Doctor of Performing Arts

Doctor of Performing Arts students will pursue a special programme of artistic practice and supplementary study. This will comprise:

• A) A series of Professional Projects (360 credits, level 12)
• B) Individually tailored Supplementary Studies (120 credits, level 7 and above)
• C) A Written Component (60 credits, level 12)

All elements must be passed for the successful award of the degree.

These are the core of the programme of study. Within the broad outline of approximately 3600 hours of work, the student, in consultation with the supervisor, will propose any appropriate set of projects for the approval of the Research Degrees Committee.

In practice, this component of the portfolio will normally include 3-4 Artistic Projects and one Development Project. Recognising the core aim of developing advanced artistic practice, the Professional Projects may be assessed ‘live’ (for example, through a performance) or through appropriate media (such as video or audio recording).

Artistic Projects

The artistic projects will form a coherent artistic whole. In some programmes of study, this coherence may be self-evident (a focus on particular techniques, a body of repertoire, or a well-defined professional context), but in others it will require more careful articulation. In all cases, however, the artistic projects will clearly establish a well-integrated body of artistic work: they must be focused enough to permit the candidate to make a significant and original contribution to her or his professional field.

Supervisors will be able to offer guidance on the level of work required in each project: all projects will demonstrate some work at a professional, post-Masters level in the chosen artistic field.

Development Project

The purpose of the Development Project is to broaden the professional development of the candidate by facilitating significant work beyond the framework of the core Artistic Projects. The Development Project is therefore designed to challenge the candidate to apply their artistic insights in new and unfamiliar contexts, expand their professional skills, and provide opportunities to maximise the impact of their artistic work. The scale of the Development Project will normally be similar to one of the Artistic Projects: the Development Project therefore represents a substantial and extended piece of work.

The nature of the Development Project will depend significantly on the proposed Artistic Projects: where these are located primarily within formal contexts such as the studio, concert hall or performance space, candidates will be encouraged to expand their professional versatility by pursuing the Development Project in a community or business setting.

The detailed proposal for a candidate’s programme of study will explain how his or her Development Project complements the proposed Artistic Projects. Together, the Professional Projects are the heart of the programme of study.

Supplementary Studies are taught courses, to a total of 120 credits, the purpose of which is to broaden and deepen the candidate’s artistic practice. In the detailed proposal for the programme of study, the candidate will propose a programme of taught study that will support the development of her or his artistic practice.

These taught courses may be drawn from the Conservatoire or the University course catalogues (dependent on availability and pre-requisites), and may also be pursued at other higher education institutions, such as the Open University. Procedures for credit transfer will be used to ensure the widest possible flexibility, and the specification for doctorates provided within the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework allows that these courses be at any level between SCQF 7 and 12 (that is, any level from first year undergraduate, to doctoral level).

These taught courses may be theoretical, practical or research-related, and may be ‘close’ to the candidate’s proposed artistic field or, where a clear case can be made, more ‘distant’ from that field.

For example, a student pursuing a project focussed on 19th Century German Lieder might propose Supplementary Studies relating to German language and poetry, but could also propose a programme of work focussed on related philosophical currents, or social history, where a case can be made that these will directly enrich his or her artistic practice. Likewise, a contemporary performance maker might propose a programme of supplementary study that centres on cultural theory, but could equally pursue studies in economics or natural history, where a case can be made that these studies will meaningfully inform his or her artistic practice.

The aim of the written component is to provide a reflective synthesis of the Professional Projects and Supplementary Studies, drawing them together into a coherent whole and contextualising the contribution made by the candidate to their chosen artistic field.

In particular, the written component should set out the artistic and intellectual context for the Professional Projects, reflect self-critically on the process of professional artistic development (including the role of the Supplementary Studies undertaken), and articulate the artistic insights achieved through the programme of study.

The written component will be 12,500 — 15,000 words (excluding bibliography and appendices), unless the Research Degree Committee has specifically granted permission for the word limit to be increased.