Linklater MFA at Rose Bruford College

What you'll study

This course is the only postgraduate programme in the world which takes candidates through a course of study that culminates in their receiving Designated Linklater Teacher status along with the MFA degree.

A deep dive into the Linklater Voice method is the foundation of the MFA. The programme was designed in close collaboration with Ms. Linklater and reflects her ideas of what a twenty-first-century postgraduate course for actor-teachers should look like. It is, in part, a voice-centred actor-training, rooted in Linklater’s approach to voice as fundamental to a whole system.

Acknowledging the changing worlds of the industry and traditional actor training, this course is designed for those who wish to develop their skills further. In a practical sense, the course provides graduates with both needed skills and necessary credentials for future employment. The training will enable graduates to enter new creative roles with confidence, ethical preparation and authority.

Please note: Course content is regularly reviewed to make it relevant and current. Course modules are, therefore, subject to change

Postgraduate courses at Rose Bruford 2024

Why choose this course?

Practice based learning

Teaching methods include intensive course work and one public performance. Cohorts are small, and students receive a great deal of rigorous instruction in both individual and group settings.

Multidisciplinary structure

Alongside Linklater voice, students will study three complementary disciplines. Trish Arnold's 'Pure Movement,' Michael Chekhov' psycho-physical Acting techniques, and the Applied Theatre techniques of Augusto Boal, known as Theatre of the Oppressed.

Professional preparation

Observation placements, which may include assisting, with a Designated Linklater Teacher and ample practice-teaching opportunities are provided in Voice, along with placements with Applied Theatre/Social Justice organisations. Recognized leaders in the field work with students during their second year. Forums and workshops in related topics ensure that graduates are prepared to enter the profession.

Postgraduate courses at Rose Bruford 2024

Course breakdown

The course is delivered over two years through a series of modules that consist of classes, workshops, seminars and tutorials.

Within the first year, students will be immersed in holistic actor training that rebalances the traditional hierarchy of voice, movement and acting.  They will also have a weekly Applied Theatre seminar.

Near the end of year one, training will focus on practical work with Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed methodology. Students will be guided in their first steps toward community engagement through Applied Theatre Arts.

Linklater Voice

A comprehensive training in the Linklater Voice Methodology focusing on an embodied experience of the progression as described in ‘Freeing the Natural Voice’.

Critical analysis and discussion of the role of voice work in its historical aspects as well as present-day contexts will be an ongoing thread. Assessment will be based on demonstration of both theoretical and practical understanding of the work and will include a viva voce.

All aspects of this module will be taught by senior Designated Linklater Teachers.

Movement

Movement training for actors focusing on the work of Trish Arnold, sometimes known as Pure Movement, including ensemble and other relevant physical theatre approaches. End of term assessment will be based on demonstration of both theoretical and practical understanding of the work.

Acting

Actor training will centre on Michael Chekhov Technique, with explorations in improvisation, ensemble and scene work. Assessment will be through scene sharings and the development of a self-devised studio piece using the techniques presented in the first term.

Applied Theatre Arts

This module will focus on the work of Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed.  Students will attend weekly classes in preparation for a practical intensive workshop. Over the course of the year the cohort will create connections in the Applied Theatre community.

All of these activities will also serve as preparation for the Applied Theatre Creative Attachment to follow. Assessment will be multi-pronged, including some written work, a viva voce, as well as the creation of a performance or workshop with accompanying reflective tasks.

Creative Attachment

Placements occur between the taught portions of Years One and Two:

  • Observe 50 hours of teaching by a senior DLT, meeting with them for regularly scheduled discussions or tutorials. Placements may or may not include some basic elements of practice teaching, like leading warm-ups.
  • Intern with a practising company or organisation engaged in social/educational activism to further their practical understanding of Applied Theatre principles.  The internship should involve at least 20-50 hours of engagement.

Following these residencies, students will present two practise-based papers along with a case-study. They will meet remotely with the Course Leader during these placements.

This module is self-directed and can take place in the location of the student’s choice, as long as there are appropriate placement opportunities in that location. The final choice of placements will be mutually decided by the student and core faculty members.

Year two

Candidates enter a focused study and practice stream, preparing them for the specialised qualification of Designated Linklater Teacher. At the end of year two, a Designated Linklater Teacher of senior standing in the international community will work intensively with the cohort, culminating in designation for qualified candidates. The designation itself is awarded by the Kristin Linklater Voice Foundation.

Linklater Voice Teaching Practice: (Voice and Theatre Arts)

Students will enter into an observed practice teaching stage, demonstrating their ability to teach each step of the Linklater Method. They will work with the Course Leader and their peers to refine their practical and theoretical knowledge. Detailed one to one voice tutorials will be held, as well as teaching practice support tutorials.

Students will also engage in independent practice teaching work with community groups, peers and/or other Rose Bruford students, with ongoing feedback from the Course Leader and other Designated Linklater Teachers. Selected practice teaching sessions will be observed and critiqued.

The cohort will create a collaborative Applied Theatre project engaging with others in a creative endeavour.

Contextualising Linklater Voice in Theatre Arts Practice

This taught module will end with a self-led period of creation developing ensemble and individual pieces of performance that evidence mastery of principles explored within the training.

Students will work together to create performance work that is about, and impactful upon, the world around them. These projects will demonstrate understanding of the pedagogical practice and its artistic value.  The final capstone performance piece will be presented publicly.

Teaching and assessment methods

Year 1 comprises 730 hours of contact time, totalling 120 credits. There are three workshops during term three: a two-week intensive in classical text, incorporating Shakespeare and other writers; intensive work in Sound & Movement, including Louis Colaianni’s Phonetic Pillows; and an Applied Theatre intensive.

Year 2 involves 500 hours of contact time, totalling 120 credits. Assessment will be through: Coursework, presentations, assessed tutorials, portfolios, and two papers.

Your future career

Graduates from the course may go on to undertake teaching voice in the conservatoire sector, make theatre as actor-teacher-facilitators, or bring voice into Applied Theatre contexts; working with communities at the margins of power, assisting them in finding their own voices and telling their own stories. Career outcomes include:

  • Linklater Voice Teacher
  • Performing arts practitioner
  • Community facilitator
  • Actor

Mary Irwin Furey headshot
Mary Irwin Furey

Co-Course Leader, MFA Linklater Teaching Practice (Voice & Theatre Arts)

Read their profile
Gemma May Maddock
Gemma May Maddock

Co-Course Leader, MFA Linklater Teaching Practice (Voice & Theatre Arts)

Read their profile

How to join

Entry requirements

Applications for 2025/26 will open on Thursday 14th November 2024.

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 based on professional experience.

Applications remain open until the course is full.

International applicants need to apply by 30 November 2024 for January 2025 entry due to visa timelines.

Please get in touch at  for information on entry criteria if you are applying from outside the UK. You can also visit our international students page.

Institution code: Not required for this course.

Course code: Not required for this course.

Application Guidance

Application and auditions

When you submit your online application, you will be asked to supply a personal statement and tell us about your interest in the course, previous experience of professional theatre, and/or undergraduate actor training programme or equivalent.

Please also outline your previous experience with the Linklater Voice Method, including names of Designated Linklater Teachers you’ve studied with.

The full application and audition guidance document for this course can be found here.

Please contact [email protected] if you have any further questions.

Course Summary

Duration

24 months

Mode of study

Full time

Start date

January 2025

Course Type

Postgraduate Course

Course Fees (2025 Entry)

MFA UK & Republic of Ireland Students (240 credits)

£11500

MFA International Students (240 credits)

£22500