MA Theatre Design

Course Description

The MA Theatre Design has been created to offer a postgraduate qualification which has at its core professional engagement within the performance industry.

Whether you have studied a related subject at undergraduate level or have a more practical background within the profession, our MA Theatre Design programme will enable you to develop your creative skills and industry awareness to an advanced professional level.

There are two distinct pathways to achieve the MA Theatre Design. The first offers a more traditional route developing new advanced skills during an intensive year of study and practice at the College before starting a Professional Practice Portfolio within industry. The second pathway is for individuals who wish to continue working within the industry while studying for a Postgraduate Diploma qualification before proceeding onto the Masters award.

Pathway 1
The first year is an intensive, full time programme of skills and project-based classes and active practical engagement in live production work. Our diverse and challenging performance programme provides opportunities for you, working as a highly skilled and collaborative design specialist, to experience professional working practices. You have the opportunity to specialise in the following subject areas:

  • Scenography (Set & Costume Design)
  • Set Design
  • Costume Design
  • Costume Construction
  • Puppetry
  • Lighting Design
  • Sound Design

At the end of the year you will have the opportunity to present your work to potential employers in exhibitions in Cardiff and London.

On successful completion of the first year you will be eligible for a Postgraduate Diploma qualification and you can begin working on the second part of the MA Theatre Design, the Professional Practice Portfolio, which is a flexible, part time module undertaken within employment.

You will develop a reflective journal of your working practice and development. You will receive practical and academic support and mentoring, either at the college campus or through distance learning methods. This allows you to choose employment in any location worldwide. On completion, the portfolio will be submitted for the MA Theatre Design. The timescale for completion of this element is between one and five years depending on the particular nature of your professional engagement. 

Pathway 2
The second pathway is designed for individuals who wish to continue working within the industry to pursue a postgraduate qualification directly linked to their professional practice. You will need to submit a portfolio of evidence, and create a live exhibition evidencing your professional practice, before starting your final Professional Practice Portfolio which on completion will be submitted for the MA  Theatre Design award.