VCE Drama 2014-2018
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the status of the information in the ‘Terms Used in this Study’ section of the study design?
The definitions provided on the ‘Terms Used in this Study’ page apply across Units 1-4 and associated assessments. These definitions are provided to ensure that a common understanding of these terms is shared by study providers. The language of drama and terminology evolves and changes constantly; thus a glossary is not appropriate as part of a ‘fixed’ document such as a study design.
The terms defined in the ‘Terms used in this study’ section of the study design (pages 10-13) are those that need to be understood by users of the study design as having particular meanings and parameters in the context of the study and associated assessments. The range of terminology that teachers and students will use across the course far exceeds the terminology used in the study design.
Most terminology in the study design is generic in nature and can be informed by particular dramatic context(s) such as the work of a practitioner or a performance style. Teachers and students might develop glossaries of terminology they use in addition to language from the study design, for example when researching a performance style or analysing a performance. These glossaries might be used within a class group or shared across a wider network.
In the 2014 study design, the list of Elements of Drama is different from the list in 2007 study. Some elements are now Performance Skills and Language is not on any of the lists. What are the reasons for these changes?
In the 2014 study design the lists of key terms are reorganised so that each term is only used once. For example, in the 2007 study, ‘focus’ and ‘timing’werelisted as elements of drama in the 2007 study but are now listed as performance skills. Language – verbal and non-verbal cannot be located in a single place within the study structure. Language must bepresent in all performance work. Students may reference verbal language when discussing play-making techniques such as scripting or analysing a performance. They may also reference non-verbal language when evaluating the expressive skills of movement, gesture and facial expression.
Can the play-making techniques listed on page 12 be divided into sub-categories?
The listed play-making techniques represent categories of activity rather than specific processes. For example, research might be conducted through observation or reading and there are many forms of improvisation.
What are the implications of the definition of non-naturalism on pages 11-12, specifically the references to the work of Artaud, Brecht and Grotowski?
The study design states that ‘non-naturalism is a broad term for all performance styles that are not dependent on the life-like representation of everyday life’ and is based on the work of Artaud, Brecht and Grotowski. Across Units 1-4 students should study the work of these practitioners but also study a broad range of other non-naturalistic forms such as pre-naturalistic styles or non-Western styles.