MA Applied Theatre: Drama in Educational, Community & Social Contexts

Program Overview

The MA in Applied Theatre develops collaborative, responsive, and politically engaged artists through a combination of practice and theory. It explores the use of theatre in diverse settings, from schools to prisons, and provides hands-on experience through placements in recognized organizations. Graduates are prepared for careers in applied theatre, including community theatre management, freelance facilitation, and education/participation production.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

• The MA in Applied Theatre is aimed at early career practitioners and those with established careers who want to reflect, refresh, and develop skills.
• Program focuses on developing skills to be a collaborative, responsive, and politically engaged artist.
• Explores how theatre is used in various settings: schools, streets, prisons, etc.
• Degree combines practice and theory through classes and seminars.
• Placement in a host organization to gain experience and learn from professionals.
• Covers the field of applied theatre, including theatre of the oppressed, theatre in education, and theatre for development.
• Explores cases from around the world and discusses identity, representation, and the role of artists.
• Students learn from tutors who are practicing artists.

Outline:

• Module 1: Histories, Theories and Contexts (Autumn Term)
• Explores roots of various applied theatre forms, including theatre in education, social/political change, and community theatre.
• Classes include mask work in prisons with Geese Theatre, drama in education with Gail Babb, intergenerational arts with Sue Mayo, drama with refugees/asylum seekers, and skills-sharing.
• Seminars examine the history and development of these methodologies.
• Students study influential figures like Boal and Freire, and explore the ethics of touch and safe space.
• Module 2: Analysing Practice (Spring Term)
• Focuses on practical aspects of applied theater through a festival of artforms, song, puppetry, and dance classes.
• Residency with performance-making MA students.
• Develops skills in facilitation, project planning, and group dynamics.
• Includes a module on creative conflict resolution and community cohesion.
• Students design and lead workshops for a public audience at term end.
• Complementary Contextual Modules:
• Students choose two practice-based or lecture options from programs like Disability Theatre, African Theatre, Radical Performance, and Cultural Theory.
• Placement:
• Convenor helps students find a placement in a recognized organization.
• Gain experience and skills in a professional setting.
• Past placements include: London Bubble, Magic Me, Resonate, Ovalhouse, and Young Vic.
• Professional Development:
• Offers workshops relevant to potential workplaces, such as project management, child protection, and ethics.
• Structure:
• Full-time: Mondays to Wednesdays, Terms 1 & 2
• Part-time: Tuesdays & Wednesdays, Terms 1 & 2 Year 1, Mondays only Year 2
• Additional teaching in April & May (5 days)
• Assessments:
• 6,000-word essay based on Term 1 material
• 6,000-word reflective portfolio on placement
• 12,000-word research project/dissertation (80% of final grade)
• 20% from complementary modules

Assessment:

• 80% of final grade based on:
• Essay on Term 1 material
• Portfolio on placement experience
• Research project/Dissertation
• 20% from two complementary modules

Teaching:

• Combines practice-based learning and theoretical study.
• Experienced tutors are practicing artists in various performance settings.
• Skills-sharing sessions encourage collaboration and knowledge exchange.
• Interactive seminars and workshops foster critical thinking.

Careers:

• Prepares graduates for a variety of roles in applied theatre, such as:
• Setting up and managing community theatre companies
• Freelance drama facilitators
• Lecturers
• Education/participation producers within established companies
• Past graduates have worked in various settings:
• Educational (schools, early years, pupil referral units)
• Social (prisons, youth at risk)
• Institutions (Southbank Centre, Royal National Theatre, Young Vic)
• Organizations (MIND, Tender, Magic Me, Headway)
• Independent companies established by graduates: Green Shoes Arts, Unscene Suffolk, Bread and Goose
• Graduates work internationally in India, Caribbean, Brazil, Colombia, Estonia, Greece, Germany, Italy, Russia, Philippines
• Research opportunities available for MPhil/PhD

Other:

• Students engage in peer-to-peer learning through skills-sharing sessions.
• Explores ethical considerations in applied theatre practice.
• Program emphasizes the role of artists in social change and activism.
• Encourages critical thinking and responsiveness to context.

Annual tuition fees These are the fees for students starting their programme in the 2024/2025 academic year. Home - full-time: £10350 Home - part-time: £5175 International - full-time: £19520 Additional costs There may also be specific additional costs associated with your programme. Funding opportunities Goldsmiths also offers a range of international scholarships including Humanitarian Scholarships for prospective Masters students from Palestine.