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Research Methodologies 2

This module will emphasise independent research leading up to the Developmental Project (Dissertation). Students will select an area of investigation in the arts related to cultural identity and contemporary performance with the advice of tutors and fellow students. This module is designed to facilitate students’ development as researchers through the formulation and realisation of a self-directed research project into theoretical research into their own practice with reference to the work of other theatre practitioners. Students will be expected to contextualise their work in the light of contemporary developments in arts practice, arts research and cultural identity.

��This module will take the learning from Research Methodologies 1 and deepen and develop this in relation to the students own artistic practice. Radical, innovative, and current modes of research and study will be investigated relating to the students’ own practice. A refinement and deepening of (students) methods and methodologies will be encouraged and will be applied to their learning and analysis of their own work in relation to the themes of culture and identity that they are interrogating.

Practical Research Project / Dissertation

This module is the core intellectual research activity pursued and, as such, serves as the dissertation module.

This module also intersects critically with other modules throughout the duration of generating, defining, and refining researched ideas, culminating in the individual praxis.

As a ‘hub’ module, it is designed to be broad enough to compliment and support any topic/subject-specific methodology from ‘spoke’ arts programmes, but to serve and build on the wider learning experience, it employs 2 key approaches: Practice-led-Research in the Arts, and a traditional ‘thesis’ exercise.

Developmental Project engages you with an independently driven research processes in practice and reflexive engagement on critical/cultural development to inform a critically engaged written dissertation.

Shaping Practice

A module that introduces The Paper Birds’ (“TPBs”) core working practice. You will bring previous experiences of devising practice, offering your own advanced foundations for making, to interrogate histories of devising, mapping and case study key approaches, and learning how to contextualise your own critical and creative practice.

By learning about TPBs ethos/approach, you will develop your own critical and practical agenda, and in turn, learn new ways to share your work with others.

Collaborative Devising Project

A core module at the heart of the Devised Theatre MA route, where the key principles of The Paper Birds’ working practice come together in a holistic devised theatre project, made by groups of collaborating students.

During this module you will form new groups/collectives and devise an original work of theatre. You can work in partnership with locals groups or communities and/or make work that serves and enriches the core themes and social issues in your community.

Central to this collaboration, is the exploration and interrogation, in theory and practice, of intensive and advanced verbatim practices as a tool to both offer (gift) and receive (listen) to your community. This leads to an intensive and mentored/supervised making period, working with the resources of the University and with full technical support of the ShowRoom Theatre.

Sharing Practice

This taught module works as an immediate response to the Collaborative Devising Project Module. Through an understanding of The Paper Birds’ approach to creating ‘wraparound content’, you will redraw your practice, and explore various modes and mediums that help diversify audience access, engagement, service, resource, and potentially, income streams.

In effect, this is a professional development module, but also an opportunity to elevate core practices of communication and sharing that are integral to all creative practices in theatre making. The module aims to exploit and develop individual critical and creative skills in relation to, and to compliment, collaborative processes.