PhD Drama and Performance

Program Overview

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Undertaking PhD study gives you the opportunity to engage with an area of drama, theatre, or performance in depth and at an advanced level. East 15 Acting School, with its growing research profile and internationally recognised research quality is an obvious home for such research. At East 15, research degree students will undertake one of two paths of enquiry. The PhD in Drama and Performance is a conventional PhD whereby candidates are assessed via thesis and viva voce examination. For the PhD Drama and Performance (Practice as Research) course, candidates are assessed via practice as research, a thesis that contextualises and analyses the performance practice in relation to the research topic, and a viva voce examination. For guidance, areas of expected practice include: theatre directing, dramaturgy, actor training, design (scenery, sound, lighting, costume), and performance art. Why we're great.

• As a highly competitive acting conservatoire we are well equipped to cater for a range of activities and practices.
• We have extensive links with all sectors of the theatre industry and as one of the most international drama schools in the UK, we also have a range of established international connections.
• Our staff undertake many forms of research including practice as research and text-based enquiry and are experts in drawing connections between exploratory practice and advanced conceptualising, process and product, making and articulating.

Our expert staff

Our staff undertake many forms of research including practice as research and text-based enquiry, and are experts in drawing connections between exploratory practice and advanced conceptualising, process and product, making and articulating. We have extensive links with all sectors of the theatre industry and as one of the most international drama schools in the UK, we also have a range of established international connections. Staff research specialisms include world performance, actor-training and audience reception. Our staff are undertaking research in areas such as movement and somatics in actor training, voice, immersive and participatory performance, intermedial performance, performance art, twentieth century avant-garde practice, intercultural training and practice, Balinese theatre, Brazilian theatre, Shakespeare and theatre directing.

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Specialist facilities

As a highly competitive acting conservatoire we are well equipped to cater for a range of activities and practices. Our cutting-edge facilities, resources and support for research, offered across three campuses (Southend, Loughton, Colchester) are world class. We are well placed to facilitate practice-as-research by virtue of our high-specification performance and rehearsal spaces, design studios, and infrastructure. PhD students will be based at Southend or Loughton depending on the location of their supervisor. However, all PhD students will be able to access the available facilities at both Loughton and Southend. In Southend, East 15 PhD candidates have access to a designated University of Essex PhD room in the Gateway Building. In both Southend and Loughton, PhD students will have access to hot desks, computers, on-campus libraries and printing facilities. In addition to this, PhD students will have access to:

• Performance studios to support practice as research.
• Access to book rehearsal spaces in the evening and weekends, when the spaces are not in use for undergraduate classes.
• PhD students will also be able to book spaces outside the usual undergraduate term dates, approximately 20 weeks a year.

In Loughton, facilities include over 20 rehearsal studios of various sizes and a radio and recording studio. In Southend, East 15 facilities include 16 large rehearsal studios, seminar rooms and an Apple Mac editing suite. Both campuses also have a working theatre and dance studio. As well as the physical resources, PhD students will have the opportunity to create connections with the acting, technical, and producing students on each campus – inviting them to take part in research activities outside of their timetabled classes and rehearsals.

Program Outline

Course structure

PhD programmes do not have structured teaching. Students are supervised by a supervisory team and monitored according to key milestones. We understand that deciding where and what to study is a very important decision for you. We’ll make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the courses, services and facilities as described on our website. However, if we need to make material changes, for example due to significant disruption, or in response to COVID-19, we’ll let our applicants and students know as soon as possible.

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Components

Components are the blocks of study that make up your course. A component may have a set module which you must study, or a number of modules from which you can choose. Each component has a status and carries a certain number of credits towards your qualification.

Status	What this means
Core	You must take the set module for this component and you must pass. No failure can be permitted.
Core with Options	You can choose which module to study from the available options for this component but you must pass. No failure can be permitted.
Compulsory	You must take the set module for this component. There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the qualification if you fail.
Compulsory with Options	You can choose which module to study from the available options for this component. There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the qualification if you fail.
Optional	You can choose which module to study from the available options for this component. There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the qualification if you fail.

The modules that are available for you to choose for each component will depend on several factors, including which modules you have chosen for other components, which modules you have completed in previous years of your course, and which term the module is taught in.

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Modules

Modules are the individual units of study for your course. Each module has its own set of learning outcomes and assessment criteria and also carries a certain number of credits. In most cases you will study one module per component, but in some cases you may need to study more than one module. For example, a 30-credit component may comprise of either one 30-credit module, or two 15-credit modules, depending on the options available. Modules may be taught at different times of the year and by a different department or school to the one your course is primarily based in. You can find this information from the module code . For example, the module code HR100-4-FY means:

HR	100	4	FY
The department or school the module will be taught by. In this example, the module would be taught by the Department of History.	The module number.	The UK academic level of the module. A standard undergraduate course will comprise of level 4, 5 and 6 modules - increasing as you progress through the course. A standard postgraduate taught course will comprise of level 7 modules. A postgraduate research degree is a level 8 qualification.	The term the module will be taught in. AU : Autumn term SP : Spring term SU : Summer term FY : Full year AP : Autumn and Spring terms PS: Spring and Summer terms AS: Autumn and Summer terms

Year 1 COMPONENT 01: COMPULSORY EA998-8-FY (0 CREDITS)

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Teaching

During the first year of their PhD programme, candidates will be expected to undertake required skills training and to develop an in-depth plan and timetable for undertaking their research within a three-year period. Students will start to collect research material, define their methodology, and be able to contextualise their research in relation to existing literature and practice. Before entry into the second year, candidates will have a Confirmation Board, which reviews the candidate’s progress and determines whether the quality of research is at PhD level. After the student’s candidature is confirmed, they will continue to undertake the body of their research investigation. In the third-year, students should be working to complete all elements of their submission.

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Assessment

60,000-80,000 word thesis and viva voce examination.