NORDIC DIGITAL PERFORMANCE STUDIES A NordPlus-funded project 2020-2022
PROJECT RESULTS
ARTISTIC AND PEDAGOGICAL EXPLORATIONS, TEACHING MATERIALS AND CURRICULUM
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The project Nordic Digital Performance Studies is a collaborative effort between Oulu University of Applied Sciences (FI), Stockholm University of the Arts (SE) and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NO), funded by NordPlus. The overall goal is to develop a platform for collaboration, aiming for a future double Master's degree. Throughout the project period, 2020-2022, project partners from the Department of Media and Performing Arts (Oulu), the Department of Dance Pegagogy (Stockholm) and the Department for Teacher Education (Trondheim) has explored artistic and educational approaches within the theme "digital performance". The results are documented through this webpage, with a video representing artistic explorations and possible teaching materials and a presentation of our draft curriculum for a joint course. The project results will be applied for further collaboration, aiming for a pilot run and expansion of the course over the coming years.
Project participants and affiliates:
- Oulu University of Applied Sciences, department of Media and Performing arts: Karoliina Niemelä, Jussi Tuohino, Ouit Räsänen, Blair Stevenson
- Stockholm University of the Arts, department of Dance Pedagogy: Martin Sonderkamp, Hara Alonso, Ulrika Berg, Peter Mills
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology, department for Teacher Education: Egil Reistadbakk, Martin Kristoffersen, Fritz Flåmo Eidsvaag, Bjørn-Terje Bandlien
VIDEO DOCUMENTATION
CURRICULUM
General information:
1-year 15 ECTS open master’s level hybrid course, open for a total of 12 participants. Subject areas: Performing arts (i.e. music, dance, theatre, opera, circus), media and visual arts (i.e. arts, crafts, photo, video, design, architecture), digital technology and arts collaboration
Module 1, fall: “Concepts & experiments” - 7,5 ECTS.
- 3 seminars on campus á 80hrs
- Independent work á 120hrs
Module 2, spring: “Development & results” - 7,5 ECTS.
- 2 seminars on campus á 50hrs
- Independent work á 150hrs
Course description:
Arts collaboration in a digital age is an explorative course for aspiring professionals within performing arts, media and visual arts. The main focus of the course is developing critical perspectives and hands-on experience with cross- and interdisciplinary collaboration in and between the arts, in a digitally saturated environment. This means that the students will acquire strategies and skills in collaboration both physically and remotely, to develop artistic concepts with technology as an integral part of both the collaboration and the concept - critically assessing when and how to use digital tools for artistic expression and collaboration and how these tools affect oneself, others, the arts and our environment.
Module 1 is named “Concepts & experiments”, and during the fall semester students and teachers will start exploring arts collaboration in a digital age. The first part of the course will on one side have collaboration, tools and inputs in focus. This means exploring ways of collaborating in and between the arts and technology, both through offerings from the course staff and from student-led laboratories. During the semester the student cohort will be divided into teams, where the teams will function as peers to collaborate with towards a final presentation of a concept and contextualization - either individually or as a team.
Module 2 is named “Development & result”, where selected concepts from semester 1 provide the basis for new teams that will explore and revise the concepts towards the final exposition and exam. The students can decide to work on their own or participate in another student’s concept. Each selected concept will be paired with (a) supervisor(s). The main focus will be on the students’ creative and artistic explorations, with teachers and supervisors offering provocations, feedback and critical perspectives throughout the semester. At the end of module 2, there will be 3 days of expositions where the students share their process and eventual results and participate in feedback sessions.
Learning outcomes:
Knowledge
The students...
- Have advanced embodied, practical and theoretical knowledge of relevant research, cultural context and artistic outputs related to their field of specialization
Skills
The students...
- Know how to articulate approaches, and devise and apply tools for remote and physical collaboration within cross- and interdisciplinary fields of media, performing and visual arts
- Can assess and relate critically to the sustainability and possible affordances and constraints when using digital technology in artistic practices
- Design, devise, document, realize and communicate a collaborative process and project
General competence
The students…
- Can, in collaboration with others, contribute professionally to the continuous sustainable development of themselves and across diverse fields of practices
Entry requirements and admission:
Background of BA level (180 ECTS) or equivalent (prior learning) is required upon entry. To apply the applicant must provide:
- A 2-page proposal of interest areas and motivation in relation to course content
- Portfolio documenting prior practice and learning
Applicants will be admitted after an evaluation of provided documents to facilitate a suitable student cohort for the course.
Assessment:
Work requirements Module 1:
- Individual review of teaching material
- Individual sharing of background, practice, references and affinities
- Team planning, sharing, execution and feedback of lab setting 1 (includes one online meeting)
- Individual or team planning, sharing, delivery & feedback of concept and conceptualization (includes two online meetings)
- Attendance, 80% of on-campus seminars and online meetings
Work requirements Module 2:
- Team or individual process documentation with supervisor (includes 1 online meeting)
- Hand-in of “playlist”
- Design, preparations and execution of student-led seminar (includes 2 online meetings)
- Attendance, 80% of on-campus seminars and online meetings
All work requirements are assessed approved/not approved.
Exam:
The examination for this course consists of three parts. In order to submit the assessment, the compulsory activities must be passed. Part one and two might be delivered individually or as a group, depending on the project chosen by the student. Part three must be delivered as individual work.
- Exposition: Each student project will be presented as an exposition on campus at the last seminar. The students are free to form the exposition as they best see fit under guidance of their provided supervisor, limited only by a time frame of 60 minutes and the rooms/facilities/equipment at the provided location.
- Process documentation: Each student project must hand in a final documentation of their process. The documentation elements can also be used in the exposition, but should function as a standalone package. It may include works of art and design, videos, sound, pictures and written information about the work presented.
- Individual essay where the student reflect upon arts collaboration in a digital age in relation to experiences from the course and one’s own “playlist”: Each student is to write a 6-8 page essay, based on the experiences and personal playlist they generate during the course.
The exam is assessed passed/not passed, and the students will be given a written evaluation from the course staff.
Teaching methods, activities and course materials
The teaching methods are student-centered. They focus on student active learning forms, development of student-led formats and emphasize practically applied knowledge within individual and collaborative projects.
The course material will be presented as a “playlist”, curated by the staff. Here, the students will be introduced to theory, research and select artistic work. The students are then required to choose from this playlist and add contributions of their own, to create their own individual playlist connected to their field of interest and their practical work throughout the course.
Diverse sites for learning might be used during this course, which might include visits to urban or nature outdoors spaces as well as to different arts institutions like performance venues, museums, cinemas or concert halls. Students’ collaborations with different arts institutions will be encouraged.
Contact:
- Egil Reistadbakk, NTNU: egil.reistadbakk@ntnu.no
- Karolina Niemelä, OAMK: karoliina.niemela@oamk.fi
- Martin Sonderkamp, SKH: martin.sonderkamp@uniarts.se
All pictures, video and content are generated by and are the property of the project partners.
Credits:
Egil Reistadbakk