Cultural Events Management MSc

About the course

This course is designed to give you skills and knowledge that you can apply in one of the most dynamic areas of cultural and commercial activity – that of festivals and events.

Festivals, conferences, exhibitions and events are the ‘calling cards’ of our cultural identity. They allow us to develop links between different cultures, businesses and people, and create local, regional and national distinctiveness.

Festivals such as Glastonbury and Latitude, the literature festival in Hay on Wye or the many festivals held each summer in Edinburgh occupy an important position between the local and the global, offering a platform for the former and experience of the latter. They also deliver a multitude of benefits at varying levels through their economic, social and cultural impacts. Festivals and events such as the Notting Hill Carnival, the Bradford Mela, or the Leicester Comedy Festival have economic impacts in terms of tourism, SMEs and the creative economy, and cultural impacts through community cohesion, as channels for information, and of course as sources of entertainment.

Such qualities bring together a challenging range of management and policy issues which this course will enable you to understand and influence (after graduation). If you are looking to build a career in this exciting industry then this course is for you.

Close all sections| Open all sections|

Key facts

UKPASS code: N82071

Duration: One year full-time, two years part-time

Location: Clephan Building

Start date: September 2012

Entry and admission criteria

You should have the equivalent of a UK bachelor’s degree (2:1 minimum). We encourage and welcome applications from applicants with a wide range of backgrounds and perspectives and all non-standard applications will be considered.

Applicants whose first language is not English should also have gained an IELTS score of 6.5 or equivalent.

Teaching and assessment

You will receive one-to-one tutorial support, participate in lively workshops, seminars, lectures and have the opportunity to research individual festivals and events. The course also provides encounters with a wide range of professionals in the events field including those working for specific festivals/events, local authorities, industry organisations and practitioners (e.g. from the security, and health and safety fields), and international academics through our leading membership of the European Festivals Research project.

Designed to combine academic study with the practice of organising specific events, the course will, through the various guest lectures and study workshops, work in collaboration with partners nationally and internationally.

It offers extensive links with important initiatives and opportunities to develop a clear critique on what constitutes a ‘successful’ event, in which sustainability and legacy are as vital to the organisers as short-term impacts.

Course modules

This course builds on our 30 year track record in BA and MSc teaching in Arts and Festivals Management and brings together knowledge, expertise and experience across the Art, Design and Humanities faculty to create a unique degree focused on festivals and cultural events management.

This course explores the connections between culture and business/management at master’s level. It offers an excellent learning experience combined with intensive study and research options with key partners such as the British Arts Festivals Association, Festival Republic, Glastonbudget, Spark Children’s Art Festival, and many more. It provides those who want to expand on their cultural events knowledge and expertise with a masters degree in Cultural Events Management, in which the majority of their study time will have a cultural sector focus. At the heart of the degree is a synergy of arts, culture, and management theory and practice which ensures that you will deepen your understanding of, and competence in, developing and managing cultural and/or commercial events.

The first semester (October to January) is constructed around four core modules which ensure that all students receive the same grounding and in preparation for the more specialised work of the second and third semesters. The core modules cover events leadership, organisational life cycles, the history of festivals and events, festival case studies, media use and marketing. There is also a compulsory research methodology course designed to enhance your academic research abilities as well as your knowledge of work based research, be it audience or product related.

In the second semester (February to April) we offer six option modules from which you choose three. These include music festivals, heritage fairs, festivals and events, museum and exhibition design, managing a web presence, and animation of place through events. There is also a compulsory business planning for the creative entrepreneur module in this semester which helps to prepare you for your work placement or dissertation in the third semester (May to September).

The placement or dissertation is where you really focus on the area of work in which you hope to develop your career after graduation. This may be in an events or festivals organisation or further academic study at doctoral level. Whichever option you choose we aim to support you in your choice both during and after the course.

Academic expertise

DMU is linked to festivals and events across Europe through its membership of the European Festivals Research Project. It is also linked to the annual Leicester Comedy Festival, which started as a DMU student project in 1993. The Cultural Events Management staff run our own Cultural Exchanges festival and the team are involved in research on festivals from music festivals such as Latitude and Summer Sundae Weekender to the comedy festival and carnivals and melas, and project management which creates opportunities for your own research projects and work placements.

One major feature of the MSc is that staff offer modules within their research specialisations, giving you the opportunity to be at the cutting edge of new discoveries and developments within fields of, for example arts and cultural events (e.g. music festivals), strategic planning, use of public space, communicating with/through media and advertising. Staff on the degree have recently completed a major piece of research funded by the EPSRC to explore how to promote issues of sustainability with and through festivals (see faceyourelephant.org).

Industry links and professional accreditation

“The MA has strengthened my professional and academic development across a wide range of cultural activities and has stimulated fresh thinking about cultural management skills and my future contribution to the cultural sector. The unique programme offers a supportive environment which fosters creativity and has helped me to develop confidence, forge networks and the knowledge to create opportunities within the cultural events field.”

Katie Flaherty, current student

“The course has provided me with some exciting opportunities to volunteer at a range of cultural events including music festivals, which has enabled me to put some of the learnt theory into practice. I feel that the course has expanded my horizons and scope for future professional and career development within cultural events.”

Anna Borley, current part-time student

Graduate careers

Within the UK alone it is estimated that there may be up to 25,000 festivals and events with a strong cultural dimension. When one adds to that the increasing number of commercial events, it is clear that there is a substantial market for our graduates in the UK and globally.

Many people employed in the festivals sector travel from one festival to another on three–four month contracts. Over and above that, there are of course major sporting events such as the Olympics, or the commercial expos which all provide employment opportunities.

Fees and funding

Fees and funding options for 2013/14 entry are still under review and are subject to change.

Full-time UK/EU Postgraduate courses fees £4,200 Students Equivalent or Lower Qualification Status* £5,000 International
Postgraduate courses fees £11,700 Part-time Postgraduate courses fees (per year) £2150 Students Equivalent or Lower Qualification Status* (per year)
£2500 Continuation UK/EU Fee** £150 Continuation International Fee** £5000

For more information please take a look at our Funding|| section.

* ELQ Student definition - If you are a Home or EU status student and you already have a qualification at or above the level of the programme you wish to study from any country you will be considered as an Equivalent or Lower Qualification (ELQ) student. In 2008 the UK Government decided to stop funding universities for student in this situation and therefore the following fees will apply £5,000. Students from outside the EU are not affected by the policy.

** A fee that is charged on a periodic basis where Postgraduate or Research students need to extend their registration to complete the course.

Scholarships

Learn more about postgraduate funding and finance|

Facilities

The Clephan Building, home to humanities courses, houses generous teaching accommodation equipped with the latest audio-visual equipment, the Student Advice Centre, Academic Guidance Centre and resources rooms with specialist facilities needed to excel. Our dedicated computer centre includes a state-of-the-art media lab with Apple Intel Mac Pro computers, cinema screens and all the latest creative software applications with full technical support. There are computing classrooms and an additional suite of computer workstations which can be pre-booked. Our computer centre reflects both our commitment to providing access to information technology and our determination to develop innovative teaching methods and web-based learning resources.