Scholarship - Masters course in Directing Circus at Circomedia ^expired

Scholarship available for Masters course in Directing Circus at Circomedia

Circomedia is thrilled to announce we will be launching a scholarship scheme for our Masters in Directing Circus. Thanks to a grant from Leverhulme Arts Scholarships, Circomedia can offer one successful applicant a fully funded place on this unique qualification, plus £1000 to cover travel costs.

The scholarship is available to applicants with strong links to the south west who are judged to be in financial need. Course applications are made directly to our partners Bath Spa University and anyone who’d like to be considered for the scholarship place should include that in their personal statement.

Leverhulme Arts Scholarships have awarded Circomedia with a grant that will pay the course fees for one MA student per year for the next three academic years, starting September 2019. We are incredibly grateful to the Leverhulme Trust for their generous contribution and are proud to be able to support applicants who might otherwise be unable to consider such a course.

Circomedia’s MA in Directing Circus launched in September 2017 and is the first course of its kind in the world. Students will explore research methodologies and different ways of working, learning from such leading industry professionals as Vicki Amedume (Upswing), Ali Williams (NoFit State), Sean Gandini (Gandini Juggling), Charlotte Mooney (Ockham’s Razor) and Lina Johanssen (Mimbre) as well as Circomedia’s own high quality teaching staff.

MA students will have the opportunity to make full use of Circomedia’s resources and collaborate with students on the degree programme. These relationships are developed through two areas of work: Performer As Source, where MA students will guide and shape original work developed by others; and Director As Author, which sees MA students crafting their own piece.

Students undertake placements with existing circus companies, allowing them to put theory into practice out in the real world. Our 2018 graduates worked with a variety of organisations including CirkVOST, Extraordinary Bodies, Gandini Juggling, Cirk La Putyka and Cirque Bijou.

The majority of circus education concentrates on the performer and developing their skills. What sets Circomedia’s MA apart from other courses is its exploration of social contexts, styles and dramaturgy, as well as contributing to the critical and academic writing about cirucs, of which there is still very little compared with other artforms. Research is both text-based and practical. Students will be able to experiment with different approaches to circus direction; they have the freedom to play and explore, devoid of industry pressure or expectations, allowing them to concentrate fully on the process.

Although applications for the MA cab be accepted later-apllications for the scholarship end earlier.

Circomedia are holding an Open Day for the MA on Friday 29th March 2019. If you would like to attend then please email us at [email protected] to book a place.