Performance Practices MA

Entry requirements

You should have the equivalent or above of a 2:2 UK bachelor’s honours degree in a related subject, such as Dance, Drama or Performing Arts.

If you have other professional qualifications and industry experience we will consider your application on an individual basis.

Months of entry

September

Course content

On this course, you will explore a range of contemporary performance practices and related contexts, developing your creative skills and deepening your understanding of critical theory and research. You will engage with topics such as the body in performance, audiences, spaces, narrative, digital technologies, devising and collaboration, enabling you to gain new insights and to build on existing knowledge. The programme has a particular emphasis on supporting innovative practice that is responsive to the interests of a contemporary audience and our lived reality. It is structured to offer a blend of taught content and negotiated study, giving you the freedom to develop your own areas of interest as an emerging practitioner and scholar.

You will develop an advanced understanding of performance aligned to current real-world thinking, with teaching covering new theoretical and practical perspectives from our energetic, research-active academics with international profiles in their fields.

Specialist areas include performance practices and theory, live art, immersive, interactive and participatory theatre, writing for performance, psychophysical performance, improvisation, digital technologies, and solo and collaborative performance making. The course is further enhanced by our links with local and national organisations, artists and leading researchers.

The course is designed to develop independent artists, researchers and reflective practitioners. It is also ideal for professional artists and educators who wish to reinvigorate their practices.

• Study the body in performance, audiences, spaces, narrative, memory, digital technologies and collaboration, considering how disciplinary boundaries can be pushed.
• Gain opportunities to work with the industry through our local and national links, work-based projects within arts administration and in fields such as marketing and teaching.
• Investigate the creative and critical contexts of contemporary performance, taught by our internationally recognised staff who are practising artists and scholars.
• Work alongside an international artist to devise work for public performance, developing artistic and collaborative strategies.
• DMU is recognised as a Centre for Excellence in Performance Arts with great facilities providing specialist studios and rehearsal spaces designed specifically for learning activities in dance and performance.
• Our programme is designed to develop you to achieve your personal goals; whether it is to become a teacher or performer, start your own company, or pursue further study.

Information for international students

If English is not your first language an IELTS score of 6.0 overall with 5.5 in each band, or equivalent when you start the course is essential. English Language tuition, delivered by our British Council-accredited Centre for English Language Learning, is available both before and throughout the course if you need it.

Fees and funding

Please visit our website for more information about course fees and available funding.