Acting department
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MFA in Movement Direction
Award:
MFA in Movement Direction
Awarding body:
University of South Wales
Location of study:
Cardiff (RWCMD and Old Library)
Start date:
20 September 2026
Duration:
Two years full time
Course code:
Introduction
Study at Wales’s national conservatoire with our two-year MFA in Movement Direction. You’ll work alongside leading practitioners to learn how to teach, coach, movement direct and choreograph for theatre across a diverse range of performance contexts and disciplines.
To prepare you for a career as a movement director, you’ll also have opportunities to work with industry professionals and put into practice what you’ve learnt through collaboration with performers and creatives.
Why choose the MFA in Movement Direction at RWCMD?
Study at one of the UK’s best drama conservatoires
RWCMD is considered one of the best places to study music and drama in the UK. Our MFA in Movement Direction offers world-class tuition and hands-on experience with outstanding facilities, all in readiness for a career as a movement director.
Specialist tuition from leading industry professionals
You’ll train alongside some of the world’s foremost movement practitioners who are active in a number of industries, including film TV and theatre, so you can be confident that your learning aligns with the latest practices and developments.
Small classes and personalised support
With only three other students on your course, you’ll have a high level of contact and individual support from your tutors.
Practical experience to deepen your knowledge
You’ll have the opportunity to complete several internal and external placements, putting your skills to the test under the mentorship of experienced professionals or teams.
Industry links with acclaimed arts organisations
As Wales’s national conservatoire, we have strong partnerships with arts organisations across Wales and further afield, such as Welsh National Opera (WNO), Sherman Theatre, Chapter Arts Centre, Theatre Clwyd, Bristol Old Vic and the National Dance Company of Wales. Some offer placements that are open to our MFA students.
Masterclasses with visiting creatives
You’ll take part in masterclasses with leading practitioners drawn from all areas of industry. They’ll offer advice as well as insights into their work and the professional world.
Live in Wales’s capital city
You’ll study in Cardiff, the capital of Wales, a welcoming, creative city with a thriving theatre and performance scene. There are many opportunities to get involved in projects, collaborate and build your network of contacts – essential to succeeding as a freelancer.
Study in a vibrant arts centre environment
World-renowned performing artists visit our campus every year as part of our public programme. You’ll be encouraged to attend as many of these events as possible, which are available to you for free or at a reduced rate.
What you’ll study – course structure
This two-year course, the only one of its kind in Wales, is a mix of practical workshops, classwork, seminars, project work, independent research and masterclasses with movement directors and other creatives.
You’ll develop different ways to support performers in embodying every aspect of production and communicating effectively through movement.
Challenge the norm as you develop your own practice
This course places embodied experience – learning and creating through physical practice – at the heart of your development as a performer and artist. Bring your own personal experience, ideas and curiosity about movement and the body, and you’ll be encouraged to develop, expand and challenge those ideas as you create own practice as an artist-teacher.
You’ll cultivate the skills to build a responsive practice that is creative, in both the classroom and the rehearsal room, allowing you to realise, through exploration and enquiry, your fullest range and specific embodied expression.
Tailor your training to suit your interests and ambitions
While there are core concepts you’ll learn, you’ll have the freedom to adapt the course’s content and delivery to suit you. This could be the case in your placement choice, themes for your creative work or your personal project.
A diverse range of contexts, styles and venues
You’ll experience four very different performance venues in our state-of-the-art facilities in central Cardiff, as well as in your internal or external placements. They’ll all give you a different perspective on how a particular environment can influence and inform your practice. You’ll also have the opportunity to explore and work with texts of different historical contexts as well as a variety of styles, not only in drama but in musical theatre, music and opera as well.
Performance and collaboration opportunities
- Embedded into the course are numerous opportunities to create and share your work, both on stage and off, giving you a wide breadth of practical experience that will set you apart after graduation and show that you’re ready for work.
- These opportunities include coaching performers taking part in the many events staged every year by the Richard Burton Company, the College’s in-house theatre company. Frequently attended by industry professionals, these events offer you invaluable, real-world coaching experience.
- Throughout your course, you’ll work alongside other students from across the College. These collaborations offer insight into other areas of music and drama, as well as design and composition, and offer a chance to cultivate creative partnerships that could last a lifetime.
Our departments and areas of study
Acting department
Train with some of the finest actors, directors and writers working today.
Find out more
Musical Theatre department
Our intensive and immersive training is firmly rooted in the current Musical Theatre industry and equips you to become a well-rounded professional adept in all the integrated aspects of Musical Theatre.
Find out more
Stage Management and Technical Theatre department
Our extensive training combines core technical skills, sound and lighting design, video, construction etc. and the full range of stage management skills, whilst focusing on your chosen specialism.
Find out more
Design
Gain the technical, creative and professional skills to launch your career, with our courses offering hands-on training and numerous placement opportunities.
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Music
All our music courses focus on you and the musician you want to be; developing your skills as an individual, a collaborative artist and as a musician who will contribute to society.
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Opera
Storytelling through music and drama is at the heart of this intensive, personalised training, shaped by hands-on industry experience and guided by eminent teachers, performers and practitioners from the international world of opera.
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Frequently asked questions
Need advice before applying?
Our admissions team is happy to help with any questions about entry requirements, interviews or life at RWCMD. Email admissions@rwcmd.ac.uk to get started.
Graduate success and career pathways
Our alumni have gone on to illustrious careers in film, TV, theatre and opera – from vocal coaching at leading UK arts venues to establishing their own theatre companies.
They work with renowned organisations including Shakespeare’s Globe, The National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Life at RWCMD
Accommodation
Whether you're in your first year or final year, finding somewhere to live is always a priority. We've put together some information to help you find the perfect place for you to enjoy life in Cardiff.
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Student support
Student Services is a welcoming and dedicated team, providing support and advice, working in partnership with our students to empower them to meet their potential while studying at RWCMD.
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Living in Cardiff
It is no coincidence that our students love Cardiff, but what makes it so special?
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Ready to begin your conservatoire journey?
Join a community of passionate, talented artists at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama. Whether you’re preparing for a career in TV and film, or looking to shape the future of drama education, your path starts here.
