Artistic Expression Through Action: Time, Space, Body
Performance art can be defined as an action and a physical presence in time and space. It is a fleeting, ephemeral discipline, sometimes politically incorrect and, at times, unsettling. The archives and documents of performance arts inspire new generations in every process of creative life. Their role in popular culture today is limitless. The Performance course focuses on both individual and group practical work in creating a performance art piece, from inspiration and initial idea to the public performance. Theory and history of the discipline are integral parts of the course, essential for forming and consolidating a critical approach to the creative process, and also serve as inspiration. Light physical and trust exercises are part of the routine in every lesson.
At the end of the course, a certificate of attendance is issued upon attendance of at least 8 of the 10 scheduled lectures, for a possible recognition of 2 CFA.
Course type: group session – in-person
Participants: Max 15
Frequency: weekly, on Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Duration: 10 lessons – total of 40 hours
Cost: € 590.00 in a single payment or in two instalments of € 300.00 each
Materials: none / any materials for performance activities are at the student’s expense
Requirements/support: none
Language: Italian
Lecturer: Marta Jovanovic
Location: RUFA – Via degli Ausoni, 7- 00185 Rome
Registration starts: August 1, 2025
Registration closes: October 3, 2025
The aim of the course is to prepare participants for live performances in front of an audience.
In the first six lessons, the first half of the lesson will be devoted to theory, the history of performance art, archiving, and documentation.
Participants will follow the practical part of the lesson and gather insights for their individual or group performances, which will take place in the second half of the lesson.
The seventh lesson will be used to define individual or group ideas for the performances and organise the final performances that will take place during the last lesson.
JANUARY
24/01/2026
31/01/2026
FEBRUARY
07/02/2026
14/02/2026
21/02/2026
28/02/2026
MARCH
07/03/2026
14/03/2026
21/03/2026
28/03/2026
Make-up dates:
11/04/2026
18/04/2026
By “make-up dates” we refer to additional sessions proposed by RUFA in the event that a scheduled date is cancelled due to circumstances related to the instructor, the Academy, or force majeure.
Please note that make-up sessions are not provided for student absences.
Marta Jovanović is a performance artist and lecturer with a mission to promote and facilitate the further progress of the discipline.
Founder of the Performance Art Program at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Belgrade, artist-in-residence at the Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles in 2017, Jovanović is the subject of the documentary film “Born Just Now,” by American director Robert Adanto, which has won numerous international awards. Her works, “Pionirka,” “It is My Body,” “Love,” and “Motherhood,” are held in significant private and museum collections.
The performance “BelgradeMermaid” opened the Belgrade Biennale in 2018, while the following year its continuation, “Mermaid’s Tale,” became a virtual reality performance. Curator Kathy Battista has written a compendium of her early works entitled “Marta Jovanovic: Performing the Self,” published by the Martin E. Segal Theatre Center at the City University of New York. In the book “New York New Wave,” Battista places Jovanović among the most urgent contemporary feminist artists in New York.
Instagram: Marta Jovanović
RUFA Students and Alumni: 50% discount
Former students of RUFA Short Courses and Summer Programs 2024–25: 10% discount
University students: 5% discount (upon presenting a valid university ID or transcript)
Course package/groups/family: contact corsibrevi@unirufa.it for tailored solutions
For all enrolled students, without the need for specific requirements, fee reductions are available based on the date of registration:
Very Early Bird: by August 21, 2025 → €501.50 (–15%)
Early Bird: from August 22 to September 4, 2025 → €531.00 (–10%)
All students holding certification pursuant to Law 104/92 are entitled to a 20% discount on the registration fee, regardless of the selected time frame.
To request it, documentation must be sent to the registrar’s office at corsibrevi@unirufa.it.
Enrolling in a short course entitles students, for the month in which the course takes place, to access special agreements with local businesses.
The benefits include discounts on creative materials and lunch breaks at venues near the campus locations.
Each year, the Short Courses Office will provide an updated list of participating businesses.
For course information, fill in the form and you will be contacted.
Listen to the protagonists of the “Performing Rome” Summer Course