University of Malawi

Location

Department

Description

The University of Malawi’s Fine and Performing Arts Department on the Chancellor College campus has been in existence since 1982, with specialisations in the three areas of fine art, drama, and music. From its inception the major thrust of the department has been that of linking artistic/cultural expression with national development. This has been particularly the case with drama, which attracts students, according to the university, from such development communication organisations as the (Malawi) German Technical Organization (GTZ), Creative Centre for Community Mobilisation (CRECCOM), The Story Workshop, and (Malawi) Population Service International (PSI), amongst many others.

Programmes

1. Postgraduate Diploma and Masters Programme in Theatre and Media Communication in Development
   
   - The University cites a demand within the Government and within non-governmental organisations (NGOs) for skilled personnel in the field of performance communication, following a trend established in other countries in the region. According to the university, it has been observed that many development initiatives in such fields as health awareness, agriculture, forestry, human rights awareness, and literacy have limited success owing to their failure to take into account local cultural factors. This has resulted in the rapid rise of such fields as Theatre for Development, Afrocentric Social Art, and Media Edutainment.
   
   According to the university: "These [fields] bridge the gap between local cultural perceptions and the transformation agenda of Government and NGO change agents. In addition, the demands of the Department of Culture for Research into Malawi’s indigenous and syncretic cultural forms can meaningfully be met by high quality post-graduate research. The demand for such a programme goes beyond Malawi’s boundaries. There are many institutions within the region which seek such training outlets. These range from potential clients who seek purely professional skills, for which the post-graduate diploma would be suitable, to those requiring a more academic approach, for which the M.A. courses would be more suitable."
   
   The programme is modular in that it is divided into two years. The first year contains mostly taught courses, and the second year consists of research and dissertation writing. Students can obtain a postgraduate professional diploma by completing the first year. If students wish to obtain a Masters degree, the first year serves as a taught component of the degree leading to a second year of research assessed by a dissertation. The first year must be successfully completed with an average grade of at least 60% before a student can proceed to the Masters degree.
   
   Provision is made for students who wish to do the programme on a part-time basis for them to complete in three years, with the permission of the programme coordinator.
   
   The programme is divided into 4 pathways, and students need to choose which section they are electing. The pathways are:
   1. Theatre for Development
   2. Media Entertainment for Development
   3. Theatre Production
   4. Popular Performance and Cultural Studies.
   
   
   The first three pathways combine theoretical and practical skills and are designed as professional programmes preparing graduates for careers in theatre, media or developmental communications. The fourth pathway is mostly theoretical and has a more academic emphasis.
   
   Click here for more information on this course.

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