Undergraduate Diploma Creative Practice

Programme Accreditation Category: ‘‘Higher Education Programme’’

MUV is authorised to offer the following programme which has been accredited by the Malta Further and Higher Education Authority (MFHEA) and is deemed to be at Level 5 of the Malta Qualifications Framework.

Hours of Learning

To complete the Undergraduate Diploma in Creative Practice (Acting), students are expected to need 1500 hours of learning, of which 336 will be contact hours.

1 ECTS is equivalent to 25 total hours of learning, inclusive of contact hours, supervised placement and practice hours, self-study hours and assessment hours. At least 20% (5 hours for every ECTS) will be contact hours or as otherwise established from time to time by MFHEA.

Mode of Assessment

In line with its objective of providing widely accessible educational programmes, MUV encourages its lecturers to select assessment methods which take into account the different abilities of disadvantaged students.  To achieve this, a range of different assessment options may therefore be used, in order to address the diverse needs and learning abilities of the students.  Besides adding flexibility to the assessment methodology, this approach improves the teacher-learner relationship and the guiding role of the lecturer.

Assessment may therefore be carried out through the adoption of one or more of the following options, giving due attention to the practical work produced throughout the course.  In all cases, the method selected should target the specific learning outcome that is being assessed. 

Ongoing assessment:  work presented throughout the course of the study-unit (may include performance sharing within the classroom);

Logbook: entries on a weekly basis tracking all work done (may include personal reflection and factual recording of activities);

Project: an individual or collaborative work which may involve different tasks or activities; this may also include proposing an idea for a potential project and presenting it to the class;

Presentation/Project proposal: delivered in class by an individual or group of students (generally followed by a discussion);

Performance: work of a practical nature carried out under supervision at a set venue;

Assignment: an essay of a specific length or other exercises to be submitted by a set date;

Practical Assignment: Exercises and activities such as warm ups and rehearsal preparation which the student will carry out without the guidance of the tutor for assessment purposes.

Oral examination (or viva): in the form of an interview to assess the student’s knowledge, held at the indicated venue, on a set date.

The procedure for assessment of final projects is set out in the IQA document, which also includes MUV’s policy to be applied in cases where there may be suspicion of academic fraud.

Target Audience

MUV expects the course to be taken by both young people who have completed their upper secondary education, as well as lifelong learners who may be interested in pursuing careers in the theatre and/or film industry.

Mode of Attendance

These programmes are offered both as Full-Time and Part-Time courses.

Full-time:  1 Year

Part-time:  2 Years

Part-timers will follow the same modules as full-time students, but they will choose which units to take in each semester.  Some modules will be offered in the evenings, whereas others will be repeated over the summer months.  The same operating procedures for academic progression (OP/018 of MUV’s IQA) apply to all students.

Mode of Delivery

Face-to-Face

Entry Requirements

1) Qualifications:

a) Maltese applicants are to be in possession of the Matriculation Certificate, or equivalent qualifications.

b) Non-Maltese applicants are to be in possession of qualifications comparable to those indicated for Maltese students. The decision on such qualifications is to be taken by the MUV Admissions Board.

c) A foundation course in the English Language will be offered to students who may need to improve their level of English, as deemed necessary by the Admissions Board.

d) In cases where applicants lack formal qualifications, the Admissions Board may still authorise their enrolment, if they are considered to be mature (aged 21 or older) or having the necessary skills and experience to follow the programme of studies successfully.

2) As part of their entry requirements, all applicants will be asked to attend an interview and participate in a practical workshop.

Overall Course Objectives (Competences, Knowledge & Skills)

• Interpret a role through the style, technique and methodology of the principal theatre practitioners
• Use voice techniques – clarity, diction, range and projection – in one’s performances; apply knowledge of verse, rhythm, and iambic pentameter for renaissance texts
• Use the body and movement to explore roles and character choices, and to express a character’s psychology, intentions, objectives, and emotions
• Practise a range of monologues for auditions, rehearse for different roles, and adapt one’s acting techniques to optimise performance in front of a live audience or the camera
• Devise a piece of theatre, applying awareness of the current context and political climate, and making use of prompts and stimuli
• Adapt works from other times or cultures, and possibly give new meaning and interpretation to older texts when performing them today
• Reflect on and critically analyse texts, plays, as well as performances
• Integrate digital media and IT to enhance the experience of a performance and make it more accessible, applying hybrid artforms and interdisciplinary approaches to theatre
• Apply the notion of the artist as activist and agent for change in society
• Seek individuality and apply critical thinking to explore one’s personality and voice as an artist
• Render one’s artistic practice as sustainable as possible and promote environmental awareness in the arts
• Produce self-promotion tools – including voice and showreel, professional CV and portfolio – to showcase distinctive creative traits and qualities
• Make informed decisions when setting up a start-up to operate in the arts
• Design and implement, in collaboration with other organisations, artistic projects that will benefit society, driving change and impacting the future of the community

Learning Outcomes for Communication Skills (for the whole course)

• Engage effectively with an audience, conveying intentions, objectives, thoughts and emotions through voice and movement
• Devise theatre for a contemporary audience, expressing one’s views on current issues to elicit reflections and inspire fresh outlooks of a theme, calling for change when necessary
• Share the playwright’s perspective and adapt the contextual setting to a theatre piece to render it relevant in a different cultural background
• Convey one’s personality, ideas and artistic vision, choosing a medium which may produce a stronger impact for a piece, and a style of theatre to provoke and engage an audience
• Work in a group and collaborate with other artists to highlight the benefits of artistic projects and creative activities to society
• Reach out to different sectors of society through the arts, raise awareness on issues of sustainability, and pitch project ideas to community leaders and policymakers
• Formulate critical arguments in support of a hypothesis drawn up when developing a project
• Communicate confidently with an auditioning panel, and highlight one’s creative strengths on different media channels, even by applying pitching and presentation techniques, and through the production of a showreel and professional portfolio
• Use film and new media effectively, even to widen the reach of performances in terms of communication and visualisation
• Develop a visual communication strategy, marketing statement, and brand image for an artistic product or company

Learning Outcomes for Learning to Learn Skills (for the whole course)

• Broaden knowledge of the creative and cultural sectors in order to make informed choices on career, future learning and self-development
• Develop independent learning, critical and creative thinking skills as tools for problem solving
• Develop activism in one’s creative practice
• Collaborate with other artists and within a community to produce works which are contextually relevant, politically aware, impactful on society, and respectful of the concept of sustainability
• Devise innovative theatre pieces and deliver practical projects and productions from conception to final output
• Develop skills for auditioning and performing for both stage and screen, and work effectively in a production team
• Apply healthy vocal care and physical warm-up exercises to avoid strains or injuries throughout one’s career
• Develop digital and entrepreneurial skills, complementary to one’s professional practice
• Apply consistently principles of the code of conduct of the industry, as well as ethical responsibilities, throughout one’s career
• Use professional tools to enhance one’s curriculum vitae and career profile

Calendar

Part-time students may choose which study units to take in each semester. At least half the units will be delivered in the evening, to facilitate their attendance.

Each unit will be offered a second time during the summer term.

Course Structure

First Term

Study Unit:         BCP01   Acting Techniques 1 (MQF 5, ECTS 6)

Contact hours:  36

Supervised placement and practice hours:           0

Self-study hours:             112

Assessment hours:         2

Total learning hours:       150

Description:

The module aims to introduce students to a number of theatre makers and playwrights, as well as to the theories and methodologies of a selection of practitioners.  This will make it possible for the learners to explore a range of acting techniques, in order to eventually implement such knowledge into their future projects. In this first unit, students will learn about basic methodologies and performance objectives, and become familiar with different applications of storytelling.

Some of the practitioners who will be studied throughout the three units of this module will be Konstantin Stanislavski, Bertolt Brecht, Stella Adler, Viola Spolin, Maria Knebel, Uta Hagen, Anne Bogart, Tina Landau, Dario Fo, Lynn Nottage, and Katie Mitchell.

Learning outcomes:

• Make informed choices when approaching a piece of theatre
• Apply the methodologies studied to one’s roles and performances
• Experiment with different acting styles and techniques
• Take care of one’s mental wellbeing as actor
• The theories put forward by these principal practitioners in theatre
• A basic knowledge of the works of the selected practitioners, playwrights, and theatre makers
• The influence of the selected figures on theatre
• Explore different styles of theatre
• Make use of different approaches to a performance piece
• Appreciate the different purposes of particular pieces of theatre
• Understand the political aspects behind the theories and works of the practitioners, playwrights, and theatre makers studied
• Communicate effectively with an audience
• Work in a group to convey a message through drama

Study Unit:         BCP04   Critical Artistry 1 (MQF 5, ECTS 4)

Contact hours:  24

Supervised placement and practice hours:           0

Self-study hours:             74

Assessment hours:         2

Total learning hours:       100

Description:

The two units of this module encourage students to make use of their artistic and creative abilities, critical thinking and activism, as an essential part of their individual development process to bring about personal and artistic growth, on the one hand, and as a force for political and social change, on the other.  The first unit introduces the notion of critical thinking and the need to integrate this skill into the learning process throughout the course.  It will also explore the concept of the artist as activist, and in turn, activists as potential drivers of change in society, politics and culture.  Students will be motivated to formulate and ask critical questions regarding their own development as artists and individuals, and as members of society.

Learning outcomes:

• Integrate critical thinking into one’s artistic and creative practice
• Reflect on one’s learning process in terms of personal and artistic development
• Explore the concept of the artist as activist and potential driver for change in society
• The importance of questioning and critical thinking
• Reflecting on one’s learning process, personal development, and artistic growth
• Formulating critical questions regarding one’s growth as artist and individual
• The artist as activist and as a force for political and social change
• Take responsibility for one’s own artistic development
• Apply critical thinking to influence one’s choices
• Apply the notion of activism in one’s creative practice
• Take control of one’s career and artistic development
• Drive for change in society, politics and culture, through activism in one’s creative practice
• Formulate analytical questions to better communicate one’s thinking
• Communicate with the public through an artistic approach favouring activism
• Develop critical thinking and activism in one’s creative practice

Study Unit:         BCP12   Context and Culture in Analysis and Practice (MQF 5, ECTS 4)

Contact hours:  24

Supervised placement and practice hours:           0

Self-study hours:             74

Assessment hours:         2

Total learning hours:       100

Description:

Context and Culture in Analysis and Practice allows students to probe the contexts in which particular pieces of theatre were created or written. Learners will explore, understand, and analyse the different ways whereby the context and culture in which a theatre piece was created informed the piece. They will look into the work and analyse it in terms of its creation or writing, as well as in terms of its performance. In this way, they will be empowered to incorporate their current milieu into their own practice, both when creating new work and also when interpreting older texts into today’s context and culture. The students will be encouraged to apply this knowledge through practical tasks and exercises.

Learning outcomes:

• Apply knowledge of the contexts in which particular works and productions were created or written
• Analyse the ways in which the context and culture of a society inform the theatre it creates
• Analyse how the style of theatre used for a performance is also influenced by the society’s culture and socio-political and economic context
• Analyse the way productions of the same work changed under different circumstances, cultures, and contexts
• Incorporate the current context and culture into one’s practice when creating new work
• Show an awareness of the world in which the works are being performed when interpreting older texts
• The contexts in which particular works and productions were created or written
• The way theatre is influenced by the culture and context that creates it
• Theatre as a product of society and culture
• Apply awareness of the current context and political climate into the pieces one creates
• Give new meaning and interpretations to older texts when performing them today
• Adapt productions according to the resources available to the artist, choosing cultural settings which such resources may cover
• Analyse a theatre piece in terms of its historical, cultural and social context
• When putting up a historical theatre production, select works which are still relevant today
• Create or adapt works which may be relevant to a contemporary audience
• Provide the contextual setting to a piece of work, to render it more comprehensible to a spectator from a different cultural background
• Produce works which are contextually relevant

Study Unit:         BCP13   Applied Arts in the Community 1 (MQF 5, ECTS 4)

Contact hours:  24

Supervised placement and practice hours:           0

Self-study hours:             74

Assessment hours:         2

Total learning hours:       100

Description:

This module serves to highlight the impact art has on the community, and the effects it can generate on society.  Students get to know how they can take an active role in promoting and practising the arts in their respective circles.  The module aims to emphasise the responsibility the arts and individual artists and creatives have as instigators for change within their community.

Learning outcomes:

• Apply knowledge of the community and its needs
• Apply knowledge of the impact art can have on the community
• Take responsible actions as an artist or creative to instigate change within the community
• The community: its needs and struggles
• Ways in which art can help a community
• The active role artists play in a community
• Address community needs by designing and delivering projects in the arts
• Analyse the challenges faced by a community to devise creative actions to meet such needs
• Reach out to different sectors of the community through the arts
• Create works and projects to produce an impact on society

Second Term

Study Unit:         BCP15   Acting for Screen (MQF 5, ECTS 4)

Contact hours:  24

Supervised placement and practice hours:           12

Self-study hours:             62

Assessment hours:         2

Total learning hours:       100

Description:

Through this module, students learn how to make use of the skills they developed in their voice, movement, and acting technique units in order to adapt them to the different medium of the screen. They will understand and practice the skills and techniques required when acting for the camera, and they will also be exposed to the process involved behind the camera when filming a scene.

Learning outcomes:

• Apply knowledge of the different audiovisual media to optimise the level of performance
• Adapt the skills learnt – in voice, movement, and acting techniques – to the audiovisual media
• Practise the techniques necessary when acting for the camera
• Apply knowledge of the process involved behind the camera when filming a scene
• Expressing oneself through the medium of film or TV
• Techniques required when performing for the camera
• Use of the voice to communicate a character’s thoughts and actions
• Use of the body to communicate a character’s thoughts and actions
• Processes involved behind the camera when filming a scene
• Perform for the screen and other audiovisual media
• Adapt one’s acting techniques to optimise performance in front of the camera
• Adapt one’s performance according to the medium
• Make decisions based on one’s knowledge of the filming process
• Communicate through the medium of film
• Be aware of digital filming technologies

Study Unit:

BCP16   The Creative: Citizen and Collaborator (MQF 5, ECTS 4)

Contact hours:  24

Supervised placement and practice hours:           0

Self-study hours:             74

Assessment hours:         2

Total learning hours:       100

Description:

This module aims to introduce students to the notion of ‘the creative’: performers and artists who are able to create their own work, while also collaborating and co-creating work with other organisations and groups within the community. It seeks to inspire students on ways to harness their creative talents in the production of artistic works and performances, both individually and collectively.

Learning outcomes:

• Generate ideas and initiate artistic projects to improve society
• Work towards becoming an artist with the ability to impact the future of the community
• Reach out to different organisations to collaborate on a common goal that will benefit society
• Meet the needs of both the artists and the organisations working together
• Collaborate with others in an exchange of skills and expertise to deliver creative projects
• Promote Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives by companies in the community
• The difference between a performer and a creative
• Identification of organisations and contacts for portential future collaboration
• How art can assist different sectors in society for the mutual benefit of the creative and the community
• The impact of artistic projects and collaborations on society and the local community
• Interdisciplinarity and steps of the collaborative process
• The concept of Corporate Social Responsibility
• Learn how different organisations operate and work together towards common goals
• Collaborate with other artists and creatives for common objectives
• Propose and deliver artistic projects with clear goals and benefits to society
• Adopt interdisciplinary approaches to the arts to produce more comprehensive outcomes
• Define the mutual benefits to organisations when discussing collaborative proposals
• Formulate artistic collaborations for the Corporate Social Responsibility strategy of a business
• Promote teamwork and communicate the outputs of projects undertaken with other collaborators
• Highlight the benefits to society of artistic and creative activities
• Collaborate effectively with other artists and within a community

Study Unit:         BCP17   Sustainability in the Arts (MQF 5, ECTS 4)

Contact hours:  24

Supervised placement and practice hours:           0

Self-study hours:             74

Assessment hours:         2

Total learning hours:       100

Description:

This module presents the notion of sustainability in the arts. Students will understand the importance of art that is produced with care for the larger impact of the work on its historical, cultural, social, environmental, and economic surroundings, as well as its impact on future generations. The module aims to show students how to incorporate this notion and understanding of sustainability into their own work and practice as artists and creatives.

Learning outcomes:

• Evaluate artistic and creative activities in terms of their sustainability
• Explore the impact that artistic works can have on their surroundings
• Consider the impact that work produced today can have on future generations
• Incorporate the concept of sustainability into each project proposed or created
• Render as sustainable as possible one’s artistic practice
• The notion of sustainability in the arts
• Economic, environmental and social sustainability
• Methods of incorporating sustainability into the artistic practice
• Applying resources effectively
• Make an efficient and sustainable use of resources in one’s artistic practice
• Implement methods of sustainability into one’s creative projects
• Promote sustainability issues through one’s professional work in the arts
• Reflect on the influence of one’s artistic works and activities in terms of sustainability
• Analyse the impact of creative projects on the environment and future generations
• Communicate sustainability issues through one’s artistic work
• Raise awareness on the need for sustainability through the arts
• Integrate sustainability into one’s creative practice
• Apply digital technologies to reduce the use of materials

Study Unit:         BCP14p Applied Arts in the Community 2 (MQF 5, ECTS 6)

Contact hours:  12

Supervised placement and practice hours:           136

Self-study hours:             0

Assessment hours:         2

Total learning hours:       150

Description:

This module serves to highlight the impact art has on the community, and the effects it can generate on society.  Students get to know how they can take an active role in promoting and practising the arts in their respective circles.  The module aims to emphasise the responsibility the arts and individual artists and creatives have as instigators for change within their community.

Learning outcomes:

• Design and implement projects promoting the arts within the community
• Raise the resources required to propose and undertake projects to meet community demands
• Mobilise the different stakeholders to participate actively in community projects
• Spearheading change within a community
• Applying the performing arts to implement projects of benefit to the community
• Creating and successfully delivering community projects in the arts
• Address community needs by designing and delivering projects in the arts
• Mobilise resources and stakeholders
• Drive actions for change via the arts
• Tailor project proposals to target and mobilise specific sectors of a particular community
• Formulate a project idea and pitch it to the community leaders and policymakers
• Create works and projects to produce an impact on society

First and Second Terms

Study Unit:         BCP06   Voice 1 (MQF 5, ECTS 8)

Contact hours:  48

Supervised placement and practice hours:           24

Self-study hours:             124

Assessment hours:         4

Total learning hours:       200

Description:

This first unit of the module will explore different voice warm-ups, techniques and skills required of actors, performers and creatives. Students will focus on proper breathing, voice placement, and support when performing, while also mastering the techniques and exercises necessary to maintain their vocal health.

Learning outcomes:

• Intensify the objectives for a piece of text through the use of vocal range within a theatre space
• Apply knowledge of vocal care to prevent potential harm to the voice
• Apply skills, exercises, and warm-ups necessary to maintain vocal wellbeing
• Proper breathing and voice placement to sustain one’s vocal energy throughout a performance
• Voice training methodologies and practitioners
• Clarity of voice and diction
• Vocal energy and projection
• Apply voice techniques to one’s performance
• Conduct voice exercises and care to maintain vocal wellbeing
• Lead one’s own warm-ups in preparation for a rehearsal or performance
• Make decisions regarding voice when approaching a character
• Communicate more expressively and intensely through the use of vocal energy on stage
• Address the audience through clarity of voice, diction, and projection
• Apply healthy vocal practice and care

Study Unit:         BCP08   Movement 1 (MQF 5, ECTS 8)

Contact hours:  48

Supervised placement and practice hours:           24

Self-study hours:             124

Assessment hours:         4

Total learning hours:       200

Description:

The module aims to equip students with skills and knowledge of different ways of using the body in a performance. This first unit will introduce warm-ups and relaxation exercises, which students will apply in preparation for rehearsals and performances. It will also include physical theatre and improvisation techniques and skills.

Learning outcomes:

• Warm-up the body before rehearsals and performances in order to avoid strains or injuries
• Use the body to communicate a message on stage, to the other performers and to the audience
• Use the body to explore a character, its thoughts and emotions
• Use movement to create or develop different characters
• Use the body to make and emphasise certain character choices
• Physical warm-ups
• Use of movement to express particular character choices
• Ways in which to physically communicate a message
• Basic improvisation skills
• Use the body as a tool to explore roles and character psychology, intentions, and objectives
• Use movement in the creation or development of a character as an individual
• Apply physical warm-up exercises before rehearsals to avoid strains or injuries
• Make decisions on the use of movement to portray character choices
• Form individual warm-ups to best prepare one’s body for a rehearsal or performance
• Express particular character choices on stage through movement
• Use the body to communicate effectively to other actors, as well as to members of the audience
• Apply physical warm-up exercises before rehearsals to avoid strains or injuries

Study Unit:         BCP10   Devised Theatre 1 (MQF 5, ECTS 8)

Contact hours:  48

Supervised placement and practice hours:           24

Self-study hours:             124

Assessment hours:         4

Total learning hours:       200

Description:

This module is intended to let students explore the different ways through which one can create a piece of theatre. The first part will focus on the skills necessary to devise a performance piece, while the second will provide an opportunity for students to actually create a short piece of theatre in groups, and to share this with one another and their course tutors.

Learning outcomes:

• Apply knowledge of the process of devising and creating a piece of theatre
• Explore the different options and possibilities when creating a theatre piece
• Make informed decisions on the piece, and select a devising process that best fits needs
• Work together to share and effectively communicate ideas on a theatre piece
• The process of creating a piece of theatre
• Practical skills needed to transform ideas into actions
• Effects of external circumstances on the devising process and final piece
• Effects of external circumstances on the choices an artist makes when creating a piece of theatre
• Devise the process to create a piece of theatre
• Identify and explore alternative possibilities when devising a theatre piece
• Select the devising process most appropriate for the performance piece one intends to create
• Assess the financial commitments needed to create and perform a theatre piece
• Allow for proper time management in the devising process, allocating sufficient time for each task required
• Devise theatre that communicates the message more effectively on stage
• Devise innovative pieces of theatre

Structure of Fees as from 2022

Language of Instruction

The language of instruction of the programme is English.