Directing of Devised and Object Theatre (N0215A310035)

Programme objectives

Directing of Devised and Object theatre aims to provide the students with the space to explore new ways of creating and doing contemporary performance with the focus on research and development from the starting inspiration/material to turning into performative material to be shared with audience. Focus on objects and other types of material aspects of performance tends to ground the students in researching the existing material and to view it not only as something to be used in the performance but something to be explored.

The students will have the opportunity to encounter large variety of approaches to contemporary performance (different teachers and artists doing workshops) in order to understand that each artists in the contemporary performance operates differently. Further, they will be guided to over the course of the 4 semesters develop their own performative language, strategies, and poetics – that together forms one unified research. Students will be tutored in such a way to be able to formulate their own interests, strengths and weaknesses in such a way to build a productive performative research.

Students are further invited to use theory as strong inspirational and supportive element of their research and to intertwine practice and theory in such a way that it becomes available for audiences in its performative form.

Further the students will be thought to perform, make space, use material as well as basic strategies of production so they can be able to perform multiplicity of functions and thus survive in often very poor circumstances of the independent theatre.

Profile of a programme graduate

The programme graduate will have orientation in the field of contemporary performance practice and theory with focus on most important dramaturgical issues and current trends. They will be able to critically understand them and to create new approaches to developed material, exploring it via performative tools. Further they will be able to designate appropriate methods for specific material, as well as specific ways to create performative space and the relationship to audience.

They will be independent artists critically approaching contemporary theatre and the world, while being able to use their situated knowledge, their own experiences as a tool for exploration of the world issues.

Graduates will further be capable of open and productive dialogues with the collaborators, producers and audiences. The dialogue methods that they will use will not be evaluative, judgmental dialogue but a creative dialogue that is open to difference, while being capable of catering to your own creative needs, with specific focus of looking for performative potentials rather than ‘right and wrong’. For this reason, the graduates will be also able to function as collaborators and dramaturgs for other artists and groups.

Rules and requirements for creating study plans

The study plan Directing of Devised and Object theater program contains subjects in four categories: main compulsory subjects, subjects with the possibility of re-enrollment, subjects without the possibility of re-enrollment and optional subjects. The study plan does not include any compulsory elective courses.

The main compulsory subjects are directly related to the student's individual creative activity. Besides teaching and individual student work, compulsory subjects also include individual consultations of students and teachers. Within these subjects, the student creates semester projects, which he presents at the end of each semester.

Subjects with the possibility of re-enrollment provide students different perspectives on comprehend the performing arts. These are mainly two-semester courses, which end with a course credit. Subjects without the possibility of re-enrollment look on being of the performer on stage, the functionality of the stage space and the theoretical background of the performative work. These are three-semester courses ending with a course credit or an exam.

The student also chooses optional subjects from the offer of all AMU faculties in the total value of at least 8 credits. The offer of optional subjects provided by the Department of Alternative and Puppet Theater in English includes, for example: . Expanded Viewpoints, Alternatives of World Theater of the 20th and 21st Century, Animation. Students can also attend foreign language lessons offered by CJP.

The standard length of a lesson is 45 minutes. The basic organizational forms of teaching are lectures, seminars, exercises, workshops, while the last three forms of teaching to varying degrees include the creation of artistic outputs. Teaching takes place either on a weekly basis or in the form of intensive blocks or workshops. In the study plan, prerequisites are automatically assumed in the form of sequences of subjects marked with a gradually increasing number after the subject name.

The classification is granted according to the ECTS Credit System.

General information about admission process

The program is designed for applicants who have completed a bachelor's degree of any type. Due to the ever-expanding field of performative arts and their application in society as a whole, the area of the first level of education of applicants for study is not limited in any way and previous experience with the performing arts is not required.

The application for study includes:

• description of the creative project for the master's study
• motivation letter
• documentation of current creative, professional or theoretical work

The condition for admission is the successful passing of the talent entrance examination and the assessment of talent prerequisites on the basis of the submitted documentation for the first round of the entrance exam. For the second round, the applicants are given a creative task, usully in the format of a theatrical video. The second round is concluded with an interview, and it is also possible for this interview to be done as a video call.

The estimated number of students admitted is 2 - 6.

Applicability to other types of academic programmes

Examples of foreign doctoral programs:

University of Manchester;

Applied Theatre Professional DoctorateConservatoire National Supérieur d’Art Dramatique (Paris);

Programme doctoral SACRe (Science-Arts-Création-Recherche) University of Birmingham;

Drama and Theatre Studies Practice Based PhD University of the Arts in Helsinki;

Doctoral programme in Artistic Research in Performing ArtsLeiden University;

Academy of Creative and Performing Arts (Netherlands): PhD Arts Doctoral Programme.

Parts of the state final examination and their contents

The master's state final examination consists of the following independently classified parts:

1. Graduate creative performance
2. Written master's thesis (VŠKP) and its oral defense
3. Oral exam in history, theory and dramaturgy

The State final examination will be divided into two phases. In the first,

the written mater's thesis (VŠKP) will be defended. After its successful

completion, the second phase follows, the content of which is an oral

exam in history, theory and dramaturgy.

1. Graduate creative performance

Creative theatrical performance or other specific performance activity that the

student performs before the final state examination (SSZ).

The content of subjects of which is reflected in this part of the state final examination:

Work on performance 1,2,3,4

Directing 1,2,3

1. Written master's thesis (VŠKP) and its oral defense

The written work is the final formulation of artistic research, which

analyzes the theoretical basis and reflects the creative procedures

within the theatrical work of performance activity. Within the final

state exam (SSZ), the supervisor reads a report, then the reviewer reads

a report. This is followed by a discussion during which the student

responds to any additional information in length 20 minutes.

The content of subjects of which is reflected in this part of state final examination:

Work on performance 1,2,3,4

Search for Context 1,2,3

1. Oral exam in history, theory and dramaturgy

The student chooses one topic from the list of offered topics for this part

of the state final examination no later than one month before the exam

and submits a written abstract on the selected topic in the range of

max. 2 standard pages a week before the exam. In the first part of the

state final exam (SSZ), the student presents the selected topic during

an explanation lasting 7 minutes. A debate will then take place, during

which the commission will ask supplementary questions. Then the

commission will select one more topic from the list of offered topics

and student present the topic. This presentation should include some

theoretical and historical context as well as critical reflection on

the topic. The main criterion for evaluating this part of the state

final examination is the ability to show an understanding of

contemporary thinking about the art and the commission will focus on the

student's ability to relate the question to theatrical history,

theatrical aesthetics or ethics.

The content of subjects of which is reflected in this part of state final examination:

Search for Context 1,2,3

Dramaturgy 1,2,3

Performance Analysis 1,2

Other academic duties

None.

Characterisation of professional practice

None.

Anticipated job placement for graduates (typical employment)

Directors and collaborators (dramaturgs, performers) in independant theatre, performance and art projects. Teaching practical performance practice. Teaching creativity in other fields (children etc.).