Rose Bruford College

MFA in Linklater Teaching Practice

The course is delivered over two years through a series of modules that consist of classes, workshops, seminars, and tutorials.

Within the first year, students will be immersed in holistic actor training that rebalances the traditional hierarchy of voice, movement, and acting. They will also have a weekly Applied Theatre seminar.

Near the end of year one, training will focus on practical work with Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed methodology. Students will be guided in their first steps toward community engagement through Applied Theatre Arts.

Linklater Voice

Comprehensive training in the Linklater Voice Methodology focusing on an embodied experience of the progression as described in ‘Freeing the Natural Voice’.

Critical analysis and discussion of the role of voice work in its historical aspects as well as present-day contexts will be an ongoing thread. Assessment will be based on a demonstration of both theoretical and practical understanding of the work and will include a viva voce.

All aspects of this module will be taught by senior Designated Linklater Teachers.

Movement

Movement training for actors focusing on the work of Trish Arnold, sometimes known as Pure Movement, includes ensemble and other relevant physical theatre approaches. End-of-term assessment will be based on a demonstration of both theoretical and practical understanding of the work.

Acting

Actor training will center on the Michael Chekhov Technique, with explorations in improvisation, ensemble, and scene work. Assessment will be through scene sharings and the development of a self-devised studio piece using the techniques presented in the first term.

Applied Theatre Arts

This module will focus on the work of Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed. Students will attend weekly classes in preparation for a practical intensive workshop. Over the course of the year, the cohort will create connections in the Applied Theatre community.

All of these activities will also serve as preparation for the Applied Theatre Creative Attachment to follow. Assessment will be multi-pronged, including some written work, a viva voce, as well as the creation of a performance or workshop with accompanying reflective tasks.

Creative Attachment

Placements occur between the taught portions of Years One and Two:

• Observe 50 hours of teaching by a senior DLT, meeting with them for regularly scheduled discussions or tutorials. Placements may or may not include some basic elements of practice teaching, like leading warm-ups
• Intern with a practicing company or organization engaged in social/educational activism to further their practical understanding of Applied Theatre principles. The internship should involve at least 20-50 hours of engagement

Following these residencies, students will present two practice-based papers along with a case study. They will meet remotely with the Course Leader during these placements.

This module is self-directed and can take place in the location of the student’s choice, as long as there are appropriate placement opportunities in that location. The final choice of placements will be mutually decided by the student and core faculty members.

Year Two

Candidates enter a focused study and practice stream, preparing them for the specialized qualification of Designated Linklater Teacher. At the end of year two, a Designated Linklater Teacher of senior standing in the international community will work intensively with the cohort, culminating in the designation of qualified candidates. The designation itself is awarded by the Kristin Linklater Voice Foundation.

Linklater Voice Teaching Practice: (Voice and Theatre Arts)

Students will enter into an observed practice teaching stage, demonstrating their ability to teach each step of the Linklater Method. They will work with the Course Leader and their peers to refine their practical and theoretical knowledge. Detailed one-to-one voice tutorials will be held, as well as teaching practice support tutorials.

Students will also engage in independent practice teaching work with community groups, peers, and/or other Rose Bruford students, with ongoing feedback from the Course Leader and other Designated Linklater Teachers. Selected practice teaching sessions will be observed and critiqued.

The cohort will create a collaborative Applied Theatre project engaging with others in a creative endeavor.

Contextualising Linklater Voice in Theatre Arts Practice

This taught module will end with a self-led period of creation developing ensemble and individual pieces of performance that evidence mastery of principles explored within the training.

Students will work together to create performance work that is about, and impactful upon, the world around them. These projects will demonstrate an understanding of the pedagogical practice and its artistic value. The final capstone performance piece will be presented publicly.

Teaching and Assessment Methods

Year 1 comprises 730 hours of contact time, totaling 120 credits. There are three workshops during term three: a two-week intensive in classical text, incorporating Shakespeare and other writers; intensive work in Sound & Movement, including Louis Colaianni’s Phonetic Pillows; and an Applied Theatre Intensive.

Year 2 involves 500 hours of contact time, totaling 120 credits. Assessment will be through Coursework, presentations, assessed tutorials, portfolios, and two papers.

Graduates from the course may go on to undertake teaching voice in the conservatoire sector, make theatre as actor-teacher-facilitators, or bring voice into Applied Theatre contexts; working with communities at the margins of power, assisting them in finding their own voices and telling their own stories. Career outcomes include:

• Linklater Voice Teacher
• Performing arts practitioner
• Community facilitator
• Actor