MA/MFA in Performance

The MA/MFA Performance is an exciting master's program that offers a practical, versatile, and interdisciplinary approach to performance-making and training. The program provides students with an advanced and practical understanding of current performance practices, drawing on a broad range of artistic and theoretical influences. The development of new creative practice is at the core of the program, as well as how this work might be developed and profiled in a professional context.

Furthermore, MA/MFA Performance also offers students the chance to specialize in either of the distinctive areas of laboratory theatre or contemporary performance or to combine elements from both with direct experience of a current professional arts context. The experience of these options is fed through a further process of critical and professional contextualisation before students embark on the creation of their own major projects as the culmination of the degree.

The laboratory theatre specialism focuses on performer training, dramaturgy, and socially engaged cultural actions. It also offers students the unique opportunity of a residency at Nordisk Teaterlaboratorium (NTL) in Denmark, the umbrella organization of which internationally renowned laboratory theatre group Odin Teatret (Denmark) is a part. The premium uplift for students on the Laboratory Theatre specialism is £2,000.

Contemporary performance specialism focuses on the creation of innovative and experimental performance practice, within or across the categories of radical theatre, contemporary dance, and performance art/live art. It draws particularly on the acclaimed interdisciplinary ethos and context of the Manchester School of Art and Manchester’s international arts networks.

Features and Benefits

• MA/MFA Performance capitalizes on the cultural effervescence of Manchester and the North West region, whilst maintaining an outward-looking ethos, offering students the ability to develop an artistic voice with internationally renowned partners including Denmark's Nordisk Teaterlaboratorium
• Our location in the landmark new Grosvenor East building provides the program with access to significant resources and the potential for cross-disciplinary influence and impact from a wide range of related arts and humanities practices in the Faculty
• The degree is taught by practitioner-researchers at the forefront of the performance field, with specialist knowledge in contemporary performance and laboratory theatre
• The program prepares students to make radical theatre and performances that respond to the unique challenges of the 21st century.