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First MA Theatre Arts Students Reveal Final Installations

10/10/2016
New intake of students inspired by imaginative work presented at first ever MA Theatre Arts Show

MA Theatre Arts graduate Joel BroganMA Theatre Arts graduate Joel Brogan with his creative installation

The first graduates of Middlesex’s new MA in Theatre Arts exhibited their final dissertation pieces to new students and staff at an end-of-year show on Thursday 29 September.

New MA Theatre Arts students were invited to view the work of Joel Brogan, Denise Chen, Natalie Tomlin, James Cross and Karen Eckman who have all been working hard throughout the year to install  their final dissertation pieces.

“We're all really proud of our very first cohort and this showcase was a fitting celebration of these artists' achievements,” said Dr Josephine Machon, Programme Leader MA in Theatre Arts.

“The performances and installations presented this evening have been inspirational to our incoming MA Theatre Arts students; all demonstrated sophisticated research in and through practice and have set high standards for future projects.”

With the course offering students the opportunity to collaborate, specialise and push the boundaries in their chosen discipline, each student brought something very unique to the exhibition.

Denise Chen, inspired by her background in dance, used her final project to examine how the body moves differently within different spaces.

“My research involved going to different places in London I felt connected to, such as a Buddhist temple, Trafalgar Square and my home to investigate the ways I moved in those spaces,” explained Denise.

“As a non-native speaker, the staff have been really supportive and helped me when I’ve struggled with language issues.” - Denise Chen, MA Theatre Arts

Also displaying work was Joel Brogan, whose imaginative installation creates a space that encourages people to share and interact with one another.

“I carried out a lot of research into what kind of space might be welcoming for people, so that no matter where the installation was – the audience would still feel comfortable engaging with one another,” explained Joel, who previously studied BA Theatre Arts at Middlesex.

In Natalie Tomlin’s immersive piece, the audience are invited into what appears to be a living room to investigate what might have happened in it.

“It’s a psychoanalytical investigation of a character – Nora from A Doll’s House. I wanted people to come in and examine the clues in the room to understand what’s happened to this iconic character,” clarified Natalie, who hopes to continue her studies to a PhD in theatre arts.

Looking to the future – while all five students have varying career ambitions, they all plan to continue collaborating, specialising and pushing the boundaries in their chosen discipline.

“Whatever I end up doing, I hope to keep in contact with everyone in the Theatre Arts department – it’s a wonderful, supportive environment.” Natalie Tomlin, MA Theatre Arts

See yourself studying MA Theatre Arts? Find out more.

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