Experimental performance art in theory and practice

The Master’s Programme in Performance Studies is both an academic and an artistic course of study. It combines reflections on issues of social and cultural theory with artistic practice and aesthetic training in the fields of dance, theatre, choreography and direction. The programme is based on a broad understanding of the concept of performance, which encompasses theatre practice and poetics in social, cultural, political and artistic fields.

At the core of the programme is a critical/political and theoretical/practical analysis of performances and productions in performance art, popular culture, media, and everyday life. Particular emphasis is given to performance techniques in which body and movement are the object, means or agent of aesthetic discussion. The studies aim at fostering an understanding of performance concepts from a social, cultural and educational/theoretical as well as aesthetic and artistic perspective while at the same time enabling students to gain competencies for self-critical artistic practice and communication.

The two-year course has a modular structure and leads to the degree of Master of Arts in Performance Studies. Prerequisites for participating in the Master’s Programme are a successfully completed Bachelor’s degree in a related or comparable field, as well as having passed a qualifying examination.

The course is supported by the Centre for Performance Studies, an interdisciplinary institute at the University of Hamburg, which brings together scholars from different academic fields, as well as artists, dramaturges and theatre directors. A key task of the centre is to plan, implement and further develop the Master of Arts Programme in Performance Studies.