Dramatherapy at University of Roehampton

The MA Dramatherapy programme at Roehampton offers a ritual theatre form of dramatherapy. Influenced by key theatrical figures and explored from anthropological, political, psychological perspectives, the programme offers a clearly structured developmental learning process mirroring the clinical application of dramatherapy at various levels. 

The programme offers theatre skills, movement, working with stories and myths, Growtowski’s paratheatrical techniques, crafting theatres of the psyche, working with our own internal dramas and the use of ‘rites of passage’ within ritual theatre.  There are opportunities to work with other art forms and to learn different theoretical perspectives through embodied learning.

On this course, you will learn to facilitate an in-depth therapeutic process for a range of client groups, and devise therapeutic performances and workshops. You will also undertake an original piece of research into dramatherapy practice. The course is approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and leads to a nationally-recognised professional qualification.

The programme consists of three stages, which offers a clearly structured developmental process for the clinical application of dramatherapy. In Stage One, you will be introduced to basic theatre skills and use these creatively to work with established stories and characters. This progresses into an exploration of the personal identifications that we have with stories and myths, and an understanding of the deep foundations within many cultural traditions of using ritual, drama and performance for the enhancement of health. In Stage Two, the focus moves on to employing drama and theatre processes as vehicles for exploring our own inter-personal and internal ‘dramas’.

Stage Three is where you will conduct your own piece of practical investigation or research into the literature and theory-base of dramatherapy practice. The Dramatherapy programme will provide you with a broad range of skills enabling you to pursue your own research interests across a wide spectrum of dramatherapy practice and theory.

• Approved by the Health Care Professions Council (HCPC) and leads to a nationally recognised professional qualification as a dramatherapist.
• The programme is based upon the Ritual Theatre process of dramatherapy. It draws heavily on the theatrical observations of Peter Brook and the experiments of Jerzy Grotowski, as well as anthropological notions of ‘rites of passage’ and the importance of ‘myth’.
• The opportunity to undertake an original piece of research into dramatherapy practice.
• Taught by experienced clinical practitioners and authors of dramatherapy publications, including the editor of The Dramatherapy Journal.
• In the Research Excellence Framework 2014, the leading national assessment of quality, 100% of the research we submitted was rated “world-leading” or “internationally excellent” for its impact. 
• The only institution in Europe to offer training in all of the arts and play therapies, including dramatherapy, art and dance movement psychotherapy, music and play therapy.
• Some of the core teaching will take place with peers from across the Arts and Play Therapies programmes, giving unique opportunities for interdisciplinary learning.
• We also offer introductory courses that provide a useful background to those working in related professions or anyone simply wishing to find out more about the work.