent on a number of important factors, such as the differences between experiencing a piece live, watching a recording or reconstructing work through reviews and other documents. The ways we receive a performance can also be fundamentally influenced by other important contexts (where and when both the performance and the analysis take place, for example) and these have to be built into our understanding of the work under discussion. The theatrical event is made up of performers and spectators, yet the latter can often be ignored. This module will ask questions of the audience, too: who makes up a theatre audience, what might be expected of it, and how might that affect theatre-makers themselves. Students will also be introduced to questions surrounding theatre documentation, of how something as ephemeral as live performance might be preserved and to what ends. Primarily, the module aims to equip students with both tools and sensitivities that will help them respond confidently and eloquently to (live) theatrical events. Students will develop a critical vocabulary that will allow them to consider different types of theatre and performance through exposure to a varied selection of screenings and live productions. In addition, students will acquire skills that will allow them critically to engage with their own creative output over the course of the degree as a whole. Learning Outcomes: Identify and evaluate the different ways in which theatre and performance communicate with an audience Identify and evaluate the different strategies theatre and performance groups employ to communicate with an audience Identify and summarize the factors that affect the reception of a piece of theatre Demonstrate understanding of the problems and issues relating to the documentation of live performance Second and Final Year Modules The tables on page 13-14 of this handbook indicates which drama modules you will take in the second and final years of your degree course. You can view details of all the modules run by the School of English, as well as the structure of each degree course, on the website: www.sussex.ac.uk/english. Or you can go to the link on the School of English website: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/english/internal/coursesandmodules/ugcourses 28 Appendix: Guidance on Essay Referencing The English Manual: Guide to Writing Essays and Dissertations has been prepared to give you basic information on the planning and writing of your essays and dissertations, on using the styles of reference and of citation and on avoiding the most common errors in undergraduate writing. This manual is available on-line on the School of English website (http://www.sussex.ac.uk/english/internal/forstudents/uginformation/ughandbooks) Photo: Sara Jane Bailes NOTES on REFERENCING Referencing is the practice of acknowledging books, articles or other resources (such as films, performances or internet sites) that you have referred to in your essay or that have informed your ideas. If you use other people’s arguments or thoughts without acknowledgement, you are guilty of plagiarism. The University takes plagiarism very seriously and the result of this is that your work will be taken to a disciplinary hearing. The outcome could have serious consequences for the successful completion of the module and your degree. While there are many referencing systems available, Drama requires students to use the Modern Humanities and Arts Research Association (MHRA) style. A few basic bibliographic examples appear below, but the full style guide can be found online at: http://www.mhra.org.uk/Publications/Books/StyleGuide/download.shtml. Essays that fail to reference accurately according to this style will be penalised. It’s important to be consistent in the style of referencing you adopt. 29 How to reference: References are best acknowledged in the form of a footnote. e.g. As Simmons suggests, ‘Strindberg’s early theatre is founded on the increased attention paid to psychology in the nineteenth century’.1 In the footnote, the format of the reference should be as follows: Books: author, full title [in italics] (place of publication: publisher, year), p. x e.g. Martin Jenkins, Irony in Marlowe. An Investigation into Power (London and New York: Haymarket Press, 1986), p. 28 Articles in journals: author, ‘title’, journal name [in italics], volume no. (year in brackets), pp. x-y (p. z) e.g. Angela Mumford, ‘The Mother-Figure in Brecht’, New Theatre Quarterly, 85 (1987), pp. 12-26 (p. 15) Articles or chapters in books: e.g. author, ‘title’, in editor’s name(s), full title [in italics] (place of publication: publisher, year), pp. x-y, (p. z) Sarah Miller, ‘Understanding Beckett’, in Andrew Evans (ed.), Beckett in Context (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press,1991), pp. 71-99, (p. 76) Internet Sites: author or ‘anon’, ‘site title’, <web address>, [date accessed] (para. x of xx) e.g. For films: e.g. Lucy Timkins, ‘Online Biography of Caryl Churchill’, date of publication when specified or ‘n.d.’ (short for ‘no date’ when not <http://www.onlineliteratureresearch.com/churchill/biog.html>, [accessed 20 July 2007] (para. 3 of 23) the reference should include, as a minimum, title, director, distributor/company, date: The Grapes of Wrath, dir. by John Ford (20th Century Fox, 1940). Names of artists may be given after that of the director. First names may be omitted if not deemed necessary. If a video reference is available, it should be added at the end. Live performances: the reference should include title of performance, author of script (if relevant), director(s) or name of company, venue, location, date of performance: e.g. Lysistrata, Aristophanes, dir. by Barbara Karger and Michael Preston, The Dome, Brighton, 20 April 2010. Tomorrows Parties, Forced Entertainment, dir. by Tim Etchells, Battersea Arts Centre, London, 15 November 2013. 30 Referencing the same work more than once: Once you have referred to a work once, you only need give the author’s name and the page number in subsequent footnotes, e.g. Miller, p. 77. BUT, if you are using different works by the same author or two authors have the same surname, add the title or an abbreviated title, e.g., Miller, ‘Understanding Beckett’, p. 77. A ‘reference-within-a-reference’: If you find a useful quotation which is itself a quotation within a book or article you are reading, you can reference it thus: Bertolt Brecht, quoted in [standard reference format] Bibliographies: The bibliography is the place where you tell the reader which books, articles, performances (live and recorded) or films you have read/watched in order to write the essay. Every work should appear there, even the ones which are not directly referenced in the essay itself. The bibliography should be formatted like the above, yet without the specific page references. Authors should be listed alphabetically, surname first, as in the following example: Lyon, James K., ‘Brecht in Postwar Germany: Dissident Conformist, Cultural Icon, Literary Dictator’, in James K. Lyon and Hans-Peter Breuer (eds.), Brecht Unbound: Presented at the International Bertolt Brecht Symposium held at the University of Delaware February 1992 (Newark: University of Delaware Press, 1995), pp. 76-88 Marber, Patrick, Closer, edited by Daniel Rosenthal (London: Methuen, 2007) McConachie, Bruce, Theatre and Mind (Basingstoke: Palgrave, 2013) McDowell, W. Stuart, ‘Verfremdung... be damned! Putting an End to the Myth of Brechtian Acting’, Communications from the International Brecht Society, 38 (2009), pp. 158-68 Merlin, Bella, The Complete Stanislavsky Toolkit (London: Nick Hern, 2007) NOTES on PRESENTATION OF ESSAYS General: 1. 2. All essays must be double-spaced and should have sufficient margins to allow markers to add comments. Please insert page numbers. Students should use font size 11 or 12 point, preferably Times New Roman, Helvetica or Arial. Please note: marks will be deducted for not adhering to the word limit, the absence of a bibliography and/or references, and poor presentation (syntax, sentence structure, clarity of meaning, punctuation, etc.) Titles: Complete works of art are italicized e.g. Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Brecht’s The Mother, etc. Poems and short stories are put into single inverted commas e.g. Kafka’s ‘Metamorphosis’, Tennyson’s ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’, etc. How to Structure Essays and Research 31 Introduction 1. Question the categories and meaning of the title. This may mean taking the title apart and asking yourself what the essay title is asking, how ideas relate to each other, and/or discussing the implications of the title if it is more straightforward. 2. Introduce any theoretical ideas, theorists or critical frameworks that are relevant to your discussion. 3. Briefly discuss the stance you will be taking in your essay towards the issues raised by the title. 4. Briefly outline the arguments you will be deploying in the course of the work (that is, set out your stall) The Main Body of Your Essay 1. Make sure that arguments are logically ordered, and make the links between the major ones transparent. 2. When considering each argument or opinion, assess it from many sides, taking into account all the contradictions found in the text(s) under discussion. If these contradictions undermine your original ideas, then let them be modified. 3. Be circumspect, thus be aware that texts are not about uncomplicated matters. Take the complexity of characters or events into account when discussing them. The result can lead to a more rounded analysis. Don’t be reductive and avoid generalising (eg. statements such as “All theatre is expressive and creative” are both obvious and overly general.) 4. Test the validity of your arguments by trying to argue against yourself before writing. Again, the result is a fuller appreciation of what you may have previously considered an open and shut case. The essay is not an attempt to prove something but rather to consider it persuasively. 5. Don't labour points or keep referring to them. They become repetitious and ultimately affect the way an examiner may assess your work. 6. Your arguments should resemble an intellectual journey from a place of relative ignorance, through a thorough examination, to a conclusion at the end of each argument or the essay as a whole. Your conclusion should bring you to a different place than where you started. 7. Take material from the text as a whole: don't be strait-jacketed by a work's chronology. 8. In the case of comparative essays: attract material from all your relevant sources. For example, do not write two half essays - write one essay on the two texts, continually contrasting your sources and weaving them together for productive similarities and divergences around arguments. 32 Conclusion 1. Tie together the conclusions from the arguments presented in the main body of the essay into a more all-encompassing conclusion, that is, a conclusion of the conclusions. 2. Tell the reader what you have learned through the process of writing the essay. Your engagement with the text(s) you have discussed may have opened your eyes to new facets which have surprised you. These need to be reported in the conclusion. 3. Don't skimp: a conclusion is there to show the reader that the essay was worthwhile and that you have learned something by applying rigorous criticism to texts. 4. But don't go overboard either: keep it concise yet full of points derived from the essay's main body. 5. Don't merely repeat what you have already said either: draw what you have already said together and deduce interesting points. Your conclusion should connect back to your introduction, so remember where you started. The Function of Quotations: 1. The main function of a quotation is to tell the reader something a paraphrase cannot and to support an idea or thought of your own. You can also quote for reasons of STYLE, if use of language or syntax is of interest, for example, or a way of phrasing that is sophisticated strikes you as being useful/relevant. 2. Don't quote superfluously: if you have just told the reader precisely what is to follow, or if the information is factual (and something you could as easily say yourself), then it is probably better to forget the quote and stick to a paraphrase. You must reference the source, however, which should be given thus: The line in your essay reads: Martin discusses the Restoration’s passion for asides at length in his book. [Footnote is inserted here]. The footnote should be preceded by ‘See [bibliographical detail]’ as it is not a direct quotation. The footnote would thus read: See Roland Martin, The Restoration (London: Routledge, 1997), pp. 34-51. 3. Do not over-quote. Use quotation selectively and to further your argument, develop an idea, or evidence your thinking (ie. help to validate your ideas). Do not simply insert quotation in order to reach your word count! If quotes are superfluous your essay will lose marks. The Form for Quotations: 1. Make sure you introduce and integrate quotation properly. Avoid simply throwing quotations into a paragraph without considering how they sit within your own argument and the larger context of the paragraph you are writing. Use introductory pointers such as ‘As Higgins says,’, or ‘This can be seen clearly in the following quotation from Crick’. 2. All quotations start in single inverted commas. Inverted commas within quotations become double. Full stops or other punctuation are placed outside of the quotation, e.g. Stern says that ‘Müller’s “conceptual breakthrough” was a mere flash in the pan’. 33 3. Quotations may be included in the paragraph itself if they are of thirty words or less. Otherwise they form their own indented paragraph (a ‘block’ quote) and are not enclosed by inverted commas. Paragraphs: Opening paragraphs of essays, headings or subheadings start without indentation. Paragraphs that follow are indented for the first sentence. DO NOT leave a line space between paragraphs. 34