Manchester School of Theatre - MA Performance

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Manchester School of Theatre - MA Performance

MA/MFA in Performance at the Manchester School of Theatre. Situated within the School of English and the famous Manchester School of Art.

The MA/MFA Performance creates a space for asking big daring questions about why we perform, who we perform for and how radical performance can act upon, and in, the world. It offers a distinctive opportunity for graduates and artists, from experimental theatre, contemporary dance, and performance art backgrounds, to create innovative new performance that plays across artistic borders. The course

is shaped and driven by the passions and expertise of an interdisciplinary team of internationally recognised theatre makers, artists and writers, offering two specialist routes in either Contemporary Performance or Laboratory Theatre. For graduates this MA/MFA creates a bridge between undergraduate study and the professional arts world. For emerging and mid-career artists this programme is an opportunity for interrogating and transforming your existing work,
within a supportive community of like-minded makers, with input from expert practitioners and scholars as mentors. We welcome applications from small groups of collaborating artists as well as individual makers. The MA culminates in the creation of a major new performance project, featured within the prestigious Manchester School of Art post-graduate showcase,
with the MFA offering an additional year in which students generate advanced professional practice. The work made during this course will be informed by, and contribute to, the exciting performance scene in Manchester as well as national and international networks, which includes the unique partnership with NTL in Denmark. Students will also work within the stimulating environments of the Manchester School of Theatre and the Manchester School of Art, studying in brand-new, world class and purpose-built studios in the vibrant Oxford Road area.

11/11/2025

MA/MFA Performance is an exciting taught masters programme that offers a practical, versatile and interdisciplinary approach to performance-making and training. The programme provides you with an advanced and practical understanding of current performance practices, drawing on a broad range of artistic and theoretical influences. The development of new creative practice is at the core of the programme, as well as how this work might be developed and profiled in a professional context.

Furthermore, MA/MFA Performance offers you the chance to specialise in either of the distinctive areas of laboratory theatre or contemporary performance. The experience of these options is fed through a further process of critical and professional contextualisation, before you embark on the creation of your own major project as the culmination of the degree.

Tomorrow we have a Postgraduate Open Day . You can book on by visiting the link in our bio or by searching MMU MA/MFA Performance PGT Open Day. Come and find out more!

And if you can't make this one, then don't worry, there is another one on Saturday 7th February!

31/10/2025

Another outing for Negative Space, featuring two of our MA/MFA Performance lecturers and .s.egan

This time in Germany for the Unidram Festival in Potsdam.

29/10/2025

Ready to stand out? Learn from researchers at the forefront of the performance field. Create innovative new performance through experimentation and collaboration in the vibrant city of Manchester, at the world-leading Manchester Metropolitan University and Manchester School of Art

A bridge between undergraduate study and the professional world, or a space for established artists to reinvigorate their own practice, MA/MFA Performance allows for the development and consolidation of new creative practices.

MA/MFA Performance is an exciting taught masters programme that offers a practical, versatile and interdisciplinary approach to performance-making and training. The programme provides you with an advanced and practical understanding of current performance practices, drawing on a broad range of artistic and theoretical influences. The development of new creative practice is at the core of the programme, as well as how this work might be developed and profiled in a professional context.

For further information and details on how to apply please visit: https://www.mmu.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/course/ma-mfa-performance

18/09/2025

One more evening of original, devised performance work - tonight, starting from 5pm. Don’t miss out!!! It’s all FREE - link in bio.

18 September

17:00–17:45 | BattleScars – Niall Finley – GF 17

18:00–18:40 | The Good and Bad Party – Edmund Joseph – GE 1.04 .joseph.33

19:00 – 19:45 | The Soil Remembers - Lauren Greer – GE 1.04 (30–40 min)

20:00 – 20:45 | The Companion Piece – Lisa Ford (45 min) – GF 17

16/09/2025

Manchester School of Theatre (MST) invites you to experience three evenings of cutting-edge performance practice from our MA/MFA Performance students – class of 2025!

Showing their expertise in the fields of contemporary performance, laboratory theatre, dance and performance art, Liminal will premiere original work from the theatre makers of the future, while marking the end of their MA journey.

Join us in Grosvenor East’s theatre spaces from Tuesday 16th – Thursday 18th September to watch a range of performances by MA/MFA Performance students. There will be several performances shown each night which you can attend by booking a free individual ticket. Please book a separate ticket for all the performances you wish to see each day.

FULL PROGRAMME

16 September

17:00–17:45 | Speaking from the Cracks – Tiana Butler – GF 17

16:00 -19:00 | Exhausting Place – Lauren Manville – GE 1.16

19:00 – 20:00 | Non-Disclosure Agreement – James Stanley – GF 17

17 September

17:00–17:45 | Speak Out – Alice – GF 17

18:00 – 18:40 | Survival of (miss)fittest - Liberte Mae Hirst - GE 1.04

19:00–19:45 | Nearly Eternal Gourmets – Allan Purves and Gin Niemtus – GF 11

18 September

17:00–17:45 | BattleScars – Niall Finley – GF 17

18:00–18:40 | The Good and Bad Party – Edmund Joseph – GE 1.04

19:00 – 19:45 | The Soil Remembers - Lauren Greer – GE 1.04 (30–40 min)

20:00 – 20:45 | The Companion Piece – Lisa Ford (45 min) – GF 17

01/07/2025

As part of our week-long residency with , we have a special lecture performance from tomorrow - details below!

There Are No Square Flowers

10am
Grosvenor East GE 1.04
Wednesday 2nd July

This lecture performance by actress Naomi Silman from LUME Teatro reflects on one performer's journey to uncover the creative potential of her own body, uncovering its different vibrational qualities through research into personal expressivity. What unfolds is a rich process of discovery — a dialogue, a conflict, and a fascination with the body and the hidden worlds it contains. At its heart, the piece is a raw and unrepeatable confrontation between the performer and herself, shaped by her own challenges and capabilities as an artist. Naomi shares key elements and technical principles of physical training, including the development of vocal and physical matrices, improvisational work, and the creative path from bodywork to stage presence. A poetic reflection on the craft of acting unfolds — where the body becomes image, voice, emotion, and word.

Performance: Naomi Silman
Dramaturgy: Naomi Silman and Carlos Simioni
Direction: Carlos Simioni
Lighting Design (final version): Eduardo Albergaria
Duration: 80 minutes

Naomi Silman
Naomi Silman is an actress, clown, director, and collaborative actor-researcher with LUME Teatro — a globally recognized theatre group dedicated to the research of the actor’s craft and recipient of the 2013 Shell Award for ongoing artistic investigation. With over 25 years devoted to celebrating theatre as the art of human connection, Naomi has created and performed in a wide range of stage languages — from physical theatre and clowning to dance, street performance, and large-scale outdoor interventions. Her work has taken her across Brazil and to more than 20 countries around the world. Alongside her performances, she has led countless workshops, sharing the unique actor training methods developed by LUME over nearly four decades. Originally from England, Naomi trained with renowned theatre masters Philippe Gaulier and Jacques Lecoq before moving to Brazil in 1997, where she began her ongoing journey with LUME.

27/06/2025

Our graduates just keep on smashing it! Sam Beagley (.sam), Creative Engagement Theatre Practitioner took HOME Young Company’s version of Ravers by Riki Beadle-Blair to the National Theatre, London for the opening night of NT Connections Festival this week. Absolutely wonderful to see the amazing work being done by our Alumni, and HOME, and HOME’s Young Company, are lucky to have you, Sam! Huge congratulations to everyone involved.

02/06/2025

📢 Open call for projects: Compass Festival 2026 📢

Compass Festival is accepting applications for artist projects for the eighth edition of our biennial festival, happening in November 2026 in Leeds.

In our 14-year history, we've seen the festival take place all over the city: in markets, on menus, on the water and in the street.

We invite audiences to discover unexpected experiences in familiar places, bringing art to the everyday.

💡 For 2026, we’re looking for original projects which focus on or creatively engage with ideas around people, place & participation.

📆 Application deadline: Mon 30 Jun, 10am

🔗 For more info and to apply visit our website: https://compassliveart.org.uk/open-call-for-projects-compass-festival-2026/

Address

Manchester School Of Theatre, Manchester Metropolitan University, Grosvenor East, Cavendish Street
Manchester
M156BG

Website

https://www.theatre.mmu.ac.uk/ma-mfa-performance/, https://www.mmu.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/course/ma-mfa-performance

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