Research degrees
Postgraduate research in Drama
We are an internationally recognised centre for research and we have a strong culture of excellence in learning and teaching provision.
Nora Williams
Thesis title: Between Performances, Text, and Editions: The Changeling
Supervisors: Prof Kate Newey, Prof Jane Milling
I study the after life of an early modern play that is not by Shakespeare. As part of Humanities at Exeter there is the opportunity to present your work in front of peers in a really supportive environment at our yearly conference. We're a really cosy community.
Kate Holmes
Thesis title: Aerial Stars: Femininity, Celebrity & Glamour in the Representations of Female Aerialists in the UK & US in the 1920s and Early 1930s
Supervisors: Prof Kate Newey, Dr Adrian Curtin
Funding: AHRC
Exeter’s strong reputation for research into histories of popular performance and its ethos of praxis made it the ideal institution to support my research. My methodology uses embodied understanding gained as an amateur aerialist to interrogate a range of historical sources. For that reason, I wanted a place that could improve the rigour of my historiographical approach and that also understood how practice could illuminate aerial histories.
We are one of the largest and best equipped Drama departments in the UK and offer a supportive and stimulating environment for postgraduate research and practice, welcoming students from all around the world. Our impressive reputation is backed up by consistently high scores for student satisfaction. Whatever your field of study – theatre, performing, directing, theory, writing for performance, dramaturgy, criticism, new media, analysis or historiography – you will have access to expert supervision, excellent practical resources and creative association with fellow students.
The department has a lively tradition of research and creative activity and many members of staff are writers and performers. We work with external artists and theatre companies to produce research-based theatre and performance. Students benefit from collaborations with organisations such as the Globe Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company, Shakespeare Institute, local and national theatre companies, and public sector bodies such as hospitals, prisons and schools.
Our research in the area of Art History and Visual Culture is interdisciplinary in scope, reaching across and beyond the Humanities disciplines.
Art History and Visual Culture staff publish on the history of art, curate exhibitions, work with a variety of arts institutions and lead major externally funded research projects on curatorial engagements with performance archives; the history of French art institutions; the history of Spanish cinema; Victorian medievalism; histories of sacred spaces; and the culture of the suburbs.
Explore our research centres and projects to find out more about our current research topics.
Visit our staff pages for details on individual staff research interests and publications.
Our current PhD students
We're proud of the research carried out by our PhD students. Follow the links below to find out more about our PhD students and their research projects.
| Student | Research title | First supervisor | Second supervisor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clark Baim | Applied theatre. | Dr Kerrie Schaefer | Dr Sarah Goldingay |
| Rebecca Benzie | An investigation of contemporary playwrights using feminist and gender critiques | Professor Katherine Newey | Professor Jane Milling |
| Rosie Bristowe | Mapping Living Indian Displays in London's Exhibitions, 1851-1914 | Professor Katherine Newey | Carol Upadhya |
| Sinibaldo De Rosa | The Alevi Semah as Intangible Cultural Heritage and Transnational Transcendence. | Professor Jerri Daboo | John O'Connell |
| Nazlihan Eda Ercin | Performing Virginity: A Practice-Led Research about the Perceptions and Practices of Virginity in Turkey | Dr Natasha Lushetich | Professor Jerri Daboo |
| Catherine Holmes | Aerial Stars: Femininity, Celebrity and Glamour in the Representations of Female Aerialists in the UK and US in the 1920s and early 1930s | Professor Katherine Newey | Dr Adrian Curtin |
| Victoria Jassey | |||
| Anthony Lidington | The Itinerant British Showman - the exploration and evolution of 'Seer Performance'. | Professor Jane Milling | Dr Joe Kember |
| Alexandra MacKenzie | When you're here, we are here also. An examination of how contemporary sacred re-enactments reveal Mormon faith and strengthen Mormon Identity in the 21st century. | Dr Sarah Goldingay | Dr Rebecca Loukes |
| Aparna Mahiyaria | Understanding Politics, Aesthetics and Performance: A Study of the Development of Street Theatre in Delhi, India | Professor Cathy Turner | Shivali Tukdeo |
| Effrosyni Mastrokalou | Bright to dark consciousness in pyschophysical actor training. | Dr Rebecca Loukes | Professor Phillip Zarrilli |
| Elizabeth Philps | Parents Performing Walking: how can understandings of walking performance be enhanced through participatory live art works which include children? | Professor Cathy Turner | Dr Rebecca Loukes |
| William Platt | Subverting the Spectacle: A Critical Study of Culture Jamming as Activist Performance | Professor Stephen Hodge | Dr Patrick Duggan |
| Alison Rockbrand | Rite of Performance: Identity Construction in Contemporary Esoteric Performances. | Dr Sarah Goldingay | Professor David Wiles |
| Rebecca Savory | Performing identities in a "hybrid space": flash mobs in contemporary urban India | Professor Jerri Daboo | Shivali Tukdeo |
| Jonathan Venn | Notions of agency in depiction of mental health in contemporary theatre | Professor Jane Milling | Dr Adrian Curtin |
Supervisors - all students have a primary and a secondary supervisor who provide regular, high quality advice, support and direction in their academic endeavours. You will work closely with your supervisors over three to four years (full time PhD) or six to seven (part-time PhD) to develop, investigate and write-up a project at the cutting edge of theological research.
Visit our staff profiles for more information about individual research interests or use the search box on the right of this page to find a supervisor.
Mentor - each student will also be assigned a mentor who will take on a pastoral role and mediate on any problems that arise during the period of study. Your mentor will keep in regular contact and will provide background stability and support.
Graduate School Office - the College of Humanities has a dedicated Graduate School Office that supports our postgraduate research students during their study with us. The Office promotes intellectual and social contact between research students in all our disciplines to foster a vibrant research community within the College.
Funding opportunities available to students on our research degree programmes in Drama:*
More information on the funding process.
| Award | Value | Application deadline | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Exeter Progression to Postgraduate Research Programmes | £750 to £1,000 | There is no application for this award. You will be automatically considered. | A tuition fee discount is available to University of Exeter students progressing directly from an undergraduate degree to a limited number of MbyRes, MPhil and PhD programmes in September 2018. This award is available for selected programmes only, please see the main advertisement for details. |
| Fulbright Scholarships: Postgraduate Student Awards | Varies | Mon 1st Oct 2018 | Fulbright US Student Postgraduate Student Awards can be applied to any master's or doctoral degree at any recognised UK university, as well as for independent research projects. |
| Marshall Scholarships for graduate study | Varies | Mon 1st Oct 2018 | Marshall Scholarships finance young Americans of high ability to study for a graduate degree in the United Kingdom. |
| Global Education Program Scholarship | Fully funded | Deadline passed (Sun 5th Nov 2017) |
The Global Education Program (GEP) scholarship is provided by the Russian Government and covers Masters and PhD studies in science, engineering, medicine, education and management in social sphere. |
| BECAR (Argentina) | Fully funded | Deadline passed (Thu 11th Jan 2018) |
Postgraduate scholarships offered jointly by Bec.Ar/Universities UK, available for students of Argentinean nationality with a first degree of minimum 4 years. Priority areas are Science, Technology and Innovation. The recipient will be expected to return to Argentina on completion of their studies. |
| COLFUTURO Scholarships Loan Programme | £20,000 | Deadline passed (Wed 28th Feb 2018) |
COLFUTURO offers scholarship-loans to provide financial support to Colombian citizens to access high-quality postgraduate study Masters or Doctoral programs abroad. |
| Sports Scholarship and High Performance Programme | up to £3000 plus additional support services & coaching | Deadline passed (Sat 31st Mar 2018) |
Sports scholarships are awarded to students of outstanding sporting ability who show evidence of achievement at international level in their chosen sport. We also encourage applications from students who have achieved at national or regional level for consideration onto our High Performance Programme. |
| Becas Chile (Conicyt) | Fully funded | Deadline passed (Thu 10th May 2018) |
Scholarships offered for studies in the UK, available for Chilean nationals (and others with permanent residence in Chile) in all areas except Management/MBA/Commercial Law and where the recipient will be expected to return to Chile on completion of their studies. |
| Sanctuary Scholarship | Full tuition fee waiver plus annual living cost grant | Deadline passed (Tue 15th May 2018) |
The Sanctuary Scholarship scheme enables individuals seeking asylum and refugees who are not able access student finance to study at the University of Exeter. |
We are committed to ensuring you receive high quality research supervision to maximise your potential and prepare you for a rewarding career.
Postgraduate students have access to the wide range of support offered by our Career Zone. In addition, postgraduate research students can access our Postgraduate Researchers' Programme, which covers a range of topics to help you to succeed during your research degree and to act as a springboard for your research career.
Employers
Millennium Forum TheatreMunicipal and Regional Theatre of Veria
Oily Cart
Thammasat University
Theatre Royal
University of Exeter
University of Portsmouth
Volkstheater Wien
Yoda Press
Occupations
ActorAssistant Director
Assistant Practitioner
Associate Lecturer in Drama
Drama Facilitator
Educational Assistant
Freelance Arts Practitioner
Freelance Trainer and Applied Dramatist
General Manager
Lecturer
Publishing Trainee
Social Activities Co-Ordinator
Teacher