| Unit name | Translation and Adaptation |
|---|---|
| Unit code | THTR20030 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Krebs |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | Department of Theatre |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Why is this unit important?
Adaptation and translation appear everywhere in theatre and performance. Both mainstream as well as avant-garde theatre have used and continue to use adaptation and translation as a creative practice, whether in the shape of West End Musicals, Immersive Theatre, avant-garde forms, and anything in between. This unit introduces students to a range of issues related to the practices of and concerns surrounding adaptation and translation practices and processes in theatre and performance.
Covering areas such as conceptual approaches to the investigation of adaptation and translation practices and histories, as well as practical approaches to adaptation and translation, this unit will engage critically and practically with such modes of re-writing. Starting with a historical perspective of the practice of and distinction between adaptation and translation, students will encounter a whole spectrum of examples, ranging from the popular, to the avant-garde and postdramatic.
Students will explore the relationship between notions of authorship and original which form the basis of historic understandings of adaptation and translation as process and product. A range of ways of working with source texts in order to produce adaptations and/or translations will be introduced, and students will explore what strategies are used for re-writing and re-imagining a variety of texts. These practical and research-focused explorations will be analysed in terms of their artistic, economic, political and ideological contexts and impacts.
While translation practices are very much part of the investigations, knowledge of a second language is not at all necessary. If students are competent in another language, those skills, however, can shape individual assessments.
How does the unit fit into your programme of study?
This Year 2 practice-as-research option builds on the existing theatrical and theoretical capacities introduced in Year 1 and develops them through an investigation into and exploration of a particular theatrical practice, namely that of adaptation, translation and script conception, preparation and presentation. It expands the cultural and contextual critical framework while developing the student’s ability of theatrical and dramaturgical practice in the form of a critical script development. Students will have the opportunity to develop such practice as introduced and explored through this unit in their final year of study.
Overview of Content:
This unit introduces you to a range of issues related to adaptation and translation in theatre and performance. Covering areas such as conceptual approaches to the investigation of adaptation and translation practices and histories, as well as practical approaches to adaptation and translation, we will engage critically and practically with various modes of re-writing. Starting with a historical perspective of the practice of and distinction between adaptation and translation, we will encounter a whole spectrum of examples, and will explore the relationship between notions of authorship and originality which form the basis of historic understandings of adaptation and translation as process and product. A range of ways of working with source texts in order to produce adaptations and/or translations will be introduced, and students will explore strategies for re-writing and re-imagining a variety of texts. These practical explorations will be critically analysed in terms of their artistic, economic, political and ideological contexts.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
Students will develop confidence in understanding, evaluating, working with and making adaptations and translations in a contemporary context. Such practice will be underpinned by a historic understanding of the related dramaturgical practices of translation and adaptation. Not only will students deepen their understanding, but they will also be able to engage with the practice of developing performance materials in the form of a script while acknowledging and engaging with various performance form specificities.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
4 contact hours/week made up of mix of seminar, workshop and lecture. Each session will model one or more historical and/or contemporary practice as appropriate for the course content, including but not limited to adaptation and/or translation in a colonial context; as a textual practice; as a non-textual practice; ecologies and spaces of translation and/or adaptation.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Students will learn through presenting their ideas in seminars and during workshops. They will also have opportunities for small group and 1-2-1 tutorials before the summative assessment.
Tasks which do not count towards your unit mark but are required for credit (zero-weighted):
1,500 – 2,000 word script (0% Required for Credit) [ILO 1]
Selecting a source text of your choice (either dramatic or non-dramatic, textual, visual, or oral), you may write either a self-contained script, or an indicative extract from an intended longer adaptation/translation.
The script should be for a performance of no longer than 10-minutes.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
2,000 word essay (100%) [ILOs 2-3]
Reassessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit. The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. THTR20030).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
