EA295-5-FY-SO:
Circus in a Suitcase

The details
2024/25
East 15 Acting School
Southend Campus
Full Year
Undergraduate: Level 5
Current
Thursday 03 October 2024
Friday 27 June 2025
15
31 March 2021

 

Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)

 

(none)

Key module for

BA W494 Acting and Physical Theatre

Module description

TThis second year module for the BA Physical Theatre introduces students to the broad range of circus skills needed to create circus. It provides an individual performance focus and encourages development of individual performance ability in a particular skill such as aerials, juggling, clowning or stilt-walking. The course delivers physical conditioning for circus skills and development of acrobatic skills.
Circus is a predominantly specialist discipline in which the focus is on skills and virtuoso performance. Students build on their understanding of, and experience in a variety of circus skills, and work toward a professional level of expertise in their individual circus discipline such as corde lisse, bungy, trapeze, juggling, or clowning. This unit also further develops acrobatic balancing and tumbling to a professional level.

By the end of the module students will have developed and experienced a range of advanced circus skills, an individual creative performance focus in a discipline such as corde lisse, bungy, trapeze, juggling, or clowning and advanced acrobatic balancing and tumbling skills.

The work of the module also includes an element of street theatre training which aims to integrate and apply elements of mask, clowning skills and commedia and thus provides students with opportunities to put into practice a wide range of the skills they have learned in the first year of the course.

Module aims

- To introduce students to the broad range of skills needed to create circus.
- Development of individual performance ability in a particular circus skill
- To encourage students to undergo physical conditioning
- To work towards a professional level of expertise in a range of circus skills.
- To create solo and ensemble performance projects for public performance.
- Introduction to basic acrobatics. Perform using basic acrobatic groundwork and balances
- Introduction to groundwork and balances
- Exploration of the use of capoeira, adding feints, subterfuge and choreography to create fluid acrobatic performance

Module learning outcomes

On completion of this module the student should be able to:
- Work as individuals and as a part of a team
- Demonstrate an awareness of the safety practices required for execution of circus routines
- Perform using advanced technique in an individual circus discipline
- Demonstrate advanced circus skills in an ensemble performance
- Demonstrate competent management of safety practices required for the execution of circus performances.
- Demonstrate an understanding of spatial awareness in relation to others
- Perform using basic acrobatic groundwork and balances

Module information

No additional information available.

Learning and teaching methods

Circus studio training, independent study, screenings, rehearsal.

Bibliography

This module does not appear to have a published bibliography for this year.

Assessment items, weightings and deadlines

Coursework / exam Description Deadline Coursework weighting
Practical   Continuous Assessment     

Exam format definitions

  • Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
  • In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
  • In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
  • In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary, for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.

Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.

Overall assessment

Coursework Exam
100% 0%

Reassessment

Coursework Exam
100% 0%
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Mr Simon Hunt, email: huntsj@essex.ac.uk.
Simon Hunt and staff
01702 32 8319

 

Availability
No
No
No

External examiner

Mr STRUAN LESLIE
Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama
HEAD OF MOVEMENT
Resources
Available via Moodle
No lecture recording information available for this module.

 

Further information
East 15 Acting School

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