MA Theatre and Performance at Birkbeck, University of London

Birkbeck’s MA Theatre and Performance allows you to specialise and gain an award in Dramaturgy, Writing for Performance, or Theatre Making. These routes make it a highly distinctive degree designed for emerging and continuing theatre professionals looking to develop their creative practice, build analytical capacity and gain hands-on industry experience.

Faculty: School of Creative Arts, Culture and Communication  |  Duration: One year full-time, on campus; Two years part-time, on campus  |  Study mode: full-time, part-time  |  Intake: September 2027  |  Location: London, England, United Kingdom

What you will study

You will explore the dynamic relationships between text, performance, writing and dramaturgy through a combination of: dramaturgical practice playwriting and writing for performance theatre and performance making critical writing about drama, theatre and performance. You will also examine historical, philosophical and theoretical materials and ideas to understand contemporary theatre and performance and the ways in which they are shaped by current concerns, traditions and legacies. Compulsory modules include Collaborative Theatre Making, Contemporary Performance Cultures: Ideas and Approaches, Performing Texts.

Career pathways

You will find MA Theatre and Performance graduates in the following kinds of role: theatre and performance practice, script development, dramaturg, film, media and the creative arts, writing for TV, film and gaming, arts leadership, administration and outreach, journalism, advertising and marketing, public relations.

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