MA Stage Management & Technical Theatre Production

• This is the only postgraduate course of its kind in Scotland, and it is both practical and critically reflective.
• You’ll enjoy being part of a small cohort of students, working closely and collaboratively with staff who will get to know your strengths and areas for development.
• Run in partnership with the Edinburgh Stage Management School, which combines a well-established industry focus with successful graduate employment.
• Draw from the hard-won experience of a range of guest lecturers from key cultural organisations and associated industries.

From theatre productions and arts festivals to music gigs and charity events, the entertainment and live events industries are growing rapidly. At the same time, the work of stage managers is becoming more complex and technically challenging. This means that arts and events companies are looking for skilled stage managers with more holistic and integrated perspectives regarding the management of entertainment and live events and the artistic, economic, social and environmental conditions in which they function.

This course has been developed in response to this need and is rooted in a belief that effective stage managers need training that is both practical and critically reflective. It will develop your knowledge of the contemporary issues affecting the management of entertainment and live events while equipping you with the practical skills that are essential for developing a career in the field.

The course is run in partnership with the Edinburgh Stage Management School, which specialises in postgraduate vocational training and combines a well-established industry focus with successful graduate employment. It combines the best aspects of the vocational, practical and academic models.

MA (180 credits)/ PgDip (120 credits)/ PgCert (60 credits)

To obtain a specific postgraduate award at QMU you must complete a number of credit bearing modules. You can opt to study for the full MA, a PgDip, or a PgCert.

Teaching comprises a combination of lectures, seminars, tutorials, case studies, simulation exercises and projects. You will also undertake professional practice. Your performance on the course will be assessed by essays, reports, a reflective blog, a portfolio, presentations and a dissertation or project.

Each module will require you to attend classes and carry out independent work. Most modules consist of five or six hours of class time each day during the teaching periods of the semester.

Teaching for each module is primarily Monday-Friday, 9.30am-5pm, but some weekend and evening sessions may also be included. When working on University productions, students will typically spend 2/3 days per week in rehearsal and the remainder in class.

Normally, there are around six to eight students enrolling on the course each year.

Our partnership with The Edinburgh Stage Management School ensures an active industry focus to the course with key professional practitioners delivering master classes and practical workshops. Our location in the ‘Festival City’ also allows for strong practical links between the course and the many arts, festival and cultural organisations based in and around Edinburgh, across Scotland and the UK.

The below modules may vary from the 2020 prospectus and are subject to change due to the ongoing validation process. 

Stage Management - 20 credits
This module will:

• Introduce students to the theories and structures underpinning the discipline of Stage Management, and allow them to develop a critical awareness of the role of the Stage Management team within a range of different genres and types of company across the entertainment industry.
• Allow them to critically examine, and reflect on, ways in which different skill sets may be adapted and applied to the Stage Management profession.
• Provide the opportunity for students to develop an in depth knowledge of the contemporary issues in Stage Management which impact upon its practice.

Technical Theatre - 20 credits
This module will:

• Introduce students to the theories underpinning theatre lighting, sound, and AV.
• Allow students to apply and develop the technical skills acquired in a variety of classroom and professional settings.
• Critically analyse technical theatre practices in a wide range of contexts.

Professional Practice 1 - 40 credits
This module will:

• Introduce students to the professional working environment
• Enable students to use their experiences to critically reflect on current working practices in Stage Management

Professional Practice 2 - 40 credits
This module will allow students:

• To integrate and synthesise critical theoretical knowledge and understanding and technical skills developed in the different modules of the course and apply these in a practical working environment
• To gain insight into working practices in a chosen area of Stage Management
• To exercise autonomy and initiative, gaining experience of working effectively as a member of staff in a practitioner setting and, based on this and knowledge gained from the course, developing a critical appreciation of operating and managing professionally in a working environment
• To reflect on the practice, attributes and skillset, required for a career in the creative industries
• To evaluate their own career ambitions in the context of the industry

Final Project/Dissertation - 60 credits

Through undertaking a project that suits their strengths, interests and career aspirations, students will have the opportunity to undertake a substantial piece of work that will develop their academic rigour, professional skills, independence and self-direction. They will explore and apply relevant academic or professional approaches and practical skills, including those acquired in the taught component of the programme. Their work will allow them to explore a topic or area of interest to a degree of critical depth that will provide them with a valuable level of expertise in an area relevant to their professional interests and career aspirations. In completing their project they will have produced a piece of original work which offers reflections, recommendations or conclusions that have the potential to contribute to the continued development of Stage Management practice.

N/A

The course involves a series of placements, both on University productions and within the industry. Each placement on a University production commences on the first day of rehearsal and runs until the the final performance. Industry placements typically run from first rehearsal to opening night. Placements are assessed in the Professional Practice modules 1 and 2.

You will be qualified for a broad range of stage management positions within a wide spectrum of live entertainment and live events industries. Many career opportunities are open to you. Previous graduates (Edinburgh Stage Management School) have gone on to work in theatres, performing arts organisations, festivals, corporate events and ceremonies. In addition, many now tour within the UK, Europe and internationally. Potential careers might include producing, fundraising, marketing, programming or audience development, as well as many other roles across the cultural industries and all professions requiring skills in effective management.

A UK honours degree or equivalent OR significant work experience in live entertainment/events. All shortlisted applicants will be interviewed.

International: This course is currently only open to applicants who do not require a Student Route visa.

Please note: from now on interviews will be for the Waiting List.

Start of August 2020. This course is highly competitive with limited places and we advise applicants to apply early to be considered.

Contact Admissions or contact Susan Martin on tel: +44(0)131 474 0000.

Click for information on our forthcoming open events