Theatre and Performance MA

Are you looking to develop and hone your skills as an independent creative practitioner? Located at the heart of the artistically vibrant city of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, this programme offers a bespoke industry experience tailored to your own specialism and professional ambition, all within the Northumbria Performing Arts hub.

You will benefit from research groups combining academic innovation with critical exploration, engaging with the creative and cultural industries through established partnerships recognised for their excellence, including BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Northern Stage and Live Theatre, Gallery North and GIFT, the Gateshead International Festival of Theatre will provide exciting opportunities to showcase your work.

You can also follow the Theatre and Performance Facebook page here. This page will give you up to date information on what students on the MA Theatre and Performance course at Northumbria University are up to.

Our programme builds on the excellent partnerships within NPA to provide a course rich in professional opportunity and research-led teaching.

Our researchers promote the global reach of the region through projects including the Neues Schloss curatorial initiative at Gallery North and GIFT, the Gateshead International Festival of Theatre. Key partners such as BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art and Live Theatre help us create stimulating environments for collaborative and interdisciplinary research.

You will benefit from research groups combining academic innovation with critical exploration, engaging with the creative and cultural industries through established partnerships recognised for their excellence. Our academics are experts in physical performance practices, narrative identity, gender performance and cultural studies and dialogic exchange.

A principal objective of this course is to facilitate the planning, management and review of your own learning so that you will function more efficiently and effectively in your future career. You will demonstrate a capacity for self-directed learning necessary for all independent creative practitioners.

The central pillar of the programme is the Performance Project module in which you will deliver a substantial performance project exploring a specific aspect of practice within a proto-professional environment. This project provides a unique opportunity for you to explore your specific interests and skillsets, while developing working relationships with professionals and organisations within the field.

You will graduate from this programme with transferable skills including: self-motivation, innovation and independent thinking; the ability to think laterally and multi-task; effective organisational skills including project planning and time management; the ability to work creatively in individual and group situations; and the development of effective interpersonal skills through communication with specialist and non-specialist audiences.

You will also develop various practical professional skills, in particular the ability to produce a substantial performance project appropriate to the pursuance of a professional career, and the ability to work independently and manage projects to a professional standard.

Our graduates go on to advanced careers as theatre-makers of various kinds, or to seed or launch their own companies.