DRA2083 - Intermedial Performance Practice
2015/6 Module description
| Staff | - Convenor |
|---|---|
| Credit Value | 30 |
| ECTS Value | 15.00 |
| NQF Level | 5 |
| Pre-requisites | none |
| Co-requisites | none |
| Duration of Module | Term 1: 11 weeks; |
Module description
Increasingly, contemporary performance, exemplified by such critically acclaimed groups as Gobsquad, Frantic Assembly and Blast Theory, takes the intermedial turn. The term ‘intermedia’ here refers to works that fall between media, such as visual poetry, performative sculpture or vocal dance.
This module explores intermedial performance practice in all its socio-cultural, political and philosophical facets. Focusing on canonical works and practitioners from the beginning of the 20th century to the present day, it brings together an array of theoretical approaches in order to investigate the ways in which the different media communicate with each other, and the ways in which the different media communicate with the participants and/or audience. Apart from analysing different practices, you will have the opportunity to engage in ‘performative thinking’, practical experiments and small-group presentations. You will also have the opportunity to pursue independent research into an area of your interest.
Module aims
The primary aim of this module is to explore and analyse the logics, strategies and tools of intermedial performance making. More specifically, it is to identify the fundamental concepts of intermediality and trace their development from the beginning of the 20th century to the present day. Students will engage in scholarly research, discussions, experiments and performative thinking in order to gain an embodied understanding of the subject. Apart from providing a theoretical, social and historical overview of key terms and practices this module will also enable the student to conceive work of their own.
ILO: Module-specific skills
- 1. Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the different modes of intermediality, their socio-cultural and philosophical context included.
- 2. Draw on a range of theoretical approaches to critically reflect on the work of key practitioners.
- 3. Demonstrate, through discussions, presentations and mini performances, a creative and intellectual engagement with the logics and strategies of intermedial performance making.
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
- 4. Contribute practical and theoretical research to small groups in effective presentations, evaluate visual evidence and analyse, critique and manipulate complex material.
- 5. Develop the ability to think performatively.
- 6. Initiate and sustain creative and analytic work within strict time limits.
ILO: Personal and key skills
- 7. Develop personal research skills using personal initiative; set personal objectives and identify and evaluate personal learning strategies.
- 8. Develop group cooperation skills, including the ability to give and receive constructive critical feedback and to improve communication skills and analytic abilities in discussions.
- 10. Balance between self-direction and collaborative work; self-management, collaborative working skills, problem solving, critical analysis and valuing own and others' ideas and beliefs.
Syllabus plan
The module is organised around three significant changes in the perception of reality and thus also art and life media:
1 The Dynamic Turn which marks the shift from the static perception of the world to a temporal one and is associated with Futurism and Dada (weeks 1-3).
2 The Deconstructive Turn which marks the passage from the accepted categories of dominance (e.g. ‘idea’, ‘man’, centre’) to a perception of the world based on playful, rather than definite differences and focuses on the work of John Cage and the Fluxus artists (weeks 4-6).
3 The Digital Turn which marks the shift from the world of originals and copies to that of networks and explores the work of contemporary practitioners such as Blast Theory, Forkbeard Fantasy and Gobsquad (weeks 7 – 12).
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 69 | 231 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | 33 | Lectures, seminars, staff- and student-led presentations and experiments |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | 36 | Small group and pair preparation for weekly tasks, discussions and presentations |
| Guided independent study | 12 | Reading groups: preparation for analysis and discussion |
| Guided independent study | 219 | Reading and individual preparation for discussions, presentations and essay writing |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online Discussion Forum | Weekly responses to a designated topic app. 400 words in length | 1,2,6,7,9 | Written feedback |
| In-class discussion | Students will be expected to contribute continuously to seminar sessions | 1,2,3,8 | Verbal (peer and tutor) feedback |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paired presentations | 40 | 40-45 minutes | 1,2,3,4,5,8,10 | Written feedback |
| Essay | 60 | 3,500 words | 1,2,6,7,9 | Written feedback |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paired presentations | Individual presentation or piece of written work | 1,2,3,4,5,8,10 | Referral/deferral period |
| Essay | Essay | 1,2,6,7,9 | Referral/deferral period |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Allen, G. (2000). Intertextuality. London: Routledge.
Armstrong, E. et al. (1993). In the Spirit of Fluxus. Minneapolis: Walker Art Center.
Barthes, R. (1977). Image, Music, Text. London:Fontana.
Bay-Cheng, S. et al. (2010). Mapping Intermediality. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press.
Bolter, J.D & Grusin, R. (2000). Remediation: Understanding New Media. Cambridge MA: MIT Press.
Cage, J. (1973). Silence: Lectures and Writings. New York: Marion Boyars.
Giannachi, G. (2004). Virtual Theatres: An Introduction. London: Routledge.
Goldberg, R. (1979). Performance: Live Art 1909 to the Present. London: Thames and Hudson.
Herzonerath, B. (2012) Travels in Intermedia[lity]: ReBlurring the Boundaries. Hanover, New Hampshire: Dartmouth College Press.
Hill, L. (2007). The Cambridge Introduction to Jacques Derrida. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Kaye, N. (1996). Art into Theatre. London: Routledge.
McLuhan, M. (1994). Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Wolf. W. & Bernhart, W. (eds.) (2006). Framing Borders in Literature and Other Media. Amsterdam & New York: Rodopi.
Module has an active ELE page?
No
Available as distance learning?
No
Origin date
August 2012
Key words search
Intermedia, Performance
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