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.

Our graduates  are creative, entrepreneurial practitioners who are able to  respond to the  ever-changing  demands of performance practices and the creative industries. Many of our graduates build careers as independent artists and freelance choreographers, or land roles with creative companies and arts organisations, including:

• Marketing and communications manager for UK Young Artists
• Associate director at the Lichfield Garrick Theatre
• Choreographer at MoveOn Dance Fusion Founder of performance dance company Near Miss
• Curator of performance art festival Little Wolf Parade