University of Chichester

"Mapdance was a steppingstone in my artistic career. It pushed me past my comfort zones both physically and mentally, which lead to growth within my dancing, thinking and being. I would highly recommend the University and the course to others. Apply for the course and expect to be pushed, to work hard, and to develop a lot as a dancer/maker."

"As well as being a co-founder of Ori Dance (UK) and Fluxus Collective (UK), I am now holding regular workshops across Europe. My own choreographic works have been shown in England, Spain, Belgium, Norway and the United States. I have also been working closely with David Zambrano and have been assisting him at various festivals and workshops around the world."

"For the past seven years I have been a freelance artist within the Germans dance company Sticky Trace Company (DE), as well as a company dancer for Compani Carpi (UK) and various other national and international artists. I am also currently working as a lecturer at the University of Stavanger (NO) and continuing to perform and create my own work."

"I chose the MA in Choreography and Professional Practices because I was looking to change my career from a science teacher and to have the opportunity to explore my creativity, alongside delving into theory to inform my practice. The best part of the course for me was the opportunity to regularly participate in a variety of classes. It was a challenge to be dancing more than three hours a day but very inspiring. I particularly benefitted from the choreography module run by Dr Vicky Hunter where we had various sessions led by different choreographers who showed us their approach to making choreographic work. All staff were very helpful throughout the course and it is clear that they genuinely want all students to have a positive experience. The facilities were excellent with large, airy studios and several performance spaces."

"I did not join any sports or societies as the course required quite a lot of hours and I had a part-time teaching job. However, I joined a local salsa dancing school and volunteered in a local charity shop. Chichester is a beautiful town with lots of nice green spaces, cafes and restaurants, and very easy to get around by bike. My favourite moment when I was a student here was having the freedom to develop my own choreographic work in collaboration with the dancers and lighting technicians as part of my dissertation project."

"I currently work a variety of jobs teaching science online, teaching Spanish as a substitute teacher and delivering dance workshops. Recently, I was commissioned by Sussex Dance Network to create an Alternative Tour of Brighton as part of the ABCD Cultural Recovery initiative. I ran six weeks of workshops with a group of refugee and migrant women, culminating in a short film and performance. The skills and experiences acquired on the MA course allowed me to feel more confident approaching the role and delivering the workshops."

"I would definitely recommend the University of Chichester as my experience was extremely positive. My advice to any student applying would be to fully embrace what the course has to offer as a year goes by so quickly and there are many opportunities to be had."

What I particular loved about doing my MA at Chichester was the diversity afforded to the word 'performance'. Rather than just focusing totally on playing my instrument, it gave me the opportunity to explore other avenues of performance, some of which have been integral to the progression of my career. The faculty are champions of asking the questions you need in order to help your projects move in the direction you want them to and the department facilities are superb.

Bethan Roberts is an award-winning author and graduate of Creative Writing MA from the University of Chichester. Bethan's historical romance novel, My Policeman, was adapted for film and starred Harry Styles as Tom Burgess and Emma Corrin as Marion Taylor. My Policeman was released by Amazon in 2022. When asked about the Creative Writing MA course at Chichester, Bethan said that “It gave me readers, a support network, the discipline of deadlines and the skills to make writing a habit.”

Whilst studying Creative Writing MA at the University of Chichester, Isabel worked on her debut novel, Glasshopper. Glasshopper went on to be published by Myriad Editions and was named among the best books of the year by The Evening Standard and the Observer. Since, Isabel has published four more novels, the latest a psychological thriller called Little Sister, which was published by Trapeze.

After studying Psychology BSc and Health Psychology MSc at the University of Chichester, Lizzie went on to become a lecturer in Psychology (Student Experience) at the University. Lizzie also became a Research Assistant working as part of the Cognitive Aging and Dementia Lab on the Sage House Project. Lizzie stated that "Chichester is the most supportive university. I believe the environment and ethos of the university couldn't be any more supportive or community-focused and that is so special."

Megan studied Sport and Exercise Science BSc (Hons) and went on to study PGCE Physical Education (Secondary Years).

"At Chichester you are a name and not just a number, which for me was important. I needed some additional help with writing and because the lecturing staff knew me by name they were willing to support me. I could imagine if I was a number in a very large group I'd have probably dropped out."

"The facilities for lecturers were great, they were really modern at the time which was pretty impressive and always in use by students studying masters and further qualifications which was cool to see as they did some really interesting research which we would get to see happening."

"I would recommend the University of Chichester to everyone. The small and campus-based nature of the University makes it much easier to get to know your lecturers and fellow students on a much more personal level. I would advise anyone applying for the course to really make sure they utilise their lecturers as they are so supportive, but you have to be proactive in looking for the support. Get involved in all opportunities that are presented to you as these will give you invaluable experience and also help you get an understanding of what truly interests you as an individual. I would also advise people to make sure they get out and explore Chichester. It is a beautiful city and having a good work-life balance will only enhance your studies."

"The atmosphere at the university is lovely due to the small size of the institution, and I love being around like-minded people."