Graduate (MA)

Dramaturgy is for me learning to handle complexity.
Marianne Van Kerkhoven

On the studies in general

The study of dramaturgy has been founded in 1978, on the incentive of Ranko Marinković, and theatre director and theoretician Dr Vladan Švacov. Already at the time, it was conceived as both theoretical and practical programme of research into “drama phenomena” in theatre and film, as well as writing plays and scripts, which envisions dramaturgy as a certain link between theatre and film departments. During its 30 year long history, Dramaturgy Studies underwent several reforms, and since the end of the 1990s, the programme started to widen its range of issues, areas of research and education on contemporary dance, music theatre, performance art, hybrid postdramatic forms, performance activism, interdisciplinary, collaborative and new media practices, performance studies and performing arts criticism. During the implementation of the so-called Bologna Reform, the Department has defined and established a unique area of artistic and theoretical reseach – Dramaturgy of Performance.

Two year graduate Dramatugy Studies (four semesters) is not simply a continuation of undergraduate program, which means that they are open to undergraduates of other departments at the Academy, but also at the University of Zagreb, and to the students of other Universities in Croatia and abroad.Graduate Dramaturgy Course does not only encourage specialization by choice of one of four programmes but it also enables the creation of individual programmes adapted to specific interests and artistic and research projects of students. In other words, Graduate Dramaturgy Course is not simply a study of one of four programmes, but the study unique for its focus on each student individually.

On academic staff

Students of MA Dramaturgy have the opportunity, during a highly individualized teaching process, to collaborate with Sibila Petlevski, Lada Kaštelan, Nataša Govedić, Dubravka Crnojević Carić, Davor Žmegač, Goran Sergej Pristaš, Mate Matišić, Una Bauer and Tomislav Zajec, professors and assistant professors, artists and scholars who confirm the relevance and excellence of their work, both on and off stage, in Croatia and abroad, with publications in Croatian and foreign languages, as recipients of numerous awards and grants, for leading local and international research and educational projects. The diversity and scope of competencies, experience and interests of academic staff at the Dramaturgy Department enable each student the choice of supervisor for various projects and specific interests in various spheres of dramaturgy, starting from playwriting to theatre reviews, from theoretical thinking to organization of artistic community, from adaptation or dramatization of prose to creative production, from dance dramaturgy to TV and film screenwriting, from theatre science to dramaturgy of performance.

On the study programme in general and specific programmes

Dramaturgy Studies at MA level provide the possibility of choosing one of four programmes where students will be offered focused, intensive and advanced education and training. In the process of applying for enrolment for a particular MA programme students propose art and research project which will be realized during their studies in the framework of two main subjects: screen writing or dramatic writing or dramaturgy of performance, i.e. theoretical research or authorial poetics. A range of elective modules of various focus and approach (theoretical, practical, scientific, interdisciplinary) executed by academic staff from the Dramaturgy Department or from other departments at the Academy, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, and other faculties of the University of Zagreb. Electives are chosen by students in agreement with the supervisor of their art and research project, thus creating their individual study programme.

The programme of graduate Dramaturgy Studies encourages the mobility of students and is, to a great extent, realized through direct artistic practice. With the help of academic staff from the Department, students are deciding on various forms and extents of collaboration, assistence or individual authorial work on professional artistic projects outside of the Academy of Drama Arts.

The programmes of graduate Dramaturgy Studies are as follows:

Dramaturgy of Performance

The programme offers participation in a dynamic and ever changing practical, research and theoretical field of contemporary dramaturgy, which today includes not only the entire field of performing arts but also media arts, film, various forms of activism, as well as artistic and cultural production in general. Students are introduced to a range of methods for group work and encouraged in development of collaborative skills, as well as cultural, social, political and market conditions of production, artistic creativity and its reflection. The programme is based on the idea of integration of individual artistic projects and theoretical research.

Film Dramaturgy

The programme is aimed at those students that are equally interested in their own artistic practice in screenwriting, as well as in its theoretical reflection. The work on two projects is planned, each entailing a script for a feature film or TV series and theoretical research related to an aspect of student’s screenwriting project.

Theatre Dramaturgy

The programme provides a continuous parallel development through theoretical research and development of authorial dramatic writing, which, together within the chosen project, creates a synergy of theoretical and practical knowledge. Electives also enable widening of theatre scholarship comprehension, but also an opportunity to probe into various forms and genres of dramatic writing.

Dramatic Writing and Screenwriting

This program combines Theatre and Film Dramaturgy, dramatic writing and screenwriting, leaving out theoretical and research component. The third main module, Authorial poetics, enables the widening of the field of artistic research outside of or precisely for the development of interest in writing, screenwriting and dramatic writing.

On Future Perspectives After Studies

Students of graduate Dramaturgy Studies programme are gaining and developing work experience in professional practice during the two-year programme. Dramaturgy Department collaborates with a number of institutions and organisations in the field, such as theatre venues, institutes and festivals, film production houses and festivals, TV and radio stations, publishers, paper and internet media, theatre, performing and dance companies.

Successful students of Dramaturgy are working as dramaturgs in theatre institutions and independent companies, or as university professors, researchers, theatre directors, journalists and editors in media and academic journals, screenwriters for television, but also freelance artists (playwrights, screenwriters, dramaturgs), independent theoreticians and critics, directors, choreographers and performers.

Students about the Studies

While in our BA Dramaturgy Course we were dealing with basic practical skills related to film and theatre, MA Course confronts us for the first time with the problem of leading a specific artistic project. It was easy for me to decide to take the course Dramaturgy of Performance. Namely, I felt that I was lacking in precisely that kind of knowledge, knowledge that, under the overall notion of performance, brings together theory and practice.

Mila Pavičević, 1st year MA Dramaturgy, course Dramaturgy of Performance

After my BA, I knew I wanted to engage solely with theatre, but I was still interested in various areas – writing, practical dramaturgy and theory. MA Theatre Dramaturgy covers all that. Students are the ones deciding on the course of their studies to a large extent. I was engaged precisely with what I was interested in, with supervisors I have chosen myself. MA Course requires more independence and taking on more responsibilities than during undergraduate course, if one wants to do well with her or his projects.

Nina Horvat, 2nd year MA Dramaturgy, course Theatre dramaturgy

Applying to Study MA Dramaturgy

Admission quota for the graduate Dramaturgy Course is 7 regular students, and 3 international students who are expected to cover their fees.

The first part of admission exam consists of the applicants writing clausura, which consists of an exercise based on given task related to either dramatic writing, screenwriting or dramaturgy of performance.

The second part consists of a workshop that gives opportunity to applicants to show their creative i.e. analytical abilities in a group and during practical communication, in the framework of the chosen study programme.

The third part consists of individual conversations with the applicants. They are expected to demonstrate familiarity with theoretical literature, plays and films. The conversation also includes discussion on the works the candidate has submitted and his clausura, and suggested MA project.

The schedule

You can download the schedule for all semesters here.