Global Performance and Cultural Industries

You’ll examine live and digital performing arts that are produced with international audiences in mind.

Throughout this Masters course you’ll develop a critical understanding of what performance is, and how it is produced and consumed locally and globally within a variety of social, political and economic settings.

You’ll apply your learning through lectures, seminars and field trips. This course will equip you with the skills to build your global career networks, you’ll have the opportunity to visit a variety of cultural organisations, and gain valuable insight into the cultural industries from guest lecturers and industry experts.

This Masters course is taught by the School of Performance and Cultural Industries which is based in stage@leeds, a publicly licensed theatre at the heart of the University campus. As a student you’ll also have access to stage@leedsDigital, a virtual creative space for students, researchers, professional artists and international theatre companies. You’ll also have the opportunity to observe the process of performance making, as well as to gain practical experience through optional modules and work experience.

You’ll also benefit from our partnerships with a number of major cultural industries organisations in the city, including Opera North, Leeds Playhouse and Leeds Digital Festival.

Our School is based in stage@leeds, a purpose-built landmark building that sits at the heart of campus. As our student, you’ll have access to its two professional standard, publicly licensed theatres: the main space seats 180 and is equipped with the latest technologies, and the theatre studio provides a technically advanced performance research facility.

stage@leeds hosts a range of work by students and visiting theatre companies all year round. Within the building you’ll also find rehearsal rooms, two black-box studios, costume construction and wardrobe stores, a design studio, a scenic workshop, computer aided design facilities and video-editing and sound recording

Explore our facilities.

Our greatest resource is our links with the local community. Partnership working is fundamental to applied theatre, and the unique requests and needs of our community partners inspire and shape our work with them.

Leeds University Library is one of the UK’s major academic research libraries, and has extensive holdings to support your studies including Special Collections offering a huge range of rare books, manuscripts and art. You’ll have access to materials relating to Leeds Playhouse, Phoenix Dance Theatre, and more.

Many of the Library’s materials are available online, allowing you to access them from a distance. You’ll also have access to study services like one-to-one support and skills development workshops, which will help you to get the most out of your time with us.

Our admissions team are experienced in considering a wide range of international qualifications. If you wish to discuss whether your qualifications will meet the necessary entry criteria, contact the School’s admissions team.

You can also check the accepted qualifications for your country or region.

IELTS 6.5 overall, with no less than 6.0. For other English qualifications, read English language equivalent qualifications.

International students who do not meet the English language requirements for this programme may be able to study our postgraduate pre-sessional English course, to help improve your English language level.

This pre-sessional course is designed with a progression route to your degree programme and you’ll learn academic English in the context of your subject area. To find out more, read Language for Arts and Humanities (6 weeks) and Language for Social Science and Arts: Arts and Humanities (10 weeks).

If you need to study for longer than 10 weeks, read more about our postgraduate pre-sessional English course.