Leeds Conservatoire is expanding its Postgraduate provision to include brand new MA degrees in Performing Arts. The new courses in Musical Theatre Company, Musical Theatre Creatives, Dramaturgy and Musical Direction are set to commence in September 2021.
This new suite of courses is being developed to train students in creating new work and telling new stories through theatre, with a strong focus on being resilient and adaptable in a swiftly-evolving industry. Designed for students pursuing a range of creative careers including acting, performance, writing and direction, each of these courses will champion the development of new ways of working.
Principal at Leeds Conservatoire, Professor Joe Wilson says; “We are very excited to be launching our new MAs in Performing Arts – and to further broaden our portfolio of top quality creative education.
In an industry where things change and evolve quickly, it is absolutely vital that we are training professionals who can create their own work, and who can adapt and find creative solutions to any challenges that they may encounter. Through these courses, we will train students who can innovate, drive change, and find brand new ways of doing things to make our creative industries thrive.”
Building on fifty years of experience in delivering quality education, the launch of the new MAs follows the conservatoire’s recent expansion into Drama training provision – including the successful launch of BA Musical Theatre, BA Acting and BA Actor Musician.
To support this expansion, the conservatoire has developed new facilities at Playhouse Square, housed on the Fifth Floor of the £60m Leeds City College Quarry Hill Campus. The bespoke facilities include two large purpose-built dance and drama studios, rehearsal rooms, recording studios and study spaces with panoramic views of the city of Leeds, which will also be available for the conservatoire’s MA students to access.
Vice Principal and Director of School of Performance, Patsy Gilbert says; “This is a vital time for Performing Arts creatives to upskill and fine-tune their craft, in order to make original and progressive work to meet the needs of a swiftly changing industry. These MAs will train and support students into becoming practitioners who can shape the future of our industry in new and exciting ways that we might have never imagined.”
The conservatoire’s new MA Programmes will also provide many opportunities for students to integrate with the industry; particularly via the conservatoire’s excellent working relationships with many of the region’s theatre companies, including Red Ladder and Slung Low, as well as its neighbours at Leeds Playhouse and Opera North.
As part of the launch of these courses, Leeds Conservatoire will be holding an online Postgraduate Open Day on Tuesday 3 November, and you can book your place here.
MA Musical Theatre Company
The Musical Theatre Company course combines the rigorous training of a conservatoire with the continued, collaborative, student-led development of new work, preparing students to enter the industry not only to gain employment in the musical theatre industry, but as artists creating their own work. With weekly classes in a range of dance styles, voice, acting, and singing, students will form a company and use these skills to engage in continued and collaborative development of new work, guided by leading directors and practitioners working in the industry today.
MA Musical Theatre Company
MA Musical Theatre Creatives
This is an individually-tailored MA for anyone interested in creating new musical theatre and pursuing a professional career as a creative in the industries, whether as a composer, writer, choreographer, lyricist or something that has yet to be defined. This unique course focuses on students’ particular needs to develop skills in their field (composition, dance and dramaturgy), whilst simultaneously generating work as a collective with other creatives across the MAs. Working with leading institutions from across the North and with practitioners that include composers, lyricists, and book-writers (the creative team of a musical), students will leave the course with a portfolio of work to take into the industry, to peers to build a creative team with, and leave with a unique artistic voice to shape the theatre of tomorrow.
MA Musical Theatre Creatives
MA Dramaturgy
This programme focuses on the development of new work and individual artistry through collaborative practice. Whether as a practitioner shaping theatre though storytelling, dance or music, or as a dramaturg in a literary department dissecting text, students will be introduced to a multitude of ways of creating new theatre. Students will leave this MA with not only a comprehensive understanding of how things have been done, but with a vision for how they want to do things in the future.
MA Dramaturgy
MA Musical Direction
This MA is designed to fully-prepare highly-skilled musicians to embark upon a career as a Musical Director. The course encourages students to interrogate the role of the Musical Director and redefine it for themselves, through the continued collaborative, student-led development of new work across the year. With collaboration and individual artistry at the heart of these MAs, students will leave this course not only fully-equipped to adapt to the changing face of theatre, but also with the skill set and tenacity required to drive that change.
MA Musical DirectionBook your place on our next Postgraduate open day.
Find out more about Postgraduate training at Leeds Conservatoire.
