MA IN INTERNATIONAL PERFORMANCE RESEARCH
Course Code: P-W4PA
2014-15 STUDENT HANDBOOK
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Welcome to the MA in International Performance Research programme (MAIPR)
As a new MAIPR student, you are about to become part of an innovative intellectual and artistic endeavour. You will join an international community of performance scholars who are seeking to understand and create performance from a multi-dimensional, multi-national perspective. Collectively, we are investigating what kinds of research skills and competencies are necessary to inaugurate and maintain this comprehensive understanding of our field.
The assignments and projects you will be given will stretch you to consider materials and ideas you may not have previously encountered, and to think and create ‘outside the box’ of your own culture and nation. At the same time, your own intellectual and creative history will be part of your contribution to the comprehensiveness of the course. Others will learn from you and your traditions just as you will learn from and about others.
On behalf of the staff of MAIPR, it is my pleasure to welcome you into our midst and to challenge you to work as hard as you can to contribute to the on-going findings of our collective scholarship and artistry.
DR MILIJA GLUHOVIC
Associate Professor of Theatre and Performance and MAIPR Programme Director
The University of Warwick
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Contents
1. MA IN INTERNATIONAL PERFORMANCE RESEARCH (MAIPR)Page 7
1.1Introduction
1.2Background and Aims
1.3The Five Core Questions
1.4MAIPR teaching and administration
2. THE MAIPR CONSORTIUM AND JOINT ACADEMIC BOARDPage 9
2.1The MAIPR Consortium
2.2The Joint Academic Board (JAB)
2.3The Universities
2.3.1 The University of Warwick, UK (Warwick)
2.3.2. The University of Arts in Belgrade, Serbia (UAB)
2.3.3 Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland (Trinity)
3.HOW THE 2014-15 MAIPR IS DELIVEREDPage 13
3.1.The MAIPR timetable
3.2Curricula, Student Handbooks and Citation Guide
3.3MAIPR Creative Placements
3.4 The MAIPR Summer School
3.5Dissertation: final Thesis or Project
3.6Supervisors and the supervisory system
3.7The Double Degree
3.8MAIPR Assessment, ECTS Marking Equivalencies and Marks and Qualification Awarded
3.9.1 The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS)
3.9.2 2014-15 MAIPR ECTS Marking Equivalences
3.9.3 Marks and Qualification Awarded
3.9.4MAIPR ECTS Dissertation Marking Criteria and Grade
3.9.5 Student Progress Monitoring
3.9.6Student Monitoring at Arts in Belgrade and TCD
3.9.7 Late Submission of Work
3.9.8 Guidance on Extenuating Circumstances
3.9.9University Regulations
3.9.10 The MAIPR Student Agreement
4.PRACTICAL MATTERSPage 22
4.1Preparing for the programme
4.2Visas, residence permits and police registration
4.2.1. University of Warwick (UK)
4.2.2University of Arts in Belgrade (Serbia)
4.2.3 Trinity College, Dublin (Ireland)
4.3Travel & Accommodation
4.3.1 Warwick/UK (ST1)
4.3.2 TCD (ST2)
4.3.3 Arts in Belgrade (ST3)
4.3.4 UAB (Summer School, June 2015)
4.4 Insurance
4.5 European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)
5. UNIVERSITY SERVICES AND FACILITIESPage 29
5.1. Warwick (ST1)
5.1.1 Student Support Services
5.1.2 International Office
5.1.3 Medical Care
5.1.4 Counselling
5.1.5 Warwick Library
5.1.6 The Learning Grids
5.1.7 Warwick Arts Centre
5.1.8 Warwick Students’ Union
5.2 TCD (ST2)
5.2.1. Counselling Services
5.2.2. Library
5.2.3. Sport and recreation
5.2.4. Postgraduate Advisory Service
5.2.5. Art collections
5.3UAB (ST3)
5.3.1Medical Care
5.3.2 Student Centre
6. GENERAL COUNTRY INFORMATIONPage 32
6.1 The UK
6.1.1 Places to visit in the UK
6.2Serbia
6.2.1 Places to visit in Serbia
6.3Dublin
6.2.1Places to visit in Ireland
7. USEFUL CONTACTS AND WEBLINKSPage 38
7.1 The University of Warwick (MAIPR coordinating institution)
7.2 The University of Arts in Belgrade (UAB)
7.3 Trinity College, Dublin
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NB: The 2014-15 MAIPR Student Handbook is a general overview of the programme. It is additional and complimentary to the individual handbooks provided by each university delivering the MAIPR programme. It should therefore be consulted in conjunction with these handbooks. Updated versions may be issued, and uploaded to the MAIPR website.
Disclaimer: the information in the 2014-15 MAIPR Student Handbook was, as far as possible, accurate at the time of issue. The MAIPR Consortium, however, reserves the right to revise modules, to amend regulations and procedures at any time. The MAIPR Consortium also cannot be held responsible for any changes to the rules and regulations made by each of the member universities as these are outside the consortium’s control.
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1. MA IN INTERNATIONAL PERFORMANCE RESEARCH (MAIPR)
1.1Introduction
The MA in International Performance Research (MAIPR) programme is offered by three internationally renowned academic institutions:
University of Warwick (Warwick) in the United Kingdom (UK)
University of Arts in Belgrade (UAB) in Serbia
Trinity College, Dublin (TCD) in Ireland
Students successfully completing the programme will receive a double degree from the University of Warwick and University of Arts in Belgrade, namely:
University of Warwick: MA in International Performance Research
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UAB: Master teorije dramskih i audio-vizuelnih izvodjačkih umetnosti u oblasti Interdisciplinarnih studija (MA in International Performance Research)
1.2Background and Aims
Background: the MAIPR was designed by the consortium members to attract the best theatre and performance-related students and practitioners from around the world, in order to create a truly pan-global Masters’ programme. In 2008-09, the first year of the MAIPR, the programme attracted an intake of 34 students from 22 countries and a similar number joined the programme in 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12. In 2012-13, we attracted 30 students. It was one of only two arts-related Erasmus Mundus-funded MA programmes.
Aims: the aims of the MAIPR are manifold. However, an important aim is to introduce, develop and challenge the three concepts that make up the course’s title: ‘International, ‘Performance’, and ‘Research’. The MAIPR consortium hopes to demonstrate how these concepts are informed, questioned and perhaps disputed by local, national and/or global (pre)-conceptions and (pre)- perceptions.
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1.3The Five Core Questions
The following are the five questions that form the core of the MAIPR programme:
What does ‘international,’ ‘global,’ ‘transnational,’ or ‘cosmopolitan’ signify when coupled with performance or performance contexts? In light of this question, what vocabulary most satisfactorily suits the unique characteristics of performance? How will research outcomes differ if starting from different conceptual/linguistic frameworks?
How are performances linked to global networks and transnational flows of capital? In light of this question, what is the place of global markets in shaping performance practices now? What does theatre tourism (to festivals for example) contribute or take away from local cultures?
What are the roles of the theatre and performance curator in the new globalised economy? In light of this question, how might the tasks of creative curatorial collaboration in innovative cross-cultural projects be reconciled with international entrepreneurial responsibilities to the global marketplace? Is there a future amalgam possible between international commercial imperatives for high quality artists and ethically weighted appeals to a sense of socio-political responsibility and commitment?
What is the responsibility of a European artist or scholar when commenting on performance traditions, history, or actual performances of former colonies or developing nations? In light of this question, what habits of European thought might affect, interfere with or distort the objects of study or of creation? What special European viewpoints or histories might uniquely contribute to the enterprise?
How does theatrical communication function in response to issues of translation and transculturation? In light of this question, is language offset by enactment and other performance signifiers, such as the body? What constitutes linguistic competency for world theatre?
1.4MAIPR teaching and administration
The MAIPR is taught by faculty from Warwick, UAB, and TCD, plus specially invited guest scholars. Go to:for more information.
The University of Warwick handles most of the administration of the programme. The day-to-day administration is handled by the Departmental Administrator, who is based at Warwick. UAB and TCD also has staff who you can consult in regard to the MAIPR programme.
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2.THE MAIPR CONSORTIUM AND JOINT ACADEMIC BOARD
2.1The MAIPR Consortium
The 2014-15 MAIPR consortium is made up of the three universities that deliver the programme: Warwick, UAB and TCD.
Each university has wide experience and knowledge in the field of theatre and performance studies. The MAIPR programme therefore gives you access to the teaching expertise of three internationally renowned universities, introducing you to academics who are leaders and innovators in their fields.
2.2The Joint Academic Board (JAB)
The MAIPR is administered by a Joint Academic Board (JAB), which is made up of two academics from each university, therefore a total of six members. The 2014-15 MAIPR JAB members are:
Warwick:Dr Milija Gluhovic and Dr Silvja Jestrovic
UAB:Dr Milena Dragičević Šešić and Professor Ivana Vujić
TCD:Professor Brian Singleton and Dr Melissa Sihra
The JAB is responsible for the overall academic content of the MAIPR programme as well as its governance.
2.3The Universities
2.3.1 The University of Warwick, UK (Warwick)
/The University of Warwick (Warwick) is a unique, and uniquely successful, institution. Despite its relative youth – it was founded in the 1965 – Warwick is now one of the UK’s leading universities, with a reputation for excellence in research and teaching, for innovation and for links with business and industry.
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With nearly 17,000 students (including 5,000 postgraduates), over 1,000 academics and an annual turnover in the region of £350m (approx. £410m), Warwick offers one of the best higher educational communities in Europe.
An outstanding reputation for research and teaching makes Warwick a rewarding place to study. In the last government Research Assessment Exercise, Warwick was rated fifth in the UK for research excellence; in the media league tables, it has consistently maintained its position in the Top Ten.
The University of Warwick is in the Midlands, also known as the ‘heart’ of England, and has easy access to towns and cities steeped in cultural and historical importance. However, despite the name, Warwick is not near to the town of Warwick. Our nearest urban centre is Coventry, which is about 5 km (3 miles) away.
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Warwick’s Department of Theatre & Performance Studies The MAIPR programme is taught within the Department of Theatre & Performance Studies, part of the School of Theatre, Performance and Cultural Policy Studies (Faculty of Arts). We are located in Millburn House and have access to two fully-equipped performance spaces, along with the necessary technical equipment, support and guidance, as well as props and stage furnishing.
The department currently has 12 full-time members of faculty and employs a range of subject specialists. Our faculty-student ratio is outstanding. Our studio facilities at Millburn House offer the best possible environment to support creative practice.
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2.3.2. The University of Arts in Belgrade, Serbia (UAB)
The University of Arts in Belgrade (UAB) is the only specialized university for arts education in the Republic of Serbia, which gathers students and educators from the country and further afield. UAB offers a wide range of study programmes from all the fields of art, as well as study programmes aimed at professionals in the fields of culture and media.
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As Serbia’s oldest and largest institution of higher education, UAB promotes creativity and diversity in the arts as essential signifiers of national cultures and societal needs, whilst contributing to the development of the local community in which it is situated. UAB is open towards society and its demands defined by specific cultural projects and actions which contribute to general process of society reforms, above all to the process of development and the promotion of arts, science and high education.
By retaining its particular nature, UAB aim is to integrate fully into the pan-European academic environment, confirming its status as an important international higher art education centre in the Balkans.
UAB’s Interdisciplinary studiesInterdisciplinary studies at UAB was founded in 2001, as contemporary-conceived studies composed of post-diploma students in polymedia, digital arts, scene design, theory of arts and media, and the management of culture. The discipline was created to fulfil the need to study contemporary artistic or theoretical fields that were not covered by the usual artistic and scientific disciplines. Since its foundation, interdisciplinary studies has rapidly developed, raised the quality of post-diploma education and represented an academic challenge for the increasing number of students from the country and abroad. / Faculty, Interdisciplinary studies, UAB
2.3.3Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland (Trinity)
/Trinity College Dublin is the oldest university in Ireland having been created by royal charter in 1592. Its foundation came at a time when many universities were being established across Western Europe in the belief that they would give prestige to the state in which they were located and that their graduates, clergy for the most part, would perform a vital service as civil administrators.
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Trinity is considered to be Ireland’s premier university. It continues to build on its four-hundred-yearold tradition of scholarship to confirm its position as one of the great universities of the world, providing a liberal environment where independence of thought is highly valued and where staff and students are nurtured as individuals and are encouraged to achieve their full potential.
The College is committed to excellence in both research and teaching, to the enhancement of the learning experience of each of its students and to an inclusive College community with equality of access for all. The College will continue to disseminate its knowledge and expertise to the benefit of the City of Dublin, the country and the international community.
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Trinity’s Department of Drama is housed in the purpose-built Samuel Beckett Centre, which opened in 1992. Within the Centre is the Samuel Beckett Theatre, a 205 seat black box performance space, a Dance Studio/rehearsal space, a seminar room, offices and Players Theatre, the studio theatre of Trinity's student drama society.
The location of Trinity College in the heart of Dublin permits students to experience a wide range of theatre. Contemporary playwrights, directors, actors and designers often visit the Department to discuss their work and give workshops or courses. Visitors have included Bill Alexander, Augusto Boal, Michael Bogdanov, Gabriel Byrne, Sue-Ellen Case, Max Stafford-Clark, Garry Hynes, Christopher Newton, Gerardjan Rijnders, Fiona Shaw, Gunilla Palmstierna-Weiss and Marina Carr. The Samuel Beckett Centre is ideally placed to study Irish theatre in an international context.
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3.HOW THE 2014-15 MAIPR IS DELIVERED
3.1.The MAIPR timetable
The programme is delivered in three sections:
Autumn term 2014 (ST1): 29th September to 31st December 2014: Department of Theatre and Performance Studies, University of Warwick, UK.
Spring 2015 (ST2): 12th January to 20th March 2015: School of Drama, Film and Music, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.
Summer 2015 (ST3): 1st April to end-June 2015. Interdisciplinary Studies, University of Arts in Belgrade (UAB) in Serbia. The summer school will also take place in Serbia and will last for one week.
Summer vacation period 2015: the dissertation preparation period, dedicated to the dissertation or final project.
3.2Curricula, Student Handbooks and Citation Guide
Curricula: each university produces a curriculum that is geared towards the MAIPR students.
ST1: Warwick teaching is delivered in one integrated module called ‘Thematics and Modalities’, which counts for 20 ECTS. This module is assessed by three separate components: a 3,000-word essay (40% weighting); a modalities’ portfolio (30% weighting); and a group presentation requiring a written component (30% weighting).
ST2:Trinity College, Dublin, will be delivering two modules during the spring 2015 teaching period: ‘Contemporary Irish Theatre in Context’which will be assessed by a 4,000 word essay (50%) and an oral presentation (50%), and ‘Strategies of Performance Analysis’ whichwill be assessed by 4,000 word essay (50%) and a Practical Presentation (50%) (an individual class presentation incorporating critical engagement with module content and critical reflection upon the practice). These two modules count for 20 ECTS.
ST3: UAB teaching is delivered as follows: Curatorial Studies (10 ECTS) will be assessed by 2400-word essay (70%); a Practical /Oral Presentation (20%); and a regular course attendance (10%); the MAIPR Summer School (5 ECTS), Creative Placement (5 ECTS), so 20 ECTS in total.
The dissertation counts for 30 ECTS in total. Dissertation word length will be confirmed to you by the course director during the autumn term.
Student Handbooks: each university produces a Student Handbook. These university-specific handbooks contain information relating to the course structure at that particular university and for its particular teaching periods.
Citation Guide: the universities within the consortium adhere to the Modern Language Association (MLA) Guidelines. A digest version of guidelines produced by Warwick’s Department of Theatre and Performance Studies has been uploaded to the MAIPR website. However, students are advised to purchase and consult the latest version of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. If you have any issues with the citation guidelines, you should raise these with your personal tutor, supervisor or the local university faculty.
Click onto access the curricula, handbooks and citation guide.
3.3MAIPR Creative Placements/ MAIPR Creative Placements
Monica Ponjavic (11-12 MAIPR student) and Dutch artist Jolan van der Wiel setting up an installation based on the work of Russian artist and engineer Alexei Gastev, in Gdansk, Poland, for Alternativa 2012. This was part of Monica’s creative placement with Partizan Publik, Amsterdam.
As part of their studies during the MAIPR course, students are placed in a wide range of theatre, performance, and other cultural industry organisations for placement assignments. These creative placements benefit the host companies as much as the postgraduate students by developing a research project that matches the needs of both.