Advanced Diploma in Theatre

Purpose

The purpose of this qualification is to cap the undergraduate Diploma qualification by offering learners an opportunity to acquire practical skills not offered in the three-year undergraduate Diploma in Theatre and Performance. The qualification will also deepen, strengthen and/or focus their skills and capacities in a specific area of choice.

Rationale

The Advanced Diploma in Theatre facilitates the professional development of learners with an Undergraduate Diploma in Theatre and Performance. Currently, learners exiting with the Diploma in Theatre and Performance cannot readily move on to advanced postgraduate qualifications in order to acquire the professional skills they missed out on by not completing the fourth year and this limits their career choices and employability. This qualification will make it possible for learners to cap their undergraduate qualification by acquiring the practical skills and by gaining additional production experience aimed at facilitating their successful entry in the profession.

In preparation for this application the current cohort of Diploma students were surveyed and what emerged was that there were two groups of responses. The first group indicated an interest in moving into further postgraduate study either in the Postgraduate Certificate in Education or the Honours programme (these students would now be catered for through the Advanced Diploma in Drama). The second group of students indicated an interest in a fourth year of study but not in order to advance to Postgraduate Degrees but rather in order to better articulate to the world of work. This group recognised that those in their cohort who were registered for the Bachelor of Arts stream were receiving additional practical skills in the fourth year putting them at a disadvantage with regard to employability. They also indicated that they would not be interested in the advanced diploma if it focused too much on academic study and/or research methods and if the practical component only constituted 25% of the overall qualification. The Advanced Diploma in Theatre is designed to serve this latter group of students.

Completion of this qualification will open up further opportunities for career development and will enable those who qualify to use their skills more flexibly in the job market.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

UCT is a broad institution with multiple forms and sites of academic practice. RPL practices for specific programmes are context-sensitive and framed to suit those differing contexts where RPL is deemed appropriate. RPL at UCT is based on a developmental model, not a deficit model of adult learning; it builds on knowledge and skills that adults have already acquired.

RPL process

UCT engages in a process of evaluation for students who apply on the basis of RPL. The evaluation of prior learning is an academic task and, like other forms of assessment, is done by academic experts in the given field, drawing on other experts as needed.

The academic will decide on the most appropriate methods and approaches for the assessment of prior learning in their field. The assessment of the RPL candidate and the decisions concerning their admission are the ultimate responsibility of the Deans in consultation with the heads of department to which they are applying, facilitated and supported by the expertise of staff within the Centre for Higher Education Development (CHED).

RPL processes involve the following procedures

• Adult learners seeking alternative access to a specific programme of study will approach the Admissions office or the Faculty officer responsible for RPL who will then direct them to the appropriate programme leader.
• Programme leaders develop the RPL assessment in consultation with CHED.
• The outcome of the RPL process, including a written report by the assessor(s) detailing the basis on which the recommendation is made, will be forwarded to the Head of Department concerned.
• The final decision regarding the admission of the RPL candidate to a particular programme of study is made by the appropriate faculty committee or dean.

RPL Assessment

RPL assessment methodologies include but are not limited to portfolios of evidence, interviews, demonstrations and simulations, observations, written and oral exams, letters of recommendation and other forms of expert testimony, case studies, and documentation of successful past learning experiences; and assessment methods allow for judgements of past learning in relation to the outcomes of the particular course/programme. While the choice of methodologies is ultimately an academic function, UCT recognises the importance of learners' input into the decision-making process. The choice and use of a given set of RPL methodologies are consistent with the UCT principles of assessment more generally. RPL practices should meet key criteria for validating assessment practices, and in particular: transparency, fairness, legitimacy, attention to unintended negative consequences, and feasibility.

Entry Requirements

The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is

• A Diploma in Theatre and Performance, Level 6.

This qualification comprises compulsory modules at Level 7 totalling 120 Credits.

• Contemporary Performance, 30 Credits.
• Introduction to Directing, 30 Credits.
• T&P Studiowork 3D: Advanced Practice, 60 Credits.

Exit Level Outcomes

• Demonstrate advanced content-knowledge in the theatre and performance studies.
• Develop practical theatre arts and performance skills and capacities.
• Produce solutions to both familiar and novel creative problems as they arise in the course of professional activity.

The following Associated Assessment Criteria will be assessed in an integrated manner across the Exit Level Outcomes

• Develop skills in a specific professional area of choice, the area of choice the student identifies to be in line with the available resources in the department at the time.
• Demonstrate the ability to communicate clearly to others in a professional context.
• Show an appreciation of the specific context in which particular professional activity occurs and an ability to adapt and apply competencies to match issues arising as a result of such contextual particularities.
• Show an appreciation of the ethical behaviours and issues related to work in the theatre.
• Demonstrate the ability to receive and give critical comment on work activities.
• Demonstrate the ability to function in a professional context as an individual and as part of a team.

Integrated Assessment

The field of Theatre and Performance requires a complex mix of assessment strategies that includes ongoing assessment of the process of practical skills acquisition over time (formative assessment); the assessment of practical application of skills in particular assignments at a specific point in time (summative assessment); assessment by means of writing tasks such as essays and written projects; oral presentations; as well as more formal written examinations. The following breakdown indicates the different assessment strategies in the different courses.

The modules Contemporary Performance and Introduction to Directing are modules in the Bachelor of Arts (BA) Theatre and Performance qualification and the Drama major of the general BA Degree. Assessment for these modules include a combination of practical assignments (group or solo performance presentations based on a particular task in line with the content of the course), essay tasks, and written examinations on theory. Coursework counts for 50% of the final mark; (i) a two-hour examination counts for 50%. (ii) A sub-minimum of 50% must be achieved in each of (i) and (ii). A portion of this work is submitted to the external examiner. A two-hour written examination counts for 35%. A sub-minimum of 50% must be achieved in the coursework and the examination.

The module T&P Studiowork 3D: Advanced Practice will be assessed by means of small group practical assignments (for example a scene study or performed monologue) and participation in production projects (the role in such projects to be determined by the area of focus the student has identified). (i) Coursework during the first three quarters, classwork and in-house performances count 50% of the final mark. (ii) Final practical examination counts 50% of the final mark. In order to pass, students must obtain at least 50% in both (i) and (ii) above.