TP6001 - Performance Dissertation

You will learn principally through self-directed study with regular one-to-one tutorials with an assigned member of staff. The staff supervision is designed to offer you advice and feedback on your ideas, draft material and technical questions. Alongside this, in Semester 1, you will have bi-weekly seminars with your peers and led by a tutor to discuss and hone your project ideas, and to help others develop theirs, in a collaborative setting.These sessions may cover research methods, question/project design, sharing of research findings and materials, practice demonstrations and discussions of the research challenges that crop up on projects. This will, however, be your project and the focus and conditions of that enquiry will be yours to decide.

Prior to the module starting, normally in the final weeks before the summer break, the Module Tutor will distribute a dissertation proposal form alongside guidance on how to being thinking through potential topics for your research project. Over the break between Level 5 and Level 6, you will be encouraged to begin thinking about your research project and populating the proposal form with your initial ideas. This will form the basis for initial conversations with your project supervisor and in the seminars of Semester 1.

Specific and focused research support will be provided through discussions with and feedback from your supervisor in one-to-one tutorials. These will assist you with general research techniques and methods, support you in developing and designing of your project and help you address research challenges as they occur. You will be further supported via bi-weekly seminars (in Semester 1) focusing on sharing of ideas with peers and tutor-led discussions/workshops on research practices, methods and project design. These sessions provide collaborative space within which to develop and hone your project, alongside the bespoke supervisions.

Additional assistance may be provided from the library (e.g. in sourcing research materials) as appropriate.

Information and resources will be available to you on Blackboard and the 'Reading List' contains links to websites and online video material which can help you develop appropriate knowledge and understanding.

Written assessment feedback will be provided within 20 working days of summative assignment submission. Access to library facilities is available 24-7 all year round.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)

Knowledge & Understanding:
? Developed analytical knowledge of a specific area of research; including confident ability to identify and communicate research methods and findings
? Demonstrate a detailed knowledge of the possible futures for theatre and performance in the 21st century

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
? Confident and articulate in designing and managing a complex (research) project
? Advanced ability to deliver a clear argument within a structured piece of writing and/or through practice

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
? Ability to sustain independent, self-motivated enquiry while ensuring project is ethically robust (research ethics) and fully (historically, politically, socially) contextualised.
? Be critically reflective on the contemporary ethics of theatre and performance its relevance to the local and global cultural, political and social futures

Formative

An initial proposal will be submitted at the end of second year, during placement year or within the first 2 weeks of final year. This proposal will be reviewed by an allocated supervisor and initial feedback offered.

Throughout the project you will receive formative feedback on your work from your supervisor, this includes discussion of your ideas as the emerge and the review of draft material (up to a maximum of 3000 words or practice equivalent). Formative feedback will be provided orally.

Summative
There are two summative assessments on this module:

1) Research Proposal (1500 words) - 20%
AND
2) Main dissertation submission - (80%): there are three options for submission format:

1) 3250-words (50/50) with practice (80%)
OR
2) 4550-words (70/30) with practice (80%)
OR
3) 6500-words fully written (80%)

NOTE: Practice elements are expected to be substantive and relevant to the research parameters of your inquiry, but the nature and length of that work will be advised on by and negotiated with your supervisor.

N/A

N/A

This module is the capstone project in your degree and enables you to concentrate on an area of performance that is of great interest to you. The module invites you to conduct significant independent research, supported by a supervisor and resulting in either written or part written/part practical outcomes. Your choice of Performance Dissertation topic may arise from a specific theatre and performance interest developed through theoretical and/or practical experience on the degree in previous years and/or from extra-curricular or professional contexts.

The module is flexible to your interests, passions and future directions: tutors will work with you to help you develop topics that are exciting and innovative. The overall purpose of this module is to ensure that you have an opportunity to realise an independent research project that will embed skills and expertise relevant to further study at MA and PhD level and to the world of work.