Curriculum

The Rhodes University Drama Department in Makhanda (formerly Grahamstown) maintains an integrated, practice-based curriculum that reflects theatre and performance as a convergence of disciplines. The programme foregrounds a broad spectrum of study areas, uniting core theatre practice with critical and contextual study. The department emphasises an interdisciplinary approach, bringing together acting, directing, movement, physical theatre, choreography, applied theatre, theatre design, writing, theatre technology and arts administration as parts of a cohesive educational experience.

Undergraduate study forms a foundational element of the department’s shape, with a strong emphasis on practical engagement from early in the programme. Students are actively involved in making theatre from first year, collaborating on productions both on stage and behind the scenes. This emphasis on hands-on participation aligns with the department’s commitment to student-centred learning, where staff act as facilitators and mentors rather than solely as instructors. The result is a learning environment that integrates theoretical study with real-world production work, enabling students to develop craft, collaborative skills and professional habits in tandem.

Postgraduate study within Rhodes University’s Drama Department is positioned to build on the same integrated framework, offering avenues for specialised work across multiple artistic and technical domains. Postgraduate activity is described as diverse and practice-oriented, with opportunities to pursue distinct specialisations that contribute to the wider theatre ecosystem. Through these advanced programmes, postgraduate students contribute to public theatre events and examination projects, reinforcing the department’s reputation for rigorous, professional practice alongside scholarly inquiry.

The curriculum also benefits from close collaboration with two affiliated professional theatre companies—First Physical Theatre Company and UBOM! Eastern Cape Theatre Company. This distinctive arrangement provides participants with exposure to professional standards, industry networks and ongoing opportunities to engage with contemporary performance making beyond the classroom. Such partnerships help connect curriculum with the dynamic cultural life of the region and beyond, enriching learning with real-world artistic activity.

Rhodes University’s Drama Department is located within the milieu of the National Arts Festival, offering students the chance to participate in Africa’s largest annual celebration of the arts. This context adds an invaluable experiential dimension to the curriculum, enabling learners to observe, contribute to and reflect on high-profile productions while developing professional adaptability and an understanding of large-scale arts events.

In terms of delivery and resource provision, the department benefits from access to a vibrant academic and artistic milieu, with contributions from a range of professional artists and academic staff committed to providing a solid academic foundation alongside hands-on training. The broader university environment supports a spectrum of theatre-related activity, including public productions that are developed and presented for examination purposes and community engagement.

For potential entrants, the curriculum is framed around core disciplines and practical practice rather than fixed, prescriptive lists of courses. While course specifics such as exact modules, durations, entry requirements or tuition details are not itemised here, the department’s profile emphasises an integrated, student-centred approach that blends theory with performance, technical theatre, design, writing and arts administration. Prospective students are encouraged to explore the department’s productions and news sections to gain a sense of the ongoing work that characterises Rhodes University Drama.

Resources of note include access to the department’s public programmes and productions database, ongoing collaborations with professional theatre practitioners, and the institutional support of Rhodes University. Through these elements, the curriculum aims to cultivate adaptable, creative theatre-makers capable of contributing to both local and international performance contexts.

• Integrated study areas: acting, directing, movement, physical theatre, choreography, applied theatre, theatre design, writing, theatre technology and arts administration.
• Distinctive partnerships: two affiliated professional theatre companies (First Physical Theatre Company and UBOM! Eastern Cape Theatre Company).
• Contextual opportunities: participation in productions from early years and involvement in events linked to the National Arts Festival.
• Practice-led emphasis: staff act as mentors within a student-centred learning environment.

Further details about specific undergraduate and postgraduate offerings, as well as any short courses or blended learning options, can be explored through the department’s pages and related Rhodes University resources linked on the official site. External links to productions and departmental news pages provide additional insight into current curriculum-in-action and forthcoming learning opportunities.