Digital performance has rapidly become integral to contemporary practice in the performing arts industry, particularly as we adapt to living in the post-pandemic world. A new master’s degree in the field from Queen Margaret University (QMU) will equip students with the in-demand skills required to make the most of this exciting and rapidly evolving field on one of the most forward-looking postgraduate courses on offer in the UK.

With the COVID-19 pandemic closing performance spaces worldwide almost overnight, many performers went online to continue engaging with their existing audience and reach new viewers by creating original content. This practice continues to evolve within the industry, with arts venues and companies developing their digital provision on a permanent basis – QMU’s MA Digital Performance will allow students to explore the digital space as a site for performance making and creative collaboration, helping them to find their artistic voice online.

Taught by academic staff who are actively working in this expanding field and have a wealth of experience as performance makers, the course will appeal equally to performing arts professionals looking to upskill and recent graduates looking to be at the forefront of contemporary performance practice.

John Dean, Joint Programme Leader and Head of the Division of Media, Communication and Performing Arts at QMU, said: “We’re delighted to be able to offer this innovative new master’s in Digital Performance at QMU. The landscape of theatre and performance is evolving rapidly, and the way people consume art is changing. Digital performance practice is increasingly intertwined in the work that is being created and how it is shared.”

Bianca Mastrominico, Co-Programme Leader and Co-Artistic Director of international award-winning performance laboratory Organic Theatre, added: “The course will give students both the practical expertise in online performance making and the deep knowledge of the contemporary digital arts shift required to thrive in this exciting and fast-changing new world of digital performance technologies.”

Students will have the opportunity to create original performance content on popular platforms such as Twitch, Zoom, BBB, jitsi, Gather.town and Second Life, and applications (such as UpStage) that have been purpose-built by performance artists specifically for digital performance. Access will also be available to Adobe Creative Cloud, allowing performance makers to work remotely and QMU’s well-resourced on-campus editing suite and performance studios.

Find out more about the MA Digital Performance at QMU.