Course Outline
DRA301 Devising Performance
Course Coordinator:Hannah Banks (hbanks@usc.edu.au) School:School of Business and Creative Industries
2026Trimester 2
UniSC Sunshine Coast |
Blended learning | Most of your course is on campus but you may be able to do some components of this course online. |
Please go to unisc.edu.au for up to date information on the
teaching sessions and campuses where this course is usually offered.
What is this course about?
Description
Focusing on devising and collaborative processes, this course builds upon previous studies and provides artistic opportunities to develop a fully-realised original performance. In this capstone course you will utilise the knowledge and skills that you've acquired over the course of your theatre studies including acting, writing, directing, designing, dramaturgy and collaboration. You will participate in a devising process led by a director to produce an original devised work for the theatre in a public facing performance.
How will this course be delivered?
| Activity | Hours | Beginning Week | Frequency |
| Blended learning | |||
| Tutorial/Workshop 1 – Scheduled On-Campus Workshops | 4hrs | Week 1 | 10 times |
Course Topics
In DRA301 students will:
- Form a theatre company, including production roles, to devise an original piece of theatre for public performance. Note: As this is an original performance created in collaboration by the student company it may contain: adult themes, coarse language, drug references, sexual references, references of violence
- Investigate devising processes, the history of devised performance and it’s relevance to contemporary theatre practice
- Examine key theories and fields such as: Dramaturgy, Performance Studies, Gender Performance, Cultural Performance, Playwriting, Directing, Acting, Design
Mature Content
What level is this course?
300 Level (Graduate)
What is the unit value of this course?
12 units
How does this course contribute to my learning?
| Course Learning Outcomes On successful completion of this course, you should be able to... | Graduate Qualities Completing these tasks successfully will contribute to you becoming... | |
| 1 | Engage in research on a specific provocation to create an appropriate performance pitch | Creative and critical thinker |
| 2 | Apply knowledge of dramatic form, performance making, production process and performance skills with proficiency and confidence | Empowered |
| 3 | Collaborate to create an original and polished devised performance for public presentation | Ethical |
| 4 | Communicate, justify and reflect on the creative process and effectiveness of the final product | Creative and critical thinker |
Am I eligible to enrol in this course?
Refer to the UniSC Glossary of terms for definitions of “pre-requisites, co-requisites and anti-requisites”.
Pre-requisites
DRA 202
Co-requisites
Not applicable
Anti-requisites
Not applicable
Specific assumed prior knowledge and skills (where applicable)
Competent English language skills for oral and written work and foundational skills in theatre and performance. It is assumed that all students enrolled in the course have taken at least one prior Theatre Performance, Theatre Production or Music Performance course at university-level. Each student should have first-hand experience with a public-facing performing arts organization prior to this course such as, but not limited to, university theatre, music ensembles, community theatre, solo performance, other forms of educational theatre (inclusive of high school), professional theatre or a prior professional internship in the performing arts. As this a 300-level course, it is recommended that students complete this course in their final year of study.
Microcredential Information
Not applicable
How am I going to be assessed?
Grading Scale
Standard Grading (GRD)
| High Distinction (HD), Distinction (DN), Credit (CR), Pass (PS), Fail (FL). |
Details of early feedback on progress
A plan of your Task 1 assessment (oral presentation) will be reviewed by your tutor in week 3. It should include the key components of your presentation. Throughout the trimester the course coordinator will provide feedback on the original performance creation as part of Task 2.
Assessment tasks
| Delivery mode | Task No. | Assessment Product | Individual or Group | Weighting % | What is the duration / length? | When should I submit? | Where should I submit it? |
| All | 1 | Oral | Individual | 20% | 10 minutes |
Week 4 | Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check and in class |
| All | 2 | Creative Performance | Individual | 45% | 1 hour |
Exam Period | In Class |
| All | 3 | Artefact - Creative, and Written Piece | Individual | 35% | 2000 words |
Exam Period | Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check |
| All - Assessment Task 1:Oral Presentation | |||||||||||||
| Goal: | Communicate knowledge and vision of an aspect of the devising provocation |
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| Product: | Oral | ||||||||||||
| Authorship Statement: | |||||||||||||
| Format: | Academic format. You will select an aspect of the provocation given to the devising company to research. You will apply your information literacy skills to source and analyse information on your chosen aspect. You will present your research to your peers in tutorial. The presentation must include background information, political/social context, personal connection, the central themes and purpose, and your analysis of how it could impact the devised performance. You will present your research in a 10-minute oral and visual presentation using presentation software before uploading your presentation to Canvas. This task is being used for measuring assurance of learning towards Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accreditation. The following Program Competency will be assessed: PC3 Ethical and cultural understanding |
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| Criteria: |
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| Generic Skills: | |||||||||||||
| All - Assessment Task 2:Devised Performance | ||||||||||||||||
| Goal: | Collaboratively create a devised performance |
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| Product: | Creative Performance | |||||||||||||||
| Authorship Statement: | ||||||||||||||||
| Format: | Industry Format: This task requires you to draw on many of the skills that you have developed throughout the Theatre and Performance major and develop a polished original performance product from concept through to presentation. Students will collaborate to devise, rehearse and perform an original devised performance that will be presented to the public in the first week of the Exam Block. You will be graded individually on your contribution. This task is being used for measuring assurance of learning towards Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accreditation. The following Program Competency will be assessed: PC6 Entrepreneurial and innovative thinking and collaboration |
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| Criteria: |
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| Generic Skills: | Communication, Collaboration, Problem solving, Organisation, Applying technologies |
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| All - Assessment Task 3:Concept Book | ||||||||||||||||
| Goal: | Document the emergent aesthetics and dramaturgy of the devised performance |
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| Product: | Artefact - Creative, and Written Piece | |||||||||||||||
| Authorship Statement: | ||||||||||||||||
| Format: | Industry format: Throughout the creative process you will conduct research and develop your aesthetic ideas by collecting and collating relevant images, sound and text. You will record significant moments in rehearsal and identify connections between the resources you gather. You will use this book to develop your ideas and as a record from which you initiate group discussion on the developing work. This concept book can be presented creatively and should include: - detailed research and analysis of the developing concept and thematic - rehearsal journal, reflective practice on the process - reflection on performance season |
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| Criteria: |
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| Generic Skills: | Communication, Problem solving, Organisation, Information literacy |
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Directed study hours
A 12-unit course will have total of 150 learning hours which will include directed study hours (including online if required), self-directed learning and completion of assessable tasks. Student workload is calculated at 12.5 learning hours per one unit.
What resources do I need to undertake this course?
Please note: Course information, including specific information of recommended readings, learning activities, resources, weekly readings, etc. are available on the course Canvas site– Please log in as soon as possible.
Prescribed text(s) or course reader
Specific requirements
Students will be expected to be available for autonomous group rehearsals and peer workgroup sessions in addition to your timetabled workshops. Students will be required to attend additional timetabled and non-timetabled sessions throughout trimester to support their learning process (production meetings, learning lines, etc.). As production roles are set within the first two weeks of the trimester, each student should consider their availability on evenings and weekends as well as normal working hours before committing to their assigned production role. A weekend performance and/or technical rehearsal will be required. Specific performances dates will be announced at the start of trimester. Per higher education practice within theatre and performance programs, DRA301 students will be required to attend all technical rehearsals and performances. This is a common expectation in the theatre industry. There will be evening rehearsals and performances scheduled throughout Study Week and Exam Block Week 1.
How are risks managed in this course?
What administrative information is relevant to this course?
Assessment: Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is the ethical standard of university participation. It ensures that students graduate as a result of proving they are competent in their discipline. This is integral in maintaining the value of academic qualifications. Each industry has expectations and standards of the skills and knowledge within that discipline and these are reflected in assessment.
Academic integrity means that you do not engage in any activity that is considered to be academic fraud; including plagiarism, collusion or outsourcing any part of any assessment item to any other person. You are expected to be honest and ethical by completing all work yourself and indicating in your work which ideas and information were developed by you and which were taken from others. You cannot provide your assessment work to others. You are also expected to provide evidence of wide and critical reading, usually by using appropriate academic references.
In order to minimise incidents of academic fraud, this course may require that some of its assessment tasks, when submitted to Canvas, are electronically checked through Turnitin. This software allows for text comparisons to be made between your submitted assessment item and all other work to which Turnitin has access.
Assessment: Additional Requirements
Eligibility for Supplementary Assessment
Your eligibility for supplementary assessment in a course is dependent of the following conditions applying:
(a) The final mark is in the percentage range 47% to 49.4%; and
(b) The course is graded using the Standard Grading scale
Your eligibility for supplementary assessment in a course is dependent of the following conditions applying: The final mark is in the percentage range 47% to 49.4% The course is graded using the Standard Grading scale You have not failed an assessment task in the course due to academic misconduct
Assessment: Submission penalties
Late submissions may be penalised up to and including the following maximum percentage of the assessment task’s identified value, with weekdays and weekends included in the calculation of days late:
(a) One day: deduct 5%;
(b) Two days: deduct 10%;
(c) Three days: deduct 20%;
(d) Four days: deduct 40%;
(e) Five days: deduct 60%;
(f) Six days: deduct 80%;
(g) Seven days: A result of zero is awarded for the assessment task.
The following penalties will apply for a late submission for an online examination:
Less than 15 minutes: No penalty
From 15 minutes to 30 minutes: 20% penalty
More than 30 minutes: 100% penalty
Links to relevant University policy and procedures
For more information on Academic Learning & Teaching categories including:
- Assessment: Courses and Coursework Programs
- Review of Assessment and Final Grades
- Supplementary Assessment
- Central Examinations
- Deferred Examinations
- Student Conduct
- Students with a Disability
For more information, visit https://www.usc.edu.au/explore/policies-and-procedures#academic-learning-and-teaching
Student Charter
UniSC is committed to excellence in teaching, research and engagement in an environment that is inclusive, inspiring, safe and respectful. The Student Charter sets out what students can expect from the University, and what in turn is expected of students, to achieve these outcomes.
General Enquiries
For course-specific questions, contact your teaching staff or Course Coordinator.
For other enquiries or to access support, please contact Student Central: