About this programme
Master in Theatre in Social, Participatory Art, Community and Educational Contexts is a Master's Degree programme at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences in Bergen, taught in English. It runs for 2 years and carries 120 ECTS credits. The register gives Bergen as the campus town. It lists the degree as Master. Western Norway University of Applied Sciences is a university college in Vestland.
How it compares
Master in Theatre in Social, Participatory Art, Community and Educational Contexts is one of 3 English-taught Curriculum & Instruction programmes at Master's Degree level in the register, offered by 2 institutions. 2 of them list an annual fee for students from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland. 3 are recorded as free for EU, EEA and Swiss students.
What you will study
Theatre SPACEs is an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master co-financed by Erasmus+. You study theatre in social, participatory art, community and educational contexts, and you do it in three countries. The programme is coordinated by Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, a university college in Bergen.
What you study
The source page uses the term "theatre in contexts" for performative practices that aim to create societal, pedagogical or community change. These practices usually involve non-professionals such as citizens, pupils, community members, substance users or activists. They happen in non-conventional theatre spaces: hospitals, schools, public squares, prisons and museums. They focus on topics relevant to the community, for example poverty, bullying, inequalities and climate change. They also carry a specific changemaking objective, such as communicating with decision-makers, developing competencies, including minorities or sharing personal stories with the wider community.
The programme gives you theoretical and practical knowledge of applying theatre in educational, community, cultural and social contexts. It has a strong academic and theoretical component as well as practical work.
How the programme is organised
The degree is 120 ECTS over two years, full time. The first and second semesters take place at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences in Bergen. In July between the second and third semester there is a Summer School at Trinity College Dublin in Ireland. The third semester is at the University of Arts in Târgu Mureș, Romania. The fourth semester consists of online sessions coordinated by Trinity College Dublin. During that final semester you can complete your Master project anywhere in the world.
Five institutions cooperate on the programme. Western Norway University of Applied Sciences is the coordinator. Trinity College Dublin and the University of Arts in Târgu Mureș are partners. The University of Hamburg and the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague are associated partners.
Teaching is based on participatory learning, field visits, group projects, elective courses, artistic research and longer-term fieldwork with labour market partners worldwide.
Who it suits
This master is open to applicants from any country. You need a bachelor's degree of at least 180 ECTS in one of the listed fields: education (all areas), arts and humanities (all areas), political sciences and civics, psychology, sociology and cultural studies, journalism and reporting, therapy and rehabilitation, care of elderly and disabled adults, childcare and youth services, or social work and counselling. You also need a minimum average grade equivalent to C ("Good") and proof of English proficiency according to HVL standards.
It suits people who want to combine theatre with work that matters to communities, and who are willing to move between countries during their studies.
Admission, language and next steps
Everything is taught in English. The application deadline for the 2027 programme is 1 December 2026 for all applicant groups, whether you apply from outside the EU/EEA, from the EU/EEA or from Norway. The application opens on 1 October 2026. You register in Søknadsweb using the "Login International Applicant" method, choose the admission called "Erasmus Mundus Joint Master" and select the programme. After submitting, you upload your documents under "My documents".
You must submit a passport or picture ID, a CV, a motivational statement, and signed and dated acknowledgements on the template the page provides. The page points to a Theatre SPACEs supplementary page for details on documentation, ranking and scholarships, and to the Theatre SPACEs website for admission information. Check those pages before you apply. The best candidates are awarded a scholarship.
Job opportunities after graduating
- Practitioner using theatre for wellbeing, rehabilitation or inclusion in hospitals, refugee centres, care homes or NGOs
- Creator of participatory and educational programmes in theatres, museums, libraries or galleries
- Designer of community-focused performances in public spaces
- Collaborator with youth groups, women's organisations, charities or environmental associations using applied theatre
- Facilitator of creative learning in schools, youth theatres or nonformal education centres
- Applied theatre practitioner working with children, young people and diverse communities
Before you apply
Master’s applications go straight to Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, not through the national admission service (NUCAS). Study in Norway states that you need a bachelor’s degree comparable to a Norwegian bachelor’s degree (180 ECTS), including courses equal to at least one and a half years of full-time study relevant to the programme. Deadlines are set by each institution for each programme, so confirm yours. Entry requirements and language tests are also set by the institution, so start from the official programme page. Our guides cover tuition fees, study permits and housing.
Facts on this page come from the Study in Norway register, the official English-programme list run by HK-dir, the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills. Fees are in NOK as the institution lists them. "Not listed" means the register has no figure, not that the programme is free. Always confirm requirements, fees and deadlines with the institution.
Quick answers
Is Master in Theatre in Social, Participatory Art, Community and Educational Contexts taught in English?
Yes. The Study in Norway register, run by HK-dir, lists it as an English-taught programme at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences. Only English-taught degree programmes are included here.
How long does it take?
The register records 2 years of study and 120 ECTS credits. Sixty ECTS credits are one academic year of full-time study.
Where is it taught?
The register lists Bergen as the campus town for this programme at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences.
How do I apply?
Master’s applications go straight to the institution, not through the national admission service (NUCAS). Study in Norway states that you need a bachelor’s degree comparable to a Norwegian bachelor’s degree (180 ECTS), including courses equal to at least one and a half years of full-time study relevant to the programme, and some programmes require a minimum grade average. Western Norway University of Applied Sciences publishes its requirements on the programme page.
When is the application deadline?
Each institution sets and publishes its own deadline for each programme, and the dates can differ between applicants from outside the EU/EEA, EU/EEA applicants and Nordic applicants. Confirm the date for your own situation on the programme page at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences.
What does it cost?
No annual fee is listed for this programme. Degree students from outside the EU, the EEA and Switzerland normally pay tuition at Norwegian institutions, and the fees vary by institution and programme, so ask Western Norway University of Applied Sciences what applies to you. For students from the EU, the EEA and Switzerland the record shows no tuition fee. Fees are in NOK as the institution lists them. Every student also pays a semester fee of about NOK 1,000 to the student welfare organisation linked to the institution.
Do I need a permit to study there?
Students from outside the EU, the EEA and Switzerland need a study permit from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI). UDI asks for proof of admission, housing and funds of NOK 15,488 a month or NOK 170,368 a year (2026/27), on top of any tuition fee. A study permit allows work of up to 20 hours a week during term and full time in the holidays. Students from the EU, the EEA and Switzerland register with the police within three months of arrival instead.
Is this programme officially listed?
It comes from the Study in Norway register at studyinnorway.no, the English-programme list run by HK-dir, the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills. The programme page at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences is linked from this page so you can compare.