ORALS1000 Oral storytelling as artistic research Emneplan

This is a course on masterlevel.

Oral storytelling as an art form is a growing field in the contemporary performing art scene. This course places emphasis on the student’s academic and artistic ability to reflect, discuss and perform oral storytelling in line with socially relevant challenges.

"Oral storytelling as artistic research" provides further education for experienced oral storytellers. The course aims to develop the students’ own artistic expertise and discuss, reflect and explore the possibilities for using oral storytelling as a performative art form in different contexts. In the course, the students will work on their own artistic project leading to a performance.

The course is arranged as a part time Study.

The students need to have BA to attend the course and two years of documented storytelling practice.

After completing the course, the student is expected to have achieved the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The student

• has in-depth knowledge of practices of oral storytelling as performing art
• has in-depth knowledge of artistic research
• is capable of analyzing and using oral storytelling based on social needs  

Skills

The student:

•  is capable of analysing relevant topics based on oral storytelling’s distinctive character and place in society
•  is capable of using relevant methods for developing artistic research in an independent manner
• is capable of developing and using relevant methods to achieve a result

General competence

The student:

•  is capable to carrying out an oral storytelling artistic development project under supervision and in line with current research ethics norms
• is capable of contributing to innovation and innovation processes within the area of oral storytelling
• is capable of analyzing, reflecting and communicating oral storytelling in a community-oriented context

The course covers two main areas:

• oral storytelling as performative artform

• artistic research and theory

Oral storytelling as performative - and verbal artform

-        storytelling practice

-        advanced explorative training

-        organisation and management of process and production 

Artistic research and Theory

-        artistic research methodology

-        performance theory

The course is arranged as a part-time study session-based during the spring. The online teaching will take place during week-ends and evenings. The physical teaching will take place over a week in Oslo. 

2/3 of the course will be organized as online tutoring and teaching with online material, individual and in groups. It is expected that the student practice, reflect, and experiment on their own. 1/3 of the course is organised as workshops and seminars. 

This type of learning process requires both cooperation with peers and the ability to shape their own training.

The student is expected - although no general attendance requirement applies to teaching activities - to mostly be present and be familiar with the content of the teaching. The course is highly process-oriented and based on the student’s own activity. 

Different forms of work and documentation are used in the course. Most of the work will take the form of workshops and seminars, with discussions and testing out ideas. The student take responsibility for organising hers/his own practice.

Lectures and talks will be linked to theory. Advanced explorative training will be linked to the development of the student’s own expression and reflection. 

The teaching language is English.

Coursework requirements

The following coursework is compulsory and must be approved before the student can take the exam: 

·        delivery of a project description

·        delivery of a reading list (books and articles together 500 pages)

·        an written abstract discussing methodology and experience of art practice in relation to theory (300 words)

Compulsory attendance at teaching activities: 

The students cannot be absent for more than 20% of teaching and supervision activities. Subject to an attendance and participation requirement:  

·        online teaching

·        advanced explorative training

See the teaching plans for more information. 

All parts of the exam must be awarded the grade E or better in order for the student to pass the course. If necessary the exam will be organized digitally. 

The exam in the course is twofold:

1. A solo oral storytelling performance lasting min 15 minutes and max 20 minutes, with a following talk with the examiners.

The assessment of the exam counts for 80 % of the final pass grade. The result of the exam cannot be appealed.

2. A paper where the student discuss own art practice, artistic research and relevant theory of 1500 Words

The assessment of the paper counts for 20 % of the final pass grade. The result of the exam can be appealed.

Absence - fail

Students who due to valid absence do not take one or several exam parts that make up the ordinary exam, or who are given an F in one or more of the exam parts that make up the exam, can register for a resit/rescheduled exam. 

All aids are permitted,

A grade scale with grades from A to E for pass (with A being the highest grade and E being the lowest pass grade) and F for fail is used to assess the learning process and the final assessment.

1. A solo oral storytelling performance lasting min 15 minutes and max 20 minutes, with a following talk with the examiners.

Assessed by one internal and one external examiner. 

2. A paper where the student discuss own art practice, artistic research and relevant theory of 1500 words

Assessed by internal examiner

People with BA and experience in storytelling.

To be admitted to the course, the student has to deliver a bio on 200 words, where he/she describe own storytelling experience: where did they study storytelling, what kind of performances have they made and which storytellers have they seen performing and a project description on max 250 words. The content of the project description should be the following: background of the project, artistic description of the project, the relevance of the project, the aims of the project and the target group (audience) of the project. The project will be the focus of the course.