Grading Hugh: Assessment in the performing arts and the implications of industry compliance in a university setting

This paper presents the findings of a qualitative study providing base-line information on staff attitudes towards assessment in a performing arts setting. The authentic and situated learning pedagogy in creative arts courses has arisen, in part, from traditional master-apprenticeship relationships between students and expert practitioners. In turn, this has influenced assessment patterns that are performance-based and incorporate the principles of peer and expert review.

The location of this study is the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts at Edith Cowan University, Perth, Western Australia (WAAPA@ECU). It is an elite training school for students wishing to pursue careers in stage and screen as actors, dancers, musicians or as producers/directors. Hugh Jackman is one of its most famous graduates. This study is, therefore, informed by an interest in the pedagogy of excellence. It explores how staff assess and what they look for when 'grading Hugh'. A key question is: What happens with assessment when the focus is on excellence? An important finding is that assessment in a performing arts setting addresses not only knowledge and skills but also affective learning and compliance with industry standards. The paper concludes with a critical analysis of assessment and affective learning and an exploration of the potentially conservative implications of compliance with industry standards in a university setting.