Mountview is currently the only UK drama school to offer Directing, Dramatic Writing and Producing as three distinct, specialised pathways within a single, unified Creative Practice MA framework. The course is designed for multi-hyphenate practitioners who are excited by collaboration and meeting the demands of the twenty-first century creative industries.
By bringing directors, writers and producers into one ecosystem, the course mirrors the professional world by fostering creative partnerships through shared engagement with modes of collaboration, creative enterprise, dramatic structures and critical contexts.
Students on the Producing pathway develop a robust and practical understanding of producing, across both the commercial and not-for-profit sectors. You will expand your understanding and critical awareness of current practices through extensive engagement with leading industry practitioners and academics.
The course concludes with the opportunity to put your learning into practice through the staging of a public facing, fully-realised festival of new work. VIEW Festival allows students to develop their pathway specific skills while also collaborating closely with the Dramatic Writing, Directing and Performance students.
Our MA Creative Practice graduates leave with an established network of industry contacts and prepared for high-impact careers as Commercial and Independent Producers, Creative Leaders, Theatre Makers, Artistic Directors, Venue Leaders, Playwrights, Screenwriters, and Dramaturgs.
STAFF AND PRACTITIONERS
The Creative Practice teaching team is led by Hamish Pirie and Dawn Ingleson as Joint Course Leaders, alongside Roy Williams as Distinguished Visiting Artist. Dawn worked extensively at the National Theatre as a creative producer and has also taught at LSBU, while Hamish’s directing credits include work at the Royal Court, Donmar Warehouse, Paines Plough and Traverse Theatre. Roy is a multi-award winning writer whose credits include Death of England: The Plays (National Theatre), The Lonely Londoners (Kiln and Jermyn Street Theatre) and Sucker Punch (Royal Court, Olivier Award nomination).
Recent guest tutors on the Producing pathway have included Alison King (Turtle Key Arts), Daniel Cooper (The Yard), Joseph Smith (Stage One), Will Bridgeland (Candoco Dance Company), Katie Town (Theatre Royal Wakefield), Jo Crowley (Aakash Odedra Company), India Crawford (Arts Council), Belinda Clark (Brixton House), Ed McGovern (Crossroads Live), Davy Berryman (The Lost Estate) and David Ralf (Theatre Deli).
MA Creative Practice students also benefit from industry masterclasses specific to their pathway, led by the world’s most prestigious creative powerhouses. Recent MA Creative Practice sessions have featured:
This two-year course is equivalent to 3 A Levels and is designed to help you extend your understanding of the performing arts, develop your performing skills and learn new ones in our purpose-built performance spaces. It combines practical assignments and the study of variety of performance arts disciplines. You will work on production projects and be involved from backstage to front-of-house.
This is a practical course in the performing arts for 16-18 year olds. You will devise and perform in plays and learn dance, singing and mask making. You will get involved in productions and see professional musicals and stage shows. You may also take part in workshops with performing arts professionals.
You will choose some specialist units in either dance or acting and complete a final major project. The course is equivalent to 4 GCSEs at grades A*-C and provides a good basis to go on to further qualifications and progress to a career in the performing arts.
Acting pathway - course units include:
• Acting technique
• Vocal skills
• National Theatre Connections tour
• Drama improvisation
• Musical theatre
• Singing
• Physical theatre
• Classical theatre
• Contemporary theatre
• Movement skills
• Stage combat
• Radio techniques.
Dance pathway - course units include:
• Ballet technique
• Contemporary dance
• Urban
• Jazz
• Dance improvisation and choreography
• Group and individual repertoire
• Musical theatre
• Acting technique
• Vocal skills.
If you love dance and the performing arts, this course is for you. You will develop skills as a performer and will gain the qualifications necessary to enter higher education or work in the industry.
• Acting techniques
• Movement skills
• Musical theatre
• Devising projects
• Singing
• Dance
• Production arts skills
• Performance workshops all designed to help improve your skills, confidence and performance ability.
This one year course is for anyone with and an interest in learning more about the Performing Arts. Whilst experience is useful, we welcome anyone with an enthusiasm and passion for the subject area.
The Gap Year Diploma is a one year, part-time course designed to develop your acting skills.
The course is aimed at those aged 18 - 25 who are interested in preparing to apply for an acting course at higher education level.
Course Content:
- Develop career skills, audition techniques and acting skills
- Perform extracts from plays in a studio-based performance
- Take specific classes in movement, voice and text. This work will be underpinned and linked with audition technique for those wanting to apply to an undergraduate course
- Career development sessions offering guidance through the Higher Education/drama school process, and on prospective careers in the performing arts
- In the final term, rehearse and perform a performance showcase. Although we do not invite agents to this, all students on this course will be seen by an undergraduate course tutor and will be offered guidance on applying to higher education courses
This degree encourages you to work with music and sound in exciting new ways. You will develop an impressive portfolio of technical and creative skills to prepare you for music-related careers. These include music production, audio engineering, sound and interaction design, music composition for film and TV, and sound art.
Learn to communicate through storytelling, content creation, and branding across platforms. With hands-on projects, industry tools, and real-world experience, you'll build creative and professional skills for careers in media, marketing, and communications - preparing you to shape the stories that inspire and connect diverse audiences.
This professionally oriented degree equips you with creative and critical thinking, executive skills, and business awareness crucial for success in the creative industries. Learn key media functions that shape consumer culture, preparing you to excel and innovate in your career, including:
In addition, you will develop journalistic skills such as conducting research, identifying and interviewing credible sources, editing texts, and selecting stories for publication. You will also gain general knowledge about the business of media, familiarising you with the professional media environment already before you graduate.
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:
Build a rewarding career as a professionally-qualified registered dance movement psychotherapist. Graduates are eligible to register with the Association for Dance Movement Psychotherapy UK. This programme is designed for people who have prior dance experience and professional or volunteering experience with people in need.
We believe that focusing on the creative potential of individuals in a relationship creates a sound ethical basis for psychotherapeutic work.
You will be taught by leading experts who will equip you with the skills, experience, and confidence to work as a dance movement psychotherapist.Read More
All graduating students are eligible to apply for registration with the Association for Dance Movement Psychotherapy (ADMP UK). Graduates often create their own positions; facilitating dance movement psychotherapy sessions within settings including: social services; special needs; schools; psychiatry; probationary and rehabilitation units; forensic psychiatry.
