MA Theatre for Community and Education

Two years (Part-Time)

Mountview’s MA in Theatre for Community and Education is a creative and challenging exploration into the power of socially engaged theatre.

In a society where access to the arts is at risk of being marginalised, this course develops the next generation of interdisciplinary theatre practitioners who will lead the way in providing meaningful arts experiences that address social, political and educational issues in a broad range of settings.

The holistic programme invites creative reflection into the power of storytelling for social transformation, considering the role of arts in education, migration and exile, health and building communities. Students address complex issues in critical and creative ways, engaging with collaborative and reflective practice.

We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, including professionals working in youth, community and/or education settings and performers looking to develop and diversify their career.

Course Content and Delivery

There is one day of in-person teaching each week, with one additional Friday and Saturday each term.

Throughout the course students develop skills in critical thinking, facilitating, devising, leading, producing, discussing and teaching creatively and imaginatively. Study involves workshops, lectures and seminars as well as independent collaborative and solo practice/research. Students are assigned weekly reading materials to digest course themes and engage in learning through independent study.

Reciprocal and collaborative learning is embedded into course practice. Students are provided with opportunities to design and lead practical workshops for one another, to bring topics for facilitated discussion with their Course Leader and to choose areas of focus for specific assessments, based on their interests and experiences.

Practical areas of study include collaborative and ensemble techniques, forum theatre, arts for wellbeing, devised theatre, inclusive and trauma informed practices, arts and money, decolonial feminist approaches, facilitating in multilingual and multifaith spaces, and ethics in artistic practice.

Students gain practical experience running workshops in schools, both locally in the Peckham area and further afield – previous locations include Spain and Nigeria.

Students engage in a wide range of texts such as Theatre of the Oppressed by Augusto Boal, Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom by bell hooks and Theatre for Living: The Art and Science of Community-Based Dialogue by David Diamond. During students’ dissertation process, they can gain practical experience with professional organisations. Previously students have opted to participate in placements within a variety of world-class arts organisations such as Royal Court Theatre, Harris Academy Peckham, The Migration Museum, Springboard Youth Academy, Tate Modern and Theatre Peckham.

Assessments are varied and include essays, talks, education packs, presentations, and workshop samples.

Course Leader and Guest Practitioners

Maria Askew, Head of MA Theatre for Community and Education

The course is led by Maria Askew, an award-winning theatre director, facilitator and performing artist, alongside a range of highly experienced practitioners and visiting tutors. Lecturers hold expertise in a variety of areas such as applied theatre, co-creation, youth led work, dramatherapy, critical consciousness, marketing and communications, international politics, funding community projects, and theatre in the criminal justice system.

Teaching is also delivered by representatives from a range of world class organisations such as Clean Break, Brixton House, Unicorn Theatre, Turtle Key Arts, Access all Areas, Clod Ensemble and Candoco Dance Company.

Guest practitioners include:

Course Practitioners

Students collaborate with a wide variety of visiting practitioners and lecturers throughout their training. The above list is a sample of some of the guest lecturers on this course and is subject to change.

Monique Baptiste-Brown

Guest lecturers listed are a sample of many practitioners and organisations you will work with on the course and are subject to change.

Dissertation

The final dissertation project is defined by the individuals’ specific area of interest and can be practice-based or written. Previous projects have involved collaboration with a range of communities and organisations, and research has been presented through a variety of mediums including workshop facilitation, performance, dance, educational toolkit and video content.

Previous project titles include:

African Arts: Introducing Theatre to the Cultural and Creative Arts Curriculum, A Nigerian Case Study
Creative Transformations in Dementia Care: Enhancing wellbeing for people with dementia through theatre and storytelling
Feel Good Inc: Socially Prescribing arts-based workshops to build confidence and enhance wellbeing for young adults with invisible illnesses
From Oppression to Healing: Dramatic practice for facilitating critical awareness and healthy relationships in young people
Migration Monopoly’: Making sense of uneven migratory experiences with young people through arts
School of Revolution: Facilitating socio-political consciousness and agency through theatre for young people in the classroom today
The Dancing Classroom: Dance as a teaching mechanism and its integration into the UK curriculum
“The Heroes We Didn’t Clap For: Lessons from Lockdown”. How arts-based approaches improved young people’s mental health during COVID-19
‘Who do you ride with?’: Transcending youth violence through theatre and arts in the West Midlands

Graduate Destinations

The course equips graduates for versatile and impactful careers both in the UK and internationally, and alumni have gone on to work in a range of areas including:

Launching their own arts companies
Leadership positions within major cultural organisations
Workshop facilitators and practitioners in higher education environments
Public sector positions related to youth participation
Working on international arts-based programmes

Graduate destination organisations include: BBC, British Film Institute, British Youth Music Theatre, Bush Theatre, Clod Ensemble, Complicité, Creative Futures, Kindred Collectiv, Lambeth Council, Magpie Dance, Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, The Northwall Arts Centre, Theatre Peckham, The Multistory Orchestra, Turtle Key Art, Wales Millenium Centre, West End in Schools and Westway School of Performing Arts.

You can read an interview with Maria Askew and other course tutors here.

Photo by Robin Savage

Photo by Tom Harrison

APPLY FOR THIS COURSE

2024/25 Term Dates
Autumn term 12 September – 12 December 2024
Spring term 15 January – 3 April 2025
Summer term 23 April – 26 June 2025

Teaching takes place one day per week, plus one additional Friday and Saturday per term.

Applied Theatre Practice & Pedagogies

Principles of theatre-making
Techniques
Pedagogies
Methods and approaches
Ritual theatre
Decolonial and feminist practices

Approaches to Learning and Education

Socio-political context of applied theatre
Education as a practice of liberation
Power and the teacher/ facilitator/ leader
Practical workshop techniques and skills
Trauma informed practice and dramatherapy

Business and Management

Funding and finance
Marketing and communications
Strategies for freelance practitioners
Navigating the 21st century cultural sector
Sustainable community projects
Creative producing
Practical application of business management

Policies and Agendas

Policies that shape the theatre and cultural sector
Diversity and difference
Practical inquiry into theatre and culture as tools for social transformation
Global policies, decolonial and post-colonial theory

Contemporary Arenas and Praxes of Applied Theatre

Education
Rehabilitation
Migration and exile
Arts in conflict zones
Mental and physical health and wellbeing
Professional development

Creative and Cultural Learning

Museums and galleries
Storytelling and gamification
Cross border collaborations
Immersive arts, music and film
Performance as protest

Dissertation Project (Practical or Written)

Specific dissertation project
Research / Rehearsal time
Application of previous modules

“Mountview’s MA in Theatre for Community and Education is the most considered and enriching educational experience I have ever had… Graduates of this course will change the world because the journey through it leaves them with no alternative.”

– Vanessa, course graduate

“The balance of practice, theory and reflection, makes this the perfect environment for any practitioner who wants to develop a critical creative practice with quality training and guidance.”

– Emma, course graduate

USEFUL INFO

Interview fee	Free
2024/25 UK/Republic of Ireland Students Course Fee	£5,130 p/a
2024/25 International Students Course Fee	£9,665 p/a
Additional Costs (e.g. cultural trips)	£100

Fees are subject to annual review. One term’s notice will be given of any increases. There may be additional costs for cultural trips – allow up to £100.

There are a number of student scholarships available.

Funding and Scholarships

Admission onto the course is by interview. Applicants must be aged 21 years or over at the start of the course. Students who do not hold an undergraduate degree will need to undertake an access assignment to establish suitability for undertaking the MA.

If an applicant requires a student visa and their first language is not English, they will need to prove their knowledge of the English language before applying for their student visa. This must be demonstrated by passing a Secure English Language Test (SELT) from an approved provider or having a GCSE, A level, Scottish National Qualification level 4 or 5, Scottish Higher or Advanced Higher in English, gained through study at a UK school that they began when they were under 18.

Mountview welcomes applications from people with disabilities and is keen to support all applicants to achieve their best. If applicants have any special requirements or access needs, these should be discussed with the course leader/administrator.

Mountview is committed to a comprehensive policy of equal opportunities for students in which individuals are selected and treated on the basis of their relevant merits and abilities. No applicant will receive less or more favourable treatment on grounds of sex, gender, sexual orientation, age, ethnic origin, disability, religion and marital/parental status or any comparable grounds.

Upon offer, students must be sure that they are prepared to engage with a wide range of material that may challenge their personal ethical, religious, spiritual or moral beliefs, and present it in a wide range of settings including public production.

You will take part in a first round interview with the course leader at which you will discuss your interests, influences and previous experience. This may take place online or in-person.

Please be aware that due to the limited amount of places available, this course may become full before June and in this event applications will close early. Please apply earlier to avoid disappointment.

Auditions and Interviews