This distinctive, flexible and varied degree combines the study of English literature with workshop-based practical theatre work, allowing you to explore performance from both creative and critical perspectives.

You’ll study literatures in English from the medieval to the contemporary period, exploring richly diverse literary texts across different genres, including fiction, poetry and drama. You’ll be equipped with the knowledge and skills to understand literature in the context of a variety of historical periods, places and cultures. Reading and understanding literature can help us to find out about ourselves and see the world from other perspectives. Through engaging with different kinds of texts from across the globe and from different periods of history, you can learn how language reflects and shapes human experience.  Literature modules explore themes relevant to how we live today, including race and ethnicity, gender, climate change and nature, social class, disability, and wellbeing. 

You will also develop your skills as an artist-researcher through practical workshops led by our own theatre specialists. With compulsory and specialist optional modules spanning theatre, performance, applied theatre, design, digital performance, directing, musical theatre, event management, acting and collaborative practice, you’ll be able to follow a broad range of interests suited to your own academic and professional development.

Throughout your degree, you’ll learn through a combination of seminars, lectures, workshops, practical experimentation and working with both specialist and readily available digital technologies. This degree encourages you to integrate your literary and theatrical interests through a wide range of literature, theatre, and performance options. It provides you with a challenging and rewarding opportunity to combine ambitious, collaborative practical projects with rigorous critical thinking. You’ll develop your skills as a critical reader and a persuasive writer, while reflecting upon the impact that performance has on cultures and societies across the world. You'll become an advocate of the creative arts, developing collaborative, creative, critical thinking and project management skills that will benefit you in a wide range of careers.

Graduates in English and Theatre & Performance have progressed to a wide variety of career destinations, including professional theatre and media, publishing, writing, events management, marketing and business, as well as further academic study.

While studying for an MPhil or PhD, students have the chance to undertake independent research in an area of their choice, supervised and supported by a team of academics. A range of training opportunities enables the development of key research skills.

The Lincoln School of Creative Arts boasts extensive research expertise in the fields of drama, theatre, and performance studies where a team of academics offer continued supervision and support throughout. Areas of specialism include playwriting, dramaturgy, scenography, musical theatre, Asian performance, intermediality, and historiography, as well as practice as research and practice-based research.

Research students are invited to join one of the School's thriving research groups and participate in the Critical Encounters Research Series alongside academic staff and other postgraduate students. Students are encouraged to present their work at national and international conferences and to publish their findings.

Looking to expand your artistic and academic portfolio while developing as a theatre practitioner working in various performance styles and disciplines? Our MA in Theatre Making is for you.

Benefit from our unique network of theatre companies and arts groups, and craft your creative journey. Work independently, in companies, or with external partners, under our expert guidance.

And experience hands-on theatre creation for different audiences and settings. Plus, you’ll have the opportunity to learn how to launch and manage your own theatre company.

Gain the skills, knowledge and confidence to pursue a music career. Whether as a performer, radio broadcaster, songwriter, music technologist, or events organiser.

When you join Hull, you join a buzzing creative community. A tight-knit group of performers, composers, songwriters, producers, music psychologists, and writers.

You work on major creative projects – both on your own and with like-minded creatives. You use industry-standard recording studios and performance spaces. And you get the chance to gain work experience at local live events.

Today’s musicians must be creative, knowledgeable, adaptable and entrepreneurial. At Hull, you not only learn about music. You learn on the job, by making music.

You’ll work on major creative projects, both individually and collaboratively. Surrounded by a tight-knit community of performers, composers, songwriters and producers.

You’ll use industry-standard recording studios and performance spaces. And get the chance to work at live events in and around Hull. So by the time you graduate, you’ll have the skills and knowledge to become the musician you want to be.