Universität Wien

170233 UE Exercise Course "Staged Spaces" (2022S)

From Counter-Culture Movement to Performing Arts Market. Fringe Festivals in Edinburgh, Adelaide and Avignon

5.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 17 - Theater-, Film- und Medienwissenschaft
Continuous assessment of course work
Moodle

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 35 participants
Language: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

  • Tuesday 08.03. 09:45 - 11:15 Hörsaal 2H510 UZA II Rotunde
  • Tuesday 15.03. 09:45 - 11:15 Hörsaal 2H510 UZA II Rotunde
  • Tuesday 22.03. 09:45 - 11:15 Hörsaal 2H510 UZA II Rotunde
  • Tuesday 29.03. 09:45 - 11:15 Hörsaal 2H510 UZA II Rotunde
  • Tuesday 05.04. 09:45 - 11:15 Hörsaal 2H510 UZA II Rotunde
  • Tuesday 26.04. 09:45 - 11:15 Hörsaal 2H510 UZA II Rotunde
  • Tuesday 03.05. 09:45 - 11:15 Hörsaal 2H510 UZA II Rotunde
  • Tuesday 10.05. 09:45 - 11:15 Hörsaal 2H510 UZA II Rotunde
  • Tuesday 17.05. 09:45 - 11:15 Hörsaal 2H510 UZA II Rotunde
  • Tuesday 24.05. 09:45 - 11:15 Hörsaal 2H510 UZA II Rotunde
  • Tuesday 31.05. 09:45 - 11:15 Hörsaal 2H510 UZA II Rotunde
  • Tuesday 14.06. 09:45 - 11:15 Hörsaal 2H510 UZA II Rotunde
  • Tuesday 28.06. 09:45 - 11:15 Hörsaal 2H510 UZA II Rotunde

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

The commercialization of non-curated performing arts festivals in Edinburgh, Adelaide and Avignon reveals three worrying developments: (1) The economic impact of arts events is measured in quantifiable parameters, while cultural and social benefits are neglected. Festival organizations publish annual reports promoting visitor numbers and ticket sales instead of focusing on intangible factors like the wellbeing of artists. (2) The dominance of market trends outweighs aesthetic considerations, which represses the counterculture heritage of fringe festivals and entails a standardization of theatre productions. Artists are reluctant to take creative risks, as this often entails financial losses. Instead of staging experimental and subversive plays, mainstream entertainment and stand-up comedies are chosen as success guarantee. (3) Caught between the desire to create art and the necessity of running a business, artists adapt a new role as ‘artrepreneurs’, which requires entrepreneurial skills in addition to aesthetic talents. While non-curated festivals are generally perceived as the self-empowerment of artists, economic insecurities oftentimes lead to their self-exploitation. The presumed freedom on fringe festivals gives rise to structural inequalities, weakened social ties and a changed value system.

This course examines to what extent the non-curated fringe festivals in Edinburgh, Adelaide and Avignon operate as competitive performing arts markets today and constitute a crucial step on the career ladder of independent artists. By tracing the historical development and cultural significance of these three festivals, we explore the concept of “fringe” in the past and now. Do fringe festivals still offer in-between spaces to subvert the status quo and to present ludic alternatives to today’s neoliberal meritocracy?

# GOALS #
As a result of participating in this course, students will be able to critically examine the impact of a neoliberal economic policy on the independent performing arts sector, by comparing three different non-curated fringe festivals.

# METHODS #
This course is conceptualized on a problem-based learning strategy, i.e. students are guided by means of questionnaires and worksheets to actively work out solutions themselves. This approach helps students to develop analytical and problem-solving skills. In-class activities, e.g. think-pair-share, allow students to exchange ideas and knowledge with their colleagues and to improve their communication and teamworking skills.

Assessment and permitted materials

20% : reading response (1-2 pages, in English or German)

20% : panel discussion
> expert/panelist: shares profound information based on previous research, responds to audience questions, discusses with the other panelists
> panel moderator: introduces the topic, guides the panel, curates audience questions, draws a conclusion at the end

40% : final essay (5-6 pages, in English or German)

20% : active contribution to classroom discussions + weekly worksheets

In order to receive a positive evaluation of this course, all four tasks have to be completed. No more than three absences are permitted.

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

Prerequisites of this course are a regular attendance (max. 3 absences!), sufficient English skills and active contribution to classroom discussions.

Examination topics

Secondary literature, weekly worksheets, PowerPoint slides, in-class discussions

Reading list

The list of secondary literature will be completed in the course of the semester. To gain a first insight, I recommend consulting the following publications:

Caust, Josephine (2019). “Open Access Arts Festivals and Artists: Who Benefits?” The Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society, 49(5), p. 291-306.

Caust, Josephine/Glow, Hilary (2011). “Festivals, artists and entrepreneurialism. The role of the Adelaide Fringe Festival”. International Journal of Event Management Research, 6(2), p. 1-14.

Harvie, Jen (2020). “International Theatre Festivals in the UK: The Edinburgh Festival Fringe as a Model Neo-liberal Market”. In R. Knowles (Hg.), The Cambridge Companion to International Theatre Festivals (p. 101-117). Cambridge University Press.

Frew, Elspeth A./Ali-Knight, Jane (2010). “Creating High and Low Art. Experimentation and Commercialization at Fringe Festivals”. Tourism Culture & Communication, 10(3), p. 231-245.

Rasse, Paul (ed.). (2003). Le théâtre dans l'espace public: Avignon Off. Edisud.

Thomasson, Sarah (2019). “‘Too Big for Its Boots’? Precarity on the Adelaide Fringe”. Contemporary Theatre Review, 29(1), p. 39-55.

Zaiontz, Keren (2018). theatre & festivals. London: Macmillan Education Palgrave.

Association in the course directory

Last modified: Fr 01.04.2022 09:08