This plan is only available to students commencing from 2009

The Major in Theatre and Performance Studies (TPS) covers the theoretical and historical study of a wide range of human performance in the arts with a focus on contemporary forms of theatre and dance in Europe and Australasia. It is distinguished by an emphasis on engaging with disparate modes of performance – theatrical and cultural, European and Asian, contemporary and historical, text and non-text based, low and high culture – through a combination of both concept-driven and experiential learning.

While the primary objects of study in the Major are theatre and dance, they are regarded in terms of their production of meanings, subjects, and social relations. Practical work is therefore undertaken in the BA program not to train students as professional practitioners, but in order that they may develop an informed critical language for the discussion and analysis of theatre and dance as areas of performance and reach a fuller appreciation of the production process and construction of meaning in the respective media.

The subject-specific aims of the BA Major in TPS are:

A student who wishes to gain a Major in Theatre and Performance Studies must complete 54 units of credit including 12 uoc at Level 1, at least 18 uoc at Level 2 including the core course ARTS2121 Critical Perspectives on Theatre and Performance, and at least 18 uoc at Level 3 including the capstone course.

Students must complete the core course:

AND at least two of the following courses:

Level 3 courses introduce the study of performance from diverse cultural and historical contexts, as well as the issues at stake for performance in contemporary Western mediatised culture. It also offers courses specialising in non-text based, hybrid and/or multimedia forms, including live art, dance theatre and physical theatre. In addition, level 3 contains intensive practical courses that offer opportunities for developing skills in research-based solo and ensemble performance making