The joint master’s programme IMPACT is a highly specialised initiative in the field of contemporary performance and creative technologies in dance that is aimed at recruiting high-potential students from all over the world. This joint master programme is organised collaboratively between four academic institutions and a hub of professional partners: École des Sables (Senegal), Conservatoire national supérieur musique et danse Lyon (France), The Royal Conservatoire of Antwerp (Belgium) and the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre (LMTA), Les Subs (France), De Singel (Belgium) and Teatro Municipal do Porto (Portugal).

The programme spans two academic years, culminating in 120 ECTS credits and offers a comprehensive curriculum that includes the following topics: 

• Shared context: Body, Theory, Place and Event:
  This course will address assumptions and practices of embodiment particular to the place of study as well as the role of theory in creating , sustaining and challenging these assumptions and practices. The lessons will happen both explicitly and implicitly, through immersion and engagement with place, institution and cultural events.

• Materialities of Performance:
  This course addresses the materials that accompany bodies in performed work: stage craft, sound design, music, costume, visual design etc.

• Praxis:
  Addresses studio practice, body-based creation methods and exposes the student to varied ways of crafting performative works as well as supporting them in their own process.

• Research Methodologies:
  This course will introduce and support the student in naming and developing their own studio and research practices as well as introducing them into to practices of the emerging field of artistic research.

Also additional supporting courses are tailored to the specialisations of each institute. The programme requires an entrance exam process after which successful applicants will begin their journey by spending one semester at each of the participating institutions resulting in the performance of their personal IMPACT project and artistic research.

Upon successful completion of the master’s programme, students will be able to:

• Through the master project (artistic production and documentation of research):
  • Demonstrate an ability to create and realize their own artistic research propositions with a developed personal expression; identify, formulate and solve questions about dance making independently, 
  • Demonstrate the ability to clearly present and discuss (oral, written or audiovisual documentation) their work and artistic issues in dialogue with   practices in the field of dance and society in general, in national as well as international contexts. 

• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding in the field of dance making, including involvement in topical developments in the field as well as in-depth knowledge in specific areas of the field regarding artistic processes in general and their own working methods in particular. 
• Demonstrate familiarity with methods and processes for dealing with complex phenomena, issues and situations in the field of dance making 
• Articulate the research methodologies within artistic practice 
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of new media, its cultural contextualization in general and in relation to the field of dance making 
• Demonstrate ability in dance-making by creating and performing original artistic work that reflects a developed personal expression. Independently identify, explore, and resolve artistic and creative questions, and plan and carry out advanced artistic projects using appropriate methods within set time frames. Contribute to the development of the art form and critically evaluate the creative process and outcomes. 
• Demonstrate the ability, both nationally and internationally, to reflect upon, clearly communicate, and discuss the relevance of their artistic work—including processes, research methods, and artistic concerns—through oral, written, and audiovisual documentation, as well as through collaboration, conceptualization, and dialogue with peers, mentors, collaborators, audiences, and society at large. This includes the ability to share and communicate their practice through formats such as workshops, open rehearsals, and post-performance discussions with diverse publics 
• Demonstrate an ability to establish collaborations and working-relations within and across disciplines 
• Demonstrate capacity to work within an international framework, to show initiative, responsibility, accountability and collaborative abilities 
• Demonstrate an ability to critically reflect and act upon society in regard to relevant artistic, social and ethical issues from an intersectional perspective 
• Build capacity to identify, perceive, and employ a critical perspective towards potential, and different cultural and institutional contexts that may best support artistic outputs/research 
• Demonstrate tolerance and respect towards diversity of attitudes, aesthetics and values 
• Demonstrate understanding of the possibilities and limitations of the dance field and its role in society 
• Demonstrate an ability to identify the need for additional knowledge and to take responsibility for their ongoing learning 
• Demonstrate the capacity to critically reflect on the role of materials, collaborative processes, and situational contexts, and to evaluate how these relationships influence artistic decision-making, while taking responsibility for outcomes and showing leadership in guiding collaborative artistic processes. 

These learning outcomes are aligned with key competences outlined in the European Qualifications Framework (EQF Level 7) and the Tuning Educational Structures in Europe framework. 

IMPACT Curriculum

This unit will address assumptions and practices of embodiment particular to the place of study as well as the role of theory in creating , sustaining and challenging these assumptions and practices. The lessons will happen both explicitly and implicitly, through immersion and engagement with place, institution and cultural events.

This unit addresses the materials that accompany bodies in performed work: stage craft, sound design, music, costume, visual design etc.

This unit addresses studio practice, body-based creation methods and exposes the student to varied ways of crafting performative works as well as supporting them in their own process.

This unit will introduce and support the student in naming and developing their own studio and research practices as well as introducing them into to practices of the emerging field of artistic research.

Artistic Research is an immersive journey. Students will explore the  foundations of scientific and artistic investigation and the rich history of  artistic and societal thought. 

A deep dive into artistic research will lay the groundwork for a better understanding of procedural, experiential and relational knowledge all while students learn more about the ethics of artistic exploration.

It’s not just theory! Students will also actively engage in project design, state-of-the-art elaboration, planning, execution and documentation. Plus, the course equips participants with indispensable tools for bibliographic management, academic writing, and ethical considerations. 

The unit is designed for active discovery, promoting cooperative learning through autonomous reading, vibrant discussions and critical assessments of various artistic research proposals. Students will learn how to express their creations through various types of media (written text, images, scores, video, etc) and weave this into their artistic IMPACT project.

Performative Event, Thesis & Oral Defense

The IMPACT Project requires students to investigate how their experiential and embodied knowledge engages with geo-political and socio-economic histories in local and/or global climates. Students are expected to locate their artistic practice within/in opposition to current and/or historical trends in performance, and contextualize their practice in relationship (or juxtaposition) to current scholarship in Dance, Performance and/or Cultural Studies.

Projects are rooted in Practice as Research/Practice-Based (or -led) Research as a methodology for creative research in the arts.

The Degree project consists of:

1 Critical reflection with two options:

• One “tracked” approach called Documented critical reflection that is fixed (but with different options in how to present, they can choose different media/formats (see drama department Antwerp:
  • academic research paper
  • creative writings, portfolio/chosen media
  • other written formats like essay
• Some students are allowed to experiment with the methodology but this needs to be clear from quite early on (latest by the end of the first year).

Students identify 3 or more areas of scholarship that inform their examination of their research question(s). Students develop a theoretical framework, using Practice as Research as a guideline, and critically reflect upon their research question(s), process and product (if applicable). Please consult additional guidelines in IMPACT student handbook. The course “Research methodology” offers methodologies to complete the critical reflection.

2 Artistic presentation/performative sharing/event/encounter (making public)

Students develop a research question(s), engage in creative and embodied research and publicly present a creative product or aspects of their research process. The Performative Event may take on any format, including a performance in typical or experimental settings, a workshop, a media or live art installation, or a combination of more than one format.

3 Presentation and dialogue on the critical reflection and the artistic, performative encounter

Students prepare a 20-30 min oral presentation supported by visual aides (PowerPoint, videos, photos, or other visual aides). Students publicly present their research to a jury of IMPACT faculty, and satisfactorily respond to questions presented by the jury and community attendees.

IMPACT Project Timeline:

• End of Semester 1: Students declare area of research focus.
• Beginning of Semester 2: Students select an advisory committee and primary advisor to the Applied Project. Students work with primary advisor to develop a research prospectus.
• End of Semester 2: Students present and defend their research prospectus for the Applied Project, detailing their research question(s), three primary areas of scholarly investigation, and proposed timeline.
• Semester 3: Students engage in creative research and prepare their Performative Event for public presentation.
• End of Semester 3: Students present their Performative Event.
• Semester 4: Students work with primary advisor and advisory committee to develop their Thesis and Oral Defense.
  • 4 weeks prior to Oral Defense: Students submit the final draft to the Thesis (approved by their primary advisor) to their advisory committee.
• End of Semester 4: Students present their Oral Defense in front of their committee and invited community members.