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Leeds Conservatoire: MA Dramaturgy

Institution Leeds Conservatoire
Department School of Drama
Web http://www.leedsconservatoire.ac.uk
Email Hello@lcm.ac.uk
Telephone 0113 222 3416
Study type Taught

Summary

Delivered in exclusive partnership with Leeds Playhouse, this Master’s programme is designed for aspiring dramaturgs, theatre-makers and creative practitioners who want to build a professional career in new work development.

Rooted in real industry practice, the course gives you direct access to the Playhouse’s Artistic Planning team and the Furnace Artistic Development programme, immersing you in how new theatre is commissioned, shaped and produced today.

You’ll explore multiple pathways into dramaturgy, including analysing text to collaborating with artists across storytelling, movement, design and music. Through hands-on projects, workshops and placements with leading northern practitioners, you’ll build the core skills that drive contemporary theatre: narrative craft, character development and structural innovation.

Because dramaturgy is continually evolving, you won’t just learn existing models; you’ll interrogate them. You’ll examine competing definitions of the role, test them in practice, and ultimately shape your own creative identity as a dramaturg. Graduates leave this MA with:

· Industry experience embedded in a major UK producing theatre

· A strong creative portfolio of new work and collaborative projects

· Professional networks across the North’s vibrant theatre sector

· A clear artistic voice and the confidence to influence how new theatre is made

This is a programme for future-focused theatre-makers ready to define the next chapter of dramaturgy.

Our MA equips you with the core skills, creative insight and professional experience needed to work confidently as a dramaturg in today’s theatre industry.

Leeds Conservatoire proudly partners with key organisations across the region, ensuring access to a vibrant and diverse creative community.

You will master the building blocks of storytelling and develop a deep understanding of text through both practical and reflective approaches. You’ll learn how to analyse, shape and reimagine the fundamentals of story: structure, narrative arc and character, so you can build your own creative methodology. This course encourages experimentation, giving you the tools to break conventions, innovate and establish a distinctive dramaturgical voice.

The course allows you to gain hands-on experience taking a project from initial idea to final production. You’ll work across a range of theatrical forms, including new writing, script development, devising, physical theatre and dance-led performance; collaborating with writers, directors, performers and other creatives. This holistic approach prepares you to respond flexibly to the wide variety of processes used in contemporary theatre-making.

Come and explore dramaturgy through classics, adaptations, translations, contemporary plays, musicals and, most importantly, brand-new writing. You’ll refine your personal craft and creative process by developing your own pieces alongside industry-led projects, building a portfolio that showcases your artistic identity.

This programme offers immediate and meaningful exposure to the professional theatre world. You’ll engage directly with leading practitioners, artistic planning teams and new work development departments, gaining first-hand insight into how theatre is made at a major UK producing house.

Students also collaborate with a broad network of theatre-makers, from literary departments to independent companies, experiencing the many forms the dramaturg’s role can take across plays, musicals and dance.

MA

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