What you'll study
The first year of the Advanced Devising Practice MFA programme taught at arthaus.berlin, located in Berlin, Germany, is made up of modules 1-3 of the Devised Theatre and Performance MA.
The MFA programme adds a second year of practical work in Berlin which builds on the embodied foundations of the first year, sharpens your skills as a performer and strengthens your confidence as a change-maker by offering you multiple, distinct thematic research modules.
These practice-based modules deeply investigate specific theatrical territories, their underlying dynamics, and their potential applications and relevance to the shifting performative paradigms of contemporary global culture. The modules are led by the core team and also integrate master classes with international practitioners.
Why choose this course?
Expert Training
Experienced pedagogues will guide you through the different research modules of the program, including theatrical territories like object theatre, mask work and clown. The arthaus.berlin team will mentor you in developing your individual research project throughout the MFA year.
Unique Approach
The research module structure allows diverse exchange between a changing group of participants from around the world, mirroring professional practice and expanding your collaborative vocabulary. The modules are linked by periods of intensive devising and individual research reserved solely for MFA students.
Independent Learning
The program supports your development as a creator of original work. The MFA offers you an environment in which you can develop a rigorous practice of working independently and professionally, both on your own and in collaboration with others.
Experience Berlin
Work in Berlin, Germany - a renowned international meeting place for artists of all kinds. Green, edgy, upbeat, and laid-back all at once, Berlin is a dynamic backdrop for cultural and creative practices. The city offers an eclectic array of venues perfectly suited to diverse artistic and performative endeavours.
Course breakdown
Informed by the work of renowned practitioners including Lecoq and Grotowski and enriched by the principles of the Unfold Method and Alexander Technique, arthaus.berlin’s unique approach is at the forefront of contemporary European performance pedagogy.
Module 1 - The Poetic Body
Studio research centres on pre-performative embodiment practices. Regular movement, body and voice work sessions create the foundation for explorations into playfulness, the Neutral Mask, and physical identification with and transposition of the natural world into visible form.
Weekly group devising experiments are focussed on the collaborative process and investigating the link between practice and form.
Module 2 - Embodied Writing
Embodied writing at arthaus.berlin combines three strands: developing an awareness of somatic sensing, developing a creative resonance practice of generating work via multiple modalities, and embedding work in a contextual relationship to contemporary performance discourses.
Students explore current methodologies and debates within the arts and investigate how their own work is linked to those influences and dynamics.
Module 3 - Life to Art
Regular movement, body and voice practice continues, and studio research turns towards the construction of dramatic spaces and performance.
Investigation into rhythm, structure, composition and dynamics as they manifest in architecture, music, painting and poetry form the matrix for longer-form group devising projects. Animality, chorus and mask work are explored as entry points to the creation of characters and text.
Module 4 - Advanced Devising Practice
The practical work of the MFA year includes multiple thematic research workshops, totalling 12-16 weeks of facilitated studio work, which investigate specific theatrical forms.
Each research workshop, as a stand-alone intensive, will also include a limited number of external participants who apply to join the degree cohort for that module. Following each workshop, MFA students develop group devising projects from the workshop experience.
Module 5 - Independent Research Project
Students finish the course by creating an independent research project, equivalent to a dissertation or thesis, effectively sharing the discoveries of their practical and theoretical questions and explorations over the course of the degree.
Students are invited to create work in whatever form best serves their research – this could include live performances, workshops, exhibitions/installations, performance lectures, or digital work.
How to join
This MFA programme is exclusively taught at arthaus.berlin in Berlin, Germany.
Entry Requirements
Applicants for Masters Programmes will be expected to have a good undergraduate degree in a related subject area. The college also encourages applications from those without formal qualifications who may be accepted on the basis of professional experience.
Applications are now open for September 2025.
Applications remain open until the course is full. However, we understand the unique circumstances of international applicants and accept their late applications to our postgraduate programmes until 31 July.
Application Guidance
As part of your online application, you will be asked to to provide a detailed, handwritten personal statement of motivation expressing why you are interested in studying on the course. You are also asked to submit a comprehensive CV, evidence of prior training and qualifications, and a letter of recommendation from a former colleague, director, or training institute.
Interview and portfolio
Once we receive your application materials, you may be invited to an online interview. This interview is not an online audition, so you do not need to prepare material for it. The online interview is an opportunity to open a dialogue with the Program Directors at arthaus.berlin, and a chance for you to ask any questions you may have about the training, whether pedagogical or logistical. It is also an opportunity for us to find out more about you, your background, and your interest in working with us. After the interview, you may be invited to submit examples or links to your own performative/ creative work to share with the course admissions team.
You may also apply directly for this course at arthaus.berlin
Course Summary
Duration
24 months
Mode of study
Full time
Start date
September 2025
Course Type
Postgraduate Course
Course Fees (2024 Entry)
MFA Advanced Devising Practice
£29808