Reimagining Production Pedagogy in Response to COVID-19: A New Pedagogical Model for Creating Virtual Online Performance

In the face of a global pandemic, with the shutdown of the Australian theatre industry and the wholesale shift to online modes of delivery within tertiary institutions, Queensland University of Technology academics in performance production and scenography developed a new pedagogical approach to shi...

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Main Authors: Tessa Rixon, Anthony Brumpton, Carly O’Neill
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: IATC 2021-06-01
Series:Critical Stages
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.critical-stages.org/23/reimagining-production-pedagogy-in-response-to-covid-19-a-new-pedagogical-model-for-creating-virtual-online-performance/
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author Tessa Rixon
Anthony Brumpton
Carly O’Neill
author_facet Tessa Rixon
Anthony Brumpton
Carly O’Neill
author_sort Tessa Rixon
collection DOAJ
description In the face of a global pandemic, with the shutdown of the Australian theatre industry and the wholesale shift to online modes of delivery within tertiary institutions, Queensland University of Technology academics in performance production and scenography developed a new pedagogical approach to shift the highly practical, studio-based theatre production program into the online space. This paper will present the teaching model that emerged from the university’s Virtual Theatre Production (VTP) Project, a collaborative project which shifted normal performance processes for five student theatre works online. The VTP Project engaged students, staff, industry experts, designers, directors and partner companies in a new online collaborative process. Constrained by real-world budgets and restrictions, student designers, technicians and managers were guided by a team of expert lighting, vision, sound, set, props and curatorial mentors to combine traditional analogue techniques with digital design processes across a range of software and platforms. This paper will detail the development of the pedagogical approach that underpinned this work; the project’s strengths and weaknesses; and finally, present the tested model for future use in creating online training grounds for undergraduate production students in an unstable educational environment. The pedagogical model builds on the emerging conversations around performance training online during the COVID-19 pandemic (Cervera, Schmidt and Schwadron; Pike, Neideck and Kelly), and expands on the notion of crisis-prompted remote teaching (Gacs, Goetler and Spasova; Hodges, Moore, Lockee, Trust and Bond).
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spelling doaj.art-9bf145b16d344c5eb24f3c110ac904fb2022-12-22T04:15:17ZengIATCCritical Stages2409-74112021-06-0123Reimagining Production Pedagogy in Response to COVID-19: A New Pedagogical Model for Creating Virtual Online PerformanceTessa RixonAnthony BrumptonCarly O’NeillIn the face of a global pandemic, with the shutdown of the Australian theatre industry and the wholesale shift to online modes of delivery within tertiary institutions, Queensland University of Technology academics in performance production and scenography developed a new pedagogical approach to shift the highly practical, studio-based theatre production program into the online space. This paper will present the teaching model that emerged from the university’s Virtual Theatre Production (VTP) Project, a collaborative project which shifted normal performance processes for five student theatre works online. The VTP Project engaged students, staff, industry experts, designers, directors and partner companies in a new online collaborative process. Constrained by real-world budgets and restrictions, student designers, technicians and managers were guided by a team of expert lighting, vision, sound, set, props and curatorial mentors to combine traditional analogue techniques with digital design processes across a range of software and platforms. This paper will detail the development of the pedagogical approach that underpinned this work; the project’s strengths and weaknesses; and finally, present the tested model for future use in creating online training grounds for undergraduate production students in an unstable educational environment. The pedagogical model builds on the emerging conversations around performance training online during the COVID-19 pandemic (Cervera, Schmidt and Schwadron; Pike, Neideck and Kelly), and expands on the notion of crisis-prompted remote teaching (Gacs, Goetler and Spasova; Hodges, Moore, Lockee, Trust and Bond).https://www.critical-stages.org/23/reimagining-production-pedagogy-in-response-to-covid-19-a-new-pedagogical-model-for-creating-virtual-online-performance/production artscovid-19digital pedagogyscenographyremote teaching; online teaching
spellingShingle Tessa Rixon
Anthony Brumpton
Carly O’Neill
Reimagining Production Pedagogy in Response to COVID-19: A New Pedagogical Model for Creating Virtual Online Performance
Critical Stages
production arts
covid-19
digital pedagogy
scenography
remote teaching; online teaching
title Reimagining Production Pedagogy in Response to COVID-19: A New Pedagogical Model for Creating Virtual Online Performance
title_full Reimagining Production Pedagogy in Response to COVID-19: A New Pedagogical Model for Creating Virtual Online Performance
title_fullStr Reimagining Production Pedagogy in Response to COVID-19: A New Pedagogical Model for Creating Virtual Online Performance
title_full_unstemmed Reimagining Production Pedagogy in Response to COVID-19: A New Pedagogical Model for Creating Virtual Online Performance
title_short Reimagining Production Pedagogy in Response to COVID-19: A New Pedagogical Model for Creating Virtual Online Performance
title_sort reimagining production pedagogy in response to covid 19 a new pedagogical model for creating virtual online performance
topic production arts
covid-19
digital pedagogy
scenography
remote teaching; online teaching
url https://www.critical-stages.org/23/reimagining-production-pedagogy-in-response-to-covid-19-a-new-pedagogical-model-for-creating-virtual-online-performance/
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AT anthonybrumpton reimaginingproductionpedagogyinresponsetocovid19anewpedagogicalmodelforcreatingvirtualonlineperformance
AT carlyoneill reimaginingproductionpedagogyinresponsetocovid19anewpedagogicalmodelforcreatingvirtualonlineperformance