Welcome to Theatre Dramaturgy at the University of Kent!
Theatre Dramaturgy is a taught M-Level Theatre Studies specialist masters programme at the University of Kent. As part of the four year, extended undergraduate Masters-programme, it leads to the award of MDrama, over 120 credits. On postgraduate level, it leads over 180 credits to an MA Theatre Dramaturgy, including a final dissertation project.
Applications for the MA are taken from early January each year, with a deadline of 15 July, and the programme commences in September, with the requirement to submit a first project portfolio at the beginning of term at the end of September.
In the UK, the profession of the 'Dramaturg' is virtually unknown, yet in Europe, the US, Australia and in most other countries and cultures, every theatre, every company, and every production has one. Of course, every British theatre, every venue, every production does 'dramaturgy', and the tasks and jobs associated with a Dramaturg (without which theatre just wouldn't happen) exist in British theatre as well, but these people are often called 'Artistic Director', 'Creative Advisor', 'Educational Officer', 'Literary Manager', 'Rehearsal Diarist', 'Outside Eye' while actually doing the same thing.
The dramaturg's task, essentially, is to sit between chairs and to build bridges: between theory and practice; between the director, the actors, and the script and/or playwright; between artistic intention and the realities of the budget; and not least between a theatre, its productions, and the audience. This course develops and rehearses these multiple roles and proficiencies, from production dramaturgy to PR-work, from scholarly background research to budgeting, producing and creative programming, with which dramaturgs help to realise, support, and publicise productions that genuinely fulfil theatre's cultural function as a place for a society's self-reflection and critical inspiration rather than as mere outlet for cultural commodities and fast-food entertainment.
Masters students on Theatre Dramaturgy will encounter, acquire skills and work in the following areas:
Venue programming
Production Research & Development
New Work Development
Developing Educational Resources and Events
Developing Production Publicity
In all of these areas, we will work on and with (virtual and real) examples of text-based theatre and drama, but also physical theatre, dance, music theatre, children's and youth theatre, and other forms and genres, and you will have the opportunities both to pursue your own interests as well as to discover new areas.
Our regular partners include the Gate, London's International Theatre, and Paines Plough, Britain's leading new writing company.
In the past, students have additionally worked with Filter and NT Education on Brecht's Caucasian Chalk Circle, with Robert Miles from the Taunton Brewhouse, literary agent Charlotte Knight (Rod Hall Agency), with the Gulbenkian Theatre, with the resident performance group Accidental Collective, and with Out of Joint on King of Hearts.