Senior Lecturer (Movement)

Based in the Department of Art & Performance, the BA Acting Programme has been training actors since the late 1960s. We were ranked 4th in the 2022 Guardian University Guide League Table for Acting and our alumni include: Sarah Amankwah. Zawe Ashton, John Bradley, Steve Coogan, Burn Gorman, Graeme Hawley, Bernard Hill, David Threlfall and Julie Walters.

We are looking for a movement practitioner/teacher to co-ordinate and teach the delivery of Actors' Movement over three years. You will be expected to contribute to the current developments in Movement training across the sector and be open to develop your practice accordingly.

About the role:

The Senior Lecturer in Movement FTE post is to teach and contribute to the development of undergraduate units within the BA (Hons) Acting Programme for the Manchester School of Theatre.

The successful candidate's main responsibilities:

• To be responsible for overseeing the delivery of the movement curriculum of the BA Acting Programme and to teach their Movement practice to 1st and 2nd year.
• To provide movement input to 2nd year projects and 3rd year productions as well as choreography or movement direction within their specialisms where needed.
• To supervise several third-year dissertation projects
• To lead a 2nd year movement unit, offering feedback and marks
• To mark and offer feedback on 2nd year Shakespeare projects and several 3rd year productions.

• To contribute to management processes and planning to promote and incorporate the student voice into departmental decision-making.

About you:

Key skills:

• A developed movement practice relevant to Actor Training with the experience and ability to deliver your own practice and over-see the delivery of other movement practices over a 3-year timeline.

• Experience making major contributions to the movement provision of an undergraduate Acting programme.
• Extensive experience in planning and delivery (and knowledge of) the following practices- Pure Movement (Trish Arnold and Litz Pisk method), or Movement Fundamentals, or Alexander Technique, or Feldenkrais Technique, Laban, Dance for Actors (Social Dance), Animal Study, Physical Characterisation, Chorus Work, or your own practice which covers these areas of technique and expression.
• The ability to encourage, implement and monitor safe movement practice across the Programme. To include overseeing students' development and ensure inclusive practices in the teaching of movement and to keep up to date with new techniques and industry requirements.
• In depth understanding of the pedagogy of an actor trainer and how to apply movement to an actor in training, with an emphasis on physicality, diversity and accessibility.

Essential Skills:

• Advanced training (ideally beyond BA Level) in your specialist movement area, supported by a teaching diploma or experience and knowledge of teaching practice. Combined with experience of delivering movement in theatre or professionally across the industry.
• The ability to represent the Programme and MST to the public in an ambassadorial role
• Confident teaching technical and expressive movement, with specialisms in at least one of the following: Pure Movement, Expressive Movement, Animal Studies, Social Dance, Laban, Alexander

Desirable:

• Training in Intimacy Co-ordination.

• Training in accessibility and diversity for movement and experience of using these practices in the studio or Industry.
• Experience in conducting and disseminating academic research (practice-based or otherwise) in movement or a related area.

To apply, please submit your CV and Covering Letter via our application portal. For informal enquiries, please contact Josh Edelman (Reader – Art and Performance) on J.Edelman@mmu.ac.uk

Manchester Metropolitan University is committed to supporting the rights, responsibilities, dignity, health and wellbeing of staff and students through our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.

We promote applications from all sections of the community, irrespective of background, belief or identity, recognising the benefits that a diverse organisation can bring and particularly encourage applications from groups which are underrepresented in the University workforce.