Bachelor of Arts in Drama and Theatre Studies

Purpose and Rationale of the Qualification

• To familiarise students with the content of theatre and drama studies as a field of research and debate in the humanities (including the social sciences).
• To this end it means to equip them with the intellectual and cognitive skills to solve relatively small problems, utilising appropriate methods and theories.
• To ensure that South Africa has sufficient skilled and creative theatre practitioners by equipping students with comprehensive set of basic performance, technical and administrative skills applicable to a wide range of career options within the [performing arts and entertainment industry and related fields.
• To provide students with the necessary academic skills to proceed with more specialised further study at postgraduate level.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

• Access may be gained to the qualification through the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).

Entry Requirements

• National Senior Certificate or equivalent university admission qualification.

The successful Bachelor of Arts in Drama and Theatre Studies (BDram) student will have

1. The ability to map new information, under guidance, into a coherent understanding of the discipline, and the ability to solve relatively small, less complex problems using appropriate methods and theories.
2. The ability to organise and manage him/hers self and his/her activities effectively.
3. The ability to work with others as a member of a team and to take responsibility for participating in such a team.
4. The ability to organise ideas and communicate them effectively using visual, linguistic and kinetic skills in oral, written and media formats.

Specific outcomes

The successful Bachelor of Arts in Drama and Theatre Studies (BDram) student will have

1. A familiarity with the nature, history and processes of drama, theatre and performance, and their contexts, and familiarity with elementary research methods applicable to the field.
2. A general command of the fundamental skills of performance (e.g. voice, movement, acting, lighting, sound, costume, sets, props), alongside more specific (optional) specialisation in one of two broad areas: performance (acting), or technical and managerial skills.
3. The ability to apply a variety of basic scholarly, creative, technical and performance skills in practical production (e.g. stage, radio, TV and/or film).
4. Depending on the BDram student's choice of specialisation in the second and third years, he or she will have.
5. For the performer's stream, with its focus on performance skills, the ability to utilise the specifics of voice, movement, acting, text analysis and related skills in actual production for the stage, radio and other media.

Or

1. For the theatre technicians and stage management stream, with its focus on technical and management skills, the ability to utilise the specifics of lighting, sound, costume, sets, props, make-up, etc. and the management of staff and performers to bring about actual productions for the stage, radio and other media.

The assessment criteria for the Bachelor of Arts in Drama and Theatre Studies (Bdram) fall into two broad but related categories:

• The assessment of scholastic skills and knowledge, which takes the form of written and oral examinations, essays and research projects. Competence in this category will be demonstrated if the information and conceptual content of the work submitted by the student is correct, and demonstrates a clear ability to interpret questions, to analyse and interpret information, to communicate the resulting deductions clearly and logically, utilising the appropriate discipline-specific conventions.
• The assessment of creative, performance, technical, administrative and other practical skills, which takes the form of an assessment of practical work assignments. Competence in the category will be demonstrated if the student demonstrates a familiarity with the fundamental skills taught, an awareness of related theoretical concepts and conventions, and a clear ability to apply these skills, theories and conventions in a practical performance context.

Integrated Assessment

• Integrated Assessment takes place by means of an evaluation of final year performance projects in which students work in teams to create a theatre production for examination purposes. Such projects are presented and assessed at the end of the year.
• The projects entail the application of all the skills (imaginative, cognitive, writing, voice, movement, acting and technical skills) worked on in class during the year and competence will be demonstrated by the student's ability to integrate and activate such skills and knowledge in comprehensive work of theatrical communication.