Devising — RSL Awards Ltd Vocationally-Related Qualification Dance & Performing Arts Revision

    This subtopic delves into the devising process, a collaborative and creative method for generating original performance material through exploration, impro

    Topic Synopsis

    This subtopic delves into the devising process, a collaborative and creative method for generating original performance material through exploration, improvisation, and structured experimentation. Learners engage with a variety of stimuli and techniques to craft unique pieces, reflecting real-world industry practices where performers often contribute to the creation of new work. It emphasizes the cyclical process of making, reflecting, and refining, culminating in a performance that demonstrates individual and collective artistic vision.

    Key Concepts & Core Principles

    Exam Tips & Revision Strategies

    Common Misconceptions & Mistakes to Avoid

    Examiner Marking Points

    Devising

    RSL AWARDS LTD
    vocational

    Devising is a collaborative, non-text-based approach to creating original performance material, essential for contemporary dance and performing arts practice. It involves generating movement and narrative from stimuli, using techniques such as improvisation, task-based exploration, and physical theatre, and requires iterative refinement through feedback and reflection. This process fosters creative autonomy, ensemble skills, and the ability to translate abstract concepts into compelling performance work.

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    Learning Outcomes
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    Assessment Guidance
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    Key Skills
    9
    Key Terms
    16
    Assessment Criteria

    Assessment criteria

    RSL Level 3 Extended Diploma in Creative and Performing Arts
    RSL Level 3 Subsidiary Diploma in Creative and Performing Arts
    RSL Level 3 Certificate in Creative and Performing Arts
    RSL Level 3 Extended Certificate in Creative and Performing Arts
    RSL Level 3 Diploma in Creative and Performing Arts

    Topic Overview

    The RSL Level 3 Subsidiary Diploma in Creative and Performing Arts (Dance & Performing Arts) is a vocationally-related qualification designed to develop your practical skills, theoretical understanding, and professional readiness for the performing arts industry. This diploma is equivalent to one A-level and provides a focused pathway into dance, musical theatre, or broader performance careers. You will engage in a combination of technique classes, choreography projects, performance rehearsals, and written reflections, mirroring the demands of professional practice.

    The qualification is structured around core units such as 'Performance Skills', 'Choreography', and 'Professional Practice', alongside optional units that allow you to specialise in areas like street dance, contemporary, or musical theatre. Assessment is continuous through practical performances, process journals, and research tasks, with no final exam. This approach ensures you build a portfolio of evidence demonstrating your creative, technical, and evaluative abilities.

    Studying this diploma matters because it bridges the gap between academic study and industry employment. You will develop transferable skills in teamwork, time management, and self-promotion, while gaining UCAS tariff points for university applications. Whether you aim to perform, teach, or work behind the scenes, this qualification provides a solid foundation for progression to higher education or direct entry into the performing arts sector.

    Key Concepts

    Core ideas you must understand for this topic

    • →Performance Skills: The integration of technical proficiency (e.g., alignment, musicality) with expressive qualities (e.g., characterisation, emotional engagement) to communicate effectively with an audience.
    • →Choreographic Process: The stages of creating movement material, including stimulus exploration, improvisation, selection, structuring, and refinement, often using devices like motif, canon, and contrast.
    • →Professional Practice: Understanding the industry context, including health and safety, audition techniques, self-marketing (e.g., showreels, CVs), and the importance of networking and resilience.
    • →Reflective Practice: The ability to critically evaluate your own work and that of others through written logs, video analysis, and peer feedback, linking theory to practice to inform future development.

    Learning Objectives

    What you need to know and understand

    • 1. Explain a range of techniques for devising, giving examples of how these can be used2. Demonstrate the use of devising techniques to devise and create a performance3. Evaluate their use of devising techniques
    • 1. Explain a range of techniques for devising, giving examples of how these can be used2. Demonstrate the use of devising techniques to devise and create a performance3. Evaluate their use of devising techniques
    • Analyse a variety of devising techniques, providing practical examples of how each can be applied in a creative process.
    • Apply devising methods collaboratively to generate and develop original performance material.
    • Critically evaluate the effectiveness of chosen devising techniques in shaping the final performance outcome.
    • Justify creative decisions made during the devising process with reference to intended audience impact.
    • 1. Explain a range of techniques for devising, giving examples of how these can be used2. Demonstrate the use of devising techniques to devise and create a performance3. Evaluate their use of devising techniques
    • 1. Explain a range of techniques for devising, giving examples of how these can be used2. Demonstrate the use of devising techniques to devise and create a performance3. Evaluate their use of devising techniques

    Assessment Criteria

    Key criteria assessors look for in your portfolio

    • Award credit for demonstrating a clear, structured devising process from stimulus to final performance, documented in a logbook or digital portfolio.
    • Expect evidence of at least two distinct devising techniques (e.g., improvisation, motif development, contact improvisation) with explicit examples of their application.
    • In evaluation, credit should be given for critical reflection on the effectiveness of techniques, including specific moments of success and challenges, and how they shaped the final piece.
    • Award credit for clearly explaining at least three distinct devising techniques (e.g., improvisation, stimulus interpretation, physical theatre) with relevant, practical examples of their application.
    • Award credit for demonstrating a consistent and effective use of devising techniques throughout the creation of a performance, evidenced by rehearsal logs, video, or witness statements.
    • Award credit for a thorough evaluation that critically assesses the effectiveness of chosen techniques, identifies specific strengths and weaknesses, and links outcomes directly to the devising process.
    • Award credit for clearly explaining at least three distinct devising techniques with specific, practical examples from the learner's own practice.
    • Assess the ability to demonstrate effective collaboration and creative exploration during the devising process, documented through evidence such as rehearsal logs or video.
    • Evaluate the depth of critical reflection, looking for analysis of strengths, weaknesses, and the impact of techniques on the final performance.
    • Check for appropriate use of performing arts terminology when discussing devising methods.
    • Award credit for clearly explaining and justifying the selection of specific devising techniques with referenced examples from practice or theory.
    • Assess the ability to demonstrate at least two distinct devising techniques effectively within the rehearsal and performance process, showing progression from initial idea to polished product.
    • Evaluate the impact and effectiveness of chosen techniques on the final performance, including self-reflection on strengths, limitations, and areas for improvement supported by evidence from the development process.
    • Award credit for clearly explaining at least three distinct devising techniques with specific examples of how each can generate performance material.
    • Evidence must show active participation in the devising process, demonstrating practical application of techniques to create original performance content, supported by logs or recordings.
    • Look for a critical evaluation that analyses the impact of chosen devising methods on the final performance, identifying strengths and areas for improvement with detailed reasoning.

    Assessment Guidance

    Guidance for achieving higher grades

    • 💡Use a workshop or rehearsal diary consistently to capture decisions, technique trials, and reflective notes; this is often submitted as assessed evidence.
    • 💡In performance, show clear character or movement development over time; assessors look for how you've shaped raw material into polished, repeatable sequences.
    • 💡When evaluating, use the 'What? So what? Now what?' model to structure your analysis: describe the technique, interpret its impact, and propose future improvements.
    • 💡Maintain a detailed devising log that records each technique used, how it was applied, and your reflections immediately after workshops or rehearsals.
    • 💡Use video recordings of key devising sessions as evidence to support your evaluation and to capture ephemeral moments of creativity.
    • 💡In your evaluation, consistently refer back to your initial aims and the specific techniques you set out to use, showing cause and effect.
    • 💡Collaborate effectively but ensure you can articulate your individual contribution to the devising process in your log and evaluation.
    • 💡Maintain a detailed devising journal or vlog throughout the process, capturing decisions, experiments, and reflections to serve as evidence for assessment.
    • 💡When explaining techniques, always link them to specific moments in your performance to demonstrate applied understanding.
    • 💡In your evaluation, use a reflective model (such as Gibbs or Kolb) to structure your analysis, ensuring you move beyond description to critical insight.
    • 💡Showcase the breadth of your exploration by including moments where techniques were adapted or abandoned, demonstrating flexible thinking.
    • 💡Ensure your portfolio or evidence log explicitly links each devising technique to specific moments in your performance, annotated with rationale and reflective commentary.
    • 💡For the evaluation, use a critical framework (e.g., What? So What? Now What?) to structure your analysis and demonstrate higher-order thinking, moving beyond simple description.
    • 💡In practical assessments, clearly articulate your intentions during rehearsals and show how feedback from peers or tutors shaped your devised work, as this evidences collaborative development.
    • 💡Maintain a detailed devising journal from the outset, recording contributions, reflections, and decision-making; this is critical evidence for all learning objectives.
    • 💡Video record workshop sessions and rehearsals to capture practical demonstrations of devising techniques in action, which can be referenced in your portfolio.
    • 💡When evaluating, link each point directly to a specific moment or outcome from your performance, and always suggest concrete improvements backed by reasoning.
    • 💡Document your process thoroughly: Keep a detailed process journal with dated entries, photographs, and video clips. Show how you responded to feedback, overcame challenges, and made creative decisions. This evidence is crucial for higher marks in reflective units.
    • 💡Demonstrate versatility: In performance units, show your ability to adapt to different styles and contexts. For example, if you're assessed on a contemporary piece, incorporate elements of release technique or contact improvisation to showcase range.
    • 💡Connect theory to practice: When writing evaluations, explicitly link your practical choices to theoretical concepts (e.g., Laban's efforts, Bartenieff Fundamentals). This demonstrates deeper understanding and analytical skills that examiners reward.

    Common Mistakes

    Common errors to avoid in your coursework

    • Assuming devising means free-form improvisation without structure; students often fail to record or refine material from exploration sessions.
    • Neglecting to link technique choice to intended artistic outcomes, resulting in generic movement without clear purpose.
    • Poor documentation—not keeping a detailed logbook or failing to review and annotate video evidence, which weakens the evaluation component.
    • Treating devising as unstructured improvisation without a clear process, leading to unfocused or incomplete performance outcomes.
    • Failing to document the devising journey, resulting in insufficient evidence to support claims about technique application and creative decision-making.
    • Confusing evaluation with description by simply recounting what happened rather than analysing why it was effective or how it could be improved.
    • Not referencing the original stimuli or intentions when evaluating, making it difficult to demonstrate a coherent link between technique and final piece.
    • Confusing devising with script-based rehearsal, failing to recognise the generative and experimental nature of the process.
    • Providing vague or generic examples when explaining techniques, rather than specific instances from their own work.
    • Over-reliance on a single technique without exploring a sufficient range to meet the brief.
    • Submitting evaluation that is merely descriptive, lacking critical analysis of why techniques were effective or not.
    • Confusing devising with improvisation: students often present loosely connected improvised scenes without development, structure, or intentional shaping through technique.
    • Neglecting to evaluate the devising process itself, focusing only on the final performance outcome rather than analyzing how techniques contributed to or hindered the creative journey.
    • Superficial use of techniques—such as naming 'physical theatre' without exploring its principles—leading to vague or unconvincing evidence in portfolios and practical work.
    • Confusing devising with simply scripting a play or relying on pre-existing texts; failing to grasp that devising is about generating original material collaboratively.
    • Neglecting to document the devising journey thoroughly, leading to insufficient evidence of process and reflection for assessment.
    • Providing a superficial evaluation that merely describes what was done without analysing why techniques worked or how they could be improved.
    • Mistake: Thinking that only natural talent matters. Correction: Success in performing arts relies heavily on consistent practice, discipline, and a growth mindset. Technical skills can be developed through structured training, and creativity is nurtured through experimentation.
    • Mistake: Believing that choreography is just about steps. Correction: Effective choreography requires intentional use of space, dynamics, relationships, and structure to convey meaning. It's a compositional art form, not just a sequence of movements.
    • Mistake: Assuming that performance is only about the final show. Correction: The process – including rehearsal discipline, feedback incorporation, and reflective evaluation – is equally important. Assessors look for evidence of development and learning throughout the unit.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Common questions students ask about this topic

    Before You Start

    Prior knowledge that will help with this topic

    • •A strong foundation in dance technique (e.g., at least 2 years of regular training in one or more styles).
    • •Basic understanding of performance terminology and stagecraft (e.g., stage directions, projection, spatial awareness).
    • •Ability to work collaboratively in group settings and take constructive feedback.

    Key Terminology

    Essential terms to know

    • 1. Explain a range of techniques for devising, giving examples of how these can be used2. Demonstrate the use of devising techniques to devise and create a performance3. Evaluate their use of devising techniques
    • 1. Explain a range of techniques for devising, giving examples of how these can be used2. Demonstrate the use of devising techniques to devise and create a performance3. Evaluate their use of devising techniques
    • Collaborative creation
    • Improvisation techniques
    • Stimulus exploration
    • Performance structuring
    • Critical reflection
    • 1. Explain a range of techniques for devising, giving examples of how these can be used2. Demonstrate the use of devising techniques to devise and create a performance3. Evaluate their use of devising techniques
    • 1. Explain a range of techniques for devising, giving examples of how these can be used2. Demonstrate the use of devising techniques to devise and create a performance3. Evaluate their use of devising techniques

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