Validated by University of East Anglia
Site-specific theatre has captured the imagination of theatre and fine art practitioners throughout the UK and internationally. Engaging with the history, atmosphere and architecture of places to underpin diverse narratives, site-specific theatre allows a space to inform performances that can only happen in that specific location.
The first course of its kind in the UK, Mountview’s MA in Site-Specific Theatre is created and led by Geraldine Pilgrim, a leading practitioner in the creation of site-specific theatre and installations, and provided in partnership with Shoreditch Town Hall. Aimed at practitioners with a fine art or theatre and performance background seeking to diversify their skills this course is delivered over a one-year full-time practical-taught MA from January to December.
A maximum of six students are accepted each year.
TEACHING AND LEARNING
The teaching structure includes Salons, Seminars and Masterclasses, as well as site visits, practical realised projects and an international or UK site residency. With a strong emphasis on learning through practice, the training covers practical skills and creative realisation as well as theoretical and methodological investigation.
Delivered at a dedicated studio within Shoreditch Town Hall, an innovative independent arts centre experienced in presenting site-specific performances, and at Mountview’s own Peckham campus, each student has their own dedicated workspace where they collaborate alongside their peers on the course.
All modules are compulsory and there is continuous assessment as well as submitted essays, journals, presentations, realised exercises and performances. Each student undertakes a work-based learning placement with an artist or company over the summer break and is matched with a professional practitioner to provide mentorship and support on their final performance.
COURSE LEADER, GERALDINE PILGRIM
As the Artistic Director of Geraldine Pilgrim Performance Company and has been making site-specific performances and installations for over 20 years, in sites including empty office blocks, schools, hotels, swimming pools, factories, hospitals, stately homes and public parks. Her links with site-specific companies and practitioners ensure that students will have access to a rich network of contacts.
The guest artists and lecturers on the course are professional practitioners who come from a purposefully eclectic range of theatre and performance practice, including Commedia, ASMR, animating objects, immersive game theatre, writing for performance, design, and creative producing.
PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES
Students create realised site-specific performances throughout the three Terms to invited audiences. There is technical support with lighting, sound projection, props and costumes supplied by Mountview and Shoreditch Town Hall.
In the first term, the students create a collaborative site-specific performance in the atmospheric space of Shoreditch Town Hall. In the second term’s Directing Exercises, each student creates and directs their own site-specific work performed by fellow students. At the end of the week’s residency, either in Italy or the UK, the students collaborate on a performance responding to the residency site. And in the third term students are given a budget to support creating their final site-specific project – the practical dissertation.
