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Postgraduate

MA Performance: Writing

Two young women laughing and looking at their laptops

College
Central Saint Martins
Start date
September 2024
Course length
Two years (60 weeks)
Extended full-time

Innovation in the art of scriptwriting for theatre, TV, film, audio and digital media. MA Performance: Writing is dedicated to exploring storytelling across platforms taught by working professionals.

Applications suspended 2024/25

Recruitment to this course has been suspended for 2024/25.

Applying for more than 1 course

You can apply for more than 1 postgraduate course at UAL but we recommend that you apply for no more than 3. Find out more in the Apply Now section.

MA Performance: Writing offers training and support for creative adventure and personal development. This course is part of the Performance programme.

Why choose this course at Central Saint Martins

  • Diverse training: Your studies will cover various forms of dramatic writing including theatre, film, television, radio and digital media.
  • Industry links: MA Performance: Writing has connections with high-profile theatres, television, radio and digital media organisations – nationally and internationally.
  • Collaboration: The course offers potential for collaboration across courses in the Performance programme at Central Saint Martins and relevant courses throughout the University.
  • Showcase: There is a showcase at the end of the course in which extracts of work are shown to general audiences, animators and industry, and family and friends.

Open days

There are currently no open days scheduled for this course, please check back at a later date.

Scholarships, bursaries and awards

Course overview

Performance: Writing focuses on the craft and technical aspects of writing for performance. It offers teaching that supports you to develop your skills and voice as a writer. In an ever changing, intensely competitive UK and global sector, it encourages you to identify who you are writing for, and to explore relevant outlets for your work.

The course engages with established and innovative writing practices across theatre, audio, television, film and digital media. It acknowledges the key similarities and differences between writing for different media. The course engages in debates relating to scriptwriting, script development and script production.

The course structure is student-centred, tailoring learning to your own interests wherever possible. It will help you produce a portfolio of work, written for different media, and a variety of performance contexts.

We are committed to developing ethical performance writing practices. To achieve this, we are working to embed UAL's Principles for Climate, Social and Racial Justice into the course.

Course units

Performance: Writing explores the theory and practice of writing for a variety of different dramatic outlets, live performance, film, television, audio and digital media. It will provide you with a challenging, supportive and inclusive postgraduate learning environment in which to develop your writing. The course is embedded within the Performance programme at Central Saint Martins and, as such, you will encounter and work alongside students and staff with diverse interests, motives and experiences. This is critical to learning in an art school; you are encouraged to embrace opportunity and alternative perspectives whilst remaining centrally focused on your own individual development.

Unit 1: Skills and Practices 1

Unit 1 examines the techniques, issues and debates surrounding the theory and practice of dramatic writing and writing for performance. It covers different forms including theatre, TV, audio and digital media.

Unit 2: Skills and Practices 2

Building on the strategies developed in Unit 1 this unit explores the cinematic experience, film theory and writing for film, and how to structure and format a short film screen-play. It also introduces you to writing for animation with a collaboration with the MA Character Animation students.   This allows you to develop your collaborative skills and explore the experience of writer as team member.

Unit 3: Professional Preparation

Unit 3 prepares you for professional practice and what it means to forge and have a career as writer. This it does, by encouraging you to identify your writer’s voice by reflecting on your ideas, vision and personality expressed in your work. You will research and choose ‘outlets’ for their work. You will be shown how to construct a personal and professional development plan. You will be taught pitching skills and approaches to self-production. You will explore complementary opportunities available to you as a professional writer, including script reading, editing, development and facilitation.

You will also take part in a symposium organised by the student cohort. You will be encouraged to explore key aspects of storytelling and their relevance to your work.  You will be encouraged to reach beyond the course to create a community of practice of writers by inviting companies, artists, filmmakers and organisations to respond to shared themes.

Unit 4: Final Portfolio

Unit 4 constitutes an intensive writing period in which you will complete a major project for one medium, as well as two proposals for different media. Combined with the work you have created in Units 1 and 2 this will complete your portfolio of ‘writing for performance’.

Important note concerning academic progression through your course: If you are required to retake a unit you will need to cease further study on the course until you have passed the unit concerned. Once you have successfully passed this unit, you will be able to proceed onto the next unit. Retaking a unit might require you to take time out of study, which could affect other things such as student loans or the visa status for international students. 

Mode of study

MA Performance: Writing is offered in extended full-time mode, delivered through a blend of online and in person over 60 weeks / two academic years. You will be expected to commit 30 hours per week to study: this includes synchronous learning (5-6 hours per week in-class), asynchronous learning (homework, assignments and visits to performances set by tutors) and self-directed learning in which you independently pursue projects, either theoretical or practical, with the resources available to you at an arts university that help you develop as a storyteller.

This mode of study extends the duration of the course allowing you time for personal reflection and the evolution of ideas and creative thinking.

One of the benefits of this mode of study is that it does allow for some space to enable you to pursue studies, while also undertaking part-time employment, internships or care responsibilities.

Credit and award requirements

The course is credit-rated at 180 credits.

On successfully completing the course, you will gain a Master of Arts (MA degree).

Under the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications, an MA is Level 7. All units must be passed in order to achieve the MA but the classification of the award is derived from the mark for the final unit only.

If you are unable to continue on the course, a Postgraduate Certificate (PG Cert) will normally be offered following the successful completion of 60 credits, or a Postgraduate Diploma (PG Dip) following the successful completion of 120 credits.

Learning and teaching methods

The learning and teaching methods devised for this course include: 

  • An Induction to the university
  • An Introduction to the contents of the course handbook, including unit briefs and modes of assessment.
  • Lectures, seminars, tutorials and workshops. Peer learning
  • Structured formative feedback from staff and peers.
  • Self-directed learning
  • Active sharing
  • Self-evaluation and reflective practices.

Student productions

  • Rambunctious-Scallywag.jpg
    Rambunctious Scallywag, a play by Farrah Alice Black
  • Demons-at-Night-Poster.jpg
    Demons at Night, a play by Luca Casson Milstein
  • Call-Me-Suicidal.jpg
    Call Me Suicidal, a play by Reshmi Mohan, Aashna Swaroop, Frances Moore Fahey and Lillian Constance

Facilities

Staff

Current skilled teachers include:

  • Ryan Craig - theatre
  • Ray Grewal - web series and TV
  • Dr Constance Fleuriot - game design/interactive narratives
  • Caroline Raphael - audio (radio and podcasts)
  • Roger Hyams - short films/film theory
  • Phil Morgan - professional prep
  • Paul Ashton - feature film and funding

Recent guest speakers include:

  • Nick Hornby - scriptwriter
  • Mark Ravenhill - playwright
  • Jenn Morgan - agent (Curtis Brown)
  • Jethro Thompson - agent (Curtis Brown)
  • Nick Leather - scriptwriter

Final Project mentors include:

  • Ameenah Ayub Allen - producer Rocks and Ali & Ava
  • Jessica Dromgoole - audio producer
  • Deirdre O'Halloran - literary manager Bush Theatre
  • Sarah Dickenson - dramaturgy

Please note: As all tutors, guests and mentors are working professionals, individuals are subject to change based on availability.

Fees and funding

Home fee

£6,980 per year

This fee is correct for 2024/25 entry and is subject to change for 2025/26 entry.

Tuition fees may increase in future years for new and continuing students on courses lasting more than one year. For this course, you can pay tuition fees in instalments.

Home fees are currently charged to UK nationals and UK residents who meet the rules. However, the rules are complex. Find out more about our tuition fees and determining your fee status.

International fee

£18,350 per year

This fee is correct for 2024/25 entry and is subject to change for 2025/26 entry.

Tuition fees may increase in future years for new and continuing students on courses lasting more than one year. For this course, you can pay tuition fees in instalments.

Students from countries outside of the UK will generally be charged international fees. The rules are complex so read more about tuition fees and determining your fee status.

Scholarship search

Entry requirements

The standard entry requirements for this course are as follows:

  • An honours degree 
  • Or an equivalent EU/international qualification.

Who we are looking for: 

We are looking for applicants with a background or demonstrable interest in scriptwriting for live performance, theatre, film, television, audio (radio drama and narrative podcast series) and digital media (gaming and web series). Writers who want to develop their voice alongside their craft.  And writers who want to explore storytelling in different media.

AP(E)L – Accreditation of Prior (Experiential) Learning

Exceptionally applicants who do not meet these course entry requirements may still be considered. The course team will consider each application that demonstrates additional strengths and alternative evidence. This might, for example, be demonstrated by:

  • Related academic or work experience
  • The quality of the personal statement
  • A strong academic or other professional reference

Or a combination of these factors.

Each application will be considered on its own merit but cannot guarantee an offer in each case.

English language requirements

IELTS level 7.0 or above, with at least 6.0 in reading, writing, listening and speaking (please check our main English language requirements webpage).

Selection criteria

We select applicants according to potential and current ability in the following areas:

  • The quality of your supporting material and statement
  • Your critical abilities and awareness of the cultural and social context within which you practice
  • Your communication skills and preparedness to participate collaboratively in debate and practice
  • Evidence that you have the confidence and ability to benefit from and contribute to the learning environment at postgraduate level.

Your personal statement should reflect on your readiness to engage with self-directed learning; that you are able to learn from experiences (trial and error), and that you are motivated to learn from others.

Careers

Graduates from MA Performance: Writing will be equipped to work with creativity and focus in diverse environments, and to design and explore their own ways of working, confident in building and maintaining working relationships, yet also aware of their unique role in being the ‘champions’ of the story.

The aspiration for graduates is that they are prepared to embark on professional practice as dramatic writers and storytellers with:

  • a knowledge of dramatic media and forms, an understanding of the landscape and practice of dramatic writing, and an insight into what constitutes successful writing and writers
  • a range of technical facilities and capabilities, such as script formatting, project planning, dramatic structure and re-writing
  • a body of practice-based projects, experience, and finished scripted works
  • an appreciation of their developing voice as an artist, with the imagination and confidence that such self-reflection can afford
  • a body of connections and experience with leading industry practitioners, projects and ideas.