BA (Hons) Arts and Event Management
THE COURSE
Arts and Event Management is
about the creation and organisation of live arts and other events –
anything from art exhibitions to theatrical productions, music gigs
to multi-artform festivals, dance workshops to fashion shows. In
this course you will develop the knowledge, skills and
understanding required to make such events succeed. Our aim is to
support and enable you to develop as a successful arts manager,
able to work at the forefront of the arts and creative
industries.
Theory, technique and practice will underpin each year of study. Most professional arts and event management is undertaken in teams and we replicate that on the course; groups will work together to devise, develop and deliver a variety of events each year. You will firstly learn more about the arts and then develop the necessary business and technical skills to become a successful arts and event management professional. Everything is taught from the arts manager’s perspective, and the course takes a very practical approach. The exceptionally high practical content is a unique and defining feature of the course. You will be encouraged to develop your specialist artform interests and all events you organise will be ‘live’.
RESOURCES
Our workspace operates as an open plan production office, with the
key resources you would expect to find in a real arts or events
business, including a dedicated telephone network. In addition to
our own professional equipment, students may also work with
equipment sourced specifically for their live projects – this might
include lighting, sound, projection, staging and exhibition
materials. Course tutors have considerable professional experience
in arts management and related areas of expertise in cultural
entrepreneurship. As well as the dedicated course team, we also
have regular visits from creative industry professionals with
specific areas of expertise. We also organise relevant visits to
professional organisations, businesses and a variety of events,
festivals and exhibitions.
YEAR 1
Year 1 aims to develop a wide range of ‘operational’ arts
management skills and offers a series of technical workshops
including lighting and sound. You will learn about business,
finance, accountancy, human resource management, marketing, health
and safety, legal and insurance issues and will also gain a greater
understanding of the range of roles within arts management.
YEAR 2
Year 2 will develop your research
and project management skills as you continue to plan and develop
live projects. You will also undertake a six-week placement within
a relevant arts organisation; this placement aims to increase your
confidence and confirm the direction you wish to go in, as well as
giving you the opportunity to experience a professional arts
management environment.
YEAR 3
Year 3 is more strategic and entrepreneurial – as well as working
on a major live project, you will also take a broader view of the
long term planning and development of arts organisations. An
investigative study will also give you the opportunity to develop a
specific interest or specialism in a more academic way. You will
learn to manage complexity, uncertainty and diversity and hence
develop a more in-depth understanding of arts project
management.
INTERVIEWS AND PORTFOLIOS
Interviews are
an opportunity for you to demonstrate to us your self-motivation
and commitment to arts management. You will use your exceptional
communication skills to show your initiative and to demonstrate
your experience and passion for organising events and your natural
ability and desire to ‘make things happen’.
We don’t expect to see large portfolios of your creative work, but we like to see examples of written work and some evidence of your ability to organise events. We also expect you to demonstrate your interest in a broad range of contemporary arts and cultural practice. We may sometimes offer places without interview to applicants who can demonstrate their suitability for the course in their application.
WHAT WE LOOK FOR
We look for students who
display a commitment to a career in arts management and
applicantswho can talk to us passionately about their interest in
the arts. You will need initiative, be able to present yourself
confidently, be a good communicator and team player, be resilient
and organised with an eye for detail.
SKILLS AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT
Virtually
all work undertaken on the course is practical and tackled from a
professional standpoint so that graduates are able to demonstrate a
real understanding of all aspects of project management to
potential employers. In addition to the integral work placement
there are visits, both national and international, to a variety of
arts events and venues throughout the course. Students produce a
wide variety of successful projects each year. Some recent
highlights include ‘Ecoscene’, a series of workshops for teenagers
culminating in a dance, art and fashion performance; ‘Exploring
Nepal’ focusing on Nepalese culture; ‘Muse Platform’, a 16-hour
showcase of visual arts and performance; the Elephant Festival, a
multicultural arts festival; and ‘Riversmeet’ a cultural heritage
event. Another high-profile project saw the organisation of two
gigs at the Shepherds Bush Empire in London that showcased eighteen
unsigned bands.
Our students successfully find relevant work across the arts and creative industries; recent graduates are working in a range of roles such as Production Managers, Communications Officers, Marketing Managers, Arts Co-ordinators, and Festivals and Events Officers. Others have chosen to progress to postgraduate study. For three consecutive years graduates from the course have been elected to serve as Students’ Union President.
COURSE DETAILS
Mode of Study: Full-time
Course Duration: 3 years
Institution Code: A66
UCAS CODE
WN12
COURSE LEADER
Marie Brennan
CONTACT
Admissions
Tel: 01202 363228/363225
Email: admissions@aucb.ac.uk
