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ROSE BRUFORD COLLEGE OF THEATRE & PERFORMANCE Module Specification

Module template 300311 1

1. GENERAL INFORMATION

Title Skills of the Actor/Actor Musician: Voice

Module code PER411

Credit rating 20

Level 4

Indicative contact hours 135

Pre-requisite modules N/a

Co-requisite modules N/a

School responsible School of Performance

Member of staff responsible Tess Dignan

ECT* 10

Notional hours of Learning** 200

2. AIMS The module aims to:

explore through physical exercises how the voice works and how speech is formed

explain and demonstrate the relationships between the body and the voice, breath and emotion

develop a physical vocabulary of voice exercises and establish daily practice exercises and self-reflection

introduce students to the British Phonetic Alphabet, regional varieties of speech and inflection, and to Received Pronunciation

develop a vocabulary of voice exercises, daily practice exercises and self-reflected learning.

3. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE MODULE Throughout the first year, you are given the opportunity to consider habit and optimal voice usage in order to engender a healthy, athletic and flexible voice. The focus of the first module is analysis of your own vocal instrument and usage, to build strength and to correct habits as necessary. You will be introduced to vocal anatomy: how to breathe and phonate in speech and singing mode, connecting the body to voice, and you will bring these skills together in both demonstrations and performances. You will explore the limitations of habitual voice usage and the parameters of optimum voice usage. You will familiarise yourself with anatomy: alignment, centring, breathing, pitch and placement, and also where the need to speak comes from. This need will be explored through dramatic, poetic and sung text. The work culminates in a presentation of work. Throughout the module you will be expected to keep a reflective journal. At the end of the module you will be required to submit a short piece of writing that summarises your personal development throughout the module.



* ECT (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System): There are 2 UK credits for every 1 ECT credit, in accordance with the Credit Framework (QAA). Therefore if a module is worth 30 UK credits, this will equate to 15 ECT. ** Notional hours of learning: The number of hours which it is expected that a learner (at a particular level) will spend, on average, to achieve the specified learning outcomes at that level. It is expected that there will be 10 hours of notional study associated with every 1 credit achieved. Therefore if a module is worth 30 credits, this will equate to 300 notional study hours, in accordance with the Credit Framework (QAA).



4. INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

Category of outcome Upon successful completion of the module, you will be able to:

Knowledge and understanding

Understand the workings and anatomy of the vocal instrument, alignment, centring, breathing, pitch and resonance for professional voice usage

Intellectual skills

Record and reflect upon progressive learning by means of a reflective journal, in order to become self-aware, self-motivated, and self-disciplined in working and understanding with the vocal instrument

Practical skills

Demonstrate practical application of the core vocal skills work: alignment, centring and breathing using the support muscles, and the ability to balance both pitch and resonance for professional voice usage

Transferable skills and personal qualities

Work independently within a defined structure, and practise exercises outside class-work to establish understanding and ownership

5. LEARNING AND TEACHING PROCESSES (INCLUDING THE USE OF E-LEARNING)

Assessment is continuous and is based on development in class work. Classroom presentations take place at the end of the teaching block of both individual poetic text, choral song text, and rehearsal projects. These are text based and presented to a select audience. 1. Student Centred Learning– as a student of higher education, this means self-management,

preparation for all classes, making use of study periods, arranging tutorials with PAT tutors, and reflective learning using a reflective journal.

2. Collaboration– contributing to the collective learning experience, participating and adding value to the group endeavour and being an active and responsive company member.



6. ASSESSMENT (INCLUDING THE USE OF E-LEARNING)

Assessment task Length Weighting within module (if relevant)

Continual assessment based on classwork Reflective submission

15 weeks 1000 words

100% Pass/fail

Date of current version (for RBC use)




Title Skills of the Actor/Actor Musician: Movement

Module code PER412

Credit rating 20

Level 4





Member of staff responsible Peter Bramley

ECT* 10


2. AIMS

The module aims to:

explore the fundamental components of movement

examine movement through detailed observation

develop a technical understanding of your own body and how it moves naturally

pinpoint personal physical tensions; habits and blocks

begin to release self-consciousness; to take risks, to let go and to play freely

develop and improve flexibility, strength, stamina, posture, balance and spatial awareness

structure a vocabulary in movement within the context of a whole actor training

introduce new exercises and use them to begin to develop personal daily practice and warm-up techniques

examine and deepen the relationship between movement and voice.

3. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE MODULE

Throughout the first year the focus of the work is analysis of movement and your self awareness of the possibilities of movement. You are given the opportunity to discover movement and your own body in technical detail. This will begin to help you build an understanding of the physical instrument you will use as an actor. A range of different classes will each visit the basic components of movement, including: space, weight, momentum, rhythm, tension, balance and through the work you will be encouraged to develop total awareness of how your own body moves. As well as a mechanical knowledge of yourself (muscular and skeletal) you will be asked to study movement objectively (e.g. through observation of animals, other humans and uses of the body in space). Emphasis for this work will be placed on playfulness and energetic exploration through creative play and improvisation. Through this work you will be introduced to rigorous training in preparation for the profession of acting, so that your body becomes more fully available to you as an expressive instrument. General fitness, flexibility, stamina and strength will be a strong focus of the work. Movement classes are also designed to support and prepare you for voice work. Throughout the module you will be expected to keep a reflective

journal. At the end of the module you will be required to submit a short piece of writing that summarises your development throughout the module.




Category of outcome Upon successful completion of this module, you will be able to:


Demonstrate a technical knowledge of your own body and a clear understanding of personal habits, rhythms, tensions, blocks, and challenges

Intellectual skills

Record and reflect upon progressive learning by means of a Reflective Journal, in order to become self-aware, self-motivated, and self-disciplined in working and understanding the body as a creative instrument

Engage with core texts relating to the study of movement

Practical skills

Analyse movement through observation (e.g. other people, objects, animals and the elements) and to break movement down into its fundamental components in order to reconstruct movement creatively


Begin to work independently, and to practise exercises outside class-work to establish understanding and ownership and to develop personal daily practice.


Assessment is continuous and is based on development in class work. Classroom presentations take place at the end of the teaching block of both individual poetic text, choral song text, and rehearsal projects. These are text based and presented to a select audience. 1. Student Centred Learning– as a student of higher education, this means self-management,

preparation for all classes, making use of study periods, arranging tutorials with PAT tutors, and reflective learning using a reflective journal.

2. Collaboration– contributing to the collective learning, participating and adding value to the group endeavour, being an active and responsive company member.





Assessment is continuous based on classwork Reflective submission

15 weeks 1000 words

100% Pass/fail





Title Skills of the Actor: Approaches to Acting 1

Module code ACT403

Credit rating 20 credits

Level 4





Member of staff responsible Thomasina Unsworth

ECT* 10 credits


2. AIMS

The module aims to:

introduce you to key acting principles and ideas that will underpin the rest of your performance training and further practice

develop your ability to work off impulse and in relation to external stimuli

enable you to work collaboratively

develop your ability to work with your senses fully engaged

ensure that you avoid generalisation as an actor but rather approach your work having asked specific questions both of yourself and of the text

offer you means of analysing text in order to explore it in close detail

develop your ability to reflect on your work and to interrogate the intellectual and physical ideas supporting it

enhance your understanding of the various methodological approaches explored in practical classes by examining the intellectual and cultural background that gave rise to these methodologies

alert you to alternative methodologies and perspectives that may not form part of the practical training

stimulate you to question your social role as a practitioner.




The module provides you with a foundation to support both your training and future practice. Through a series of practical classes and seminars you will work towards release from the inhibitors and habits that prevent you from communicating effectively as an actor. During sessions ideas will be explored and a vocabulary offered so that you can begin to approach your work in a way that is spontaneous, imaginative and disciplined. You will focus on basic Stanislavskian principles as well as explore ideas from key practitioners following on, such as Sanford Meisner. The module focuses in the main on practical exercises that ask you to engage imaginatively and responsively without reference to a text. Towards the end of the module specific texts will be introduced and the ideas that you have been exploring up to this point will now be considered within the context of a particular script. You will have weekly seminars that will engage you in an understanding of the interplay between theory and practice within performance work, enhancing your analytic, reflective and communicative skills. You will reflect upon your practical work, detailing discoveries, inspirations and difficulties. There will be regular trips to the theatre and you will be expected to analyse the productions in the light of your acting classes, but also taking into consideration other contributing factors such as staging and set. There will be one written assignment of 1500 words.







Recognise key concepts within specific acting methodologies

beginning with, and following on from, Stanislavsky’s system

Explain how to break down a text

Intellectual skills Begin to evaluate key ideas within the context of your own

process as an actor

Reflect on your own work as well as constructively consider

that of your classmates

Analyse a production, both in terms of the acting but also in

relation to other contributing factors

Practical skills Identify and ‘play an objective’

Listen and ‘respond in the moment’

Work with an engaged imagination

Create living relationships

Use rhythm and tempo as a means of expression

Engage with contradictory forces to explore inner conflict


Collaborate in decision making

Develop your intuitive as well as rational thinking

Develop your confidence and self-awareness.


You will work on practical exercises, which are mainly tutor-led. The exercises may focus on an individual or on pairs working together. Certain exercises will involve the whole group simultaneously. You will have regular seminars and be expected to join in class discussion. You will attend lectures that are tutor-led but require a high level of contribution from you. You will be required to work on your own individually or in small groups preparing for exercises that will take place in class. You will attend theatre trips and the productions will then be analysed in class. You will be expected to refer to the VLE as a means of extending your knowledge of communication.





Practical, process-related work Written assignment

1500 words

70% 30%





Title Skills of the Actor: Approaches to Acting 2

Module code ACT404


Level 4





Member of staff responsible Iain Reekie

ECT* 10 credits


2. AIMS

The module aims to:

move further from notions of self towards notions of character and role

engage with dramatic texts

encourage you to take a more independent and holistic approach to the work.


Within this module you will explore specific texts practically, either individually or in a larger group. Unlike Skills of the Actor: Approaches to Acting 1 the majority of the work now will revolve around text. The first part of the module will focus on one of Anton Chekhov’s plays, exploring it through a variety of exercises all designed to focus on character, as the demands of the classes require you to move further from yourself in terms of place and time and often age. A second part will look at a play by Henrik Ibsen, but this time in relation to dramaturgy. Here you will explore the importance of making choices that sit within the structure and context of the play as a whole. During the final part you will be expected to bring all the learning together as you explore scenes from a further play such as Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. You will be required to rehearse scenes in class and on your own. There will be an informal showing within your group of these scenes followed by a summative discussion of the learning contained in this block of skills. During this module you will submit a further written assignment that asks you to consider the ideas that you have been focusing on in class, engaging critically with relevant methodologies.






Identify and evaluate the importance of the structure of a play and the pivotal moments contained within it

Undertake research from an actor’s point of view

Engage critically with relevant methodologies associated with the module

Intellectual skills Develop your reflective practice

Approach a text from the perspective of a dramaturg

Consider critically how and why different approaches need to be applied depending upon the media in which the acting is taking place

Practical skills Apply the acting methodologies explored so far to a variety of texts

Engage with processes of character transformation


Take ownership of your work

Work with other people to explore ideas and make decisions

Apply ideas in a variety of performance contexts

Continue to challenge yourself to work with discipline.


You will work in class on a variety of exercises, which serve to illuminate what is happening both for the individual character and within the play as a whole, working either alone or within a group. These sessions are tutor-led.

You will be required to undertake research into dramaturgy and role formation outside the sessions, and to bring the findings of that research into your practical explorations of the text.

You will continue to attend lectures which will be tutor-led.

You will contribute fully within the context of seminars and research presentations.

You will be expected to respond critically to each other’s work through constructive and useful discussion.

You will go to the theatre and apply your deepening level of understanding to what you see on stage.

You will be expected to continue to make use of the VLE

You will submit a written assignment

You will continue to record your reflections in a journal.





Practical, process-related work Written assignment

2000 words

60% 40%





Title Project: Contemporary Text

Module code ACT405


Level 4

Indicative contact hours 96 hours

Pre-requisite modules Skills of the Actor: Approaches to Acting 1




ECT* 10 credits

Notional hours of Learning** 200 hours

2. AIMS

The module aims to:

enable you to put your previous practice-based learning into the context of a sustained rehearsal process

encourage you to work more independently

demonstrate the need for disciplined working practices when you engage in a rehearsal process

begin to develop your understanding of your own process as an actor

develop your understanding as you work on contemporary texts and relate to people and places with which you are familiar

introduce you to research within the context of a specific text.


This module comprises intensive scene study, taking place after the skills block has been completed, lasting four weeks. You will work on scenes from either one or more contemporary texts exploring playwrights such as Simon Stephens, Dennis Kelly, Leo Butler, Roy Williams and Moira Buffini. Research and awareness of the cultural context will factor where appropriate. You will engage in a detailed interrogation of the text, which will culminate in a performance in front of the staff team. This performance will not be concerned with production values. The emphasis is on the acting alone.

* ECT (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System): There are 2 UK credits for every 1 ECT credit, in accordance with the Credit Framework (QAA). Therefore if a module is worth 30 UK credits, this will equate to 15 ECT.

** Notional hours of learning: The number of hours which it is expected that a learner (at a particular level) will spend, on average, to achieve the specified learning outcomes at that level. It is expected that there will be 10 hours of notional study associated with every 1 credit achieved. Therefore if a module is worth 30 credits, this will equate to 300 notional study hours, in accordance with the Credit Framework (QAA).






begin to demonstrate your character’s function within the play as a whole

demonstrate an insight into the world of the play and the cultural context in which it sits

Intellectual skills recognise where research is needed and how to apply it as an actor

use your imagination to access a different cultural view - point from your own

reflect on the rehearsal experience and your contribution to it

Practical skills consolidate and explore further previous learning through the rehearsals process

experience working in front of an audience.


work collaboratively in a structured environment

sustain a process over a period of weeks

deliver detailed and responsive work under performance pressure

work with discipline and punctuality.


You will work in a group either on a extracts from a play, or on scenes from a selection of plays. The work will be director-led but you will be expected to prepare in between rehearsals and to bring in suggestions and ideas that have not necessarily been prompted by your director. You will be set practically-based research tasks linked to particular elements of the text. This may involve visiting museums and galleries, listening to specific pieces of music and visiting locations, which are referred to in the play. You will be given notes by your director, which you will be expected to process and respond to during rehearsals. You will show the work to the tutors at the end of the module in order to experience performing in front of an audience but without the pressure of full production values.





Assessment will focus upon your process. Feedback will be given by your tutor/director who will provide you with a written feedback sheet outlining how he or she arrived at their assessment of your work. Your tutor/director will also meet to discuss your process in a one to one tutorial.

100%





Title Project: Late Nineteenth-Century Text

Module code ACT406


Level Four

Indicative contact hours 105 hours



School responsible School Of Performance


ECT* 10 credits

Notional hours of Learning** 200 hours

2. AIMS

The module aims to: consolidate the work of the previous modules within the context of a sustained rehearsal process,

which involves a late-nineteenth-century text encourage independent thinking and an awareness of your developing process as an actor enable you to collaborate with a cast group and a tutor director in order to produce a unified piece

of theatre, which works to communicate a coherent narrative and to illuminate the world of the play

experience performance in front of a larger audience.


This module comprises four weeks of intensive rehearsal on a play from the classical Realist and Naturalist canon. You will collaborate with the tutor director in a studio setting shaping a coherent piece of theatre. You will be expected to consider dramaturgy critically. You will work responsively and openly in relation to each other and the given circumstances. The rehearsal block will culminate in a showing of the work to the staff team and to the rest of the year group. This will be followed by a tutorial with your tutor director as well as with other members of staff where appropriate.







Understand your own process at a deeper level through engaging with a text distanced from you in space and time

Contextualise the play historically and socially

Intellectual skills Reflect analytically on the work

Engage in research to inform text-based acting skills

Practical skills Develop and test ideas in practice in the production of a unified piece of theatre

Work on character transformation

Work on texts that draw you further from focus on the self and deeper into the world of the play


Work collaboratively and towards a shared goal

Work independently as well as in partnership with a tutor director

Work with professionalism and discipline.


You will work in a group to rehearse a text chosen from the late nineteenth or early twentieth century, sharing parts where appropriate. Rehearsals will be led by the tutor director but you will be required to bring in ideas and to make choices that come from your own independent thinking and close reading of the text. You will be asked to undertake a variety of research practices, and to share what you discover with the rest of the group. You will be expected to reflect on the rehearsal process and to record those reflections in a journal detailing significant discoveries, inspirations and difficulties.





Practical work: Process* Practical work: Product* *There will be two parts to the assessment feedback. The first will take the form of written feedback and a grade that reflects your process, delivered by the tutor director of the project. The second will be a pass/fail grade reflecting the quality of your acting as seen during the showing. Two staff members who have not been involved in the rehearsal process will give this grade. You will not be able to progress through to the second year unless the process element of the assessment is passed. In this way the emphasis remains heavily biased towards process, although now, for the first time in the year, some consideration is paid to performance.

100% Pass/fail


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