Doctor of Performing Arts

Purpose

The Doctor of Performing Arts aims to provide a reflective, creative space, with a focus on advanced, informed, sophisticated creative practice. The qualification aims to empower each learner to pronounce their originality and to articulate the contribution their original work can make to the broader academic, artistic and professional environment. Learners will be enabled to conceive, and critically evaluate the success of their original research through advanced theoretical rigour within their elected discipline specificity, as well as a reflective and reflexive practice across empirical research modes of enquiry.

In line with national imperatives, the focus is on deepening understanding and enhancing perspectives of African heritage and Africanisation in the Performing Arts sector. This imperative is driven in the undergraduate qualifications as well as the preparatory postgraduate qualifications. The qualification, therefore, prepares the learner for research committed to the value of artistic expression, artistic manifestation, and the human need to create. This will, in turn, contribute to the unique flavour of the country and help establish South Africa as a performing arts capital within the African and global performing arts contexts. In this manner, it further contributes to the economic development of the country.

Qualifying learners will be able to continue their professional careers either academically at educational institutions or as practitioners in their field of specialisation, or both; locally and abroad. Academic staff who are already in positions across the three discipline specialisations (Dance; Theatre Arts and Design; and Music) will act as supervisors and develop any necessary learning materials for this qualification. As part of qualification development, these academics are trained and continue to receive in-house training in curriculum-related issues through the aegis of institutional Common Data Sets (CDS). All learning materials follow a rigorous approval process as set out in the relevant curriculum development policy.

Rationale

The Doctor of Performing Arts provides a space within which practising artists can develop and refine their work within the broad paradigm of performance. Also, they will be able to make a significant and original contribution to advanced and professional practices. The qualification will allow learners to continue with inter-and multi-disciplinary study, as well as discipline specificity through intense research, focus within the module Thesis: Performing Arts.

At this, the most advanced academic level, the doctorate provides multi-disciplinary opportunities for primarily training towards careers in academia. However, the qualification will also acknowledge innovation, expertise, and philosophies of creative work, additionally grounding the applied knowledge within the Creative Industries and Performing Arts professional practice. This qualification will ensure development, innovation and the deepening of new knowledge production throughout the Performing Arts sector within South Africa.

Learners have to demonstrate a high-level research capability and to make a significant and original academic contribution at the frontiers of the disciplines encompassed in the Performing Arts industries. Further, learners may elect to complete their degree through pure discipline-based, inter-disciplinary or multi-disciplinary research, or applied research. Applied research may include creative work such as artefacts, compositions, public performances, and public exhibitions following appropriate methodologies, and may only constitute partial fulfilment of the qualification requirement. This supports the development of knowledge at the most advanced academic level.

The Doctor of Performing Arts qualification has been benchmarked against and is compatible with, international standards in arts education. However, the development of multi-disciplinary creative practitioners is unique within the South African national higher education landscape. This uniqueness, therefore, offers learners the opportunity to research specificity of disciplines in Dance, Music, or Theatre Arts and Design or conduct research that cuts across these performing arts disciplines.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

The structure of this qualification makes Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) possible. This qualification may, therefore, be achieved in part or entirely through the RPL process, which includes formal, informal and non-formal learning and work experience. RPL follows the 'institution's policy and procedures.

Learners are informed regarding the RPL processes as well as being provided with support and guidance. Care is ensured that the mechanism used provides the learners with an opportunity to demonstrate competence and is not as onerous as to prevent a learner from taking up the RPL option towards gaining a qualification or as an entrance assessment. If the learner can demonstrate competence in the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes implicit for this qualification, the appropriate credits will be assigned to the learner.

For the Postgraduate level, the institution includes an option for learners to apply to upgrade their Masters to Doctoral status. This is subject to scrutiny and would be engaged by the RPL office and 'Registrar's environment.

Entry Requirements

The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is

• Master of Performing Arts at NQF Level 9.

Or

• A relevant 'Master's or Magister Technologiae qualification in a complementary field of study (M Tech: Drama, M Tech: Dance; M Tech: Musical Theatre, M Tech: Performing Arts Technology at NQF Level 9.

The qualification consists of research and a thesis at NQF Level 10 totalling 360 Credits.

• Thesis: Performing Arts, 360 Credits.

1. Conceptualise and identify new performing arts or creative industries research initiatives that will create new knowledge and processes of knowledge production, and contribute to scholarly debates around theories or practice in performing arts or creative industries.
2. Demonstrate the ability to apply discipline specificity, or inter- and multi-disciplinary application of methods, procedures and problem-solving in original, creative and innovative ways appropriate towards complex performing arts and creative industry requirements.
3. Make independent judgements about managing incomplete or inconsistent information or data in an iterative process of analysis and synthesis, for the development of significant original insights into new complex and abstract ideas, information or issues.
4. Produce substantial, independent, in-depth publishable work that meets international standards; that is considered new and/or innovative by peers and contributes to the discipline, field, or practice.
5. Demonstrate intellectual independence, research leadership and management of research and research development in the performing arts or creative industries.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• Use the expertise and critical knowledge at the forefront of the field, new research initiatives in advanced performing arts and creative industry practices, will be conceptualised and identified.
• Make contributions to theories of knowledge and processes of knowledge production in the performing arts through scholarly debates.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• Develop and apply new methods, procedures and problem-solving in original, creative and innovative ways appropriate towards complex performing arts and creative industry requirements.
• Establish the critically reflexive, creative and novel application of specialist knowledge and theory towards addressing complex practical and theoretical performing arts contexts.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• Realise independent judgements about managing incomplete or inconsistent information or data in an iterative process of analysis and synthesis.
• Develop significant original insights into new complex and abstract ideas, information or issues.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

• Produce substantial, independent, in-depth and publishable work, which meets international standards.
• Communicate and disseminate ideas, initiatives, and their implementation to specialist and non-specialist audiences using the full resources of an academic/professional, or occupational discourse.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5

• Demonstrate Intellectual independence, research leadership and management of research and research development in the performing arts or creative industries.

Integrated Assessment

Assessment methods will include both formative and summative assessment

Formative: Supervision strategies will be implemented where the individual progress of each learner will be monitored through observation-based modes: by continuously assessing improvement, towards individual development and learning.

Summative: A thesis (inclusive of creative work/performance where applicable), will be submitted for assessment by a panel of examiners appointed following the 'institution's policy.

A defence opportunity will be conducted in line with the 'institution's policy on Research and Innovation.

Evidence of a publication of a minimum of one peer-reviewed article.

Assessment will be undertaken through a single advanced research project, culminating in the submission, assessment and acceptance of a thesis.

• Thesis: Performing Arts.
• Creative Work/Performance (where applicable).

Learners will also be required to complete the following additional tasks

• Defence.
• Published peer-reviewed article.

At the end of the study, the learner should be able to produce original, substantial, independent, in-depth and publishable work, which meets international standards. Besides, this should be considered new and/or innovative by peers and contribute to the performing arts disciplines. Further, this should enable engagement with and critique of current research or practice, as well as advanced scholarship or research in a discipline-specific, inter-disciplinary or multi-disciplinary approaches, or applied research methods.