2024/25 Taught Postgraduate Module Catalogue

PECI5705M The Costumed Body: Performance, Performativity and Politics

30 creditsClass Size: 45

Module manager: Dr Jacki Willson
Email: j.m.willson@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2024/25

This module is not approved as an Elective

Module summary

The Costumed Body will explore the performative and political qualities of costume. You will explore a range of approaches to costume, considering, for example, how the costume is embodied, the relationships between body, costume and spectators, and the transformative qualities of costume in broader social and political spaces. You will explore the materialities of costume, the politics of looking and being-looked-at, as well as expanded ideas of costume drawing on subcultures, gender and sexuality and politics, drawing on examples such as cosplay, burlesque and the costumed body in protest.

Objectives

The objectives of this module are to:
• Acquire a methodological framework for researching an expanded notion of the costumed body as a performative and political performance.
• Understand three modes for thinking about the costumed body in performance.
• Become cognisant of discipline specific methods for researching the costumed body (through case study, comparative analysis and conceptual approaches).

Learning outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
1. To understand and communicate the way in which costume performs – on, through and beyond the body.
2. To expand the notions of theatrical costume into the everyday and the political by way of specific examples.
3. To engage with a body of theoretical work from the disciplines of theatre and film, drawing out the relevant concerns for a wider notion of costume.
4. To undertake an individual study of costumed body situating this within a given theoretical and conceptual framework.

Skills learning outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
5. Critical Thinking: the ability to weigh up and select different arguments and perspectives, using supporting evidence to form opinions, arguments, theories and ideas.
6. Academic Language: The ability to use written and visual examples proficiently to effectively demonstrate understanding.
7. Academic writing: The ability to write in a clear, concise, focused and structured manner that is supported by relevant evidence.

Syllabus

The module content will be framed around three modes of thinking about costume: its connection to the body, its relationship to the spectator and it social and political transformative abilities. It will draw on costume scholarship in theatre and film studies and examine how use of costume manifests itself in a range of contexts beyond the theatre. Topics covered are likely to include:Design and signification of theatrical costumeMateriality of costumeThe body in costumeGender and sexual identity through costumeSpectatorship and costume Costume as belonging (tribes and subcultures)Costume as protest Costume as agential and transformational.

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Lectures	9	1.00	9.00
Seminars	9	2.00	18.00
Practicals	2	3.00	6.00
Independent online learning hours			100.00
Private study hours			167.00
Total Contact hours			33.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			300.00

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

2. Group learning 1 - Workshop (week 4) – ‘show and tell’ – students work in groups analyse their own examples of costume with oral feedback from tutor and peers.
3. Group learning 2 - Mini-pitch (week 8) – essay proposal presentations with oral feedback from tutor and peers
4. Progress also monitored by student engagement in seminars.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Essay	4,000-5,000 word illustrated essay	100.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		100.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 16/02/2024

Disclaimer

Browse Other Catalogues

• Undergraduate module catalogue
• Taught Postgraduate module catalogue
• Undergraduate programme catalogue
• Taught Postgraduate programme catalogue

Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team.PROD