Applied & Contemporary Theatre

Applied and contemporary theatre is a degree that trains you as a practitioner working at the intersection of performance and social engagement, developing both the artistic skills and the critical understanding to make theatre that matters in specific contexts and communities. Applied theatre uses the tools of performance in educational, community, healthcare, criminal justice and other social settings, working with participants who are not professional performers to explore experience, build skills and create meaningful artistic work. Contemporary theatre encompasses the full range of current performance practices, from innovative text-based work and physical theatre to site-specific performance and interdisciplinary forms.

At the University of Surrey this three-year, full-time programme prepares you for work in theatre that is engaged with the world rather than separated from it. You will develop your skills as a performer, director, deviser and facilitator, learning how to work with diverse groups and communities and how to apply theatrical methodologies in non-traditional contexts. You will study the history and theory of applied and contemporary theatre, engaging with the work of key practitioners and the debates about efficacy, ethics and aesthetics that run through the field.

Surrey's programme also reflects its commitment to building digital skills and creative confidence that employers value in contemporary practice, recognising that theatre-makers today work across multiple platforms and contexts.

Graduates work as theatre makers and performers, applied theatre practitioners, drama facilitators in educational and community settings, theatre-in-education specialists, drama therapists with further training, arts project coordinators, drama teachers and workshop leaders across a wide range of social, educational and healthcare environments. Many also move into arts administration, community arts management, arts education policy and the broader cultural sector. Some graduates continue to postgraduate study in theatre, applied theatre, drama therapy or performance, building on the undergraduate foundation.