Location:

Egham, United Kingdom

Program Type:

Full Degree

Degree Level:

Doctorate

Specialty:

Creative Writing

Program Overview

Program Description:

We host one of the largest number of postgraduate research students studying Drama in the country. Our postgraduate students make a valued contribution to the research culture of the department. All postgraduate students are encouraged to attend research events organised by the Department, and are kept regularly updated about Calls for Papers and Seminar and Conference Information. We welcome postgraduates to participate in the Department’s research groups and to share practice and performance of different kinds. MA in Applied and Participatory Theatre Convenor: Professor Helen Nicholson This innovative MA programme in Applied and Participatory Theatre considers how artists, audiences and community participants might work together in new forms of cultural engagement. Applied drama/ theatre is an umbrella term which includes the practice of drama in a wide range of settings, such as drama and theatre education; young people’s theatre; drama, health and healing; reminiscence and heritage theatres; theatre in prisons; theatre for development. Twenty-first century artists have embraced innovative forms of cultural practice in new community settings; companies are developing ‘local’ programmes that interrogate the interactivity of place and audience, and practice outside conventional performance spaces often blurs distinctions between producer and audience. This MA offers students opportunities to work as artists and researchers in this aspect of theatre practice. MA Playwriting: This course is designed for aspiring playwrights, dramaturgs, and those – teachers, directors, actors and more – who want to gain an intensive, practical understanding of playwriting from the inside. It is an opportunity to enhance skills in writing for performance in a variety of contexts and to develop and write a play. The course ranges widely across different forms of writing for performance, from stage to radio, the single-authored play to writing for devised work and live art. This programme also enables students to undertake advanced research in theatre and performance, participate in independent and group-based practical projects, and critically explore the history and theory of theatre and performance. The core playwriting class is normally taught in the College’s London base in Bedford Square and other classes take place at the Egham campus. MA in Contemporary Performance Practices Convenors: Dr. David Williams and Dr. Libby Worth This programme combines diverse approaches to making and documenting performance work, drawing in particular on devising, physical theatre, choreography, directing, solo work and live art. It is intended for graduate reflective performance practitioners to enhance knowledge and experience of a range of processes and forms in the areas of collaboration, composition, performance, directing and documentation. It is designed to appeal to a cross-disciplinary range of performance makers in order to stimulate and support both collaborative work and the further development of skills/knowledge within new areas of performance. Postgraduate Certificate in Physical Theatre for Dancers and Actors: This postgraduate certificate is a Continuing Professional Development course for postgraduate experienced dancers and actors moving into a new area of work namely dance theatre, introducing new techniques that combine vocal, kinaesthetic and visual skills and responses. The focus of the course will be to understand and explore Vardimon’s method and approach of creating physical theatre work and will be taught by Jasmin Vardimon and the collaborators of the Jasmin Vardimon Company. MPhil/PhD: The Department of Drama and Theatre offers supervision in a wide variety of fields, and we welcome diverse projects. We have a large group of around 70 PhD students studying in the department at any one time, so you will always feel the support of being part of a research community. Research students are members of our departmental research groups, and are regularly invited to participate in seminars with academic staff. They also present their work at national and international conferences , and we were delighted at the number of students whose panel presentations were accepted for the 2012 meeting of Performance Studies International (Psi) in Leeds. Each year many students participate in conferences organised by the Theatre and Performance Research Association (TaPRA), For general enquiries about applying, please contact the Faculty Administrator (Postgraduate).

Additional Program Information

Accreditation:

Students successfully completing the programme will be awarded the degree of MA in Applied and Participatory Theatre; MA in Contemporary Performance Practices or the MA Playwriting. Successful completion of the postgraduate certificate is equivalent to two modules of the MA in CPP. On completion, suitably qualified students are eligible to apply to the Drama Department to complete the MA part-time one year. If candidates were successfully admitted to the MA programme they would then have to complete a dissertation, research methodologies and one core taught course.

Financial Aid:

No

Requirements:

We welcome p/g applications from candidates who have a 2:1 or above first degree (this does not have to be in Drama) and who can demonstrate strong interest in/experience of making and analysing theatre. PhD Applicants who wish to undertake their research should have, or expect to be awarded, a Masters degree in a relevant field, or have the equivalent postgraduate experience. We welcome applications from candidates from non-traditional backgrounds.