The purpose of this module is to provide students with a contextual understanding of the role of the arts in promoting awareness and activism, as well as the skills to devise a curated or performed work around a particular issue. This module is part of the university broadening agenda and resonates with the commitment within the UL Strategic plan to create interdisciplinary learning opportunities. Postgraduate students taking this module will have demonstrated an ability to work in a team context at undergraduate level or its equivalent and to critically engage in the process of project development from concept stage through to implementation. The host unit for the module is the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance.

This module explores the role of the arts as an agent of social activism and a means of raising awareness. It introduces a number of case studies that explore the use of music, dance, visual arts and architecture as media for addressing concerns around environmental sustainability, health and well-being, poverty and social regeneration and facilitates the development of a creative plan for a performance or curated event. Postgraduate students taking this module will have demonstrated an ability to critically engage in the process of project development from concept and design stage through to implementation.

- Demonstrate an understanding of the role of the arts in raising awareness and supporting activism through the production of a portfolio of work and participation in the creative development of a curated or performed work - Evaluate the success of strategic actions (performed, curated, written) in raising awareness and promoting activism

- Demonstrate an understanding of the ethical dimensions of socially engaged art - Share collaborative experiences and interests in the production of a curated or devised work around an issue of mutual interest and engagement

- Perform responsibly as a medium of exploration within the context of devised work - Assemble work in literate, audio-visual, performed and curated modes

The module is taught through a combination of lecture / seminar presentations and a weekly workshop around the design and production of a creative work. The production of the curated or performed event will have the support of the physical resources available at the Irish World Academy building in the first instance but may also include site specific work around the campus. The module will be taught by specialist faculty from the contributing areas including the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, the School of Architecture (SAUL), Computer Science and Information Systems (CSIS), Graduate Entry Medical School (GEMS), Journalism, Nursing and Midwifery, Sociology and the Irish Chamber Orchestra through their education outreach programme. Current members of the course team include Helen Phelan, Orfhlaith Ni Bhriain, Niamh NicGhabhann (Irish World Academy) Grainne Hassett (SAUL), Mikael Fernström (CSIS), Michael Larvin (GEMS), Mary Dundon (Journalism), Maebh Barry (Nursing and Midwifery), Eoin Devereux (Sociology) and Kathleen Turner (ICO). The module focuses on three key interdisciplinary interactions related to the role of the arts in environmental sustainability, health and well-being; and poverty and social regeneration The module builds on the conceptual frameworks proposed by scholars such as Richard Shusterman. In confronting the aesthetic perspective of art for art's sake, he coined the term 'somaesthetics', arguing for an understanding of art that is necessarily political, embodied, contextualized and socially engaged. In understanding art, not as aesthetic object but as engaged activity, he argued, we 'recall wider notions of aesthetic experience and value so as to renew art's energies and find new directions for progress' (Performing Live, p.4, 2000). The module will address several of the University of Limerick graduate attributes. Candidates will: - become more knowledgeable about the role of the arts in promoting awareness and activism around areas of social concern, health and well-being and the environment - be proactive in raising awareness and developing skills to increase understanding and agency around key issues - be creative in the development of a performed or curated work, contributing towards awareness around key issues - be linguistically and performatively articulate in the communication of ideas - be responsible in their activism and creative engagement - work collaboratively towards the production of a curated or performed work