Help me get a Master's degree in Theatre
Donation protected
My name is William Alan McNeice and I am a playwright and theatre director. I want to study toward a Master’s degree in Theatre and the Scenic Arts at Complutense University in Madrid, but I don’t have the money to do it. The course lasts one year and the cost is €5,500. I would be incredibly grateful if you were able to help me cover this cost.
The Marriage of Figaro, Saalbau Neukölln, Berlin
Why do I want to study a Master’s degree in Theatre?
There are several reasons why I want to do this:
1. I want to learn more about theatre so that I can be the best playwright and director I can be.
2. I want to make contacts whom I can work with in the future. Many theatre makers form lifelong connections at university, and go on to make phenomenal projects together. I want to do that, too.
3. There is a lot of funding available to theatre makers, but most of the funders require the applicant to have a Master’s degree. If I want to have any chance of making a living as a playwright, I need the academic credits.
What The Butler Saw, The Old Mac, Belfast
What are my theatre credits so far?
I have worked in theatre for a long time, mostly as a stage and lighting designer, but recently as a playwright and director. I have worked in Ireland, the UK, Germany and Spain. To date, I have written and directed three short plays, the most recent one in Spanish, and my team and I are now working on multiple projects to be produced in Madrid next year. Here is a link to my most recent work . It is called Supergatos, and it was performed at Microteatro Por Dinero during the whole month of May, 2019.
The Harvest Chamber, English Theatre Berlin
Awards and honors:
1. In 2006 I was part of the team that won the Lord Howard de Walden Perpetual Trophy, for the best one-act play in the British One-Act Finals in Perth, Scotland. My lighting design was singled out as the best of the competition.
2. In 2007 I received a grant from the Drama Circle Theatre Trust to travel and work at the Prague Quadrennial, one of the biggest theatre events in the world.
3. In 2018 my short play The Killer received special recognition in the Edalya 1st International Prize for Short Theatre for the exceptional quality of the writing.
4. In 2019 my full-length play The Gods of Silicon Valley reached the semi-final stage of the B-Street Theatre’s Festival of New Writing competition.
5. In 2019 I received a grant from SGAE to translate Siglo Mío, Bestia Mía, an award-winning Spanish play, into English.
Supergatos, Microteatro Por Dinero, Madrid
When does the course begin?
The Master’s in Theatre and the Scenic Arts begins at Complutense University in October, 2019.
Why do I want to study in Spain?
I live in Madrid, so my options for studying in other languages are limited. A theatre degree contains a large practical element, with much of the work carried out in theatre spaces. An online course is not feasible, and even if it were, the Spanish education systems is heavily subsidized by the government, making this one of the cheapest Master’s options in the world. An equivalent degree in the UK, for example, would be at least three times more expensive.
Is the degree in Spanish?
Yes it is. I have already completed the requisite Spanish language exams to enable me to study in Spanish. It will be difficult, much more difficult than studying in my native language of English, but I believe that nothing that is worthwhile is ever easy. I will have to work harder than my Spanish classmates, but I am not afraid of hard work.
What will I do with the money?
I’ll pay the university fees. If there is any extra money, I’ll use it for our next theatre production (we already know that we will need to buy some props such as a big knife and a pair of severed heads!)
Origami sculpture in metal, Belfast
The Marriage of Figaro, Saalbau Neukölln, BerlinWhy do I want to study a Master’s degree in Theatre?
There are several reasons why I want to do this:
1. I want to learn more about theatre so that I can be the best playwright and director I can be.
2. I want to make contacts whom I can work with in the future. Many theatre makers form lifelong connections at university, and go on to make phenomenal projects together. I want to do that, too.
3. There is a lot of funding available to theatre makers, but most of the funders require the applicant to have a Master’s degree. If I want to have any chance of making a living as a playwright, I need the academic credits.
What The Butler Saw, The Old Mac, BelfastWhat are my theatre credits so far?
I have worked in theatre for a long time, mostly as a stage and lighting designer, but recently as a playwright and director. I have worked in Ireland, the UK, Germany and Spain. To date, I have written and directed three short plays, the most recent one in Spanish, and my team and I are now working on multiple projects to be produced in Madrid next year. Here is a link to my most recent work . It is called Supergatos, and it was performed at Microteatro Por Dinero during the whole month of May, 2019.
The Harvest Chamber, English Theatre BerlinAwards and honors:
1. In 2006 I was part of the team that won the Lord Howard de Walden Perpetual Trophy, for the best one-act play in the British One-Act Finals in Perth, Scotland. My lighting design was singled out as the best of the competition.
2. In 2007 I received a grant from the Drama Circle Theatre Trust to travel and work at the Prague Quadrennial, one of the biggest theatre events in the world.
3. In 2018 my short play The Killer received special recognition in the Edalya 1st International Prize for Short Theatre for the exceptional quality of the writing.
4. In 2019 my full-length play The Gods of Silicon Valley reached the semi-final stage of the B-Street Theatre’s Festival of New Writing competition.
5. In 2019 I received a grant from SGAE to translate Siglo Mío, Bestia Mía, an award-winning Spanish play, into English.
Supergatos, Microteatro Por Dinero, MadridWhen does the course begin?
The Master’s in Theatre and the Scenic Arts begins at Complutense University in October, 2019.
Why do I want to study in Spain?
I live in Madrid, so my options for studying in other languages are limited. A theatre degree contains a large practical element, with much of the work carried out in theatre spaces. An online course is not feasible, and even if it were, the Spanish education systems is heavily subsidized by the government, making this one of the cheapest Master’s options in the world. An equivalent degree in the UK, for example, would be at least three times more expensive.
Is the degree in Spanish?
Yes it is. I have already completed the requisite Spanish language exams to enable me to study in Spanish. It will be difficult, much more difficult than studying in my native language of English, but I believe that nothing that is worthwhile is ever easy. I will have to work harder than my Spanish classmates, but I am not afraid of hard work.
What will I do with the money?
I’ll pay the university fees. If there is any extra money, I’ll use it for our next theatre production (we already know that we will need to buy some props such as a big knife and a pair of severed heads!)
Origami sculpture in metal, BelfastOrganizer
William McNeice
Organizer
Getafe
