Study Plan for Master in Scenography (120 ECTS) (2020–2022)

Study information

The programme is based on experiential artistic laboratories and accomplished productions as well as theory and methods taught over 4 semesters, where the last semester is dedicated to the completion of a the master thesis, consisting of an artistic production and accompanying critical reflection. The courses are adapted to the requirements of the specific study group and will comprise reading, self-studies, study-trips, possibilities for exchanges as well as research into and the organization of self-organized seminars relevant to the Master students' topics.

Internationally renowned guests as well as permanent faculty provide teaching proficient in both practice and theory. The classes are organized as individual and group tutoring. Students are supplied with an internal personal supervisor, who will accompany them from the beginning and ensure their study progress throughout the program. Progression in the programme is further ensured by semester evaluations and feedback at the end of each semester. Additionally external supervisors with specific project relevant competence can be appointed to follow the final phase of the Master production, ie. the 4th semester.

The students will acquire the ability to independently work as artists, to research, develop and implement artistic and architectural projects in the expanded field of scenography in relation to their initially framed final project and/or research field, collectively as well as individually, within the terms described below. Graduates will have qualifications commensurate with an advanced knowledge of relevant factors in the extended field of scenography for the performing arts, in museum and exhibition design, design for film- and video production as well as in art for urban and other public spaces. Graduates will be qualified to apply to the Norwegian artistic research program.

NTA actively contributes to the discourse within an expanded field of scenography and the workshops, classes as well as possible master’s productions reverberate and substantiate accordant inquiries and research. Scenography is understood and further developed as a principle of sensory agency within a societal context, mostly in public space. It relates to activations and accentuations of existing and new sensory active factors brought into distinct relationships. These factors can be visual, acoustic, haptic and/or olfactory. The act of scenography can consist of built structures, recontextualizations, reframings, relocations, catalysts, triggers, sound, smell, taste and the combination if these. Scenography is an art form dependent on an intrinsic dialogue with other artistic or non-artistic competence or agencies, and on the anchoring in a specific point of reference (a text, a music, a topic, a person, etc.). The Master in Scenography seeks to emphasize those interdependencies in creating work and to investigate and explore new constellations and areas of engagement in relevance to scenography. Students are encouraged to inquire the changing paradigms of scenography, both by understanding, questioning and substantiating existing methods, as well as by developing, testing and establishing new ones.

What do you learn?

Degree/title obtained

Completing and passing the programme confers the right to use the title Master of Fine Art in Scenography.

Learning outcomes

After having completed the master's programme, the student will have acquired a repertoire of knowledge and skills, and will have developed general competence at an advanced level in the expanded field of scenography. Acquired knowledge is based on insight into, understanding of and competence in theory and practice in the field. The student will be capable of making independent use of and developing specialised artistic, methodological and technical skills that are relevant to the execution of complex projects. The student will have acquired creative and critical knowledge and thinking, as well as general competence, that can be communicated, applied and implemented in an innovative way. The student will have acquired general competence in concept development and the initiation, development and execution of artistic work as an independent activity, as well as in project management and teamwork in society at large and in the culture sector in particular, including in relation to the performing arts, museums, schools, festivals, film production and cultural institutions. After having completed the master's programme, the student will also be capable of working on artistic research in the expanded field of scenography in the academic and institutional sector. 

Knowledge

The candidate 

• has advanced theoretical and historical knowledge of the performing arts, architecture, visual art, design and theatrical techniques in the widest sense, and in scenography in particular,

• has specialised knowledge of different academic theories and practical work methods relating to the development of ideas and projects, and the performance of work processes in scenography in the widest sense,

• can make practical use of knowledge of innovative and inventive scenographic work processes and projects,

• has understanding and knowledge of and the ability to analyse relevant scenographic problems in relation to the distinctive nature, development and function of art in society and culture

Skills

The candidate

• can analyse different existing sources, materials and art theories, and use them in independent argumentation about scenographic issues

• can analyse, and apply independently, methodological, practical and theoretical knowledge in order to initiate, develop, execute and realise innovative scenographic projects

• can, through precise verbal and visual communication, present and communicate complex scenographic projects to collaborating artists, curators, technicians and production units in the form of drawings and models

• can, with respect to artistic research, describe and reflect on his/her own and others' artistic and theoretical work in an independent way

• can independently execute an artistic research project that is limited in scope, nature, time and complexity, and is in accordance with the applicable norms for research ethics.

General competence

The candidate

• can analyse and identify ethical challenges relating to project development in scenography, and has acquired an awareness of the professions of other involved parties

• can collaborate and maintain a dialogue with others involved in the work process

• can apply his or her knowledge and take responsibility for the development of ideas and concepts in collective and individual art forms

• can manage projects and supervise technical and professional personnel and skilled workers and other specialists during implementation of the project

• is familiar with the critical application of relevant literature, library services, visual and film material, and web-based tools for the collection of relevant source material, and can analyse and apply these sources to develop a coherent approach to performing arts practices and formulate professional arguments and solutions to problems

• can communicate concepts, collaboration, organisation, preparations and implementation in the expanded scenographic field

• can contribute to artistic processes that are innovative and inventive in terms of thinking, action and creativity in art in general, and thereby contribute to the development and renewal of the field in Norway and internationally.

Admission

A bachelor's degree or an equivalent education of at least 180 ECTS credits in scenography, architecture, visual art, the performing arts or other relevant artistic education at bachelor's level.
Applicants who do not have a bachelor's degree in scenography or architecture must document their skills and abilities to communicate projects by means of drawings, models, photography or other media.
The application is to be submitted in English and must contain:

• A description Master’s Thesis – Production containing:

  • An outline of a specific topic relating to scenography that the applicants wish to investigate in and explore artistically during your (their) MA studies (1-2 pg A4).
    Apart from text, the outline may include 2 pages of other material such as sketches, photography, literature and/or video or sound files of max 5 minutes in length as illustration of the topic.

  • A conceptual description of the Master’s Thesis - Production which includes project question, conditions, issues, objectives and aspects of exploration.

  • The applicants’ motivation for implementing the production/project and its social relevance.

  • References to three art productions or exhibitions that reflect on Master’s Thesis – Production’s context in the field of art.

  • The applicants must write a brief explanation of how they understand the term "scenography" (1/2 pg A4).

• Documentation of relevant artistic practice (portfolio), with the focus on the last five years (Max 15 pg A4).

• Curriculum Vitae.

Admission is based on formal education and entrance test.

Structure and content

The structure and content of the programme

The master's programme consists of 10 courses that are all mandatory. With the exception of the master's thesis, which confers 30 ECTS credits, the other courses in the master's programme are worth 10 ECTS credits each. The programme is organised within the subject areas Theory and Methods, Laboratories and Productions for the first three semesters, and the Master's Thesis is completed in the fourth semester.

1 Theory and Methods
This subject area consists of an individual and a common theoretical component, and it is taught over three courses Theory and Methods 1-3, with one course in each of the first three semesters.

Theory and Methods is intended to give students an in-depth historical, technical and critical understanding of their discipline through the development of skills and tools for the analysis of different forms of performing arts and other spatial art forms, using text, images and film material. The students will develop methods for analysis and continuous critical reflection on their own work and shall, during the course of the programme, develop the competence required to express themselves in writing by submitting reflective papers, project descriptions, applications, critiques and essays.

Among other things, the subject area will focus on improving students' writing skills through a writing course and through the identification and application of source material, and the correct use and citing of sources. The subject area also includes an internal student-organised and student-run seminar in the second semester at which the students present important aspects of their artist research and theoretical development work in the form of lectures, and, in the third semester, a student-organised public and international artistic-academic seminar (see the course descriptions).

Courses
The subject Theory and Methods organises teaching and supervision in three forms:

1) Lectures on theory and history (based on academic research developed for art students) will present perspectives on the history of scenography, architecture, the performing arts and art, genre history, epochs and paradigms. Students are given an introduction to theoretical topics such as conception and aesthetic positions. The course emphasises the presentation of analytical methods.

2) A course in theory-based skills, which consists of theory-based skills training that addresses the tasks students are expected to perform as practising artists or in further studies in the Norwegian Artistic Research Fellowship Programme, such as a writing course, artistic research, the formulation of an artistic concept and position

3) The group applied project is designed so that students, under supervision, jointly carry out an extensive resource and competence-based group work or seminar, such as an internal seminar on conception, an international seminar on a relevant topic, preferably related to their master's production

Progress in Theory and Methods (T&M) 1-3
The courses in the subject T&M and the progress schedule are shown in the table below:

T&M I: Perspectives:
(ordered by tuition from)
Lectures and tutorials in theory and history: Perspectives on the 20th century and contemporary art
Course in theory-based skills: How to write as an artist
Group project: Analysis / preparation of an individual syllabus

T&M II: Concepts:
(ordered by tuition from)
Lectures and tutorials in theory and history: About conception
Course in theory-based skills: How to carry out artistic research, formulate concepts as an artist
Group project: Internal seminar

T&M I: Positions:
(ordered by tuition from)
Lectures and tutorials in theory and history: About aesthetic positions
Course in theory-based skills: Formulating an artistic position
Group project: international seminar

Syllabus
In cooperation with a supervisor and the student group, the student is expected to prepare an individual theory curriculum as part of T&M 1-3. The plan for the theory curriculum and the individual syllabus prepared in T&M 1 is based on the reading list for this Master's programme and will be further developed during the programme.

2 Laboratories
This subject area is taught in three courses  Laboratories 1-3; one course in each of the first three semesters.

The students shall develop their artistic and technical knowledge, competence and skills through tuition by guest artists in order to study in depth scenography-related subjects in a limited field, such as lighting, sound and multimedia, spatial analysis, construction, composition principles and spatial design. The laboratories will be experimental and transdisciplinary and will conclude with an internal presentation. The students will successively study the different elements of scenography in depth (see the course descriptions).

3 Productions
This subject area is taught in three courses  Productions 1-3, one course in each of the first three semesters.

In Productions, the students acquire experience and develop an understanding of scenography through independent practical work. The students will develop and implement scenographic concepts in diverse production processes. The students gain experience of concept development, testing, project management and execution in collaboration with other involved parties. Through the practical implementation of projects, students will develop an understanding of the distinctive nature of scenography and of the professions of other involved parties (see the course descriptions).

4 Master's thesis
The Master's Thesis is completed in the fourth and final semester of the Master's programme. It consists of the components: Master’s Production and Critical Reflection

The artistic production component of the Master's Thesis is executed and/or presented to the public in its final form in the fourth semester at an agreed external or internal exhibition/performance venue. The Master’s Thesis can consist of one spatially and temporally clearly demarcated project or of various entities, spatially and temporally dispersed, given that coherence of all components shaping a unity clearly is brought forward. Master’s Thesis/Productions in collaboration with external partner (institutions) can be accomplished in their final form after the end of the studies, then the student must present the project within the deadline of the studies and present it to the jury in a comprehensible way, allowing all its qualities to be evaluated. This happens at the risk of the student.

The critical reflection component is submitted no later than two weeks before the final assessment. Work will be done on the Master's Thesis in all four semesters, and all the courses in the first three semesters will require the submission of portfolio documentation containing critical reflection on the topic and progress of the Master's Production in the form of a text and documentation consisting of collected material, sketches, models etc.

Teaching, learning methods and forms of assessment

The programme is based on independent individual work and joint work in the different subject areas and the pertaining individual courses in the first to the third semesters, when work on developing the Master's Thesis will have a central place. The Master's Production will be reflected in the first semester as portfolio documentation submitted as required coursework in Theory and Methods 1; it will be reworked and approved in the second semester as portfolio documentation submitted as required coursework in Laboratories 2, while it will be prepared, tested in practice, verified and initiated in the third semester as portfolio documentation submitted as required coursework in Productions 3. Implementation of the project and the final assessment will take place in the fourth semester (see the description of the individual courses).

Research and development work

The teaching in the programme is based on artistic research. Academic staff in the programme engage in artistic research and in disseminating the results of their research. The students will be invited to take part in the internal and external R&D/artistic research work of the academic staff, and, if applicable, of guest artists.

In the professional theatre, practical, reflective development work is essential in connection with professional collaborations. The diversity of artistic and theoretical research carried out by academic staff, in which students, research fellows, guest artists, curators, producers and theoreticians take part, is a prerequisite for and forms the basis for students' progress and for their attainment of the learning outcomes of the programme. Artistic research of a high national and international level is carried out by academic staff both within and outside the institution. The students' active participation and contribution can take different forms, such as major or minor practical and theoretical contributions to artistic productions and publications.

Internationalisation

The Norwegian Theatre Academy has an international academic staff employed in permanent and fixed-term positions and with different expertise in and experience of the international arts field, artistic research and teaching.

Programme evaluation

To be able to offer a topical and relevant education of good quality, HiØ is dependent on feedback from the students and on their participation in the evaluation. This study programme is regularly evaluated in order to assure and develop its quality.

• An annual national student survey is conducted among second year students on all bachelor’s and master’s degree programmes under the auspices of the Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education (NOKUT). The results of the survey are published on the website studiebarometeret.no.

• HiØ conducts periodical programme evalutations.

• Evalutions will be carried out of the individual courses; see the individual course descriptions.

Here is how you can influence the quality of your programme:
https://www.hiof.no/studier/studentmedvirkning-i-kvalitetsarbeidet

Reading list

References to relevant literature, video material, websites, theatrical productions and exhibitions, art catalogues, films, music, art and theatre criticism in the media and other relevant references are provided by the Programme Coordinator and the subject lecturers.

An individual syllabus is drawn up in the first semester that is relevant to the work on the student's master's production and critical reflection. It is based on the general literature list for the programme. The individual syllabus is developed further during the course of the programme until submission of the Master's Critical Reflection in the fourth semester.

A list of recommended readings is published through NTA’s web pages: Internal information. A more detailed list of mandatory readings will be presented in semester plans.

Studies abroad

The Norwegian Theatre Academy has an international network, which offers opportunities for exchanges and agreements with performing arts institutions, museums and educational institutions. Exchanges / periods of study abroad usually take place in the second or third semester and last for periods of varying length. Exchanges / periods of study abroad must be discussed with and approved by the student's supervisor. 

The Norwegian Theatre Academy has systems and agreements for internationalisation and student exchanges at master's level with

• the University of Applied Arts Vienna, Austria

• Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK), Zurich, Switzerland

• Korea National University of the Arts, Seoul, South Korea

Work and future studies

The programme will form the basis for applying for admission to relevant artistic PhD programmes, as well as for further education in the arts field.

The programme qualifies graduates to practise as scenographers at a high national and international level within a wide range of performing arts of an interdisciplinary and experimental nature, in the field of exhibition and museum design, in architecture and art in public spaces, in film and video production and different exhibition spaces in urban environments and natural landscapes. The Master's programme in scenography advances a professional practice for scenographers to work both independently and as part of collective creative processes.

The study plan is approved and revised

The study plan is approved

Approved by NOKUT on September 30th 2013

The study plan is revised

Serge von Arx, Artistic Director and Pea Hov, Head of Studies, October 30th, 2019

The study plan applies to

Autumn 2020

Programme Coordinator

Norwegian Theatre Academy.
Professor Karen Kipphoff. Professor Serge von Arx, Artistic Director.