Course Unit Form
Course unit title:
Artistic Project and Thesis
Code of the scientific area:
Mus
Duration (annual, semester or term):
Multi-year
Total student workload (total hours):
3,120.0
Contact hours:
In-person (P) - OT-60.0
% of distance-learning contact hours:
0.00%
ECTS credits:
120.0
Responsible lecturer and corresponding teaching load in the course unit:
Pedro Sousa Silva - 60.0h
Other lecturers and their teaching load in the course unit:
Learning outcomes and their compatibility with the teaching method (knowledge, skills and competences to be developed by students):
O1 Carry out a high-quality artistic project, integrating creative practice and critical research.
O2 Demonstrate the competences required to write a thesis that articulates academic research with artistic practice.
O3 Develop autonomy in the conception, execution and dissemination of an interdisciplinary artistic project.
O4 Apply leadership and collaborative working competences in the context of complex artistic projects.
Syllabus:
P1 Drawing up the artistic project's execution plan.
P2 Development of the project's stages, including research, production and performance.
P3 Structuring and writing of the doctoral thesis.
P4 Preparation for the public defence of the project and thesis. P5 Artistic and scientific dissemination strategies.
Demonstration of the coherence between the syllabus and the course unit's learning outcomes:
The syllabus is fully aligned with the course unit's learning outcomes.
O1 (carrying out a high-quality artistic project) is supported by P1 and P2, which guide the practical conception and execution of the project. O2 (writing a thesis that articulates practice and research) is directly related to P3, which develops competences in academic structuring and writing.
O3 (autonomy in conception, execution and dissemination) is covered by P4 and P5, which prepare for the public defence and for scientific and artistic dissemination strategies.
O4 (leadership and collaboration) is promoted by P2 and reinforced in the defence-related activities described in P4. This content articulates practice and theory, promoting technical, reflective and creative competences for carrying out interdisciplinary projects and presenting them in professional and academic contexts.
Teaching and learning methodologies specific to the course unit, articulated with the pedagogical model:
The teaching and learning methodologies of this course unit are aligned with the programme's pedagogical model, favouring tutorial supervision as the basis for the development of the project-thesis. Teaching is structured to ensure continuous support, promoting student autonomy in the formulation, execution and communication of their artistic research.
The pedagogical model rests on a dynamic, iterative creative triangle, in which the student occupies the base of the process, taking on a central and active role in building their artistic and academic project. This path is sustained by two fundamental pillars: supervisors, who provide methodological, technical and conceptual support, and stakeholders, who provide a real-world context for the experimentation, validation and dissemination of the research. The constant interaction between these three elements enables continuous refinement of the project, ensuring artistic relevance and professional impact.
method: personalised tutorial supervision
strategy - individualised support for the research and artistic creation process tools - regular meetings with supervisors, continuous feedback, technical and conceptual supervision
supervisors ensure the methodological and conceptual cohesion of the project, helping the student to structure the thesis, validate approaches and consolidate the artistic research
method: practice-based learning strategy - implementation of the artistic project in real-world contexts and progressive development of the research tools - rehearsals, performances, technical experimentation and documentary recording of the creative process
the link between research and practice allows students to test approaches and ground their artistic research through experimentation
method: integration with stakeholders
strategy - collaboration with artistic, cultural and academic institutions to validate and disseminate the projects tools - partnerships with theatres, orchestras, festivals, research centres and artistic dissemination platforms
stakeholders play an essential role in the student's professional integration, providing specialist feedback and opportunities for public presentation of the research
method: peer review
strategy - presentation and discussion of research progress in internal seminars and scientific events tools - participation in doctoral student meetings, feedback from peers and lecturers, structured review of thesis chapters — the exchange of experience helps refine argumentation and consolidate the research, ensuring conceptual and communicative rigour
These methodologies ensure that the student develops autonomy in the conception, realisation and dissemination of the project-thesis, benefiting from continuous interaction with supervisors and stakeholders to build a solid, relevant and professionally integrated academic and artistic path.
Assessment:
Progress reports: Submitted at regular intervals — February and June of the 2nd curricular year, and October and March of the 3rd curricular year — to monitor the development of the project. These will be endorsed by the supervisory team and subject to qualitative appraisal by the Scientific Committee of the ESMAE Doctoral School, in accordance with the regulations in force.
Public defence: Consists of a public act of presentation and discussion of the artistic project and thesis before a jury, organised in two sequential and articulated sessions: Session I (Public Presentation of the Artistic Component) and Session II (Critical Discussion and Final Appraisal), in accordance with the regulations in force.
Assessment criteria: Artistic project: Based on the artistic quality, innovation and impact of the work. The presentation of the artistic project may take the form of a work, a set of works, a performance, a show, a recording, an installation or another equivalent artistic realisation. When the presentation takes the form of a public presentation, it must last no less than 45 minutes and no more than 2 hours, except in duly justified exceptional cases framed within the artistic research project; in other cases, the presentation consists of an oral contextualisation of the submitted results, lasting a minimum of 45 minutes and a maximum of 90 minutes. Written thesis: Assessed on clarity, coherence and contribution to the field of artistic studies; the thesis will have a target length of 75,000 words, with a minimum of 50,000 and a maximum of 100,000 words.
Condition for approval: The candidate must achieve approval in both sessions, with the final decision taken by the jury after Session II, in accordance with the regulations.
Demonstration of the coherence between the teaching and assessment methodologies and the course unit's learning outcomes:
The teaching and assessment methodologies of the project-thesis course unit ensure an integrated path of research and artistic creation, promoting student autonomy in the conception, execution and dissemination of their work. The pedagogical model rests on a dynamic, iterative creative triangle, in which the student occupies a central role, sustained by two pillars: supervisors, who provide methodological, technical and conceptual support, and stakeholders, who offer a real-world context for the experimentation, validation and dissemination of the research.
O1, which aims at carrying out a high-quality artistic project, is supported by the methodologies of personalised tutorial supervision (M1) and practice-based learning (M2). Individualised support allows for continuous refinement of the project's methodology and structure, while practical implementation makes it possible to test creative and technical approaches in real-world contexts.
O2, which focuses on writing the thesis articulating practice and academic research, is sustained by tutorial supervision (M1) and peer review (M4). Regular work with supervisors helps structure the thesis and articulate theoretical concepts, while presenting progress at seminars and scientific meetings improves academic communication.
O3, which develops autonomy in the conception, execution and dissemination of the project, is supported by integration with stakeholders (M3). Collaboration with artistic, cultural and academic institutions provides opportunities for professional integration and for testing methodologies in specialist contexts.
O4, which encourages leadership and collaborative working competences, is strengthened by the methodologies of practice-based learning (M2) and integration with stakeholders (M3). Engagement with multidisciplinary teams and articulation with external agents consolidate management and networking competences, preparing the student for complex artistic projects.
Assessment is structured to ensure continuous support and a rigorous appraisal of the results:
progress reports - monitor the development of the project and ensure alignment with the defined objectives (O1, O2, O3) public defence - assesses the student's ability to present and justify their work before a specialist jury, reinforcing argumentation and communication competences (O2, O3, O4)
assessment of the artistic project - focuses on the quality, innovation and impact of the work, reflecting the capacity to integrate creation and critical research (O1, O3)
assessment of the thesis - examines the clarity, coherence and academic contribution of the research, ensuring the articulation between practice and theoretical reflection (O2, O4)
Bibliography (recommended/compulsory reading):
Barrett, E., & Bolt, B. (Eds.). (2014). Practice as research: Approaches to creative arts inquiry (2nd ed.). Bloomsbury.
Borgdorff, H. (2012). The conflict of the faculties: Perspectives on artistic research and academia. Leiden University Press.
Biggs, M., & Karlsson, H. (Eds.). (2011). The Routledge companion to research in the arts. Routledge.
De Assis, P. & D'Errico, L. (eds) (2019). Artistic Research: Charting a Field in Expansion. Washington, DC: Rowman and Littlefield.
Doğantan-Dack, Mine. (ed.) (2015) Artistic Practice as Research in Music: Theory, Criticism, Practice. Aldershot: Ashgate.
Leavy, P. (2015). Method meets art: Arts-based research practice (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.
Lopes, A., & Machado, R. C. (2017). Pesquisa em música: Reflexões contemporâneas. Editora da UFSM.
Kivy, P. (2002). Introduction to a philosophy of music. Clarendon Press.
Remarks:
[No response]
