Besides theoretical
lectures, this Masters programme includes the following characteristics and activities:
An instrumental scenography project based on a script to be selected and presented to small groups
of 5 students at the end of the first term. An executive scenography project
on a topic of the student’s choice to be handed in along with a business plan at the
end of the second term. These two projects will be presented to a jury of
examiners and supervisors at the end of each term.
A 4-week professional
internship in a company working in the field of scenography and creativity. A
group presentation at the Scenography Festival in Basel and a visit to the
Prague Quadrennial. Two seminars (one per term) at the Central School of Speech
and Drama in the University of London (CSSD, England) and the Faculty of Fine
Arts at Brno University of Technology (VUT, Czech Republic).
At the beginning of
the programme, students will attend a 12-hour practical course (over one weekend) in ESARQ-UIC in Barcelona on instrumental techniques and materials for the
scenographic representation of space and time.
They will also participate in a
special scenographic event such as a competition held on the premises of Camp
Nou, Barcelona's F.C. stadium, or similar.
A description of the
Masters project assignment and the corresponding dissertation, which can be either
instrumental or executive, will be required. The main subject of the project should be aspects of
production, stage direction, design, organisation and presentation. The project
should include a discussion of conceptual, dramaturgical, production-oriented
and technical issues within the framework of the student’s Masters project and
each will have a different focus, depending on requirements: theoretical and
conceptual issues, problems of narrative structure or dramaturgy, aspects of
aesthetics and the design of urban spaces, methods, technologies or
techniques in detail.
This course provides
professional designers and university graduates with a creative platform to
extend and develop their individual design language and theoretical position in
the areas of architecture, exhibition design, urban intervention, (media) art
and theatre using a transdisciplinary scenographic approach.
Based on historical
and contemporary practice and theory, this course connects historical and
contemporary design practices and theories and reapplies them directly to the
design of scenographic urban spaces. This also applies to public spaces for
commercial and institutional communication, as well as temporary spaces for brand staging and corporate appearances.
Students on the
Masters programme in Urban Scenography -managing spaces in contemporary cities- learn how to combine
expertise with multidisciplinary interests, theoretical knowledge with artistic
intuition and performance, moderated with management and organisational
skills. They learn to understand that effectiveness in planning and
implementation is subject to an artistic/creative drive and a social sense of
responsibility.
Both teaching and learning
focus on the design and staging of real and virtual spaces and environments.
Students will conceptualise exhibition spaces for performance and design, and
bring them into contemporary life as a potential narrative context. They will
stage and dramatise performances on very different stages and create the correct atmosphere for their stories to achieve communicative and emotional impact and
send out the messages which can be found at the heart of contemporary urban life.
Work Dynamics
This Masters programme
is organised into a multilevel educational project based on the close
relationship between different topics and scopes that are structurally linked
together, and also based on a research methodology that moves from general to
specific, from open to closed spaces, and from material reality to non-material
virtual reality. Instruction is provided that delivers the necessary skills for
the conception, design and realisation of spaces between the boundaries of
architecture, theatre and urban planning.
From the critical
reading of social space to the physical transformation of the territory,
theatre will be used as the poetic instrument of knowledge, involving participation
and the re-elaboration of subject matter including the city and its
inhabitants. Scenography is perceived as an instrument to intervene in
reality with, revealing its inner content and displaying representative characters.
With the help of
experts working in their own fields, this Masters programme is made up of
theoretical disciplines and practical experiences to be performed on site,
ranging from the city to intimate indoor spaces. Through a continuous
re-elaboration process, students will be able to build performance experiences
as they compile data, memories and ideas based on their shared relationship with
the urban territory.
Students will define
their ability to analyse urban reality as they improve their knowledge of and
expertise in stage design, by producing a storyboard, managing lighting, and
building sets. Some of the disciplines studied will be experimental sectors in
multimedia, digital scenography and urban ecology.
Workshop and
Stage
The Masters programme
combines theory with fundamental application divided into different
experiences in professional fields: an intervention in an urban settlement in
Rome in collaboration with the municipal government, the local population and
public-private associations.
As a further step in
their development, students will also be asked to design and build a public
experience that values and provides evidence of what is hidden, what is protected by daily practice and what is still not a space. The final part of the Masters programme (the dissertation) will involve “putting it all together”,
i.e. experiences out in the field, through the production of a show
performed in a theatre space, while taking advantage of the skills acquired in
the field of set construction and multimedia and virtual technology.
European
Context, Global Outlook
ESARQ-UIC
invites you to experience scenography in Europe and the world. For any
international student, Europe has a lot to offer: the most prestigious, top
ranked education anywhere in the world, eclectic cities and beautiful natural
parks and mountains, artistic, cultural, political and athletic events, and a
highly multicultural population.
European universities may differ
from those in your own country in several ways. For one thing, classes are
generally small. There may be as few as ten to twenty students in a class; an
education in Europe provides you with the personal attention you need in order to
succeed.
While in class,
students are encouraged and expected to contribute to discussions and
seminars. Professors and lecturers hold meetings with students in their offices or even share coffee
or meals with them. The close relationship between students and the teaching staff helps to motivate students and fosters a personal approach to the curriculum.
You will notice
different perspectives on instruction. In Europe students are trained to
observe and analyse a problem, than solve it. You will be expected to listen to
your classmates and challenge their points of view. The goal is pragmatic, so
that you will gain confidence and the ability to organise and present an
argument.
While studying in
Europe you will be exposed to some of the most up-to-date developments in
technology. Europe is the leader in many areas of technology and innovation. You
may be fortunate enough to meet leading scenography scholars, and even study with them.
Since it is well-grounded
in Europe ESARQ_UIC believes that international
collaboration in scenography is also the key to progress in an
increasingly interconnected and volatile world in which the pace of change is
increasing every year. More than ever, universities and colleges do have a role
to play in bringing a global perspective to the field of scenography. A
further significant challenge for institutions today is to keep track of the
shifting expectations and aspirations of prospective international students and
to monitor worldwide trends in stage design, performance and cities.
