Course description
The Postgraduate Diploma in Performance Creation brings together Choreographers,
Dance Animateurs, Theatre Animateurs, Directors, and Actor and Voice Trainers in
a flexible program which enables distinct discipline specialisations as well as cross-collaborative and interdisciplinary projects through common subject areas. Nurturing and developing arts practitioners who will contribute through leadership, research, performance development and/or pedagogy to Australian culture in the arts, in particular those aspects of culture and society that lie outside the dominant paradigms.
Animateuring (Dance/Theatre)
Animateuring involves the creation of new performances through the mobilisation of:
• expressive, artistic and imaginative faculties in a variety of artistic and community contexts
• the ability to work individually or in small groups
• the capacity to work within and across art forms
• community ownership of process and performance outcomes, and
• collaboration within communities interested in developing and realising various forms of artistic performance.
The animateur is a skilled performance artist (Dance and/or Theatre) with a central commitment to artistic leadership. He or she may be involved in various ways with the processes of creation, direction, facilitation, and performance. The role played is a pivotal one, with the success measured not only in artistic terms, but also by other indicators such as level of community support, participation, ownership and achievement of social and political goals.
Choreography
The choreography specialisation aims to facilitate proficiency in all aspects fundamental to dance and movement design with a high standard of compositional realisation through an examination of the processes of dance making and dance, the concepts of "choreographer" and "dancer" and the training of the "body" of the dancer to manifest ideas and values.
Directing
The Directing specialisation aims to equip students with the skills to operate systematically and imaginatively as directors with individual vision and skills in artistic leadership, who may operate ithin the existing theatre professions, but who will essentially bring to the art form new initiative and creative energy.
Actor Training
This specialisation offers a strong foundation for talented persons committed to developing themselves as actor trainers. As such, it is designed to equip them to operate systematically and imaginatively as trainers/directors within the existing training profession and performance industry, as well as stimulating them to re-appraise existing teaching practices and initiate new developments.
Voice Training
This specialisation is designed to provide study and practice in voice for individuals who wish to follow a career in voice teaching. It is particularly likely to appeal to professionals who already have a knowledge and interest in the voice, eg. actors, directors, drama teachers, trained singers.
Structure
Upon enrolment students select a specialisation according to their interests and disciplinary focus. Studies are concentrated in four areas: Performance Theory and Organisation, Cross Disciplinary Skills, Discipline Specific Skills, Applied Projects.
Performance Theory and Organisation Subjects shared by students in all specialisations, which cover areas of skill and knowledge relevant to all specialisations.
Cross Disciplinary Skills
Subjects in which students from different specializations combine and which cover aspects of skill and knowledge relevant to each.
Discipline Specific Skills
Subjects devised to cover areas of skill and knowledge particularly relevant to a specific specialisation. Students from another specialisation may join such subjects for some units.
Applied Projects
Projects which call for the testing of both discipline specific and cross disciplinary skills, but which are congruent with the area of study that the student has entered for training.
Major areas of study
Actor Training
Choreography
Dance Animateuring
Directing
Theatre Animateuring
Voice Training
