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MA Theatre and Performance

Establish your artistic identity on our artist-led course

Establish your artistic identity on our artist-led course

MA: 1 year Full Time, 2 years Part Time
MFA: 2 years Full Time, 3 years Part Time

Bishop Otter Campus (Chichester)
  • Define and refine your individual practice with the support of professional artists
  • Create a new piece of work, an artist’s portfolio, a business plan, and a practice-led-research project
  • Learn from experienced and expert theatre practitioners
  • Utilise our strong industry links with national events, venues, and festivals
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Overview

Join an artist-led master's programme open to theatre makers of all styles and disciplines

Important

This course has been renamed from MA Performance: Theatre or Theatre Collectives for 2024 entry.

Our MA Theatre and Performance course defines and develop your critical and creative performance practice with options to study full-time or part-time.

Define your practice with the support of professional artists

This artist led theatre-making programme is particularly suited to practitioners (emerging or established) looking to define and/or refine their professional practice, artistic identity, and portfolio.

You will work to create a new piece of work, an artist’s portfolio, business plan, and a practice-led-research project with the support of masterclasses and mentorship from professional artists.

Shape your practical skills through practice-led research

Throughout the course, you will develop your practical and study skills to postgraduate level as you take part in interdisciplinary practice-led research methodologies and contribute the development of new work.

Aaron

MA Theatre and Performance
"This programme has really helped me develop myself as an artist. The course helped generate new ways of devising materials, refine my methodologies, and helped me create work within a professional context. This was a unique experience that gave me the opportunity to work closely with professional artists that are best suited to the work I create in order to support me and my practice."

Learn from experienced and expert theatre practitioners

Our team of internationally reputed theatre and performance artists, practitioners, and researchers are here to help support your practical and personal growth, as you join an artist-led theatre-making department.

Join a community of theatre-makers with strong industry links

Our vibrant and collaborative departmental community of artists, practitioners, and performers, with the opportunity to benefit from strong links with venues and regional, national, and international festivals.

Access our range of excellent theatre resources and spaces

Our range of performance and rehearsal spaces and resources ensure that you have access to everything you need to support your creative practice.

On this course you will:

  • Define and refine your individual practice with the support of professional artists.
  • Create a new piece of work, an artist’s portfolio, business plan, and a practice-led-research project
  • Join a vibrant and connected environment and community for making contemporary theatre and performance.
  • Utilise our strong industry links with national events, venues, and festivals.
  • Learn from our experienced team of contemporary theatre experts.
  • Use our range of excellent performance and rehearsal spaces and resources.

The Course

Define and refine your professional practice and artistic identity

Throughout the course, you will engage in a selection of both core and specialist modules that develop your knowledge of theatre-making and performance.

Indicative modules

  • Research Methodologies
  • An Introduction to Postgraduate Study and Research
  • Cultural Identity and Performance
  • Critical/Practical Research Project
  • Developmental Project
  • Practice-led Research and Development Project (including written dissertation)
  • Professional Portfolio
  • Performance Project

Andy Roberts

Co-Director, Bootworks Theatre – MA Theatre graduate
"The MA in theatre collectives at Chichester was the perfect testing ground for my practice, I was given the time and space to create new work and, through the mentoring programme, the opportunity to tour the country meeting practitioners and artists in the industry. There’s something really special in that freedom to explore."

Teaching and Assessment

Feel the support of our expert and experienced teaching staff

Teaching

Our team of expert teaching staff will provide you with the core skills and knowledge you will need to excel within devised and collaborative theatre making, as you develop your own research and practical ideas.

Feel supported to develop your own artistic identity

You will be encouraged to work further afield – across the region, UK, Europe, and beyond – and externalise your work and identity.

You will have opportunities to establish a professional artistic and/or academic identity, and platform your own work in national and international contexts, which will help develop prospects for continuing education, in terms of teaching or continuing studies to MPhil and PhD, and in terms of your professional identity as a practitioner.

Assessment

You will be assessed through a range of assignments including:

  • The creation of practical (public) performances
  • Sharing your work in progress and ‘scratch’ presentations
  • Practical workshops and interactive/participatory research activities
  • Monographs and artists books
  • Business models and plans
  • Research papers and presentations
  • A written thesis

Facilities

Discover dedicated performance spaces, specialist equipment, and extensive resources

The Showroom

The ShowRoom is recognised nationally for presenting some of the most exciting companies touring on the UK circuit, and the programme is shaped to support the learning of students.

We often run workshops and post-show discussion for Theatre students with visiting artists. We believe that one of the best ways to learn about professional theatre is by watching a training with arts industry professionals. This is at the heart of the ShowRoom’s ambition.

The ShowRoom is highly adaptable, with retractable seating, making it an excellent teaching and workshop space in addition to its role as a venue. It is run by our Theatre Manager and Department Technician, who work closely with our students, helping them to realise creative and adventurous ideas in a professional working space.

Other facilities include:

  • Studio spaces exclusive to the department
  • Rehearsal Rooms
  • Recording studio
  • Editing facilities
  • Audio/visual equipment
  • In-house lighting and sound technicians to assist student projects

 

Find out more on the ShowRoom website.

Careers

Where you could go after your studies

Our MA/MFA Devised Theatre leads to various outcomes and opportunities for performer, practitioners, and researchers.

Over the years we have established and supported students as independent practitioners and touring arts companies/collectives, teaching (at all levels), and of course; PhD and further academic study and careers.

We also produce and support students looking to establish and develop careers in producing, creative writing, and arts management.

Other Theatre Options

Explore our range of postgraduate theatre courses

Course Costs

Course Fees 2024/25

UK fee
£9,432
International fee
£18,000

For further details about fees, please see our Tuition Fee page.

For further details about international scholarships, please see our Scholarships page.

University of Chichester alumni who have completed a full undergraduate degree at the University will receive a 15% discount on their postgraduate fees.

Entry Requirements

Typical offer (individual offers may vary):

Applicants will ideally have a 2.1 degree and dissertation in Theatre / Performing Arts or related subject.

We welcome applications from or any other degree subject who have relevant professional experience, or an academic qualification equivalent to a degree plus relevant professional experience.

Apply

Full-time entry

To apply for the full-time entry of this course, please click the button below.

Part-time entry

To apply for the part-time entry of this course, please click the button below.

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