Master of Fine Arts [MFA] in Playwriting

The Lir Academy is offering a scholarship (full tuition fees paid) on the prestigious MFA Playwriting degree (full-time) thanks to the generous sponsorship from Janet and James Curley, donated in tribute to Janet Curley's mother Patricia Leggett.

Click HERE to find out more about the life and legacy of Patricia Leggett who carries the name of this scholarship.

In order to apply for the scholarship, applicants must

* Be qualified to degree level

* Be resident in Ireland or Northern Ireland

Applications in the form of a cover letter, CV and a 45-minute play (reading time) must be submitted to info@thelir.ie by Sunday, April 6th, 2025.

Shortlisted applicants will be asked to attend an interview at The Lir Academy, Pearse Street, Dublin.

The successful applicant will take up a place on the MFA Playwriting degree at The Lir Academy on a full-time basis.

The application for the programme must be submitted through the specific form available through the Trinity College Dublin website. The online form includes sections where applicants can submit:

a) Résumé/CV: a professional theatre CV, clearly listing education, experience in theatre and playwriting

b) References: two reference/testimonials; one from those familiar with your work and one from third level education. It is a good idea to reach out and ensure that those uploading your references are aware of your application and have received the notification to upload their testimonial from Trinity College Dublin

c) Personal Statement (max. 500 words): In this section, you may include why you wish to attend The Lir Academy, the specific postgraduate course you are applying for, and why you wish to pursue a masters degree. You may expand on this statement within your Statement of Purpose, or you may select to include this information on the former and indicate in the Personal Statement section that you will do so.

In addition to the information required on the online form submitted through Trinity College Dublin, you are also required to upload a copy of each of the following through the Additional Documents section on the application form:

a) Letter of Application: A letter that outlines your theatre education and creative writing experience to date. This may also include experience in other areas of theatre. Please note, however, that applicants will require some playwriting experience to be accepted on to the course

b) Statement of Purpose: A statement outlining your ambitions in terms of theatre writing. In this you can include what theatre is to you, why you have chosen a career in playwriting, the work you want to make, why you want to pursue a MFA in Playwriting and your future plans. You should also explore your ambitions in terms of creative writing style, form and medium.

c) a sample of writing in the form of a play (minimum 45 minutes reading time)

(Please note that writing samples will not be returned under any circumstance and that The Lir Academy does not provide critiques of writing samples).

APPLY FOR THE MFA PLAYWRITING (BOTH FULL-TIME AND PART-TIME) VIA TRINITY COLLEGE DUBLIN THROUGH THE LINK BELOW.

Master in Fine Art Playwriting
Full-time and part-time students will take three concurrent modules in the first two semesters. The fourth module will be taught in the third semester and subsequent summer months (for full-time students) or in the second year of the course (for part-time students). The fourth module will be supplemented by an ongoing series of masterclasses from professional writers and script editors.

Contemporary Theatre Practice
This module will introduce students to a range of contemporary theatre practices as evidenced in the theatres of Dublin. The principal aim of the course is to enable students to become conversant in the styles, forms, theories and practices that constitute contemporary theatre making in Ireland. In addition, students will be introduced to a range of dramatic production in related media (radio, television and film) whose styles and forms will be analysed in this module. The Contemporary Theatre Practice module is shared by all Master in Fine Art students (directors, designers and playwrights).

Dramaturgy
This module will be taught by a professional dramaturge. Its aim is to introduce students to a range of dramatic texts for the theatre or related media with an emphasis on the dramaturgical composition of those texts. An understanding of the contexts within which those dramaturgical strategies were produced will also be fostered. This seminar-based module requires students to examine key problems related to the creation and structure of scripts for performance. Students will consider a variety of theories regarding dramatic structure, consider the research requirements of script creation, explore different approaches to script development and learn to apply a dramaturgical vocabulary to a number of case studies.

Writing Workshop
The overall aim of the module is to prepare students for the creative writing for stage of a play for performance in Module 4. Students will share their creative writing for stage in a workshop format, and will receive both group feedback and individual tuition in the development of their craft. The module includes: workshops; developing an awareness of the professional writing context; developing an explicit, personal aesthetic; and offers the possibilities for writing in numerous professional contexts (theatre, education, community), and for various media (theatre and recorded media). This module also outlines career development and group or self critique; it introduces research skills, rehearsal etiquette and re-drafting.

Play
This module will be taught through individual supervision of the writing of a student’s full-length play (of between 45 and 90 minutes performing time). The play will be submitted for examination along with a reflective journal of the student’s practice. The development of the script will be aided by the involvement of professional actors and directors in the redrafting process. The module will culminate in a rehearsed reading of a selection of students’ work in a semi-staged showcase to an invited audience of theatre professionals. This showcase, which does not form part of the assessment, is designed to bridge the gap between training and the theatre and its related industries to ensure a more rounded experience of playwriting.

Fee Status

A breakdown of postgraduate EU fees can be found on Trinity's website.

To determine your fee status, read below.

You can also consult the flow chart provided by Trinity College to determine your fee status:

Postgraduate Students

EU Fees Eligibility

A student is considered eligible for EU fees if they meet one or more of the following criteria:

• The student is ordinarily resident in the EU, EEA, Swiss Confederation or United Kingdom and has received full-time further or higher education in the EU for three of the five years immediately preceding admission;
• The student is ordinarily resident in the EU, EEA, Swiss Confederation or United Kingdom and has worked full-time in the EU for three of the five years immediately preceding admission or
• The student holds a passport from an EU State, EEA, Swiss Confederation or United Kingdom and has received full-time further or higher education in the EU for three of the five years immediately preceding admission.

Applications from children of the following are treated as EU applications:

• EU government officials living abroad
• Semi-state officials who are on assignment in countries outside the EU
• Volunteer development workers
• Certain EU officials as approved by the Department of Foreign Affairs

Non-EU Fees

If you do not satisfy the criteria for EU Fees, then you must pay non-EU Fee rate, regardless of nationality or citizenship (€ 22,8000 - AY 2024/25).

Students classified for fee purposes as non-EU will not be permitted to change their fee status following admission. This fee includes tuition fees and the SLC fee.

Fees for 2024/25

Full-time fees (EU/UK) - €12,530

Full-time fees (Non-EU) - €22,800

Part-time fees (EU/UK) - €6,260 p.a.

Part-time fees (Non-EU) - €13,460 p.a.

Details on additional student fees can be found at the link here.

Annual Review of Tuition fees and other charges by Trinity College Dublin:

Please note, tuition fees and other charges are subject to annual review by Trinity College Dublin which may result in a fee increase each year.

All students (Undergraduate and Postgraduate, EU & Non EU) on courses/programmes of study of more than one year should be aware that tuition fees and other charges (Commencement/graduation fee, Student Levies & Charges (SLC) fee) may be subject to increase annually. The annual revision is approved by Trinity’s Committee and College Board and typically increase by approximately 3% per annum or more in any given year.

For funding opportunities, please this link.

1. The Lir Academy Bursary

This fund is open to all EU students who have been offered a place on the Undergraduate Bachelor in Acting, Undergraduate Bachelor in Stage Management and Technical Theatre or any of the Postgraduate courses at The Lir, National Academy of Dramatic Art, or are already studying here.

Students can apply for the bursary once a place has been offered on the course.

Non-EU students cannot apply for The Lir Academy Bursary, but they are eligible for other Trinity College bursaries. See more below.

2. SUSI Grant

The SUSI Grant can be accessed by EU and international students who have lived in Ireland for three out of the past five years. The grant is income-assessed and you can use the Eligibility Reckoner online to see if you qualify. See that at this link.

3. The Haddad Fellowship

The Haddad Fellowship includes The Lir Academy's MFA Playwriting, Stage Design and Theatre Directing courses. It is available for Brazilian students and covers the travel, living and education costs of the course for up to €35000. Applications for the scholarship open in January each year, and we advise students to apply early. Read more about the Haddad Fellowship and the eligibility criteria at this link.

4. Trinity College Dublin Funding

Trinity College Dublin offers a variety of funding opportunities for EU and international students. You can see more at this link.

5. European Excellence Awards

A bursary towards fee costs for EU-fee status students. Applicants can only apply for it once they have been offered a place. Applications usually open in March and close at the end of June each year. If you are an EU-fee status student, you can read more about the European Excellence Awards at this link.

6. Higher Education Authority for non-EU/EEA countries

Each year the Higher Education Authority (HEA) run an International Education Scholarships Programme. Under the initiative, 60 scholarships will be provided for one-year study at Bachelor, Masters or PhD levels to successful candidates who have an offer of a place at an eligible Irish higher education institution. The offer is open to students from non-EU/EEA countries and is applicable to all fields of study. This will be updated annually on their website at this link.

7. The Patricia Leggett Award

See the section above for more details on this scholarship.

Download the course handbook here