These courses offer specialist, vocational teaching in the field of movement for actors and production practice for movement directors. Bespoke movement placements at Central and in other professional theatre settings, such as other conservatoires, or theatre, opera or film organisations (both in Britain and internationally), are a key part of the course.
There are opportunities for the development of individual movement specialisms and their application to the work of actors. Tradition, experience, eclecticism and innovation epitomise Central’s understanding of movement training for the theatre, and these unique courses have been created in that spirit.
As a student on the MA/MFA Creative Producing programme at Central, you will:
- Real-world creative producing opportunities to develop knowledge and skills
- Networking through placements with leading theatre and arts organisations, masterclasses and industry mentors
- Student-led collaboration with writers, actors and designers on other Central MA/MFA courses
What is a Creative Producer?
The entrepreneurially skilled and culturally literate producer works in dialogue with artists to create performances and festivals, run venues and companies, manage projects, raise funds and investment, and negotiate commissions.
Central graduates have become successful producers, among them Sir Cameron Mackintosh, a name synonymous with Britain’s global pre-eminence in musical theatre, and David Jubb, whose pioneering work at Battersea Arts Centre characterises the vibrancy and originality of London’s contemporary fringe, or ‘off West End’ scene.
The courses offer real-world creative producing opportunities within Central’s production calendar and with extensive industry partners, enabling you to build on your existing practice. These skills are in ever-increasing demand in a competitive production environment.
You will undertake masterclasses in producing with key industry leaders and innovators and take an active role in the organisation of events, productions and projects, underpinned by a solid critical understanding of the cultural industries and creative producing skills, relevant theory and current research in the performance field.
While learning, you will also gain a career head start by building a vital network of industry and peer contacts.
These courses are suitable for:
- experienced stage managers or production managers who wish to develop as creative producers
- those already engaged in creative producing activities who wish to extend their knowledge in the field
- business graduates with an interest in performance arts applications
- experienced theatre or performance artists or graduates who wish to produce their own work and gain entrepreneurial skills
- arts graduates who wish to instigate or curate the work of others.
These courses provide the opportunity for students to develop the core competencies and skills of the dramatist and scriptwriter, to explore their own ‘voice’ and develop their confidence as dramatists and scriptwriters, and to appreciate the specific media contexts within which professional writers work.
Key features are:
• Practice-based enquiry into techniques and processes for writing for stage and screen
• A series of scriptwriting projects to engage with different styles and formats of production
• Associated study of writing techniques and issues of performance in relation to theatre, cinema, television and other relevant contexts.
Some of the major innovations in performance practices over the past hundred years have been drawn from scenographic developments.
Drawing from past and present approaches to performance design, these Scenography courses are concerned with exploring dynamic and innovative interplays between the body, space and time further informed by a variety of disciplines including sculpture, digital media, puppetry, choreography, film, architecture and sound.
The MA Theatre Directing course takes a practice-based approach as it explores different directing methodologies - naturalism, realism, intercultural performance and contemporary devising practices.
You will gain the skills needed to create innovative and exciting performance work and to be able to operate as a professional theatre director and independent creative producer.
Your modules will feature Director Training, which looks at the key building blocks of working with an actor on voice, body and offers an in-depth Stanislavskian approach for the director working with text.
The Staging Performance module develops your skills as an independent producer and builds up to your performance, for which you'll be mentored by a professional theatre company.
You will study a range of contemporary performance practices as well as honing advanced research skills as you prepare for your dissertation piece - a final directorial showcase performance to be enacted in a professional venue.
Our two-year MFA gives you the opportunity to launch your career as a director with a full run in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival
This course has been launched to extend a great opportunity for trainee directors.
Working in the heart of the festival city, there will be time to work with actors on all years of the BA Acting & English and the BA Acting for Stage & Screen courses.
You'll be working on contemporary and classic texts and alongside trainee playwrights to create new work.
You'll have dedicated industry-recognised mentors providing support throughout your training time and you’ll be studying in one of the most culturally-vibrant cities in the world.
The two-year duration gives you time to truly develop skills and creativity, and also allows you to network and build relationships with actors and writers who can make an impact on your career after you graduate.
We believe this is a unique master's course, combining the academic study of performance with a practice-based approach to the art of acting.
It's ideal if you want to pursue a professional career in the theatre, to develop a deeper understanding of your craft and hone your performance skills.
Based at our new, state-of-the-art University Square Stratford building, you will work in close collaboration with students and academic staff on our equally excellent MA Theatre Directing course as you produce and perform a range of innovative work of professional quality while also being given expert tuition in the skills of acting.
Taught in the evenings and on Saturdays and available for both part-time and full-time study to fit around your needs, it's a course geared to equip you with the theoretical knowledge and practical skills required to be a stage actor.
You will be guided by leading theatre practitioners, who will both teach and mentor you. After a final degree show in which you will have the chance to showcase your talents, you will leave our course ready to discover that all the world's your stage.
It all starts here. Develop your dance practice, teaching and leadership skills over two years with vibrant and supportive teachers
As a dancer with an interest in expanding your skills, this practice-based programme will help you to:
Fast-track your career with a degree that champions individuality, delivers competitive advantage and prioritises skill in an exciting creative field
This MFA course will help you refine your artistic practice by advancing your creative, technical and performance skills. The programme includes:
As a musical theatre performer, you must be passionate and creative, and able to form a deep connection with your story, character and audience.
Guildford School of Acting (GSA) is one of the most highly regarded musical theatre schools in the world, and our two-year MFA in Musical Theatre will provide you with the very best conservatoire training in a top UK university environment.
Building on our international reputation in musical theatre, this is the only two-year postgraduate programme in Europe and is unique in the way it combines training to enhance your skills with professional opportunities and chances to launch your career.
On our Musical Theatre MFA, you’ll gain a broad range of musical theatre knowledge and skills while performing in a variety of outstanding productions.
Supported by first-class teaching, your learning will involve a working knowledge of historical, critical and theoretical content, and the creation of performances that will be presented to agents and professionals for maximum industry exposure.
A high percentage of GSA alumni appear in the cast lists of West End shows and national tours. Last year, more than 95 per cent of GSA graduates gained professional representation or professional contracts within the first year of graduating.
