Outline

Overview

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	Ian Maxwell, ian.maxwell@sydney.edu.au
Tutor(s)	Izabella Nantsou, izabella.nantsou@sydney.edu.au
Tutor(s)	Tom Isaacs, thomas.isaacs@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Final Essay A case study essay	50%	Formal exam period Due date: 10 Nov 2023 at 23:59	2000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Creative assessment / demonstration	Group performance project A group project involving an experimental performance.	30%	Multiple weeks Closing date: 20 Oct 2023	1500 words equivalent per student
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Manifesto research A short essay about a manifesto researched by the student	20%	Week 06 Due date: 01 Sep 2023 at 23:59 Closing date: 30 Nov 2023	1000 words
Outcomes assessed:
= group assignment ?

Assessment summary

Assessment task 1 Short Essay 1000 words

Assessment task 2 Group Assignment 1500 words equivalent per student

Assessment task 3 Final Essay 2000 words per student

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 sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades

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:

Please contact the Unit of Study Coordinator, Ian Maxwell (Ian.Maxwell@sydney.edu.au) as soon as you are able should you not be able to submit your work by the required deadline.

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.

Learning support

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.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction to unit and teachers. An overture: a brief package of some dangerous performances. Discussion of key terms: danger, risk, transgression, excess, taboo.	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 01	Welcome and Introductions. Discussion of syllabus, and selection on the key terms discussed in lecture. Bring your examples. A brief overview of the historical avant-garde. The class will also include a (non-dangerous) performance exercise.	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 02	The avant-garde. Tom Isaacs will explain the origins of the avant-garde in the 19th Century: the origins of multiple movements which sought to establish art—including performance—as a social and political force. This sets the tone for subsequent modernist experimentations: futurism, constructivism, Dada, Bauhaus, and many more. You will be introduced to the literary and performative genre of the manifesto: impassioned statements of purpose produced, performed and circulated by these movements.	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 02	This week in the two hour workshop we will discuss the first Assessment Task, which will require you to research a manifesto. We will think about manifestos as performance texts, in addition to being literary texts. We will suggest that manifestos are intended to be performed. Focussing on the Futurist Manifesto, you will participate in a performance exercise	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 03	Transgressive thinking and the argument against Reason. The avant-garde not only responded to a progressive social and political agenda. Key thinkers in the nineteenth century and into the twentieth century challenged the idea of progress, and of Reason itself. We will briefly look at the transgressive ideas developed by the Marquis de Sade, Charles Darwin, and Friedrich Nietzsche, ideas which were taken up in art and performance early in the twentieth century.	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 03	Against Reason; for. . . ? Excess and nonsense. In the years prior to the First World War, Alfred Jarry wrote scandalous plays which challenged the polite sensibilities of Parisian audiences. Two decades later, as the War ravaged Europe, a group of artists assembled in Zurich, Switzerland, to celebrate . . . nonsense. In this class we will read, together, Jarry's 1896 'Ubu Roi' and the Dada Manifesto (1919).	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 04	Surrealism and Primitivism Still searching for an alternative to the horrors of progress and Reason, the Surrealists, emerging from the Dada movement, turned to the theories of Freud, where they hoped to find a truth uncorrupted by civilisation. At the same time, the Primitivists sought the same truths in societies in which ritual processes retained their power.	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 04	Surrealism. Surrealism produced several manifestos, lots of famous art, and experimental films. Even some performance—which generally sought to escape the limits of conventional theatre. Today we will watch some of the films produced by both the Dadaists and the Surrealists, and do some performance exercises.	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 05	Artaud: Manifestos of Cruelty; Performances of Cruelty We will read and explore Artaud’s writing, including his Manifestos of Cruelty and discuss examples of performance which have taken up the challenges to conventional theatre that he proposed. Artaud wrote one ‘play’: 'Jet de Sang' (‘Spurt of Blood’) which we will read together. We will also listen to at least part of his radio play 'Pour en Finir avec le Judgment de Dieu' (‘To be Done with the Judgement of God').	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 05	Antonin Artaud and the Theatre of Cruelty. Artaud is one of the most important—and extreme— figures in theatre history. He sought a form of theatre that would have the pure power of sacred presence: his theatre was to be irresistible and transcendent. He was out there.	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 06	After the War: Lettristes and Situationists. Released from the asylum in which he had spent the war years Artaud died in 1948. In the space that he and the Surrealists had carved out, new generations of transgressive artists emerged. The Lettristes experimented with film and invented the media prank. From their work emerged the radical Situationist movement, led by Guy Debord, who proposed techniques for subverting what he called 'the Society of the Spectacle'.	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 06	'The Beach Beneath the Streets'/'Ne travaillez jamais' The Situationists were totally transgressive, rejecting everything we think we know about the world. We will explore their key performance techniques: the 'Dérive' ('drift'), the 'detournement' ('turning away') and the related practice of "Psychogeograpy". We will also start the group work project (AT2).	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 07	Fluxus. Ah, Fluxus. The joy of flow. Escaping from the tyranny of institutions, galleries, virtuosity and expectations of high art, the Fluxus movement celebrated simple tasks, encouraging us to experience the world, and each other, with fresh, playful eyes (and bodies).	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 07	Fluxus scores and setting up the group assessment. By now you have been introduced to a range of ideas and practices from the realm of experimental performance. Today you will start the process of developing, in a group, your own performance for Assessment Task 2.	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 08	A theoretical interlude. Having traced a history of the avant-garde up to the mid 1960s, this week we will gather our breath, and consider two key sets of ideas with which to theorise what we have covered. First, Mikhail Bakhtin's theory of the carnival, excess, and the grotesque; second, Victor Turner's theory of Ritual.	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 08	We will take time to unpack the theories of Bakhtin and Turner, using them to interpret both the material we have covered in the first half of the semester, and your own experiences of performances, including various 'cultural' performances: when have you experienced a 'ritual'? You will also spend time on the group assessment.	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 09	There will be no classes on Monday October 2, which is a public holiday. You will be expected to work in your groups this week, however. Additionally, there will be an on-line, prerecorded lecture, recapping the unit so far, and setting up the final part of the semester from week 10 through to the final essay assignment.	Individual study (3 hr)
Week 10	Performance Art/Happenings. In parallel to Fluxus and the Situationists, others were experimenting with transgressive forms of performance involving creating events, and working with bodies in novel, excessive, and confronting manners.	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 10	Task #2 Group Presentations	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 11	Theorising contemporary Performance and Body Art. We will look at various practices and performances which — seek to blur the boundaries between different kinds of arts practices; — focus on 'the body' as a thematic concern; — work with ideas of danger and ambiguity; and — are often quite confronting	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 11	Task #2 Group Presentations (cont.)	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 12	Liveness, (re)presentation, and re-enactment In anticipation of the final essay, we will consider the theoretical work of Peggy Phelan and Rebecca Schneider as they consider the questions of 'liveness' and embodiment in contemporary performance. How might performance continue to offer opportunities for transgression and danger? Does it matter if it doesn't?	Workshop (1 hr)
Week 12	Turning to the final essay. In the final two workshop/tutorial classes we want to help everyone develop their final essays. We will review the content of the unit, and work through the theoretical material carefully, working with students to develop their responses to the essay question.	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 13	In the final lecture we will wrap up the content and the key arguments of the unit of study, drawing together the theory, the historical material, your own experiments, and thinking about the final essay question, in which you have the opportunity to think through the issues that the unit has raised.	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 13	Your last chance to work through the ideas of the unit with your tutors, with a view to planning and drafting your essay.	Tutorial (2 hr)

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.

Required readings

Reading Materials for each week are provided in Canvas via the University Library’s system for accessing readings electronically. This Canvas Reading List clearly sets out which items to read in which weeks. It includes “required” readings but also some additional recommended readings.

Learning outcomes

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.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

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
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

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

I am retuning to teaching this unit after three years of not having done so! We are taking advantage of returning to on-campus teaching to ensure that there is a rich student experience as we explore the world of avant garden performance. There will be a focus on actual workshop activities and performance, as requested by many students.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

PRFM1602: Dangerous Performances

Semester 2, 2023 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect