The MA Performance Design course explores scenography and performance-making from various perspectives informed by current research and innovative practices including immersive and participatory forms of performance design, design-led performance, audience experience and contemporary spectatorship.

On this course, you will experiment with the creative application of design elements, including light, space, sound and costume discovering how to shape live performance and generate meaning for contemporary audiences.?

This course allows you to extend your own creative practice through developing an understanding of the theories and concepts of scenography and designing for live performance.

You’ll use our specialist facilities to explore the performance experiences that can be created with light, space, objects, costume, sound, projection and digital technologies like pervasive media and mixed reality, creating?original performance work that is design-led. ?

You’ll work collaboratively to create dynamic cutting-edge work and you’ll develop skills in documentation and reflection so that you can develop your individual creative practice.?

You’ll devise and carry out an independent research project into an aspect of performance design that interests you.?You’ll also examine contemporary performance practices, from immersive and participatory experiences to site-specific work staged outside of traditional theatre spaces and locate these within their wider social and cultural contexts.?

Career opportunities

This course will give you the knowledge and skills to become an articulate and creative performance design practitioner. This could include; working as a designer or director in theatre, live performance, festivals or the events industry (either within a company or freelance), creating your own performance events or performance company, or working in community arts. Increasingly the importance of ‘worldmaking’ and designing for audience experience is valued in areas including; museums and the heritage industry contexts, commercial and tourism experiences, gaming and XR.?

You’ll also gain a range of transferable skills in research, analysis, interpretation and communication, as well as imagination, independence and cultural awareness. This will equip you to work for a variety of roles across the cultural and creative industries, for example, in administration, marketing and management.?