B.A. (Hons) Contemporary Theatre and Performance

In Year 1 you will perform in original theatre performances, showcasing your unique talents and developing new skills as a performer. You will work with fellow students to develop large group performances under the direction of professional directors, writers, and performers. Your studio-based work will form the basis of your exploration of exciting ideas about how you can create new theatre that is relevant to the world you live in. In addition to your practical classes, which make up 80% of your study, you will also examine critical debates that frame the field of contemporary theatre and performance.

In Year 2 you will progress to creating advanced original theatre performances independently, in groups, and with course tutors. The second year of study will introduce you to the expert tools necessary to make new theatre that matters to you. You will develop major theatre pieces (which are often performed in festivals in Manchester and internationally) and gain skills in collaborating with your peers through exposure to the practices and innovations of the most exciting theatre movements and ensembles of the 20th and 21st centuries. Your studio-based work will be contextualised through the study of key movements of the historic avant-garde and through an exploration of the ideas and debates of postmodernism.

In Year 3 you will work intensively with a professional guest actor, performer, director, writer or theatre company member with whom you will create a new theatre performance. This guest artist link will be one of the many ways that you will connect with professional theatre writers, directors, company members, and producers who will help you to understand how theatre is made in the professional world. You will also work independently to create a portfolio of new theatre performances by working in small and large groups. With extensive tutorial support, you will be encouraged to develop a strong view of what kind of theatre you want to make and a solid understanding of how theatre relates to the ideas and agendas of our rapidly evolving world.