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MA Arts, Health & Wellbeing

The arts have a crucial role in our health and wellbeing. On the MA Arts, Health and Wellbeing at Marjon, you will work with experienced practitioners, guided by cutting edge research, to explore how different creative practices can be delivered in diverse community contexts to support the health and wellbeing of people and society.

students painting a wall

Graduates can use their creative practice to support the health and wellbeing of others.

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2:1 or above at undergraduate, or equivalent professional experience.

International Students will require IELTS with a minimum of 6.5 in each category.


UCAS code NA

UCAS institution code P63

Duration One year full time, two years part-time

Any questions about postgraduate study at Marjon?

Contact Rachel Bailey-Lewis, our Student Recruitment Officer (Postgraduate).

Course Summary

On the MA Arts, Health & Wellbeing, you will develop your practice through cutting-edge research and work with experienced practitioners, who are part of global conversations about critical issues in the field. You will develop your facilitation skills, to enable you to work in a diverse range of community contexts. Examining how we work with individuals and groups in creative, ethical and sustainable ways, you will explore how you can bring your creative practice to these contexts to support the health and wellbeing of participants. Industry opportunities will offer you the chance to extend your professional networks in the region and beyond.

A group of elderly people enjoying dancing

Why this course at Marjon?

This is a new and innovative course that you won’t find anywhere else in the country.

With recent government initiatives and an increasing national profile, the field of arts and health is growing. Now is the time to develop your skills in this area and see where it takes you.

As a small, values-based university, we provide a friendly, nurturing and supportive context to continue your studies.

Led by industry professionals, who have their fingers on the pulse of cutting edge research, you’ll be part of a stimulating environment, asking important questions of yourself and the world around you.

With a plethora of industry connections, we can support you to develop your networks in the South West, nationally and even globally.

Marjon is well-equipped with studio spaces, a 410 seat black box theatre, and the Workshop, which houses top-of-the-range TV and radio studio equipment.

Modules for this course

Research Contexts

1st Year

Research contexts
In research contexts, you will learn about the field of arts and health, including the history and evolution of both research and practice. You will also build your research skills.
Facilitation practices
Facilitation practices will develop your professional identity and subjective position as an ethical, reflexive practitioner, within a range of health/wellbeing contexts.
Health and wellbeing: creativity and care
Health and wellbeing: creativity and care examines international models of understanding and conceptualising health and wellbeing and explores the impact this could have on how we conceive arts practices in these contexts.
Beyond disciplinarity
Beyond disciplinarity, is a practice-based module that will extend your creative practice through experimentation with different art forms, such as creative writing, sound, installation, music and dance.
Independent project
You will produce a practical or written dissertation project, guided by your supervisor, on an area of the course of particular interest to you.

This course is perfect if you’re curious about

What do words like “health” and “wellbeing” mean? How do we measure them?

What is special about the arts and how they can make us feel?

How can I use my artistic practice to work with others in the community in meaningful ways?

What are the values that underpin my work and how can I be an ethical practitioner?

How can I use participatory art forms, like theatre, creative writing, installation and photography, to work with community groups to support their wellbeing?

What might you become?

Entering the professional field, you might set yourself up as a self-employed arts and health practitioner or work with others to form a new company. You could work for a charity, museum, in education, or a health care setting. You might get a job as an Arts Manager or in Social Prescribing. You may decide to focus on teaching or to pursue your academic interests and do a PhD.

knitted art in a tree

How you’ll be taught and assessed?

How will you be taught?

The course is taught through studio-based practice with experienced practitioners, lectures and seminars, self-directed research, and industry opportunities.

How will you be assessed?

Assessments are purposely varied. You will be assessed on practical work, presentations, critical reflections and critical/contextual essay writing

Kate Massey Chase

Kate Massey-Chase

Course leader

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Dr Kate Massey-Chase is an experienced practitioner and researcher in the field of arts and health. She has worked extensively with marginalised groups across a diverse range of community contexts – including prisons, addiction recovery services, mental health services and with young refugees. Her teaching and research specialism is in socially engaged theatre practice and she is co-convenor of the Applied and Social Theatre Working Group for TaPRA (Theatre and Performance Research Association). She has multiple industry connections in the South West, London, and internationally. Her recent research has been into how applied theatre practice could support young people in the transition between child and adult mental health services. She has also co-edited a book on theatre in prisons, Playing for Time Theatre Company: Perspectives from the Prison (McKean & Massey-Chase 2018).


Fees and funding

Fees UK students: £8,000


Fees for International students: £14,500


This fee covers your tuition and access to course specific eqpt and facilities as well associated services including the library, study skills training, IT support, student support and wellbeing services and membership of the Student Union. You may be eligible to access a range of student funding options

Additional costs:

Our Student Funding Advisors offer confidential and impartial advice about your funding options.


Lecturers

Kate Massey-Chase

Lecturer

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Kate is an experienced Performing Arts teacher. She is passionate about social justice and the use of drama and theatre for social and political purposes, and as a platform for individual or social change. She is currently researching the use of theatre in mental health contexts.

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