Kick-start your passion for directing and dramaturgy at UEA, with one of the UK’s longest-standing Master's courses in Theatre Directing. Based in the School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing our MA Theatre Directing Text and Production boasts an interdisciplinary approach. Whether you want to pursue a career as a theatre-maker, writer or director or continue in academic research, this part-time course is for you.
Your tutors include acclaimed contemporary playwrights, working directors and acting specialists. You’ll learn lighting, sound and stage management fundamentals with our studio technical staff. You’ll be supported by one-to-one mentorship with the course director. You’ll benefit from visiting professionals and theatre practitioners throughout the year, creating an unparalleled balance of philosophical, technical and practical learning. You’ll also have opportunities for work-shadowing with regional and national companies and venues, which helps you gain a knowledge of production, management and funding processes. Your final dissertation could be a full production, a written research or creative project, or a combination of them, all supported by academic and technical staff.
In the close, collaborative and non-hierarchical environment at UEA you’ll also gain from working with undergraduate actors and postgraduate scriptwriters throughout the year.
Graduates from the course are resident directors with national theatre companies, or are touring shows that they have written, directed, and produced themselves. Many have obtained funding for their projects, in partnership with UEA Enterprise or from Arts Council England. Recent alumni include producer, writer and director Sky Carver; Artistic Director of the Relish Theatre Company Rob Ellis; Artistic Director of Norwich Puppet Theatre; Peter Beck; and Julia Sowerbutts, Artistic Director of INK Festival of New Writing.
Explore choreographic research methods while developing and promoting your own artistic voice
Are you looking for a qualification to equip you for a range of careers in choreography, performing arts, dance development, arts administration, performance, teaching or dance research? Or are you interested in a postgraduate course to prepare you for further study such as a PhD or professionally-related qualification?
If you enjoy problem-solving, creative thinking, engaging in debate and independent and group work, then this course is for you.
This MA Choreography and Professional Practice course explores choreography, improvisation, devising and experimentation, professional and artistic development and portfolio working. You will have opportunities to network with industry professionals and improve your portfolio as you study.
You will be challenged to explore your practice and examine your working methods as a dance-maker. This course will introduce you to choreographic research methods and strategies for documenting live performance practice and promoting your work.
There will be opportunities to pursue live performance practices as a choreographer, consider your work in relation to the wider field of professional contemporary dance practice, develop your artistic voice and explore single discipline or interdisciplinary practice-based projects involving choreography, performance, fine art, music and installation.
You will lead projects and focus on topics that interest you in performance making as you explore and expand on your existing choreographic practice in a dynamic research environment. You will examine innovative and experimental approaches to choreographic practice, research and scholarship, and discover topics including choreographic practices and methods of research, somatic approaches, developing movement vocabularies, collaboration, devising and experimentation.
Learn from experienced industry professionals and benefit from our close relationship with regional dance industry providers and practitioners. Staff work in a range of fields, including dance theatre, new media and dance film, site-specific and installation work.
Some of the course content will be delivered on campus, with some content taught off-site in Brighton, London or other venues. You need to be flexible and prepared to travel to make the most of this opportunity. You will need to pay your own travel costs.