Making artistic and logistic ends meet is the key skill to create successful theatre. All too often, performances are mere spectacular commodities, while other projects of artistic merit fail to survive in today's leisure pond market. This module will look at basic aspects needed to make theatrical events of professional artistic quality happen successfully, such as a stimulating and interesting content, a competent and suitable artistic team, evocative design, a suitable venue, pragmatic logistics, an effective business plan, and, most importantly, an audience to play to.

 

As a foundation for students who will then go on to specialise in areas of Creative Producing or Theatre Dramaturgy, this module studies effective and qualitative artistic concepts (both on the level of venues and their programming), as well as companies and their productions, and individual theatre shows and events. Core aspects covered are artistic policy and mission, audience demographics and development, season programming, production development, contract law, intellectual property, performance licensing; economic feasibility and routes to financial operation (funding, co-production, sponsorship), marketing and targeting an audience. Students will acquire these core artistic as well as entrepreneurial skills from working on a range of case studies taken from contemporary theatre 'in the real world', representing best, and not so good practice of the practicalities of running a venue or company, and presenting theatre performances. In addition, practitioners and professionals will introduce and discuss their own work and projects in guest lectures and workshops.

The learning outcomes will be demonstrated by submitted case study assessments, and a virtual team project developing a detailed artistic idea and business plan for a theatre production, the season of a given venue, a touring company or production, a festival or event, or a similar scenario based on actual parameters of professional practice.

Successfully participating in and completing this module, you will develop:

        * skills in the creation of original theatre of artistic quality and financial sustainability, and a detailed understanding of artistic processes as well as entrepreneurial methods in theatre production,

        * an understanding of professional procedures, processes and disciplines in the running and programming of a venue and theatre company, informed by professional practice,

        * your understanding of the realisation of original artistic ideas within frameworks of legislation, cultural policy, and professional enterprise,

        * a knowledge of contemporary regional, national, and - to certain degrees - also international contexts and networks of theatre artists, producers, companies and venues, and

        * proficiency in assessing professional practice, and to present and defend original, informed and competent analysis, arguments, and recommendations.

 

 

 More generic skills you can enhance on this module include:

        * independent, creative, and reflexive thinking and problem solving,

        * the retrieval, synthesis, critical evaluation, assessment, implementation and application of information, facts, and data as a basis for professional and effective decision making, including your continuous self-reflection and self-assessment,

        * communicating and presenting in a variety of oral, written, and visual media, to a variety of audiences in professional contexts,

        * self-discipline and personal organisation in order to manage and direct projects effectively within constraints of resource, time, space, or budget, and

        * team working skills, demonstrating efficiency in group management, cooperation and leadership

 

 

Assessment & Deadlines

This module is assessed 100% on continuous assessment by coursework:

        25 % Case Studies: Performance & Venue Reports (equivalent of 2,500 words) - Deadline: Wednesday Week 1

        25 % Case Studies in Contract Law, Intellectual Property, and Production Finance to an equivalent of 2,500 words, NOTE: These case studies will be submitted continuously over several weeks, the final piece being due Friday Week 7, and your case studies will be returned within three weeks after this final submission date, for one collective mark!

        30 % Contribution to Group Programming and Production Project: Development of an Artistic Proposal and Business Plan, to an equivalent of 3,500 words, Deadline for Submission: Friday Week 12

        20% Seminar Attendance, Participation & Presentation.

 

Group Projects

1. ) Production: develop a 'static' produced for the Theatre Royal Margate. Minimum requirement: a run of three weeks, or 25 performances. This includes the planning of the performance, a dramaturgic concept and corresponding design/director/etc brief, full budget, audience identification, marketing strategy etc.

2.) Venue: Program the Spring 2009 season for the Gulbenkian theatre (a three month programme of received work, incl. artistic policy of the venue, audience identification for the different work, and budgeting of the season; [performing arts only])  

3.) Tour: develop a tour coproduced and premiered by BAC. Minimum requirement: eight suitable venues based on scale and facilities (incl. development of production; venue list, budget, briefs, marketing plan to venues and audiences...)

4.) Festival: Develop the 'Canterbury Spring Festival', a new off-shoot of Canterbury Festival for the performing arts, taking place around Easter 2009, over more than one day, including at least one specially developed event at a non-theatre space [not necessarily outdoor] (production or programme of events, with full planning details as for the above briefs)

5.) Community Theatre: Develop a community theatre event based at the Chatham Brook Theatre (product/project, its intent/purpose, target audience/participants, fundraising strategy, marketing material etc as above