KYB103 The Creative Body


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Unit Outline: Semester 1 2024, Kelvin Grove, Internal

Unit code:KYB103
Credit points:12
Equivalent:KTB107
Coordinator:Csaba Buday | c.buday@qut.edu.au
Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of the teaching period.

Overview

This practice-based unit gathers you from across the performance disciplines (dance, drama, music) to explore the relationship between body and creative impulse in a transdisciplinary creative space. It introduces a variety of philosophies exploring the psycho-social dynamics of the body in your creative practice and its place in a space. The human body is a fundamental tool and a central site of study for artists, regardless of their specialisation. Good performance techniques are reliant on an understanding of the body and its capabilities to open the imagination of the individual, the group and an audience. An understanding of the body—how it moves, how it feels and how it relates to other bodies—is crucial to build resilience, connectedness and sustainability in performance-based creative practice.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

  1. Identify and demonstrate knowledge of fundamental concepts of body and mind that frame transdisciplinary performance practice.
  2. Engage productively as an artist and collaborator in improvisation and experimentation of the body in a space.
  3. Become aware of and reflect on self as artist in response to knowledge of various techniques of body awareness and management.

Content

This transdisciplinary unit investigates one or more physical performance disciplines in studio-based classes and workshops. You will engage with experiential anatomy, psychophysical performance training, and a range of improvisation and composition modes through a suite of pre-technique activities and investigations. It provides opportunities for the devising and performing of contemporary performance using body-centric approaches. A selection of texts by leading practitioners and academics introduces you to a range of theoretical perspectives on physical training, devising techniques and physical performance forms.

Learning Approaches

At a practical level, the unit consists of a series of workshops, autonomous rehearsals, and a showing of performance work. Workshops comprise a range of exercises and activities designed to introduce you to the underlying principles of physical performance and to selected physical performance disciplines. On a theoretical level, lectures, video recordings, a selection of readings and the Canvas site contextualise theoretical perspectives that you will apply to your creative work. The unit culminates in a small-scale, informal, studio performance of your devised work.

Because of the practical nature of this subject, the importance of developing a dynamic group culture, and for physical health and safety reasons, you must commit to attendance at every workshop. Missing workshops may put either you or your fellow students at physical risk in a later class. For health and safety reasons a record of attendance will be kept.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

Throughout the progress of workshops and rehearsals, your teachers will provide feedback to you which will inform all assessments items. It is recommended that you keep a Journal/Workbook as a record of your discoveries and feedback through the course of your study and as a resource for future performance endeavours.

Feedback in this unit is provided to you in the following ways:

  • comments on summative assessment work in addition to criteria sheets, both for group work and individual endeavours
  • generic comments back to the cohort via QUT Canvas
  • criteria sheet grading.

Assessment

Overview

Collaborating with team members, you will give a group presentation outlining your plans for a proposed performance relating to concepts raised in the unit. You will then demonstrate your ideas in a group performance. Finally, you will reflect on the performance, process and concepts in a personal reflective journal.

Assessment in this unit requires you to work effectively as a group member to demonstrate your understanding of concepts introduced in the unit such as the relationship between the body and creative impulse, and philosophies regarding the place of the body in a space. You are also required to reflect as an individual on the group process, performance and concepts with which you engage over the semester.

Attendance at all practical workshops and rehearsals is compulsory, as the learning of physical skills is involved. Absence from any such classes may put at physical risk either you or your fellow students in a later class.

You must be available to work in small teams outside normal class time for at least four hours a week, with sufficient flexibility to coordinate your rehearsal availability with that of the majority of others in your group.

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Presentation - Pitch

In a group, you will give a presentation that pitches your approach to the creative development of your performance for Assessment 2.

Weight: 20
Individual/Group: Group
Due (indicative): Early Semester
Related Unit learning outcomes: 1

Assessment: Performance

In a group, you will present a collaboratively devised performance that demonstrates the concepts, ideas, practices, methods, and techniques encountered in the unit, and in response to a selection of stimulus.

 

Weight: 30
Individual/Group: Group
Due (indicative): Mid-Semester
Related Unit learning outcomes: 1, 2

Assessment: Reflective Analysis

You will submit a written reflective analysis of the creative development process undertaken in the lead up to Assessment 2, and the development of your practice throughout the semester.

This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.

 

Weight: 50
Individual/Group: Individual
Due (indicative): Late Semester
Related Unit learning outcomes: 1, 3

Academic Integrity

Students are expected to engage in learning and assessment at QUT with honesty, transparency and fairness. Maintaining academic integrity means upholding these principles and demonstrating valuable professional capabilities based on ethical foundations.

Failure to maintain academic integrity can take many forms. It includes cheating in examinations, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, and submitting an assessment item completed by another person (e.g. contract cheating). It can also include providing your assessment to another entity, such as to a person or website.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Further details of QUT’s approach to academic integrity are outlined in the Academic integrity policy and the Student Code of Conduct. Breaching QUT’s Academic integrity policy is regarded as student misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Resources

Required Text

Required texts for this unit will be available online.

Recommended References
Unit readings will be available online.

Resource Materials

Safety and protective equipment

Students are reminded that proper clothing appropriate for active studio work is required, including closed-in shoes.

Risk Assessment Statement

All students and staff are required to complete the Tier 1 CIF General Health and Safety Induction for access to campus buildings and facilities. This must be completed online.

This unit also requires a Tier 2 CIF Health and Safety Induction which is provided by the technician on site in the theatre, workshop or studio. Note that all students are required to complete the Tier 2 induction.

As all performance-makers understand, creating a performance potentially carries with it certain physical and/or emotional risks, both in the rehearsal room and in the theatre. Indeed taking risks is an integral component of the art form’s processes. Some rehearsal warm ups and exercises, and some performance events may include physically or emotionally strenuous activities. Managing this risk to ensure working conditions are safe, is always a high priority in the production process. It is therefore extremely important that if you are aware of personal physical or emotional vulnerabilities that make you feel unsafe or at risk in any way, you should immediately inform teaching staff, the director or stage manager, so that your situation can be evaluated and appropriate rectifying action can be taken.

Theatres and other performance spaces are also potentially dangerous places, particularly backstage during performances when lowlight conditions prevail. You will be warned by the stage manager, the production manager or the director of any specific risks that you will need to be aware of, when your project team first moves in to the theatre. Whenever moving into a new performance space, you should always conduct your own risk assessment, and notify your team or director of any hazards you have personally identified.
 
Every effort is made by staff at QUT to ensure that you work in a safe environment. Conversely you are absolutely expected to follow all safety rules, procedures and directions, and to ensure that you do not put at risk the safety of others, or yourself, or of the highest artistic fulfilment of the project in any way.

Course Learning Outcomes

This unit is designed to support your development of the following course/study area learning outcomes.

KK34 Bachelor of Fine Arts

  1. Identify and demonstrate knowledge of the techniques and concepts underpinning your field of creative practice.
    Relates to: ULO1
  2. Demonstrate complex problem solving through iterative experimentation and the creative and critical development of ideas and outcomes.
    Relates to: ULO3
  3. Demonstrate technical proficiency in at least one area of your field of creative practice.
    Relates to: ULO3
  4. Represent and promote your work in ways relevant to your creative field.
    Relates to: ULO1
  5. Work productively as a leader and collaborator in disciplinary and interdisciplinary creative practice.
    Relates to: ULO2
  6. Formulate and apply an independent perspective through reflection and by acting on the informed critique of others.
    Relates to: ULO3
  7. Demonstrate respect for cultural and social differences, and work with integrity across creative practice networks.
    Relates to: ULO2