Advanced Theatre Practice, MA/MFA

Course information

Duration
MA, one year, full-time; MFA, two years, full-time. On-site attendance between July and October not mandatory, although MA students are required to show work outside Central during this period.
Course start
October
Award
Master of Arts in Advanced Theatre Practice (180 credits); Master of Fine Art in Advanced Theatre Practice (240 credits).

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About this course

As a student on the MA or MFA Advanced Theatre Practice at Central, you can expect to:

  • Practice and study theatre directing, performing or scenography in a collaborative environment
  • Engage in an experimental laboratory fuelled by theory and research
  • Create new work for a range of course-centred and public encounters
  • Play a leading role in tomorrow’s performance and theatre making worlds.

Benefits of the programme

  • Engage in the skills and practices of the contemporary disciplines of directing, performing or scenography in new and unexpected ways within a supportive atmosphere of discovery and innovation
  • Develop creatively through our interdisciplinary theatre-making laboratory, learning skills, exploring processes and experimenting with techniques.  
  • Inspired by the current wave of experimental directors, explore the distinct roles of director or performer working with text in contemporary theatre
  • Choose from a range of options that embrace the latest in theatre and performance making practices, including new technologies, digital media and virtual techniques, puppetry and object theatre in contemporary theatre
  • Have opportunities to take work made on the course to festivals and events outside the School, for example, Camden People’s Theatre, Istropolitana Projekt (Slovakia), Zlomvaz Festival (Prague), Marathon Festival (Jerusalem), Bialystok Festival (Poland), Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and Prague Quadrennial
  • Join a network of distinguished alumni, including winners of Olivier, Total Theatre, Irish Times, Deutsche Bank, Rolex Mentor and Protégée, JMK, Allen Wright, Linbury and Evening Standard Theatre Awards, changing the way we work and think about theatre
  • Develop experience from extensive workshops with leading professionals, learning to research and extend your own practice, launch a company, make new work, and, on the MA, finally take this to an audience beyond Central.
  • Have excellent opportunities, if undertaking the MFA, to work for an extended period on practice and research and attachments with cutting-edge external artists and/or companies.
  • You will be part of a carefully selected group who wish to pool your resources and imagine the theatre of the future.

Cutting edge practice and thinking is the norm at Central. Exciting research activity ongoing in this area and led by Dr Duska Radosavljevic can be found here

Accordion

  • Course Detail

    In the first year of the MFA, you will join the MA students for Terms One to Three.

    The MFA then extends into a second year beginning in October, enabling the development of further projects and professional connections outside the School. Working together during this initial period of creative growth, you will develop experience from the intensive workshop atmosphere of Term One, through learning to research and extending practice in Term Two, to launching a company or the approach to making new work in Term Three.

    You will be supported in this process of growth and development, gradually enabling you to become a stronger, more articulate practitioner, better able to work flexibly and constructively with others, extending the boundaries of theatre and how it might be seen.

    Term Four of the MA focuses on taking work to an audience of choice beyond Central.

    The MFA second year deepens and extends this opportunity for independent professional development beyond Central, while still retaining a degree of contact and guidance from tutors. An MFA top-up year for those with an existing MA in this subject is also available.

    Assessment

    Practice is evaluated throughout the first three terms through continuous assessment of contribution to the rehearsal/development process, combined with essays reflecting on this work in the broader context of contemporary theatre practice. Peer assessment also forms a part of the evaluation process.

    The course prepares you for the Sustained Independent Project. Those undertaking the MA will take a performance work that has been made with colleagues to a documented encounter with a public audience during the summer.

    MFA students will choose from a list of possible approaches and means of documenting your work, undertaking a more developed and independent version of the Sustained Independent Project beyond Central during your second year.

  • Entry Requirements and Auditions

    You will normally have good knowledge and experience of at least one of theatre-making discipline (i.e. performance, directing, writing, design, dramaturgy, puppetry, music, visual art), together with a strong desire to bring this expertise to an experimental theatre-making environment. Alternatively, you may be an outstanding individual from another discipline, with an evident desire to explore interdisciplinary practice. You should normally have an undergraduate degree in a relevant field, (drama, theatre or performance studies) though applications from students of other disciplines are welcome. Applications for the accreditation of prior experience in lieu of academic qualification will also be considered where appropriate. An offer will normally only be made after interview.

    We particularly encourage applications from groups currently under-represented in higher education, including Global Majority, neurodiverse and disabled students. Find out more information on Central’s commitment to equality and diversity.

    English Language Requirements

    Applicants for whom English is not their first language are required to prove their English language proficiency by gaining an overall score of 7.0 in an IELTS test. We do accept equivalent English language qualifications.

    While a test result is not required in order to submit an application, applicants are advised to gain this certification as early as possible and more information can be found through the English Language Requirements page. 

    Onsite Auditions

    MA/MFA Advanced Theatre Practice applicants can audition onsite. You will be invited to take part in a workshop conducted by a member of the staff team and to share an individual presentation or performance, demonstrating your current skills and experience, and suitability for the course.  For this part of the interview you should prepare one of the following:

    • a portfolio presentation of about three minutes concentrating on one example of your previous work; or
    • an original performance of any kind, on any subject, which is a maximum of three minutes in length.

    You may also bring with you an edited portfolio of your previous work, for discussion, where you feel this is appropriate.

    You will also be asked to complete an Interview Day Journal as a part of your audition.

    Applicants are usually be seen as part of a group.  You will remain together for much of the workshop and will have a chance to learn more about the course and the School, and to ask questions.  You will find the audition quite relaxed, informal, and hopefully enjoyable. You will be required to spend approximately 3 - 4 hours with us at the school.

    Distance Auditions and Interviews

    International applicants, and applicants who cannot travel to Central to audition are welcome to submit distance audition materials. You will be asked to make a short video introducing yourself and your practice. While you are making your video, you are asked to keep a journal, using the template you have been given. You will be sent a template for the Interview Day Journal, which we require you to complete as part of this process. 

    Your video should contain the following element:

    • A short introduction to camera, telling the viewer a little about yourself and why you have applied to the MA/MFA Advanced Theatre Practice programme, this should be no longer than five minutes.   

    In addition to the above, you are asked to choose one of the following ways of presenting yourself and your work:

    • Give a portfolio presentation to camera of three minutes concentrating mainly on one example of your previous work 
    • Perform a piece of original, non-verbal performance of any nature, on any subject, which is a maximum of three minutes in length. 

    If you are selected for an interview for a place on the Advanced Theatre Practice MA or MFA, you may then be invited to a virtual interview day with other candidates to learn more about the course and the School.  

    For further information see the Postgraduate Applications section.

    International Applicants

    Central regularly welcomes students from all over the world – and we are proud to have a large network of alumni working internationally.

    Visit our International Students pages for advice and information on studying at Central and living in London, if you’re not a home applicant.

    There is no formal application deadline for our MA courses. Applications are assessed, and places offered on courses, on a rolling basis, and applications are closed when a course becomes full. Therefore, you are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

  • Graduate Employment & Industry

    Graduate employment and career pathways include:

    • Performers
    • Theatre Makers
    • Directors
    • Writers
    • Producers
    • Dramaturgs
    • Lighting Designers
    • Puppeteers
    • Critics
    • Scenographers
    • Sound Designers
    • Casting Directors
    • Outreach Officers
    • Technical Directors
    • Assistant Directors

    in companies including: the Royal Court Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company, Camden People’s Theatre, Theatre503, Hampstead Theatre, English National Opera, High Tide Festival, Complicite, Frantic Assembly, Shakespeare’s Globe, MKA Theatre of New Writing Australia, Melbourne Theatre Company and National Theatres of Finland, Iceland and the UK.

    Founder members of companies

    • Analogue
    • New International Encounter
    • 1927
    • Grid Iron
    • Blind Summit
    • Peut-Être
    • Dante or Die
    • Unpacked
    • Shunt.

    Artistic Directors

    • Battersea Arts Centre
    • Traverse Theatre
    • Camden People’s Theatre
    • The Actors Centre Touring Company
    • Gate Theatre Dublin
    • Chapter Arts Centre
    • Chuncheon International Mime Festival
    • AsiaNow.

    Participation in festivals and exhibitions

    Across the UK and mainland Europe, including:

    • the Edinburgh Festival Fringe (more than half of Total Theatre Awards in one year);
    • ASSITEJ World Congress in Copenhagen (ASSITEJ Award for Artistic Excellence),
    • Kontrapunkt Festival, Poland Grand Prix;
    • International Festival of Puppetry Art, Poland Grand Prix;
    • Fira de Titelles de Lleida, Spain (Drac d’Or Julieta Agusti);
    • Salzburg Festival;
    • Theatertreffen;
    • Avignon Festival;
    • Zagreb Theatre Festival
    • Sirenos Festival, Vilnius.

    Individual awards

    • Arts Council (for productions partly developed with current students),
    • James Menzies-Kitchin Award (three), The Linbury Prize for Stage Design, Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative,
    • Trinity Guildhall International Playwriting Competition,
    • Best Director and Best Production Irish Times Theatre Awards,
    • Peter Brook Empty Space Awards,
    • Stage Electrics Award for Lighting,
    • New Sensations,
    • Channel 4 and Saatchi Gallery shortlist,
    • Allen Wright Award,
    • Old Vic New Voices Theatre503 Award,
    • Arts Foundation Fellowship,
    • Olivier Award nominations,
    • Evening Standard Theatre Awards longlist,
    • Best Director, Best Designer, Best New Play and Outstanding Newcomer.

    Academic posts

    • Manchester Metropolitan University
    • The University of Wales
    • Brunel University London.

    PhDs

    • Central
    • Oxford University
    • Goldsmiths
    • Queen Mary University of London.

    The first two students to receive PhD awards at Central were graduates of this course.

  • Notable Graduates

    Notable graduates of this course include:

    Tim Crouch (1993) Writer, actor, and performance maker.

    David Jubb (1998) Artistic Director, Battersea Arts Centre and Chair of the London Theatre Consortium.

    David Rosenberg, Hannah Ringham, Lizzie Clachan, Mischa Twitchin, Louise Mari, Serena Bobowski, Gemma Brockis, Andrew Rutland, and Heather Uprichard (1997) The Shunt Collective.

    Orla O’Loughlin Artistic Director, Traverse Theatre.

    Duncan Macmillan Writer, Melanie Wilson Sound Designer, and Lizzie Clachan Designer - Leading Team with Katie Mitchell - The Forbidden Zone, Salzburg Festival.

    Jessica Swale Writer Blue Stockings, Shakespeare’s Globe and also performed at Central.

  • Recent Visiting Professionals

    • Katie Mitchell OBE (Director)
    • Clare Lizzimore (Director, Young Vic)
    • Joe Hill-Gibbins (Director, National Theatre)
    • Hannah Ringham (Founder Member, Shunt)
    • Duncan Macmillan (Writer, National Theatre)
    • Selina Cartmell (Director, Abbey Theatre)
    • Guy Dartnell (Associate Artist, Improbable)
    • Mark Down (Artistic Director, Blind Summit)
    • Liam Steel (Choreographer, DV8)
    • Steve Kirkham (Choreographer, Frantic Assembly)
    • Tim Crouch (Writer and Performer, Tim Crouch Theatre)
    • Stephen Mottram (Artistic Director, Animata)
    • Julian Maynard Smith (Artistic Director, Station House Opera)
    • Andy Purves (Lighting Designer, Frantic Assembly)
    • Daphna Attias (Artistic Director, Peut-Être Theatre and Dante or Die)
    • Mischa Twitchin (Founder, Shunt Theatre)
    • Douglas O’Connell (New Media Artist, Filter)
    • Kate McGrath (Founder, Fuel)
    • Adrian Kohler and Basil Jones (Founders, Handspring Puppet Company)
    • Sophie De Somere (Designer, Ontroerend Goed, Belgium)
    • Hester Chillingworth (GETINTHEBACKOFTHEVAN)
    • Melanie Wilson (Sound Designer, Schaubühne Theatre, Berlin)
    • David Harradine (Artistic Director, Fevered Sleep)
    • Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (Actor, Barbican)
  • Tuition Fees, Bursaries and Scholarships

    Tuition Fees for 2024 Entry

    MA/MFA Year 1 Fee

    UK (Home) students: £16,800*
    Overseas students: £24,150

    Please note that there may be additional costs that you need to incur as part of the training for the course.

    Full information is available on the Tuition Fees and Additional Costs page.


    Bursaries and Scholarships

    Central offers a range of bursaries and scholarships. If you are holding an offer for a place on a course then you will be invited to apply for a bursary or scholarship.

    *If you are a UK student but already hold a qualification at the equivalent or higher level to the one that you are applying for, then you may be classed as an ELQ student and be required to pay the same fee as an overseas student.

Student Feedback

“Coming to Central as a Director, the course has equipped me with all of the creative skills that have seen me through these first several years of my career, including how I engage with playwrights at the Bush as Associate Dramaturg. The course, in its collaborative ethos, with real focus on questioning stories and storytelling whilst building contemporary theatre, was a challenge and a foundation for my work.”

Rob Drummer

Graduated 2010, currently Associate Dramaturg at the Bush Theatre, London.

‘I use many of the skills I developed and honed whilst at Central on a regular basis. Having Advanced Theatre Practice on my CV gave me the confidence to apply for the job in the first place and helped me to stand out in a highly competitive market. I’m honoured to be working at one of the UK’s leading regional theatres and my time at Central played no small part in equipping me with the tools I’m now using to make a success of my career.’ 

Rob Beck

Graduated 2018, currently Drama Practitioner at the Birmingham Rep Theatre.

Staff On The Course

Liam Jarvis is an award-winning theatre-maker, teacher and academic.

Liam Jarvis

Maja Milatović-Ovadia is a theatre director, facilitator, and researcher from what was once Yugoslavia who now lives in London.

Maja Milatovic-Ovadia

Lynne is Course Leader, MA/MFA Advanced Theatre Practice, a Reader in New Theatre Practices, author of ‘Theatre Aurality’ and co-founder of Camden People’s Theatre, London.

Lynne Kendrick

Jane Munro is a dance and contemporary theatre artist, a movement teacher and a dance academic.

Jane Munro

Ayse Tashkiran is a movement director, teacher and researcher and co-leads the MA/MFA Movement: Directing and Teaching.

Black and white headshot of Ayse Tashkiran

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