Acting MA/MFA

What you'll study

Rose Bruford College’s Acting MA/MFA is an intensive and rigorous postgraduate programme designed to train highly versatile, contemporary performance practitioners. Through focused, practical training, you’ll develop the skills, confidence, and knowledge to perform across a wide range of contexts. You’ll also be empowered to create your own work in diverse settings – including solo and autobiographical performance, devised theatre, movement-led pieces, community events, and more. 

Rather than following a single methodology, The Acting MA/MFA takes an innovative approach to actor training. Alongside traditional techniques such as psychological realism, Shakespeare, and text analysis, you will expand your practice through physical performance, compositional skills, extended vocal techniques and contemporary methods including Viewpoints, Suzuki training, Devising, Gaga and more.  

You will also engage in workshops exploring new and emerging technologies, ensuring your training equips you for the evolving landscape of performance. 

Your training will be led by active practitioners from world-renowned theatres and ensembles. Recent tutors and visiting artists have included members of Complicité, Punchdrunk, Cheek by Jowl, Shunt, the Royal Court Theatre, Sasha Waltz & Guests, as well as leading directors, writers and makers such as Katie Mitchell, Dimitris Papaioannou, Martin Crimp and Tim Etchells (Forced Entertainment). 

By engaging with both contemporary performance-making methodologies and rigorous actor training, you will develop as a multi-hyphenate performer-maker, able to create original work, collaborate with other artists, and perform in productions led by others. 

In addition to intensive studio-based training, you will join a community of home and international postgraduate students across the College, where you will explore practice-based research as a key element of your studies.  

Research is at the forefront of Rose Bruford College. We understand research as something that can be embodied, written, devised and performed in multiple forms – supporting you to develop as both a critically engaged artist and researcher. 

The College is renowned for its outstanding training facilities. Rose Bruford’s performance facilities include the spectacular in-the-round Rose Theatre (330 seats), the versatile black box Barn Theatre (100 seats), and a range of spacious rehearsal and performance spaces, including an outdoor stage. We also offer cutting-edge resources such as a state-of-the-art extended reality (XR) stage and a dedicated motion capture suite. 

This programme is subject to validation, and the final programme outline may be slightly amended. 

MFA

Master of Fine Arts (MFA) – Second Year 

Students who wish to extend their postgraduate studies can progress to an additional MFA year, dedicated to advancing artistic practice and research. 

What the MFA Year Offers 

• A creative laboratory where students shape their professional identity and explore bold new approaches to performance. 

• Opportunities to combine independent practice-based research with placements at leading arts organisations. 

• Direct engagement with the urgent issues, ideas, and debates shaping contemporary performing arts. 

Collaboration and Community 

• Work with artists, scholars, curators, and activists across theatre, live art, museums, galleries, and other cultural settings. 

• Develop ambitious performance projects with the support of academic mentors. 

• Take part in research events and networking sessions, contributing to Rose Bruford College’s dynamic postgraduate community. 

Core Focus 

• Interdisciplinary and collaborative approaches, centred on emerging theatrical and performative forms. 

• Practice-based workshops designed to generate ideas for research and imagine new futures for performance. 

• Exploration of: 

• Creative documentation and archiving 

• Performance’s role within communities 

• Art as a catalyst for social change 

Critical Perspectives 

• Situate contemporary practice within: 

• Histories of key venues and festivals 

• The relationship between artistic and political agendas 

• The impact of cultural policy in the UK and internationally 

• Use theory as a practical framework, linking artistic work to its political, cultural, and historical contexts. 

Graduate Outcomes 

By the end of the MFA, students will: 

• Develop innovative, forward-looking visions for their chosen field. 

• Position their work within broader cultural and historical currents. 

• Be equipped with the skills and perspectives to thrive as artists, researchers, and cultural leaders. 

More about the programme

Throughout the programme you’ll benefit from: 

• Performance opportunities: in-class études, R&D projects, public and industry-facing productions with professional directors, and a digital showcase. 

• Professional preparation: workshops and sessions with casting directors, agents, headshot photographers, self-tape specialists, producers and other industry professionals. 

• Future-facing skills: development of both traditional stage and screen techniques and innovative practices in VR/XR, gaming, audiobooks, devised, site-specific and immersive performance. 

Who is the programme for? 

The programme is designed for a diverse range of learners – whether you are a recent graduate looking to continue your studies, an experienced practitioner seeking to enhance your skills and gain a competitive edge, or someone from a different field aiming to transition into the performance industry. 

Careers

Our graduates are expected to pursue careers both within the performing arts and in entirely different sectors. They may engage with a wide range of performance forms, from traditional theatre to experimental work, contributing to collaborative projects or developing their own creative initiatives.