Cultural Events Management (Taught)

Over the past 20 years, there has been an explosion of cultural and commercial events across the world, from local creative events to international, multidisciplinary festivals that transform major cities such as Edinburgh, Amsterdam, Dubai and Hong Kong. This course will provide you with the vibrant learning environment, theory, latest industry knowledge and supported self-directed study needed to understand the synergies of developing and managing cultural events and creative enterprise.

The curriculum covers the expansive variety of cultural events and the organisations that present them. During the course you will learn about the event management and enterprise principles involved in organising community-based celebrations, local events, established festival networks, live music events and festivals, and international events. Through guest lectures and workshops, you will meet and network with professionals from wider creative and cultural industries. There are also placement opportunities to explore, through which past students have worked with a range of regional arts and cultural organisations including examples such as Birmingham Hippodrome and Leicester City Council’s Festivals and Events Team.

The events and festivals landscape are ever-changing and professionals in the sector must be adept problem-solvers, with the ability to embrace new challenges and offer dynamic solutions. This course will help equip you with the skills needed to adapt to the diversification of the sector, with projects enabling you to experience online event delivery, cultural and digital content, and the opportunity to tackle the real-life challenges of engaging audiences in increasingly innovative ways.

Throughout the course you will combine the academic study of theory and case studies with primary research and review of the latest industry trends and relevant policies. Our theory and industry combined teaching approach will grow your key skills in research (for both academic and industry), leadership, marketing, business planning and website design – all essential tools to succeed and forge your path as the next generation of leaders in this dynamic and vibrant industry.

Key features

• You can exit the course with a Postgraduate Diploma or Postgraduate Certificate depending on the credits you have successfully achieved.

• This course offers a specialised academic focus on cultural events, the cultural sector and the festival community and is tailored to meet the needs of this dynamic and expanding industry.

• Explore the relationship between culture, business and management, to develop your knowledge and skills in devising and managing cultural and commercial events.

• Have the opportunity to undertake an industry placement (subject to credits achieved), and gain valuable experience to further enhance your practical and professional skills.

• Teaching is led by professionally active experts, whose knowledge will place you at the forefront of new trends and developments. Their involvement creates opportunities for your own research projects and placements.

• Have the opportunity to get involved with DMU’s annual Cultural eXchanges Festival.

Modules

Block One: Cultural Festivals and Live Music Events Practice

This module analyses the live sector in a number of ways. The first part will explore the political, social, and cultural forces that have contributed to the development of art/cultural festivals and events. It will explore what makes a successful festival and analyse their role in society.  In addition to Melas and Carnivals, the module presents the opportunity to also explore the live music sector. Since the pandemic new business models emerged as artists found ways to stream their gigs. You will be expected to understand the key management roles such as Manager, Tour Manager, Agent and Promoter.

Block Two: Marketing Principles in Sport and Cultural Event Contexts

This module will provide you with the knowledge and understanding of key marketing principles and how to apply them to sport and cultural events in national and global contexts. You will begin to explore, understand, and debate key marketing concepts and relate them both to global sport and cultural event organisations and future opportunities.

Specifically, the module will teach you a variety of traditional marketing concepts, such as the marketing environment, segmentation, targeting and positioning, the marketing mix, marketing communications, sponsorship and branding, and consumer and audience behaviour.

Block Three: Digital Entrepreneur in the Cultural Industries

Since the 21st Century, society has been altered beyond recognition by the advent of the internet, digital technology and social media.  This module focuses on the fast-changing digital landscape in the arts and culture industries. In the sector, we see how digital tools and technologies have been transforming, how businesses are operating; the way in which audiences engage with culture and are driving new forms of cultural participation, practice and entrepreneurship.

Block Four: Events Leadership

This module will provide you with the tools to make a critical investigation of the context in which cultural, sporting and commercial events operate nationally and internationally alongside issues of leadership and development support that are required for an evolving sector. It explores the needs of individuals leading events management organisations, and the skills required to motivate, manage and organise staff and other stakeholders to create excellent events.

Block Five and Six: Dissertation OR Work Based Project

Dissertation: The dissertation provides you with an opportunity for sustained work of an independent nature in an area related to the course. Topics may develop from one of the taught modules or may be linked to issues touched on only peripherally or not at all in the taught modules. In all cases the dissertation will be encompassed within the broad rationale of the degree, and must be within the supervisory capacity of the subject team.

Work Based Project: This module provides the opportunity to develop and demonstrate skills acquired from the taught course in a practical context - for example working with a festival or an events company in any part of the world. It is anticipated that this work-based project/placement will include experience of working on the development, promotion and delivery of a festival or event. This module allows you to bring together all aspects of the course ranging from research methodologies to discipline-specific modules. This work-based project/placement will receive supervision from the host organisation and DMU. You will undertake appropriate research and work in accordance with an agreed work placement proposal, which will be negotiated with the host. A learning contract will be drawn up and agreed by the host, you and DMU.

https://www.dmu.ac.uk/study/courses/postgraduate-courses/cultural-events-management-msc-degree/cultural-events-management-msc-degree.aspx

The programme takes a very case-study and primary research approach to teaching, combining academic study with practical experience in organising specific events, thanks to guest lectures and workshops you will also meet a host professionals from the cultural events industry. These national and international specialists range from those working for specific festivals and events, to local authorities and industry organisation professionals as well as technicians from the security and health and safety fields. In addition, as DMU is a member of the European Festivals Research Project, you will also meet respected international academics.

Assessment is continuous through methods such as reports and essays, portfolio, proposals, presentations as well as either a work-based project or a dissertation at the end of the course.

All the tutors teach modules within their own research specialisations placing you at the forefront of new discoveries and developments in areas such arts and cultural events, strategic planning, the use of public space and communicating through media and advertising. DMU staff recently completed a major piece of research, funded by the EPSRC, which explores how issues of sustainability can be promoted with, and through, festivals.

Along with other experts in the field, Chris Newbold and Jennie Jordan have recently published two new books, Focus on Festivals: Contemporary European Case Studies and Perspectives (2015) and Focus on World Festivals: Contemporary case studies and perspectives (2016) examining the basis for the remarkable growth in festivals worldwide.

As well as running DMU’s Cultural Exchanges Festival, many of them are also researching festivals such as Latitude and Dave’s Leicester Comedy Festival and various carnivals and melas. Their involvement in these projects creates opportunities for your own research projects and work placements as does DMU’s link to festivals and events across Europe through its membership of the European Festivals Research Project.