Last modified: 01 Aug 2023 11:46
Performance art broke the mould of what it means to make and experience art. Often referred to as the Live Arts, this encompasses live readings, costume design and installation, from the spontaneous to the durational. Foregrounding body and audience, the course explores performance art in all its guises as a political arena. Attention is given to theoretical texts that have articulated performance practices and their critical aftermath, e.g. photography, archival footage and fiction.
| Study Type | Undergraduate | Level | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term | First Term | Credit Points | 30 credits (15 ECTS credits) |
| Campus | Aberdeen | Sustained Study | No |
| Co-ordinators |
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Performance art occurred throughout the twentieth century in myriad guises. From the cabarets of Dada and the Ballet Russes to the DIY Happenings of Fluxus, performance art broke the mould of what it means to make and experience art.
Performance art is often political and controversial, whether as a feminist strategy or as a response to civil rights. Often aiming to push boundaries, the Live Arts utilise the artist’s own bodily matters (hair, tears and blood in the work of Carolee Schneemann and Ana Mendieta) as part of the medium.
As an affective mode, performance art can be durational and experimental, spontaneous and ephemeral, with photographs, archival footage and written reviews often the only historical evidence of its occurrence. This entails a precarious, archaeology to performance art, studied via eye-witness accounts.
With reference to feminist theory (Julia Kristeva and Hélène Cixous) and interspecies encounters (Donna Haraway), learning is underscored by texts that have shaped and articulated performance art. Fiction writing as a mode of reviving lost performances will be investigated. Opportunities to experience performance and archives are a non-compulsory element and will be partly subsidised.
| Description | Value |
|---|---|
| Possible field trip with part subsidy. Cost to students to be confirmed. | 0.0000 |
Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 20 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | 12 | Feedback Weeks | 13 | |
| Feedback |
Students will develop their own questions in consultation with the course coordinator. Written feedback and additional verbal with student as required |
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Analyse | Demonstrate a nuanced understanding of the media & purpose of the live arts, including but not limited to the development of costume design, the use of bodily matter & modes of political provocation |
| Conceptual | Apply | Apply knowledge of performance practices to critically evaluate archival evidence and literary retellings |
| Reflection | Create | Demonstrate confidence in researching and delivering written and oral academic work in a class presentation on a defined topic, and an essay on a self-defined topic |
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
Assessed on tasks throughout the semester. Written feedback after presentation; in-person feedback on request |
|||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Analyse | Demonstrate a nuanced understanding of the media & purpose of the live arts, including but not limited to the development of costume design, the use of bodily matter & modes of political provocation |
| Conceptual | Apply | Apply knowledge of performance practices to critically evaluate archival evidence and literary retellings |
| Conceptual | Evaluate | Develop a critical understanding of feminist theories and their application to a range of primary performances |
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 30 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | 6 | Feedback Weeks | 8 | |
| Feedback |
Written feedback; in-person feedback on request |
Word Count | 3500 | |
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Analyse | Demonstrate a nuanced understanding of the media & purpose of the live arts, including but not limited to the development of costume design, the use of bodily matter & modes of political provocation |
| Conceptual | Evaluate | Develop a critical understanding of feminist theories and their application to a range of primary performances |
| Reflection | Create | Demonstrate confidence in researching and delivering written and oral academic work in a class presentation on a defined topic, and an essay on a self-defined topic |
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 40 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | 10 | Feedback Weeks | 13 | |
| Feedback |
Students will develop their own questions in consultation with the course coordinator. Written feedback and additional verbal feedback with students as required. |
Word Count | 3500 | |
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Apply | Apply knowledge of performance practices to critically evaluate archival evidence and literary retellings |
| Conceptual | Evaluate | Develop a critical understanding of feminist theories and their application to a range of primary performances |
| Reflection | Create | Demonstrate confidence in researching and delivering written and oral academic work in a class presentation on a defined topic, and an essay on a self-defined topic |
There are no assessments for this course.
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Analyse | Demonstrate a nuanced understanding of the media & purpose of the live arts, including but not limited to the development of costume design, the use of bodily matter & modes of political provocation |
| Conceptual | Apply | Apply knowledge of performance practices to critically evaluate archival evidence and literary retellings |
| Conceptual | Evaluate | Develop a critical understanding of feminist theories and their application to a range of primary performances |
| Reflection | Create | Demonstrate confidence in researching and delivering written and oral academic work in a class presentation on a defined topic, and an essay on a self-defined topic |
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