IRIE! dance theatre MA in Diasporic Dance Styles Applications are still open

IRIE! dance theatre’s applications are still open for the September 2026 intake of its pioneering MA Diasporic Dance Styles. This unique postgraduate programme is designed to empower dance artists, educators, and advocates to bridge the gap between professional practice and academic research.

As a distance education/low residency provision, the MA offers a flexible learning model that combines a robust Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) with two intensive in-person residencies at IRIE!’s home in New Cross. This structure allows international and UK-based practitioners to maintain their professional careers while engaging in deep, practice-based scholarship.

“The MA reinforced the importance of research, documentation, and understanding what came before us,” says Keisha Tonte Njoku, a 2025 graduate. “It affirmed the power of community, collaboration, and embodied testimony as tools for healing and transformation.”

Key Features of the Programme:

• Inclusive Entry Requirements: The course values experiential learning, inviting artists who may not have followed traditional academic routes but possess significant professional experience.
• Global Focus: While rooted in African and Caribbean diasporic traditions, the programme welcomes practitioners from all non-Western dance forms and diverse cultural contexts.
• Career-Ready Outcomes: Students conclude the course by developing "real-world" proposals, such as funding applications or research papers, ensuring their studies have immediate professional currency.
• Flexible Study: Available as a 1-year full-time or 2-year part-time course, starting September 2026.

Validated by Goldsmiths, University of London, the MA Diasporic Dance Styles continues IRIE! dance theatre’s 40-year legacy of nurturing diverse voices in the arts. The programme aims to develop the next generation of policy change advocates for dance in the 21st century.

Prospective students are encouraged to get their applications in soon. Admission is assessed via CV, professional references and an interview.

For more information, application forms, or to book an interview, please visit www.iriedancetheatre.org/ma-diasporic-dance-styles or contact the team at ma@iriedancetheatre.org.