'Creative, Ambitious, Challenging and Relevant': Meredith Braun & Steven Dexter Discuss the New MA Musical Theatre at University of Chichester

The University of Chichester has launched a new postgraduate Masters course in Musical Theatre, the first gender non-conforming course in the UK, and with opportunities to learn from some of the best and brightest minds currently practising in the industry. As a completely project-based course it is both affordable and inclusive. With practicality at its heart, the course aims to equip students to go out into the industry armed with well-honed skills, imagination and the ability to create exciting new work. 

The course offers broad training in a range of musical theatre practices, modules include - working on a new musical together with the composer and lyricist, examining structure and creating a devised jukebox style musical based on an existing pop album or body of work and developing a fringe style event theatre piece. The course naturally culminates in an industry showcase and main production. All shows will have gender-blind casting with leading vocal practitioners on hand to support all singers.  

Here, Course Director Meredith Braun and Director in Residence Steven Dexter discuss the new Post Graduate MA Musical Theatre degree at the University of Chichester with BA Hons Musical Theatre (Music) graduate Eddie Cole-Porcher.

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Eddie: Thank you for joining us to discuss the new Musical Theatre Masters Degree at the University of Chichester. The recent Academic Board described it as "Creative, Ambitious, Challenging and Relevant". Can you tell us how it came about and why it's so special?

Meredith Braun: Absolutely, thank you, it's a pleasure. We wanted to give undergraduates the opportunity to continue their studies, which is often a desire often expressed by our current and past students on our very popular Musical Theatre BA Hons degrees. This MA program has a dual focus on academic rigour and industry engagement and cements Chichester as hub for new developments in musical theatre.

Steven Dexter: Yes, it's essential to emphasise that there are no other providers offering this unique kind of training opportunity in the area. Over the years I have worked at a lot of universities and drama schools, not only around the UK but around the world. We’ve drawn on both our experiences but more importantly, we have listened to our students and built a program that embraces collaboration with external practitioners and companies. We're connecting with Chichester Festival Theatre's Artists' Development Programme, Mercury Musical Developments and Musical Theatre Network at the University,

Eddie: That sounds fantastic. Can you tell us more about the two pathways within the program - Performers and Creatives?

Meredith Braun: Of course! We've designed this programme to cater to a wide range of interests and talents within musical theatre. The Performer's pathway focuses on honing performance skills, whilst the Creative's pathway centres on developing skills as a Director, Musical Director or Choreographer. Both pathways are about creating exciting new work and challenging the perceived boundaries of Musical Theatre.

Steven Dexter: We're situated relatively close to London’s West End, which is one of the global epicentres of musical theatre. That proximity not only gives our students practical opportunities but also means we have access to high-calibre teaching and industry contacts, which is incredibly valuable in this field.

Eddie: Could you elaborate on the curriculum and the balance between real-life context and academic research?

Meredith Braun: Certainly. The curriculum is a blend of real-world experience, academic research and presentation. It's based on seven highly practical Performance Projects - ranging from the analysis of established works, self-devised small-scale pieces, bringing in composers and lyricists and working on new musicals, developing original Juke Box musicals, Industry classes and masterclasses and of course a full production. For Performers, it's about striking a balance between performance, process and written work. Meanwhile, the Creative's pathway has an even split between process and written components. This blend provides students with a strong portfolio for their CVs and real-world skills, such as creating showreels and participating in masterclasses.

Steven Dexter: We also offer workplace experience, collaborating with current creatives and practitioners in the field. The whole course is based on the ethos of learning by doing, even if this means making mistakes. After all we learn from them. We strive to create a safe working environment where every student is treated as an individual.

Eddie: How will the students be assessed?

Meredith Braun: The program is divided into Projects, each lasting 4-5 weeks, spanning three semesters. Assessments are designed to encourage research, creative thinking and practical problem-solving, always with the focus on the production performance.

Steven Dexter: We're committed to training our students to challenge the status quo and develop innovative ideas. It's not just about learning; it's about pushing boundaries and exploring new horizons in music theatre. It will not only challenge the students but challenge us, the practitioners, which is very exciting.

Eddie: Lastly, could you share some insights into the learning opportunities and student progression into work?

Steven Dexter: We're collaborating with Chichester Fringe Festival and other organisations, creating opportunities for our students to develop their own work and engage with the industry directly. Our program opens doors to the world of musical theatre.

Meredith Braun: Our program provides a rich and varied experience for students. We've established strong relationships with local enterprises, engaging external creatives and professionals in every module. This hands-on experience is invaluable for progression into the Industry.

Eddie: Thank you both for sharing these insights into the University of Chichester's Musical Theatre Masters Degree. It sounds like an incredible opportunity for aspiring musical theatre artists and creators.

Applications are now open to study MA Musical Theatre at the University of Chichester from January 2023 - you can find out more here.

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