Applied Theatre – Critical theatre practice and community

The study programme aims to familiarise students with both the theory and practice of various processes of researching, facilitating and directing, including those that transcend current conventions.  Students will learn to work artistically with practitioners from diverse professional, cultural and social backgrounds and to use theatre boldly and skillfully to intervene in the world. At the heart the two year MA programme is the students' individual project work; at the same time, they will engage with theatre and performance in a variety of societal contexts. For this, the Thomas Bernhardt Institut provides a working environment that offers students both space and feedback in order to develop as artists.

The goals of the Master's degree programme in Applied Theatre are artistic maturity and independence, ability for critical reflection and self-evaluation, artistic ability to open up participatory, immersive and inclusive theatre practices and dramaturgies, and the ability to fulfill artistic, pedagogical and organisational tasks within cultural life. It serves to deepen and complement the artistic, pedagogical and academic professional preparation on the basis of subject-related Bachelor's studies.

The master's programme qualifies students for artistic professional practice in the fields of theatre pedagogy, directing, dramaturgy, performance and curating in the areas of community-based performing arts (e.g. youth work). Students should be enabled to perceive and help shape artistic and overall social developments.

The curriculum is competency-based. Upon graduation from the Master's programme in Applied Theatre, students should:

• be free and independent in their artistic work
• be able to critically engage with artistic and academic issues
• be able to transfer the performing arts into different artistic, pedagogical and sociological fields of action
• be able to work artistically with different players from different professional, cultural and social backgrounds
• be able to initiate and implement research, instruction and staging processes in different social context
• be capable of applying traditional performative forms and formats and to reflect upon them in their historical and social context
• be able to independently and confidently apply methods from theatre pedagogy and practices of aesthetic education in the corresponding contexts
• be able to come up with their own inclusive, participatory and immersive forms and formats
• be capable of working effectively in a team
• have mastered academic working techniques and be able to analyse, interpret and elaborate on artistic content in writing
• be able to further develop their individual interests beyond their own subject area through targeted in-depth study in the context of (free) elective subjects, in the spirit of lifelong learning

The focus of the course is on students' independent project works; at the same time, they will engage with theatre and performance in a variety of societal contexts. For this, the Thomas Bernhardt Institut provides a working environment that offers students both space and feedback in order to develop as artists. Special importance is also attached to the collaborative aspects of Applied Theatre, which play an important role in collective processes of experience and learning.

In concrete terms, students develop their projects within the framework of practice-oriented modules that focus on the following areas: performers and actors, spaces and fields of action, and aspects of artistic research. This corresponds to theoretical and discursive classes on performance theory, educational psychology, dramaturgical practice and applied theory. Teaching in practical subjects is also an essential element of the programme and includes artistic group and individual instruction in the areas of body/movement, voice/speech, and improvisation.

A smooth transition from a university environment to professional life is considered by the Thomas Bernhard Institute to be very important. Central to this is the opportunity for students to present their own projects in public while they are still studying.

The Master's programme in Applied Theatre is modular in structure. Each module comprises teaching and learning content that has been combined to form thematically and didactically meaningful units of study. The names and content descriptions (study objectives) of the individual modules, the number of ECTS credits to be achieved for each module, and the type of performance assessment are specified in the curriculum. The module descriptions refer to the corresponding learning outcomes and competencies.

Link to the curriculum

The Master's programme is a face-to-face programme and cannot be offered - not even in part - as a distance learning program. The courses from the Principal Study, as well as in other One-to-One Tuition, are designed to build upon each other. Prerequisite for enrolment in courses from the Principal Study or One-to-One Tutition is a positive evaluation of the previous semester (from the second semester onwards).

Admission to a master's programme requires the completion of a relevant bachelor's degree (BA) or another equivalent degree in a dramatic arts, pedagogical or academic subject from a recognised domestic or foreign post-secondary educational institution (e.g. university, college). For both Mozarteum graduates and external applicants, admission to the Master's programme Applied Theatre is only possible after fulfilling the admission requirements (entrance examination) and according to the number of  places available on the course. The examination will require applicants to prove their artistic/social/pedagogical potential to successfully complete the master's programme.

Graduates of the following degree programmes from the Mozarteum University are eligible to apply for the Master's in Applied Theatre: vocal or instrumental performance, vocal or instrumental pedagogy, teacher training, music theory, choral conducting, orchestral conducting, elementary music and dance pedagogy, acting or directing.

All decisions regarding the equivalence of study programmes inasfar as these are relevant for admission to the Master's programme will be made by the university in accordance with the provisions of the University Act.

The application procedure for the MA "Applied Theatre - Critical theatre practice and community" is divided into three steps:

1.  Online application and submission of a portfolio between 1^st February 2025 and 28^th March 2025

2.  Once application and porfolio have been positively assessed: invitation to an online workshop on 11^th and 12^th April 2025

3.  Upon passing the workshop round: invitation to entrance examination in the form of a practical workshop on site in Salzburg, 16^th and 17^th May 2025

The following documents must be uploaded as part of the online application:

• Bachelor's degree certificate (or degree certificate of an equivalent study programme). If the applicant has not yet completed their bachelor's degree, a confirmation of enrolment or an official confirmation of the planned date of graduation must be uploaded.
• Complete overview of subjects and grades (Transcript of Records) of the bachelor's degree. Applicants whose documents are not available in either German or English must include an official translation.
• Proof of English language skills (at the time of admission: A2).
• Tabular curriculum vitae and letter of motivation.
• Proof of an internship of several months (possibly an assistantship) in a relevant field of practice.
• If applicable, a letter of recommendation (e.g. a well-founded recommendation or an expert opinion from a teacher or a theatre practitioner).
• Artistic application portfolio in the form of a pdf document.

The following documents must be submitted as part of the artistic application portfolio in a pdf document including a cover sheet:

• A portfolio with one (!) artistic work (e.g. videos or documentations of own works) which should give a visual impression of the respective works. Not only written concepts should be submitted. Audio and video material must be made available in the application folder via link.
• A concept for a possible master's thesis in the context of the MA Applied Theatre, e.g. a participatory project, a youth project, a performative intervention. The concept is to be limited to a maximum of one DIN A4 page plus possible visual material.
• Tabular curriculum vitae as well as a letter of motivation.
• Proof of an internship (possibly an assistantship) of several months in a relevant field of practice.
• If applicable, a letter of recommendation (e.g. a well-founded recommendation or an expert opinion from a teacher or a theater practitioner).
• A statement to the effect: "I certify that I have produced and conceptualised the work submitted in the portfolio."

The work/documents must be digitised (scans, photo, etc.) and uploaded with a cover sheet (photo, name, postcode, city, date of birth, street, phone number, high school diploma, email address and details of academic and professional training to date, date and signature). All required parts of the application should be merged into a single pdf document. Only one upload will be accepted.

Admission workshop

The second part of the admission examination consists of several practical parts in the form of an online workshop as well as an interview with the admissions committee.

This part of the admissions process is compulsory for all applicants who have passed the portfolio round. The invitation to the workshop will be sent out approx. 2 weeks before the examination date.

It is not possible to be excused from participation in this part of the admissions procedure.

Examination requirements: The admission examination in the form of a workshop consists of several practical parts (e.g. in the areas of improvisation, movement, instruction practice, research). In addition, the scenic/social imagination, discursive competence and conceptual potential will be assessed in an interview with the examination committee.

Accessibility and widening participation

Please note that the Mozarteum University Salzburg offers various support options at the time of your audition and during your studies if you have a disability or a chronic illness.

If this applies to you and you would like to take advantage of counselling, please contact Claudia Haitzmann: claudia.haitzmann@moz.ac.at or +43 676 88122 337.

Students of the Master's programme are encouraged to complete a semester abroad. Semesters 2 and 3 of the degree programme are particularly suitable for this. In addition to subject-specific competences, a study period abroad can also lead to the acquisition and deepening of:

• Subject-specific foreign language skills
• General foreign-language skills (language comprehension, conversation, etc.)
• Organisational skills, through independent planning of everyday student life in international administrative and university structures
• Knowledge about international study systems, as well as broadening one's own subject perspective
• Intercultural competences

 Examinations and assessments taken during studies abroad can be approved by the Director of Studies as equivalents to compulsory subjects, elective sujects or free elective subjects required by the Mozarteum University for your degree course. The documents required for the approval procedure are to be submitted by the applicant immediately after their exchange semester.

Details at International Affairs.