Live Performance Engineering: Live Performance Engineering

Descriptions

The Bachelor of Arts graduates in live performance engineering work in a wide range of professional technical tasks in planning and leadership positions in live performance technology. They can work in various live performance venues, and as parts of production organizations and artistic teams. They master the systems in lighting, sound, audiovisual and stage engineering in a versatile way. They are acquainted with the tools and practices of the technical planning and implementation of various productions. The work tasks are executed mainly at theatre and opera houses, cultural and community centers, in live performance production and planning, concert and festival activities and international live performance productions, production planning agencies as well as sales and installation related activities.

In adult education and training the existing professional skills of the students are integrated to a new learning path. In order to get a university degree they can build on their existing competences and will learn to develop their competences according to the needs of working life now, and in the future. Work experience and existing competences are an asset in adult education and training. The goal of the studies is to supplement the competencies that already exist. The studies build skills for continuous learning and wide understanding of a continuously developing work field.

The studies concentrate on
- leadership and management of production process
- versatile mastering of lighting, sound, audiovisual and stage engineering
- management and development of safety procedures in live performance production
- technical planning and implementation, technical documentation
- professional research and development in thesis project.

In a rapidly changing work environment, learning skills, continuously developing technology competencies, and responsible acting in work community are increasingly important. Making ethically, ecologically and economically sustainable solutions is becoming more and more important. The students of live performance engineering create their own expertise profiles through elective and advanced studies, and projects. The students are encouraged in internationalization both in their regular curricular studies and in a possible international exchange or international internship.

The curriculum consists of Core Curriculum for
- Media Majors (20 credits)
- Core Studies in Live Performance Engineering (35 credits)
- Professional Studies in Live Performance Engineering (60 credits)
- Project Studies (65 credits)
- Elective Minor Courses and Multidisciplinary Studies in Live Performance Engineering (15 credits)
- Internships (30 credits) and
- Final Project (15 credits).

The core curriculum consists of studies related to learning skills, research and development basics and language studies. The core studies in live performance engineering build foundation for professional competencies. They focus on understanding performing arts as a field, as well as production and management skills. The professional studies provide students with wide mastery and understanding of technical systems and their use, as well as an ability to widen and reinforce their skills. The project studies are used to deepen and to apply the competencies in technical-artistic processes, for example in developing the work practices either personally or in one’s own organization, and by executing a multidisciplinary innovation project. The project studies are mainly deeply integrated with working life.

The purpose of elective minor courses and multidisciplinary studies is to deepen and/or supplement professional competencies. In this part the students can include supplementary studies and so called side studies to their personal study plan. These studies also offer an easy and flexible way to integrate international exchange studies as part of the degree. Internship is possible to do either domestically or abroad. The language studies are integrated to professional studies in order to enhance domestic internationalization. The Final Project is work life related, independently executed research and development project. The final thesis can be integrated with an artistic or a practical project, a live performance or a documentation. The Final Project can also be executed as a pair or group work. In a rapidly changing world the significance of learning skills, continuously developing technology competencies, and a responsible participation in work community are paramount. Ethically, ecologically and economically sustainable solutions are getting more and more important in live performance engineering. The students in live performance engineering create their own professional profiles through the elective and specialisation studies they choose. The internationalization is supported in the studies and in a possible student exchange or international internship.

The curriculum is renewed before by strengthening the focus on live performance safety and technical planning. There is also more emphasis on general knowledge of the performing arts. From the point of view of planning also mathematical-physical, electronic, and information networking competencies are emphasized. Possibilities for continuous learning are enhanced by strengthening the competence-based assessment. Minor changes have been made to the curriculum of 2022 to improve the compatibility of different curriculum versions.

Development

The degree programme in live performance engineering co-operates with work life in a wide and multifaceted way. In the curriculum planning a key asset has been a 2017 survey to employers assessing the present and future competency needs, and StageRight -projects 2019 survey on educational needs (http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-328-185-1). In the curriculum development work participants have included the permanent teachers of the degree programme, students, work life expert teachers and work life representatives from the degree programme advisory board. The advisory board of degree programme in live performance engineering has participated in the curriculum development. The advisory board has a representation from significant employers in the field: Akukon Oy, Audico Oy, Bright Finland Oy, Capital AV, Helsinki City Theatre (Helsingin Kaupunginteatteri), Events Helsinki (Helsingin Tapahtumasäätiö), Finnish National Gallery (Kansallisgalleria), Finnish National Opera and Ballet (Suomen Kansallisooppera ja -baletti) and SunEffects Oy.

Further information

KXH22-opetussuunnitelma on kopioitu pääosin KXH20S2-opetussuunnitelmasta. Keskeisimpinä muutoksina Esitystoiminnan turvallisuus-opintojakso (KM00ER61) tuotiin KXH21-opetussuunnitelmasta. Esimiestaidot-opintojakson (KM00EJ25) nimi muutettiin Esihenkilötaidoiksi (KM00EZ17) ja esimiestaidot korvattiin esihenkilötaidoilla uuden opintojakson sisällä. Ääni-, valo-, video- ja näyttämötekniikka -opintojaksojen arviointikriteerit päivitettiin. KM00EZ22 Esitystekniset sovellukset 1 arviointiperusteet kopioitiin KXH21-opetussuunnitelmasta opintojaksolta KM00ER77. KM00EZ23 Esitystekniset sovellukset 2 kuvaukset ja arviointiperusteet kopioitiin KXH21-opetussuunnitelmasta opintojaksolta KM00ER76.

Esitys- ja teatteritekniikan kentälle tarvitaan osaajia, jotka pystyvät toimimaan laaja-alaisesti paitsi perinteisissä teatteriteknisissä ja tapahtumateknisissä tehtävissä, myös ottamaan haltuun nopeasti kehittyvää teknologiaa ja uusien tuotantomuotojen, kuten etä- ja virtuaalitapahtumien asettamia haasteita. Voimakkaasti teknistyvät toimintaympäristöt vaativat turvallisuusosaamista. Kasvavan kulttuuri- ja tapahtumatuotannon laadun ja kehityksen edellytyksenä on, että esitystapahtumille ja -organisaatioille turvataan ammattitaitoisen ja johtamiskykyisen henkilökunnan saatavuus riittävän koulutuksen avulla.

Opetussuunnitelma vastaa tutkintovaatimuksia, työelämän osaamis- ja kehittämistarpeita sekä kansallisen ja kansainvälisen yhteistyön vaatimuksia. Se pohjautuu opiskelijalähtöiseen ja osaamisperustaiseen ajatteluun. Osaamistavoitteet kertovat opiskelijalle, minkälaista osaamista häneltä edellytetään sekä auttavat häntä arvioimaan omaa oppimistaan. Osaamistavoitteet on määritelty työelämän ja ammattikorkeakoulun yhteistyönä ja ne kuvaavat työelämälle opiskelijan osaamisen ja valmiudet erilaisiin työtehtäviin. Osaamisperustainen opetussuunnitelma mahdollistaa opiskelijaliikkuvuuden korkeakoulujen sisällä ja välillä. Lisäksi se helpottaa aiemmin hankitun osaamisen tunnistamista ja tunnustamista (AHOT) sekä eri maissa suoritettujen tutkintojen vertailua.

Kansainvälisyys on mahdollista kansainvälisenä opiskelijavaihtona, harjoitteluna tai kotikansainvälisinä opintoina tai esimerkiksi avointen kansainvälisten verkkoympäristöjen opintoina.

Objective

The key competencies of a Bachelor of Arts in Performance Engineering degree are master in managing technological-artistic production processes and wide knowledge in the field of live performance engineering and technical planning.

The Bachelors of Art in Live Performance Engineering are able to work in the field of live performance engineering in technical planning and leadership positions. They are familiar with lighting, sound and video systems, and live performance technology in a versatile way, and may have special expertise in certain areas of the professional field. The Bachelors of Art in Live Performance Engineering understand well the work processes of performance arts, and are able to participate in them as technical experts. They understand the special safety requirements of performance activities, and are able to advance safe working practices. They can work effectively in project type work in responsible roles related to their own professional field. The Bachelors of Art in Performance Engineering have good abilities for continuous learning and development of their competencies in a rapidly changing environment. They are able solve problems creatively in changing situations and can make decisions in unforeseen situations. They can assess and develop working practices and take into account the global and technological developments in the field in their work.

The curriculum of the Degree Programme in Live Performance Engineering is based on eleven competencies or professional skills:
- multidisciplinary competency in performance engineering
- development of safety in performance activities
- leadership of the production process
- expertise in technological artistic processes
- project management competencies
- learning skills
- ethical competencies
- work community competencies
- innovation competencies
- multicultural competencies
- technological competencies