Arts and Performance Research Lab

Course goals

By the end of the course, students are able to

• Name and identify knowledge of research methodologies in relation to arts, contemporary performance and dance
• Select and tailor research methodologies for specific research purposes, and critically reflect on the motivations and theoretical, political and ethical implications of research methodologies in relation to the fields of art and society, contemporary performance and dance
• Practice academic and professional skills: planning, collaborating (including giving and digesting feedback) and critical writing

Content

This course centres around mapping different research methodologies and methods that are relevant for your studies in both MA programs. Our weekly meetings combine instructions on research methodology and theoretical, political, and ethical issues related to research on subjects, issues and phenomena related to arts and performance. The key methods we will introduce include situational and dramaturgical analysis, dance and movement analysis, institutional analysis, critical autoethnography and embodied research, as well as address questions of decolonising epistemologies. We also include discussions on possibilities and limitations of generative AI use: what is it, how to use it responsibly, and critically, how to ensure self-responsibility over your work based on version control, logbook, and self-reflection.

Additional information

This course is for students in the MA Contemporary Theatre, Dance and Dramaturgy and the MA Arts and Society programs. 

Career orientation:
Various (PhD) researchers are invited into the course, which adds to insight and knowledge of current developments in the workfield.