MA Music Theatre JULY 2010

Course specification and units

July 2010
CONTENTS

1 COURSE SPECIFICATION 2

2 UNITS

TECHNIQUE COGNISANCE & DEVELOPMENT 13

MUSIC THEATRE CONTEXTS 17

PERFORMING RESEARCH 19

ADAPTATION, IMPROVISATION AND PERFORMANCE 23

PRACTICES: MUSIC THEATRE REPERTOIRE 26

SUSTAINED INDEPENDENT PROJECT 29

Appendix A: Template for tutorial record form 31

Appendix B: Template for Sustained Independent Project (SIP) proposal form 32

3 ASSESSMENT CRITERIA and MARKING DESCRIPTORS 33

Course Approval
Version no: 1.0
Approved: ACADEMIC BOARD: 30/06/2010
Entry from: 2010/2011 onwards

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COURSE SPECIFICATION
MA Music Theatre
The MA Music Theatre is a qualification at Level 7 in the Framework for Higher Education
Qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, carrying 180 credits at level 7.

The MA is a qualification at the end of the second cycle as defined within the European
Higher Education Area, carrying 90 credits in the European Credit Transfer Scheme
(ECTS).

COURSE MA Music Theatre

TEACHING INSTITUTION Central School of Speech and Drama, London
AWARDING BODY University of London
MA
AWARD(S) A PG Dip may be awarded on the basis of 120
credits to a student who has not passed the 60
credit Sustained Independent Project.
MODE OF STUDY Full-time only

Introduction to the course

As part of the Postgraduate area of Central, you will be part of a thriving community of
practitioners – with a shared vision of learning – able to research your own particular
field, and push forward the boundaries within your own chosen area of practice. As a
participant in the MA Music Theatre course supported by this school-wide framework
for research and experimentation, you will be one of a carefully selected group of
theatre and drama facilitators – aiming to imagine the practice of the future.

The MA Music Theatre course offers a unique opportunity for the postgraduate study of
the work of the actor/singer/dancer/instrumentalist in response to the
composer/choreographer/writer both in process and in performance, from the expanding
perspective of music theatre. It is the integration and fusion of the three skills of acting,
singing and movement which remain at the heart of this course, with the other four skills
experienced as extensions. The course places the training of each performer in an
individualised place regarding the seven skills. It emphasises high levels of technical and
creative self-assurance alongside resilience in order to support the needs of the
performer-creator to meet the demands of an evolving industry.

It is doubtful that any one student could embrace all these abilities to a high level but the
mixture and proximity of practitioners on the course encourages all students to develop
both their understanding and experience, opening new vistas for future development. We
work essentially in a collaborative context, and the integration of these disciplines leads
to mutual development and interdependence through performance practice, execution
and reflection.

The course embraces many international performance practices which are important to
the development of the genre. It seeks to promote new ways of thinking about and
practising music theatre in response to the social, political and cultural context in which
we live and to define a discourse enabling progression for those working in the field.

Throughout the course students will address the interface between skills and technical
vocabulary and arrive at a wider understanding of process, performance and practice.
Research through a wide variety of methodologies will underpin academic and practical
2
understanding and experience and point towards further development. While musicals
remain a key component of popular entertainment in contemporary theatre culture, music
theatre has also grown in different directions: opera has been theatricalised; song-based
performance including formerly avant-garde extended voice technique fields has
proliferated in both popular and experimental music; actor-musician skills have recently
become highly prized; and all of these depend upon a certain command of integrated on-
stage movement.

The course also addresses aspects of the history and sociology of music theatre through
the analysis of specific sub-genres and in so doing assesses the contemporary field of
practice. You will be encouraged to take a critical perspective on the expanding context
of music theatre and your own work within it. Our aim is to help you develop as a skilful,
informed and reflective practitioner, equipped to challenge, cooperate, create and be pro-
active within the profession.

The MA Music Theatre course is a one-year full-time programme studied over three
extended terms. It comprises seven units which together address performance practice in
and study of the field from a performative ethos, emphasising the new within a context of
many traditions. The first six units offer a predominantly practice-based enquiry into the
nature, techniques, traditions and current development of music theatre. The seventh
unit, undertaken in the third extended term, is devoted to independent specialist study
resulting in a significant piece of work. All seven units must be successfully completed to
gain the MA qualification.

This course is offered as full-time only.

Who is the course for?

The course is for those who wish to work as performing and creative artists in musical
theatre as well as music and theatre, in all its forms. All students accepted onto the
course will demonstrate proficiency in some aspect of performance. Some will
concentrate on performance, while others may wish to emphasise their creative
proficiency through integration and collaboration. Prospective students will demonstrate
high proficiency in two or more areas of acting, singing, movement or dancing in audition.
They may in addition offer composing, instrumental musicianship, choreography, and
writing. Before the end of their studies, many students find work in West End musicals,
theatre productions, touring nationally and internationally, in film or TV or in creating and
producing new work.

The course enables students to develop areas of expertise and ancillary skills through
reflection, exposure and practice. It places a particular focus on new material, created
through collaborative processes, learned through interdisciplinary study, and presented
within a socio-historical context which exposes its relationship to previous developments
in music theatre. The course is for those who wish to gain further knowledge, through
practice and study, of the array of styles and contexts of music theatre. It is for those who
wish to undertake self-development, self-reflection and critical analysis appropriate to
specialist postgraduate study.

Distinctive features of the course at Central

• A transdisciplinary approach to skills that involve the possibility of their

combination containing more than their parts; the combination of any two or more

3
 skills may lead to the recognition of an additional new skill.

• Creativity and artistic development are expected through the course.

• Engagement with a broad range of performance and performance-related

practices and the development of embodied and intellectual knowledge and
understanding through participation in a number of platform performances and
production projects.

• Detailed work on some or all the areas of voice, singing, acting, instrumental
performance and movement, partly in relation to disciplines such as composition,
writing and choreography, working with tutors and visiting lecturers who are
specialists in these respective areas.

• Awareness of the canon of music theatre, different styles, influences and contexts
of production, and experience the unique perspective of creating new and original
material.

• Undertake selected work into the creation of original music theatre in self-written,
devised and improvisational contexts and interaction with new writers, composers
and directors through ‘The Kitchen’, an experimental series of workshops.

• A curriculum which celebrates, reflects and responds to the individuality,

international and cultural diversity of its students.

Educational aims

The aims and learning outcomes of the MA in Music Theatre are closely informed by
Central’s M (Masters) Framework principles:

• gain knowledge at the forefront of, or informed by, a focussed approach to the
academic and professional disciplines of creativity and performance;
• take risks, be intellectually rigorous and show originality in your application of
knowledge in, for example, practical performances, ongoing skills development
and sustained written arguments debating the field;
• understand how boundaries are advanced through sustained and intense practice
and research;
• share learning with students on other courses;
• in collaboration with peers and independently, show originality in tackling and
solving problems and deal systematically and creatively with complex
performance-related issues in unpredictable environments;
• develop practice and scholarship pertinent to the field.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes describe what you should know and be able to do if you make full use
of the opportunities for learning which the course provides. If you successfully complete the
MA Music Theatre at Central:

You will obtain knowledge and understanding of:

• (A1) current critical debates, concepts and discourses in music theatre;
• (A2) relevant theories and research methodologies including those most
appropriate for students of music theatre (social, cultural, historical,
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 professional, multidisciplinary, transdisciplinary);
• (A3) appropriate historical, socio-cultural, aesthetic and dramaturgical contexts;
• (A4) systematic approaches to textual and performance analysis and performance
presentation.

You will develop the thinking skills that will enable you to:
• (B1) demonstrate your systematic understanding and critical awareness of relevant
theoretical knowledge and its impact upon practice;
• (B2) develop intellectual rigour and conceptual understanding enabling you to:
undertake advanced scholarship and sustained research; critically evaluate and
reflect upon your own and others’ relevant current practice, research and research
methodologies;
• (B3) engage productively in performance and its evaluation;
• (B4) understand a range of repertoire and materials, including score/text/libretti,
performers, creators, specific agendas, performance spaces, event structures and
research materials.

You will develop the practical skills that will enable you to:
• (C1) use and evaluate relevant practices applicable in music theatre sometimes
experimenting with new and/or original ideas;
• (C2) apply established techniques to improve your experience and understanding of
vocal, physical, musical and dramatic performance;
• (C3) work successfully in a collaborative ensemble;
• (C4) create, synthesise and sustain character(s) and role(s) in diverse performance
situations.

You will develop the broader workplace skills that will enable you to:
• (D1) negotiate the challenges of working in complex and unpredictable situations e.g.
making decisions independently or in dialogue with peers and/or external bodies;
• (D2) operate successfully as a professional performer (e.g. manage time and
deadlines; engage confidently in debate; structure and communicate ideas effectively;
engage with relevant industries);
• (D3) take creative risks.

Learning, Teaching and Assessment Methods

Practical skills are developed mainly through tutor and practitioner-led lessons and
workshops – and through working with colleagues towards the achievement of
designated tasks. Thinking skills are developed through reflection on your own practice
and that of others in relation to literature of the field – as well as lectures and workshops
designed to give you an understanding of research and its possible application within
your field.
A feature of the course is its emphasis on your working alongside tutors and practitioners
– in an exploratory and supportive laboratory atmosphere designed to enable you to
discover your potential within company situations.
The course will continually assess and review its learning, teaching and assessment
methods with you – maintaining a responsive approach and flexibility to your needs.

The methodologies involved in Performance Research are embedded and presented

within other units such as Music Theatre Contexts and the Performance Workshops.
During the second term specific sessions are designated for this unit for the whole course
group then each sub-group and finally each individual.

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Programme structures and requirements, levels, modules, credits and awards: Summary
Unit Credit Work for assessment Req. Weighting in Typical Date of Nature of feedback
Rating for final mark for assessment
award award of MA
with
distinction
Unit 1: 20 Personal Skills Audit (80%) Pass 11% Week 1 term 2 Brief comments on essay text
Technique Personal Development Plan Week1 term 2 Brief comments on essay text
Cognisance & (750 words) (20%)
Development
Unit 2: 20 3000 word essay (100%) Pass 11% Week 1 term 2 Brief comments on essay text and
Music Theatre summative comments attached
Contexts
Unit 3: 20 Conference presentation Pass 11% Wk 1, summer term Written comments on both.
Performing (50%)
Research
Essay (50%)
Unit 4: 20 Ensemble Performance Pass 11% End term 1 Ongoing comments plus formal and
Adaptation, (70%) informal feedback
Improvisation & 1,200 word critical Week 1 term 2 Brief comments on essay text
Performance commentary (30%)
Unit 5: & 6 40 Contemporary Performance Pass 22% Formal feedback
Practices: Project (50%)
Music Theatre
Repertoire Solo Recital (15%) Formal feedback
Showcase Performance
(35%)
Unit 7: 60 Dissertation, composition, Pass 34% Final week of course Brief comments on essay text and
Sustained playtext or a performance summative comments attached
Independent (12,000 words or equivalent)
Project (100%)
Please note that all assessment tasks (e.g. word count, time limit) have a 10% margin either side before marks are docked.
(Please see individual unit outlines in document for detail of assessment tasks. Please see M Level assessment criteria and descriptors in this course
handbook to see level of attainment required. Feedback will be aligned to these descriptors. Central’s Assessment policy indicates that normally you
will receive feedback within 6 weeks of completing assignment - excluding winter and spring vacations. Usually it is earlier than this. Much feedback is
within sessions.)
6
Regulations for assessment

Full assessment regulations are published to student. This is a summary only.

ƒ You must pass every unit to achieve the credit required for the MA.
ƒ A percentage mark is given for each unit. The pass mark for each unit is 50%.
ƒ Unless otherwise stated, you must pass each separate element of assessment in the
unit in order to pass the unit as a whole. The value of each separate task in the
assessment of the unit is listed in the unit outline.
ƒ If you fail a unit, you may be reassessed once. For that reassessment, the maximum
mark given is 50%.
ƒ For the award of an MA with distinction, you must achieve an average mark
(weighted in proportion to credit) of 70% or more, and a mark of at least 60% in the
final 60-credit Sustained Independent Project (SIP).
ƒ The weight given to each unit in calculating awards will be in proportion to the credit
which the unit carries in relation to the award for which the students is a candidate.
Thus a 20 credit unit contributes 20/180 of the overall average mark for an MA or 20/120
of the weighted overall average mark for the award of a PG Dip.
ƒ A PG Dip will be awarded if you achieve 120 credits but do not pass the Sustained
Independent Project (SIP).

Support for your learning

• Induction to the School and the course
• Provision of Student Course Handbook and Central Handbook
• Provision of sessions regarding career development
• National Union of Students at Central
• Access to full range of library and IT resources
• Access to Senate House Library (University of London)
• Library and computer inductions
• Access to Student Support Services (including dyslexia testing and support)
• Staff member with specific remit to support students with a disability.
• E-mail bulletins from the staff members
• Centre for Excellence in Training for Theatre
• Excellent specialist learning facilities e.g. video editing suites, practical spaces,
access to costume hire and props store
• A range of inductions (e.g. for library and computers; for international students)
• Academic and progress supervision tutorials:

- Each Masters student will have two (or more) individual tutorials during the year in
addition to those allocated for the core, 60-credit Sustained Independent Project
(SIP).

- Notes of academic tutorials should be made. Unless stated otherwise, these will be
drawn up by the student and e-mailed to the tutor who will also store them. See
Appendix A for a baseline Tutorial Record Form.

- E-mail or telephone ‘tutorials’ are included as part of allocated tutorial time.

- All Sustained Independent Project (SIP) students may ask for draft writing to be
looked at by the tutor, just as rehearsals or exhibitions may be visited. The normal
expectation is that writing will be seen only once and it is not necessary for a tutor to
see the entire submission prior to hand in.

- With the exception of Sustained Independent Project (SIP), students will make use of
7
 formative peer assessment for the viewing of draft assignments. It is anticipated that
study groups will be established as part of MA inductions. Should there be an
exceptional issue arising after peer viewing of drafts have taken place, a tutor may be
asked for advice. There is scope for unit-specific variation to this guidance (for
example, in Critical Contexts).

- Tutor feedback on draft essays will comprise broad comments on areas for
improvement e.g. that the argument is not sustained or does not unfold fluently; an
overall comment about technical errors such as referencing. Specific examples of
kinds of improvement may be made by using a ‘modelling’ example.

Admissions Criteria

Applicants will typically have a degree in a related subject. Students from other disciplines
will be accepted if sufficient experience as a performer is evidenced.

Applicants will normally be able to demonstrate the following:

• relevant qualifications (e.g. undergraduate degree or equivalent) or professional
experience which has prepared you equivalently for advanced study;
• appropriate written reference;
• evidence of a specific commitment to the course with an understanding of relevant
issues and practices;
• evidence of appropriate level of skills/competencies;
• evidence of the ability to work in collaboration with colleagues and, where relevant,
with external parties;
• evidence of a capacity to work at masters’ level e.g. engage with complex matters
in the field; demonstrate originality in the application of knowledge.
Invitation to interview/audition and admission will be based on the reasonable expectation
from your application that you have the potential to complete and contribute positively to
the degree and that you would benefit from masters level study.
We actively seek a cohort that is diverse in ethnicity, dis/ability, age range and heritage.
Admission with prior experiential learning and/or academic credit
The course’s admissions tutor will consider applications for admission with prior
experiential learning and/or academic credit subject to the School’s policies in this
respect. Candidates may not substitute more than one third of the course (i.e. 60 credits)
with prior experiential learning and/or academic credit.

Attainment of English Language Level

Applicants whose first language is not English are required to obtain and present as part of
their application a valid Test Report from the International English Language Testing System
(IELTS) as administered by the British Council. Applicants will normally be expected to
achieve an Overall Band Score of 7.0, and a minimum score of 7.0 in Listening, 7.0 in
Academic Reading, 7.0 in Academic Writing and 7.0 in Speaking.

How is the quality of the course demonstrated and maintained?

The methods by which quality and standards are maintained include:

• Assessment moderated by external examiners;
• Feedback from and consultation with students through course committees, surveys
and informal discussion;
• Annual monitoring of the course, through consideration of statistics, feedback,
8
 graduate destinations;
• Review of the curriculum and organisation of the course every five years;
• The involvement of teaching staff in practice, research and staff development.

The quality of the MA Music Theatre has been demonstrated through:

• Excellent completion statistics;

• The quality and reputation of the professional contributors, who regularly mentor
and contribute to the course from companies and current productions;
• Through the high level of achievement of its graduates, currently employed at
many of the major theatres – including West-End Musicals (e.g. Avenue Q,
Chicago), National Theatre (e.g. Caroline or Change), Globe Theatre (e.g. Titus
Andronicus) and major International Festivals (e.g. Shaw Festival, Canada);
• Graduates of the course are Artistic Directors of new companies creating new work
and giving first performances;
• Active professionally in a wide range of disciplines embracing creativity and
performance, as soloists and collaborators in ensembles.

Course Diagram

Term 1 Term 2 Term 3

Unit 1: 20 credits. Technique
Cognisance & Development
Unit 2: 20 credits. Music
Theatre Contexts
Unit 4: 20 credits.
Adaptation, Improvisation &
Performance
Unit 3: 20 credits. Performing Unit 7: 60 credits.
Research Sustained Independent
Project
Unit 5 & 6: 40 credits.
Practices: Music Theatre
Repertoire

Key:
Orange indicates units where MA MT feathers in to the MA framework.

9
 D3
D2
D1
C4
C3
C2
C1
B4
B3
B2
B1
A4
A3
A2
A1
Unit

Learning
Outcomes

X
X
X
X

X
X
X
Technique Cognisance &
Development

X
X

X
X
Music Theatre Contexts

X
X
Mapping the Learning Outcomes

Performing Research

X
X

X
X
X
X
X
X
X

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Adaption, Improvisation
and Performance

X
X
X
X
X Practices: Music Theatre
Repertoire

X
X
X
X

X
SIP
Schedule of Activities

Full-time students

You will take all units indicated, according to the published schedule of activities. The table below
is indicative and the specified weeks could change from year to year.

You may not undertake the Sustained Independent Project (SIP) unit before completing the
coursework for all previous course units.

Your tutor will liaise with you during the spring term in order for you to select your options in
advance of the summer term.

TERMS INDICATIVE DATES UNIT / ELEMENT NOTES

Week 1 Induction

Technique Cognisance &

Weeks 2-9 Development and Performing
Research
AUTUMN
Music Theatre Contexts and
Weeks 2-9
Performing Research

Adaptation, Improvisation &

Weeks 10-14
Performance

Performing Research
Week 16
intensive

Contemporary Performance
SPRING Weeks 17-20
Project

Practices: Music Theatre

Weeks 16-17, 22-30
Repertoire

Performing Research
Week 31
SUMMER Conference
(Note:
Performing
Research
conference
in week one) Sustained Independent
Weeks 31-45
Project

NB: The typical MT week is four days, from 9.00-5.00pm.

Personal research is scheduled for the fifth.
During production units a fifth working day may be called with notification. Occasionally a Saturday
may be required.

11
UNITS

12
Record System Ref allocated by Academic Records Office

Title UNIT 1: TECHNIQUE COGNISANCE & DEVELOPMENT

Level 7 Credit value 20 ECTS points 10

Notional Student
200 hours (60 taught hours; 140 student managed)
Study Hours
Unit Leader Course Tutors
Course(s) for which
the unit is mainly MA Music Theatre Compulsory
intended
Prerequisite Learning Performing standard ascertained at audition
Aims • gain knowledge at the forefront of, or informed by, a focussed
approach to the academic and professional disciplines of
creativity and performance;
• take risks, be intellectually rigorous and show originality in your
application of knowledge in, for example, practical performances,
ongoing skills development;
• develop practice and scholarship pertinent to the field.

Learning Outcomes On successful completion of this unit, you should be able to:

• (A1 and B1) demonstrate your understanding of current

critical debates, concepts and discourses in music theatre
and its impact on practise
• (A4 and C2) undertake systematic approaches to textual and
performance analysis and application to techniques of
performance presentation.
• (B3) Engage productively in performance and its evaluation.
• (B4) Understand a range of repertoire and materials, including
score/text/libretti, performers, creators, specific agendas,
performance spaces, event structures and research materials.
• (C1) use and evaluate relevant practices applicable in music
theatre sometimes experimenting with new and/or original ideas.

Transferable skills Practice in your field; evaluation of practice (self & others)
developed
Indicative unit content This unit focuses on the identification of skills appropriate to
performative music theatre, i.e. creation and performance as a
continuum, and the development of specific techniques in relation to
four subjects. The choice of subjects is to be made by each student in
agreement with the Course Leader and any relevant teachers. The
most usual combination would be to comprise the majority from list A
with the minority from list B:

List A: acting, movement, singing, voice.

List B: composition, writing, choreography and instrumental

performance.

Current critical debates, concepts and discourses in music theatre

and its impact on practice is taught in the Performance Workshop and
Choir.

13
 Feedback is continual throughout the unit as both formal and informal,
peer to peer and from tutors.
How you learn • Staff-led class/workshop
• Student-led collaborative workshop
• Various performance opportunities
• One-to-one tuition where appropriate
• Independent preparation and planning

Assessment Type of task Magnitude Weight within

(e.g. essay, report, group (e.g. No of the unit (e.g.
performance) words, time, etc) 50%)
Progress against areas identified Continual 80%
in the personal skills audit, supervised
evidencing ability to apply progression with
specific techniques and feedback
undertake independent personal
development across the period
of the course
A personal development plan 750 words 20%
incorporating the initial skills
audit.
You must pass both elements of assessment to pass the unit.

ƒ progress in relevant practice-based techniques;

Assessment Criteria
ƒ intellectual engagement.
External requirements None
Key Texts: Acting:
Hodge, A (2000) Twentieth Century Acting Training, London,
Routledge
Stanislavsky K (1989) An Actor Prepares, NY, Routledge

Movement:
Hendricks, G (1995) Conscious Breathing: Breathwork for Health,
Stress Release, and Personal Mastery, New York: Bantam Books

Singing:
Bunch, M (1982) Dynamics of the Singing Voice, New York, Springer
Wien
Reid, C (1965) The Free Voice, NY, Josef Pattelson Music House
Wedge G (1995) Ear Training & Sight Singing, US, Schirmer

Voice:
Berry C (1973) Voice and the Actor, NY, Wiley Publishing, Inc
Rodenberg, P (1992) The Right To Speak, US, Routledge

Performance Theory:
Deer, Joe; dal Vera, Rocco (2008) Acting in musical theatre : a
comprehensive course. London: Routledge.
Fortier, Mark (2002) Theory/theatre: an introduction. London,
Routledge, 2nd ed.
Supportive Reading: Acting:
Adler, S (1990) The Technique of Acting, Bantam Trade Paperback
Balk, W H (1977) The Complete Singer-Actor/Training for the Music
Theatre, Minneapolis U.S.A, University of Minnesota Press
Barker, C (1988) Theatre Games, London, Methuen
Chekov, M (1988) On the Technique of Acting, US, Harper Perennial
14
Meisner, S; Longwell, D (1997) Sanford Meisner on Acting, NY, A
Vintage Original
Mitter, S(1992) Systems of Rehearsal: Stanislavsky, Brecht,
Grotowski, and Brook, NY, Routledge
Zarrilli, P (2008) Psychophysical Acting: An Intercultural Approach
after Stanislavski, Routledge

Movement:
Alberts, D (1997) The Expressive Body: Physical Characterization
For The Actor, UK, Heinemann
Bogart, A; Landau, T (2005) The View Points Book, NY, Theatre
Communications Group
Brennan, R. (2003) The Alexander Technique Workbook, Your
Personal System for Health, Poise, and Fitness, UK, Vega Books
Evans, M (2008) Movement Training for the Actor, Routledge
Feldenkrais M (1990) Awareness through Movement, UK, Penguin
Laban R (1980) Mastery of Movement, London, Northcote House
Newlove, J (1993) Laban for Actors and Dancers, NY & London,
Routledge.
Richards, T (1995) At Work with Grotowski on Physical Actions, NY
& London, Routledge

Singing:
Barker P (2003) Composing for the Voice, NY, Routledge
Husler, F; Rodd-Marling, Y (1965) Singing: The Physical Nature of the
Vocal Organ, London, Faber & Faber
Kayes, G (2000) Singing and the actor. London: A. & C. Black
Manen, L (1974), The Art of Singing, London, Faber & Faber
McCallion, M (1988) The Voice Book, London, Faber & Faber
Reid, C (1950) Bel Canto, NY, Josef Pattelson Music House
Reid, C (1975) Voice: Psyche and Soma, JNY, Josef Pattelson Music
House

Voice:
Boston, J; Cook, R (2009) Breath in action: the art of breath in vocal
and holistic practice, London: Jessica Kingsley
Linklater K (1976) Freeing the Natural Voice, Drama Publishers
Mithen, S (2006) The Singing Neanderthals, London, Phoenix
Rodenburg P (1993) The Need for Word, US & Canada, Routledge
Rodenburg P (2002) The Actor Speaks, NY, Palgrave MacMillan

Performance Theory:
Bogart, A (2003) A Director Prepares, seven essays on Art and
Theatre, NY, Routledge
Brook, P (1988) The Shifting Point, London, Methuen
Harvie, Jen; Lavender, Andy (2010) Making Contemporary Theatre:
International Rehearsal Processes Manchester
Jackson, S. (2004) Professing Performance, Acting from Philology to
Performativity, Cambridge University Press
Kershaw, B (1999) The Radical in Performance, London, Routledge
Pavis, P (1996) The Intercultural Performance Reader, UK,
Routledge
Pavis, P (2003) Analyzing performance : theater, dance, and film,
Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press
Schechner, R (2003) Performance Theory, NY, Routledge
Shepherd, Simon, and Wallis, Mick (2004)
Drama/theatre/performance. The New Critical Idiom, London,
15
Routledge,
Willet, J (1986) The Theatre of Bertolt Brecht, A Study from Eight
Aspects, London, Methuen

Writing for Musical Theatre:

Frankel, A (2000) Writing the Broadway musical, Da Capo Press
Spencer, D (2005) The Musical Theatre Writer's Survival Guide,
Heinemann Drama
Rosenhaus, S.L; Cohen, A (2006) Writing Musical Theater, Palgrave
Macmillan
Salzman, E; Desi, T (2008) The New Music Theatre: seeing the
voice, hearing the body, Oxford

Journals:
For survey of current critical theory in Music theatre: Contemporary
Theatre Review 14:1
For survey of current critical theory in Musical theatre: Contemporary
Theatre Review 19:1
For current scholarship in Musical Theatre: Studies in Musical
Theatre Journal (Intellect Ltd)

16
Record System Ref allocated by Academic Records Office

Title UNIT 2: MUSIC THEATRE CONTEXTS

Level 7 Credit value 20 ECTS points 10

Student Study Hours 200 hours (24 taught hours; 176 student managed)

Unit Leader Course Tutors

Course(s) for which the
MA Music Theatre Compulsory
unit is mainly intended
Prerequisite Learning None
• gain knowledge at the forefront of, or informed by, a focussed
Aims approach to the academic and professional disciplines of
creativity and performance;
• take risks, be intellectually rigorous and show originality in your
application of knowledge in, for example, practical performances,
ongoing skills development and sustained written arguments
debating the field;
• develop practice and scholarship pertinent to the field.

On successful completion of this unit, you should be able to:

Learning Outcomes • (A1 and A3) demonstrate your understanding of current
critical debates, concepts and discourses in music theatre
within appropriate historical, socio-cultural, aesthetic and
dramaturgical contexts;
• (A2) demonstrate knowledge of relevant theories and
research methodologies including those most appropriate
for students of music theatre (social, cultural, historical,
professional, multidisciplinary, transdisciplinary);
• (B1) demonstrate your systematic understanding and critical
awareness of relevant theoretical knowledge and its impact
upon practice.
Transferable skills Study, research, analytical and critical thinking, collaborative practice,
Developed presentation, non-linear articulation of critical thinking
You will address Western music theatre through presentation and
Indicative unit content analysis of its history in a sociological context. It explores aesthetic,
cultural, critical and historical issues with reference to particular
artists, composers, writers and choreographers. It introduces specific
sorts of production and textual analysis. Each session also promotes
aural skills in listening and recognition. You will explore the symbiotic
relationship between the music theatre actor-singer-dancer-musician
and the composer/lyricist/librettist through consideration of specific
historical instances. You will learn to discuss and analyse orally and
in written form. You will take a part in the presentation of some
classes.

• Presentation by tutor or visiting lecturer

How you learn • Staff-led seminar
• Student-led group analysis & presentation
• Independent reading and research

Assessment Type of task Magnitude Weight

(e.g. essay, report, group (e.g. No of within the

17
 performance) words, time, etc) unit
(e.g. 50%)
Assessment for this unit is made
through the submission of an 3,000 words, 100%
essay.
Assessment criteria ƒ sustained, independent written argument;
ƒ analytical and critical awareness of relevant contemporary
issues;
ƒ intellectual engagement;
ƒ understanding and effective use of research and advanced
scholarship;
ƒ recognising practice that is at the boundaries of the
specialism.
Key Texts Kirle, B (2005) Unfinished Show Business: Broadway Musicals As
Works-in-process, US, Southern Illinois University Press
Zarilli, McConachie, Williams, & Sorgenfrei (2006) Theatre Histories:
An Introduction, NY, Routledge
Supportive Reading Fernandes C (2001) Pina Bausch and the Wuppertal Dance
Theatre, Peter Lang Publishing
Jones, J (2003) Our Musical, Ourselves: A Social History of the
American Musical Theatre, Unv. of New England Press,
Koger, A-K (1992) Trends in Musical theatre Scholarship: an essay in
historigography’, New England Theatre Journal 3:1
Savran, D (2004) Toward a Historiography of the Popular’ in Theatre
Survey, 45:2:211-217, Cambridge University Press
Swain, J (2002) The Broadway Musical: A Critical and Musical
Survey, Second ed. USA: Scarecrow Press
Schechner, R (2002) Performance Studies, An Introduction, NY,
Routledge

18
Record System Ref allocated by Academic Records Office

Title UNIT 3: PERFORMING RESEARCH

Level 7 Credit value 20 ECTS points 10

Notional Student Study 200 hours (30-40 taught hours; 160-170 student managed)
Hours
Unit Leader Postgraduate tutor team

Course(s) for which the

All MA courses Compulsory
unit is mainly intended*

Prerequisite Learning None

Aims This unit aims to enable you to:

ƒ Acquire an understanding of current theoretical and practical
debates concerning research within the broad discipline of
drama;
ƒ Investigate relevant research methods;
ƒ Experience the challenges of presenting at a research
conference;
ƒ Contribute to a research task, collaborating in an appropriate
context.

On successful completion of this unit, you should be able to:

Learning Outcomes ƒ (A1, B2) Demonstrate your engagement with critical debates,
concepts, and discourses relevant to researching in the broad
field of drama, theatre and performance;
ƒ (A2) Identify and apply appropriate research methodologies;
ƒ (B2) Critically evaluate and contextualise your understanding
of research methodologies and specific methods.
Transferable skills Study, research, analytical and critical thinking, collaborative practice
developed and presentation.
The unit begins with course-specific preparation and discussion about
Indicative unit content the unit. This is followed by a series of lectures and workshops, the
“intensive”, usually offered to all MA students across two days.
Sessions introduce issues appropriate to research in the broad field
of drama, theatre and performance. A number of these sessions will
involve you working alongside students from other courses.

After the “intensive”, you will apply specific research methods to an

area of personal and group interest under the guidance of a tutor.
You will also focus on the development of your personal contribution
to this research, along with the development of an appropriate body
of knowledge and relevant analysis and practical exploration. You will
work collaboratively with a small group of colleagues to prepare a
conference presentation on a topic of interest. The unit concludes
with the Postgraduate Conference, which takes place during the first
week of the summer term.

The indicative schedule is as follows, therefore:

• Independent and group preparatory work, prior to the intensive
week
• Key note presentations from leading practitioners, researchers
19
 and academics on contemporary approaches to performing
research
• Presentations/ workshops on designing research projects,
applying knowledge of methods within one’s own practice and
working collaboratively
• Sessions focused on specific research methods, indicatively
including:
• Case Study and/or Action Research
• Practice-based Research
• Document analysis and literature review
• Student-led group sessions preparing for, and undertaking, a
research project
• Course-specific sessions to support your group project and
individual research
• Cross-course follow-up seminars on topics of specific interest.

NOTE:
Initial induction into research protocols (including, for instance,
bibliographic procedures, the use of databases and electronic
archives and procedures regarding customised web searches) takes
place during a non-assessed induction phase outside this unit.
Please refer back to material presented during induction.
How you learn You will learn through engaging with the material offered in keynotes,
practitioner-researcher seminar sessions, lectures and course-
specific guidance sessions. You will learn, also, through undertaking
a research project with a group of peers in your field and presenting
this at a research conference.

Assessment summary Type of task Magnitude Weight within the

(e.g. essay, report, (e.g. No of words, unit
group performance) time, etc) (E.g. 50%)
Group conference 5 mins each member
50%
presentation of group
Essay 1,500 words 50%
The unit is assessed through two components:
Assessment
detail - a group conference presentation on a negotiated topic. Each
member of the group will be allocated approximately 5 mins
presentation time, so a typical presentation will be between 15-30
minutes in length depending upon the number of people in the
group). (50% of mark)

- a written piece of work not exceeding 1,500 words based on the

student’s individual contribution to the presentation. (50% of mark)

The essay provides you with an opportunity to articulate your own

personal contribution to the group research project. Specifically, it
focuses on your own individual learning during the research process
and allows you to evaluate it in terms of your own interests.
The learning outcomes are met across the two assessment tasks.
You will receive a group mark for your conference presentation. You
will receive an individual mark for your essay. The final unit mark will
be an average of the two marks. You must pass both elements to
pass the unit.

20
Assessment ƒ taking creative risks, selecting and implementing from these
Criteria appropriately;
ƒ originality in the application of knowledge in relation to the
matter of the unit;
ƒ analytical and critical awareness of relevant contemporary
issues;
ƒ intellectual engagement;
ƒ understanding and effective use of research and advanced
scholarship;
ƒ recognising practice that is at the boundaries of the
specialism;
ƒ successful collaborative processes.

(Other assessment criteria from the M Framework may be referred to

in your feedback.)
Key Texts Atkinson, T. & Claxton, G. (2003) The Intuitive Practitioner: On the
Value of not Always Knowing What One is Doing, Milton Keynes,
Open University Press.
Bannerman, C. , Sofaer, J. and Watt, J. (2006) Navigating the
Unknown, London, Middlesex University Press
Barrett, E. & Bolt, B. (2007) Practice as Research: Approaches to
Creative Arts Inquiry, New York, St Martin’s Press.
Bolt, G. (1998) Writing as a Reflective Practitioner with Wisdom,
http://www.shef.ac.uk Kershaw, B. and Nicholson, H. (2009/10)
Research Methods in Theatre and Performance Studies, Edinburgh,
Edinburgh University Press (in press).
Romanyshyn, R. (2007) The Wounded Researcher: Research with
Soul in Mind, New Orleans, LA, Spring Journal Books.
Sonyini Madison, D. (2005) Critical Ethnography: Method, Ethics and
Performance, London, Sage.
Supportive Reading Journals
Not all these journals will be relevant to each course. However, all of
them will contain articles that address research into relevant fields.
CTR
Arts in Psychotherapy
NTQ
Performance Research
Theatre Journal
RIDE
TDR
TDPT
TRI
PAJ

Websites
http://www.bris.ac.uk/parip/index.htm
‘Practice as Research in Performance’ (PARIP) was a five-year
project directed by Professor Baz Kershaw and the Department of
Drama: Theatre, Film, Television at the University of Bristol. It was
funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Board. PARIP has now
finished.

PARIP's objectives were to investigate creative-academic issues

raised by practice as research, where performance is defined as
performance media: theatre, dance, film, video and television. As a
result of PARIP's investigations, in collaboration with colleagues,

21
educational institutions and professional bodies throughout the UK
and Europe PARIP, aimed to develop national frameworks for the
encouragement of the highest standards in representing practical-
creative research within academic contexts. Many of the research
papers delivered throughout the various conferences can be
accessed online.

http://www.rescen.net/
ResCen, the Centre for Research into Creation in the Performing
Arts, is a multi-disciplinary, artist–driven research centre. It is
designed to be a bridge between academia and the practices of
professional performing artists. Established in 1999, its base is at
Middlesex University in North London.

ResCen is centrally concerned with the artist at work, and with the
ways in which the working artist, under the usual pressures of the arts
marketplace, can be enabled to:
— reflect on her/his own creative processes
— document these processes, and
— make these materials, musings and critical reflections available to
the wider international arts community and the university.

22
Record System Ref allocated by Academic Records Office

Title UNIT 4: ADAPTATION, IMPROVISATION & PERFORMANCE

Level 7 Credit Value 20 ECTS 10

Notional Student Study

200 hours (60 taught hours; 140 student managed)
Hours

Unit Leader Course Tutors

Course(s) for which the
MA Music Theatre Compulsory
unit is mainly intended*
Prerequisite Learning N/A
• gain knowledge at the forefront of, or informed by, a focussed
Aims approach to the academic and professional disciplines of creativity
and performance;
• take risks, be intellectually rigorous and show originality in your
application of knowledge in, for example, practical performances,
ongoing skills development and sustained written arguments
debating the field;
• understand how boundaries are advanced through sustained and
intense practice and research;
• share learning with students on other courses;
• in collaboration with peers and independently, show originality in
tackling and solving problems and deal systematically and
creatively with complex performance-related issues in
unpredictable environments;
• develop practice pertinent to the field.

• (B3, D1 and C3) Engage productively in performance and its

Learning Outcomes evaluation in a collaborative environment and in complex and
unpredictable situations.
• (B4 and D2) Understand a range of repertoire and materials,
including score/text/libretti, performers, creators, specific agendas,
performance spaces, event structures and research materials.
Professional performance practice.
• (C1) use and evaluate relevant practices applicable in music
theatre sometimes experimenting with new and/or original ideas;
• (C2) Apply established techniques to improve your experience and
understanding of vocal, physical, musical and dramatic
performance.
• (C4 and D3) Create, synthesise and sustain character(s) and
role(s) in diverse performance situations; taking creative risks.

Transferable skills
developed Practice in your field; evaluation of practice (self and others).

Indicative unit content This unit entails you working in companies to devise and present a
short piece of music theatre comprising solo and ensemble
performance. After initial research your group will create, improvise or
select material for performance, create a scenario that links and
supports the material, create individual characters and prepare a
performance. This will be produced according to a “rough theatre”
aesthetic in terms of design components (set, costume, lighting), so
23
 that the focus is on the acting, movement and vocal work of the
performers on stage.

The company will be largely responsible for the structuring and

presentation of the piece through collaboration. You will have a “time
budget” for access to a staff director, musical director and
choreographer up to the number of hours specified, and where possible
according to the company’s designation of need. You will present your
piece to an invited audience.

Conscious acknowledgement of existing models and excerpts, if used,

will play an important part in the process of research and eventual
contextualisation of the work. Original work will be encouraged. The
balance between original and extant material will depend upon the
requirements and abilities of the course team.

• Staff-led workshop
How you learn* • Student-led project
• Independent rehearsal
• Performance in front of an audience

Type of task Weight within

Magnitude
Assessment (e.g. essay, report, group the unit
performance) (e.g. 50%)
Peer assessment by
colleagues of your ability to
(formative) N/A
work as a member of a
team.
Typically 20 to 30
An ensemble performance 70%
minutes
A critical commentary
comprising a summary of
key findings in particular as
they informed your 1200-word (The two
company’s development of parts may be
the project (600 words, with produced separately 30%
supporting materials) and or jointly as a 1200
an analysis of personal word text
performance practice (600
words).

Work is assessed on evidence of:

Assessment ƒ progress in relevant practice-based techniques;
criteria ƒ taking creative risks, selecting and implementing from these
appropriately;
ƒ intellectual engagement;
ƒ understanding and effective use of research and advanced
scholarship;
ƒ recognising practice that is at the boundaries of the specialism;
ƒ successful collaborative processes.

External requirements N/A

Key Texts Bicat, T; Baldwin C (2002) Devised & Collaborative Theatre: A Practical
Guide, Crowood Press
Brook P (1990) The Empty Space, UK, Penguin.

24
 Taylor, M (2009) British Pantomime Performance, Chicago University
Press
Supportive Reading Balk HW (1991) The Radiant Performer, US, University of Minnesota
Chain J (1991) The Presence of the Actor, US, Theatre
Communications

25
Record System Ref allocated by Academic Records Office

UNIT 5 & 6: PRACTICES: MUSIC THEATRE REPETOIRE (double

Title unit)

Level 7 Credit value 40 ECTS points 20

Notional Student Study 400 hours (100 taught hours; 300 student managed)
Hours
Study hours in this unit are likely to include ‘taught’ sessions, time
spent being directed, as well as time working independently in small
groups.

Unit Leader Member of the course team

Course(s) for which the

MA Music Theatre Compulsory
unit is mainly intended

Prerequisite Learning Previous units

The unit aims to enable you to:
Aims ƒ Understand key practical issues and debates of relevance to your
own practice(s);
ƒ Develop and apply skills and techniques relevant to the relevant
contexts;
ƒ Engage critically and creatively with current and emergent
processes in your field;
ƒ Undertake sustained practice/s, possibly in two contexts, developing
your understanding, application and critical processes of practice
within your discipline through an extended range of experience.

On successful completion of the unit, you should be able to:

Learning Outcomes ƒ (C1) Demonstrate a capacity to apply practical understanding and
skills of your field in relevant contemporary contexts;
ƒ (C1, D1, D3) Demonstrate an ability to operate at a professional
level appropriate to your discipline or field e.g. take decisions in
complex and unpredictable situations independently and in dialogue
with peers and/or external bodies; take creative risks;
ƒ (B2, D2) Evaluate your specialist practice, interrogating the
application of current principles and ideas in your field paying
particular attention to extended learning gained through a sustained
engagement, possibly in different contexts.

Transferable skills Practice in your field; evaluation of practice (self and others).
developed

Indicative unit content This double unit is divided into two parts: the Contemporary
Performance Project and the Solo Recital and Showcase Performance.

1) CONTEMPORARY PERFORMANCE PROJECT

This part of the unit comprises two elements: Realised Performance

and The Kitchen. In Realised Performance, students work in a
company to devise or present an original piece of contemporary
26
 musical theatre, working with, for example, a composer, a writer, a
director, a choreographer, a musical director and a stage manager. In
consolidation of earlier units, the focus will be in particular upon the
integration of music, movement and singing through rehearsal and
performance.

The performance may be produced according to a “rough theatre”

aesthetic in terms of components (set, design, costume, lighting) so
that the focus is on the movement and vocal work of the performers on
stage and (where appropriate) the skills of the directors in working with
performers.

The second element, known as The Kitchen, will extend your

experience of contemporary performance work through a series of
experimental workshops led by varied and different professional
practitioners. Invited composers, writers, and directors involved in the
development and gestation of new work will collaborate with students
trying out or developing new material. Activities may include script
reading, musical direction, character development, improvisation,
choral song, choreography, etc. This element is non-assessed but the
experience is expected to feed into the other elements of this unit.

2) SOLO RECITAL AND SHOWCASE PERFORMANCE

The second part of the unit comprises a solo recital and showcase:

2a) - Solo Recital - You may choose to sing and/or play an instrument.
The primary focus throughout this element will be on your personal
interpretive qualities in handling musical material. You will also be able
to explore the strength and agility of your technique through a new solo
repertoire. Performance development will continue at a more
sophisticated level to deal with confidence, effective communication
with reference to characterisation and a sense of truth in relation to the
quality of the text and music in performance. This element is also
intended to provide you with a useful performance repertoire in order to
improve your chances of employment through auditions and other
performance-related activities. You will give a solo performance at the
conclusion of this element.

2b) - Showcase Performance - You will rehearse and present a public

production to an audience including professionals within the field of
music theatre. You will focus on the presentation of music theatre skills.
This element is designed to enable you to synthesise your learning
experience as a performer and creator on the course into a cohesive,
technically astute and assured public creative expression.

How you learn You will learn through engaging with practical activities appropriate to
the particular practice of the field. You will learn, also, from an
experienced professional (tutor, director etc.) with whom you will work.
Assessment Type of task Magnitude Weight within the
(e.g. essay, report, (e.g. No of words, time, unit
group performance) etc) (E.g. 50%)
Contemporary Typically up to 60 50%
Performance Project minute ensemble
performance
Solo Recital Typically 5 to 15 15%
minutes
27
 Showcase Typically a 60 minute 35%
Performance ensemble performance

Assessment criteria ƒ progress in relevant practice-based techniques;

ƒ taking creative risks, selecting and implementing from these
appropriately;
ƒ originality in the application of knowledge in relation to the
matter of the unit;
ƒ analytical and critical awareness of relevant contemporary
issues;
ƒ intellectual engagement;
ƒ recognising practice that is at the boundaries of the specialism;
ƒ successful collaborative processes;
ƒ tackling and solving problems and dealing with complex
situations in professionally-related environments.

External requirements None

Key Texts Hammond, M (2009) Thank you – that’s all we need for
today…London, Edition Peters
Supportive Reading Craig D (1993) A Performer Prepares, NY & London, Applause
Craig, D (1990) On Singing on Stag, NY & London, Applause
Devenney, D (1998) The Broadway Song Companion, NY, Scarecrow
Press
Legge, A. (1988) The Art of Auditioning, Rhinegold Publishing
Mapleson P (1994) Auditioning for Musicals, Australia, Currency

28
Record System Ref allocated by Academic Records Office

Title UNIT 7: SUSTAINED INDEPENDENT PROJECT (SIP)

ECTS
Level 7 Credit value 60 30
points
600 hours
Notional Student Study
Hours

Unit Leader Course Leaders

Course(s) for which the

All MA courses Compulsory
unit is mainly intended
Prerequisite Learning All other units. (Some may run concurrently with the start of SIP).

Aims ƒ Extend your understanding of critical debates and practices

within a specific area of drama/theatre/performance;
ƒ Make appropriate, intelligent and informed selections from a
wide range of possibilities of approach or research materials;
ƒ Engage in a sustained, focused, independent piece of work that
constitutes a summative contribution at the end of your course;
ƒ Develop as a contributor to the field.

On successful completion of this unit, you should be able to:

Learning Outcomes
ƒ (B2) Undertaken sustained and extensive research;
ƒ (A1, B1) Demonstrated your understanding of critical debates
and practices in your field;
ƒ (D1) Demonstrated your capacity to manage complex work
independently;
ƒ (D1; D3) Realised a final piece of work that engages with a
relevant specific context or focus, taking appropriate creative
risks and that contributes to the field.

Transferable skills Independent research, awareness of contemporary and/or historical

developed practice, reflexivity, ability to bring an extended, independent piece of
work to completion.
Students should match the content to their strengths individually: as in
Indicative unit content writing, composing or performing. Building on the work undertaken in
the previous units students complete a sustained independent project
which may include one of the following:

ƒ a dissertation
ƒ a performance
ƒ a composition
ƒ a playtext

How you learn You will learn through engaging with an individual, sustained task.

29
Assessment Summary Type of task Magnitude Weight within the unit
(e.g. essay, (e.g. No of words, (E.g. 50%)
report, group time, etc)
performance)
Proposal 0.0%

The Work 12,000 words or 100%

equivalent

Assessment Detail 1. The proposal.

This will be submitted to a relevant tutor and agreed by a selected
course-specific date. The student cannot proceed with the
Sustained Independent Project (SIP) until the proposal has been
accepted by the course team. Significant changes to the proposal
must be approved. (See Sustained Independent Project (SIP)
Proposal Form, Appendix B) The proposal is not assessed but has
to be ‘passed’ before you may undertake the work.

2. The work.
This may be one of the following:
ƒ a dissertation of 12,000 words, or
ƒ a composition
ƒ a playtext,
ƒ a performance

In the case of a performance, composition or playtext an accompanying

dialogic and reflective document will also be submitted. In consultation
with a member of the Course Team the paramaters and scope of the
assessment shall be determined as part of the proposal.
Assessment criteria ƒ sustained, independent written argument
ƒ originality in the application of knowledge in relation to the
matter of the unit;
ƒ analytical and critical awareness of relevant contemporary
issues;
ƒ intellectual engagement;
ƒ understanding and effective use of research and advanced
scholarship.
ƒ Implementation of relevant creative and technical techniques
and expertise

Key Texts/ Supportive The key texts and supportive reading will be entirely dependent upon
reading your choice of subject matter. It is expected that you will use texts and
resources referred to earlier in the course as well as material new to
you at this point in the course.

30
Appendix A: Template for tutorial record form

CENTRAL SCHOOL OF SPEECH AND DRAMA

TUTORIAL RECORD FORM

Name of Student:

Name of Staff member:

Topic (e.g. Sustained Independent Project (SIP) tutorial):

Date:

Record of matters discussed in tutorial:

Actions:

Date of next tutorial, if relevant:

31
Appendix B: Template for Sustained Independent Project (SIP) proposal form

SUSTAINED INDEPENDENT PROJECT (SIP) PROPOSAL FORM

(Two sides of A4 would be usual for this. Additional information may be attached where relevant.
The form may be adapted by your Course Tutors.)
This must be agreed by your tutor before you continue with the work of the Sustained
Independent Project (SIP).

Title/Topic:

Nature of work (e.g. Dissertation; portfolio comprising …; artefact with complementary annotation.
Be clear to avoid potential ambiguities.):

Anticipated structure of events (see next page for an example):

Short title of task

to be completed Date Detail of task

Resource needs, where relevant (ensure these are within the allocations for your course):

How do you think your title/topic will demonstrate that you have met the learning outcomes
for the unit? (You are anticipating how the work will allow you to demonstrate Masters Level.):

32
Framework Criteria for Assessment and Marking descriptors

These will be included in the Course Handbooks for all courses in the Framework. They are
approved for the Framework as a whole. The assessment criteria for individual units are selected
from these criteria.

Assessment criteria

Not all the assessment criteria apply to each unit although all will be incorporated across each
Masters course. (The three compulsory units include all these criteria already.) The assessment
criteria to be considered will be clear in each unit outline. Tutors will give feedback relevant to
these criteria with references to specific examples from your work.

Work is assessed on evidence of the extent to which you have met the learning outcomes
demonstrated through:
ƒ sustained, independent written argument;
ƒ progress in relevant practice-based techniques;
ƒ taking creative risks, selecting and implementing from these appropriately;
ƒ originality in the application of knowledge in relation to the matter of the unit;
ƒ analytical and critical awareness of relevant contemporary issues;
ƒ intellectual engagement;
ƒ understanding and effective use of research and advanced scholarship;
ƒ recognising practice that is at the boundaries of the specialism;
ƒ successful collaborative processes;
ƒ tackling and solving problems and dealing with complex situations in professionally-related
environments.

Assessment descriptors (relating to the assessment criteria)

Work that is marked near a borderline is likely to have characteristics of work in the next closest
bracket, but these are outweighed by characteristics described in the bracket in which the work is
placed. The languages of these descriptors will be used by staff in feedback to make clear the level
the student has reached. In addition, tutors will make reference to the learning outcomes and
whether these have therefore been achieved.

80% and over (distinction)

Your written work demonstrates a fluent, lucid and advanced argument of a near-publishable level.
You show exceptional evidence of progress in specific techniques relevant to the practical work of
the unit. You have demonstrated a highly impressive exploration of creative risks and options and
selected and implemented ideas with acuity. There is clear and sustained evidence of originality in
your applications of knowledge in practice. You have demonstrated excellent qualities of analysis
and critical awareness of contemporary issues throughout the unit. Your levels of intellectual
engagement are exceptional; you have developed original knowledge making use of extensive and
highly complex research. You display strikingly effective practice, demonstrating an advanced
understanding of the boundaries of your specialism. You work at the highest of standards in group
situations (if relevant), exercising most effective collaborative strategies. There is evidence of
exceptional ability in tackling and solving problems and addressing complex situations in
professionally-related environments. The work is characterised by its sustained excellence and is
of equivalent achievement to striking professional practice at the forefront of its field.

70% and over (distinction)

Your written work demonstrates sustained, advanced argument at an academically high level. You
show outstanding evidence of progress in specific techniques relevant to the practical work of the
unit. You have demonstrated an impressive exploration of creative risks and options and selected
and implemented ideas with acuity. There is clear evidence of originality in your applications of
knowledge in practice. You have demonstrated very good qualities of analysis and critical
awareness of contemporary issues in the unit. Your levels of intellectual engagement are
33
impressive; you have developed areas of original knowledge, making use of extensive and
complex research. You display most effective practice, demonstrating an advanced understanding
of the boundaries of your specialism. You work at high standards in group situations (if relevant),
always exercising effective collaborative strategies. There is evidence of clear ability in tackling
and solving problems and addressing complex situations in professionally-related environments.
The work is characterised by excellence and is of equivalent achievement to professional practice
at the forefront of its field.

60% and over

Your written work demonstrates a sustained and clear argument. You show very good evidence of
progress in specific techniques relevant to the practical work of the unit. You have demonstrated
an effective exploration of creative risks and options and selected and implemented ideas
appropriately. There is clear evidence of originality in your applications of knowledge in practice.
You have demonstrated good qualities of analysis and critical awareness of contemporary issues
in the unit. Your levels of intellectual engagement are good; you have made often made use of
detailed research. You display effective practice, demonstrating a good understanding of the
boundaries of your specialism. You work well in group situations (if relevant), frequently exercising
effective collaborative strategies. There is evidence of good ability in tackling and solving problems
and addressing complex situations in professionally-related environments. The work is of a good
standard and, on several occasions, is equivalent to professional practice at the forefront of its
field.

50% and over

Your written work demonstrates a developed argument that is reasonably sustained. You show
evidence of progress in specific techniques relevant to the practical work of the unit. You have
demonstrated exploration of creative risks and options and selected and implemented ideas
appropriately. There is evidence of originality in your applications of knowledge in practice. You
have demonstrated reasonably good qualities of analysis and critical awareness of contemporary
issues in the unit. Your levels of intellectual engagement are adequate; you have made use of
research at times. Your practice is at a reasonable standard, and you have demonstrated an
understanding of the boundaries of your specialism. You contribute to group situations, adopting
reasonably effective collaborative strategies for most of the time. There is evidence of some ability
in tackling and solving problems and addressing complex situations in professionally-related
environments. The work is of a fair or good standard and, on occasion, is equivalent to
professional practice at the forefront of its field. It is likely to be reasonably strong in some areas
but less developed in others, and it may be inconsistent.

40-49% (fail)
Your written work demonstrates an argument but one that is only sporadically sustained. You show
limited evidence of progress in specific techniques relevant to the practical work of the unit. You
have only occasionally demonstrated exploration of creative risks and options and selected and
implemented ideas appropriately. There is limited or little evidence of originality in your applications
of knowledge in practice. You have demonstrated limited qualities of analysis and critical
awareness of contemporary issues in the unit. Your levels of intellectual engagement were not
always adequate; you have made little use of research. Your practice is not always of a reasonable
standard, and you have rarely demonstrated an understanding of the boundaries of your
specialism. You contribute to group situations, although you do not often adopt effective
collaborative strategies. There is limited evidence of ability in tackling and solving problems and
addressing complex situations in professionally-related environments. The work is only of a fair
standard and is rarely equivalent to professional practice at the forefront of its field. You have not
sufficiently demonstrated that you have met the learning outcomes of the unit, although it is likely
that your work shows potential.

Less than 40% (fail)

Your written work does not sufficiently demonstrate an argument. You show insufficient evidence
of progress in specific techniques relevant to the practical work of the unit. You have rarely or
never demonstrated exploration of creative risks and options and selected and implemented ideas
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appropriately. There is little or no evidence of originality in your applications of knowledge in
practice. You have rarely demonstrated qualities of analysis and critical awareness of
contemporary issues in the unit. Your levels of intellectual engagement were inadequate; you have
made little or no use of research. Your practice is not of a good enough standard, and you have
not demonstrated an understanding of the boundaries of your specialism. Your contribution to
group situations is very limited, as are your effective collaborative strategies. There is little or no
evidence of ability in tackling and solving problems and addressing complex situations in
professionally-related environments. The work is not equivalent to professional practice at the
forefront of its field. You have not demonstrated that you have met the learning outcomes of the
unit.

The following additional information from the Framework Handbook will be included in the
Course Handbooks for students

ƒ relevant parts of the assessment strategy and weightings;

ƒ student support and the template for tutorial record-keeping
ƒ details about staff contacts.

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 Central School of Speech and Drama
Embassy Theatre
Eton Avenue
London
NW3 3HY

www.cssd.ac.uk
JULY 2010

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