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Unit of study_

PRFM1602: Dangerous Performances

Semester 2, 2021 [Normal day] - Remote

Performance has long been associated with risk: in the popular imagination, among performers, writers and theorists. From breathless narratives of courageous actors taking on risky roles, to the extremes of performance art, contemporary performance and political action, you will explore and understand performance pushed to the limits.

Unit details and rules

Unit code PRFM1602
Academic unit Theatre and Performance Studies
Credit points 6
Prohibitions
? 
None
Prerequisites
? 
None
Corequisites
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

None

Available to study abroad and exchange students

Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator Paul Dwyer, paul.dwyer@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s) Paul Dwyer, paul.dwyer@sydney.edu.au
Amanda Card, amanda.card@sydney.edu.au
Lawrence Ashford, lawrence.ashford@sydney.edu.au
Laura Ginters, laura.ginters@sydney.edu.au
Tutor(s) Izabella Nantsou, izabella.nantsou@sydney.edu.au
Rowan Greaves, rowan.greaves@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Assignment Final Essay
Analysis of case studies
50% Formal exam period
Due date: 29 Nov 2021 at 23:59
2000 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Presentation group assignment Report on Group Performance Experiments
Seminar Presentation
30% Multiple weeks Equivalent to 1500 words per student
Outcomes assessed: LO2 LO3 LO4
Assignment Manifesto Research
Short essay
20% Week 06
Due date: 13 Sep 2021 at 23:59
1000 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO4
group assignment = group assignment ?

Assessment summary

There are three tasks for this semester (please note that Task #2 combines what are currently listed as two separate assignments in the Handbook):

Task #1 (“Manifesto Research”) is a short (individual) essay in which you will research an historical manifesto, explaining the social, political and artistic context in which it was developed, the kind of art practices (in particular, performances) that it helped inspire, the ways in which these practices might be seen as transgressive, and ways in which the manifesto itself has a ‘perfomative’ quality.

Task #2 (“Report on Group Performance Experiments”) is a group seminar presentation, supported by documentation and written notes to be submitted after the presentation, in which you share insights gained from group-based practical performance research ‘out in the world’.

Task #3 (“Final Essay”) will be a comparative analysis, refelcting further on your group work as well as one of the case-studies covered in lectures or tutes. This is the main “summative” assessment task where you will apply key concepts from the theoretical material introduced over the course of this unit of study.

 

 

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a High distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a Distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name

Mark range

Description

High distinction

85 - 100

 

Distinction

75 - 84

 

Credit

65 - 74

 

Pass

50 - 64

 

Fail

0 - 49

When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

  • Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
  • After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

If an assignment is submitted after the due date, 5 whole marks will be deducted from a student's raw mark for each day (incl. weekends) that the assignment is late.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website  provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.  

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 Introducing key themes of the unit (transgression, danger, taboo) and the intellectual landscape of the "historical avant-gardes" Lecture (1 hr) LO1 LO4
Week 02 Performance (and Performativity) in the Age of Manifestos Lecture (1 hr) LO4
Discussion of key themes (transgression, danger, taboo) in relation to students' prior experiences of performance; Overview of the Unit Structure, Learning Outcomes, and Assessment Schedule Tutorial (2 hr) LO1
Week 03 Key Theoretical Framework #1: Victor Turner on the characteristics of ritual and ritual-like performance Lecture (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Case Study Performances inspired by Manifestos; Experiments with how a Manifesto itself Performs; Discussion of Turner's Ritual Theory Tutorial (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO4
Week 04 Key Theoretical Framework #2: Status Reversals, Bodily Excess and Polyphony in Mikhail Bakhtin's Notion of the Carnivalesque Lecture (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Looking at Contemporary Performance Genres through a Bakhtinian Lens; Forming Groups for Task #2 Practical Work and Initial Brainstorming Tutorial (2 hr) LO2 LO3
Week 05 Key Theoretical Framework #3: Michel Foucault on the possibilities and constraints of "heterotopic" spaces Lecture (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3
Looking at Case Study Performances as Heterotopias (eg. Guillermo Gomez-Pena); Introducing Fluxus Techniques as Stimulus for Group Practical Work Tutorial (2 hr) LO2 LO3
Week 06 Surrealism and Artaud's "Theatre of Cruelty" Lecture (1 hr) LO1 LO4
Experimenting with Dada and Surrealist Strategies (eg. cut-ups and automatic writing); Supervised Group Work Tutorial (2 hr) LO3 LO4
Week 07 Situationist Responses to the "Society of the Spectacle" Lecture (1 hr) LO1 LO4
Experimenting with Situationist Tactics: "Dérives" and "Psychogeograpy"; Supervised Group Work Tutorial (2 hr) LO3 LO4
Week 09 Neo-Avant Garde Movements: Cage & Cunningham; Fluxus; Happenings Lecture (1 hr) LO1 LO4
Supervised Group Work ahead of Task #2 Presentations Tutorial (2 hr) LO3 LO4
Week 10 Revisiting Ritual Theory in relation to Contemporary Performance Art Lecture (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Task #2 Group Presentations Tutorial (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 11 Revisiting Theories of the Body and the Archive in relation to "Re-performances" of Transgressive Art Lecture (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Task #2 Group Presentations (cont.) Tutorial (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 12 Revisiting Concepts of Freedom and Agency: Participatory Art Practices in a Neo-Liberal Age Lecture (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Review of Key Theoretical Frameworks Tutorial (2 hr) LO2 LO3
Week 13 Reviewing Key Concepts; "Scaffolding" Ways to Approach the Final Essay Task Lecture (1 hr) LO2 LO3
Essay Writing Workshop Tutorial (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4

Attendance and class requirements

  • Attendance: According to Faculty Board Resolutions, students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences are expected to attend 90% of their classes. If you attend less than 50% of classes, regardless of the reasons, you may be referred to the Examiner’s Board. The Examiner’s Board will decide whether you should pass or fail the unit of study if your attendance falls below this threshold.
  • Lecture recording: Most lectures (in recording-equipped venues) will be recorded and may be made available to students on the LMS. However, you should not rely on lecture recording to substitute your classroom learning experience.
  • Preparation: Students should commit to spend approximately three hours’ preparation time (reading, studying, homework, essays, etc.) for every hour of scheduled instruction.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. demonstrate an understanding of performance as a potentially transgressive practice
  • LO2. demonstrate your understanding of key concepts from relevant performance theories
  • LO3. apply theoretical concepts, as well as the insights from experiential learning activities, in the analysis of transgressive performances
  • LO4. demonstrate familiarity with a range of performance practices from the "historical avant-garde movements" of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, through the "neo avant garde" of the late 20th century, and up to the present day.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1 Depth of disciplinary expertise

Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.

GQ2 Critical thinking and problem solving

Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.

GQ3 Oral and written communication

Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.

GQ4 Information and digital literacy

Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.

GQ5 Inventiveness

Generating novel ideas and solutions.

GQ6 Cultural competence

Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.

GQ7 Interdisciplinary effectiveness

Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.

GQ8 Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity

An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.

GQ9 Influence

Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes Graduate qualities
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

No changes have been made since this unit was last offered'.

Disclaimer

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