Masters Degrees (Festival)

Gain the vital knowledge and practical skills to develop a career in international festivals and events in one of the world’s most famous festival cities.

Edinburgh is arguably the most famous festival city in the world. Visitors from all over the globe travel to this tourism-friendly capital city every year to experience its thriving cultural, seasonal and special events making it a great place to study event and festival management.

This higher degree will equip you with the knowledge you need to successfully coordinate and plan international festivals or events, including conferences and devise policies and strategies for the overall industry and contributes towards professional accreditation with the Institute of Hospitality.

See the website http://www.napier.ac.uk/en/Courses/MSc-International-Event-and-Festival-Management-Postgraduate-FullTime

What you'll learn

You’ll learn broad skills, such as formulating policy and planning for the future, as well as developing your abilities in research, time management and presentation methods.

You’ll also develop business and marketing skills that relate specifically to the management of large and small-scale events and festivals with an international focus.

Through lectures, guest speakers and case studies, you’ll develop an advanced understanding of the issues and concepts involved in the industry.

With our close connections within Edinburgh’s festival community, and the number of tourist ventures and operations in or near the city, you’ll have plenty of options for part-time work and employment after graduation.

Modules

• International Business Event Management
• Business Skills for Event Management
• International Festival and Event Management
• Experience Design and Management for Tourism, Hospitality and Events
• Two options
• Research Methods
• Dissertation

Study modules mentioned above are indicative only. Some changes may occur between now and the time that you study.

Careers

As a graduate in event and festival management from Edinburgh Napier University, you’ll be well placed to progress within the industry, whether your career aspirations are local or international.

Career opportunities may include:
• festival management
• event management
• conference management
• public sector organisations

How to apply

http://www.napier.ac.uk/study-with-us/postgraduate/how-to-apply

SAAS Funding

Nothing should get in the way of furthering your education. Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) awards funding for postgraduate courses, and could provide the help you need to continue your studies. Find out more: http://www.napier.ac.uk/study-with-us/postgraduate/fees-and-funding/saas-funded-courses

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Develop the wide range of skills and practical experience required to pursue a career in the management of festivals, events and conferences around the world.

A career in marketing can take you into almost any sector of business and into workplaces all over the world.

This course is particularly aimed at those who wish to combine the key principles and practice of marketing with a specialisation in the management of festivals, events and conferences.

You’ll be able to make a vital contribution to commercial success in both the private and public sector. The practical applications, based on real business scenarios, will equip you for a marketing career in this fast-growing international industry.

See the website http://www.napier.ac.uk/en/Courses/MSc-Marketing-with-Festival-and-Event-Management-Postgraduate-FullTime

What you'll learn

Marketing requires a wide range of skills. You’ll learn to think analytically and critically examine the issues confronting the global business environment and the festival and events industries.

You’ll develop brand management, quantitative and qualitative research skills and presentation techniques alongside the ability to formulate policies and plans and deliver exciting business or cultural experiences.

You’ll benefit from our strong links within the global marketing, advertising, festival and event industries, as well as guest speakers. You’ll have the opportunity to immerse yourself in marketing practice within one of the most famous festival cities in the world.

This is a full-time course, starting in September or January, and is split up into three trimesters. You’ll learn by a variety of teaching methods including lectures, tutorials and independent study.

Modules

Your course structure is based upon the MSc Marketing and includes modules from the specialist area of your choice including:
• Principles and Practice of Marketing
• International Business Event Management
• Strategic Brand Management
• International Festival and Event Management
• Research methods
• Dissertation

One option module from
• Marketing Communications
• Consumer Behaviour

One option module from
• Direct and Digital Marketing
• New Venture Planning
• Advertising as Cultural Discourse
• Global Marketing
• Professional Selling and Sales Strategies
• Developing Intercultural Competence in the Workplace

Study modules mentioned above are indicative only. Some changes may occur between now and the time that you study.

Careers

The scope of marketing employment opportunities is wide. Most businesses recognise the need for a marketing function and positions constantly arise in a variety of positions worldwide.

You’ll be particularly well-equipped for marketing roles in the festivals, events and conference industries.

How to apply

http://www.napier.ac.uk/study-with-us/postgraduate/how-to-apply

SAAS Funding

Nothing should get in the way of furthering your education. Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) awards funding for postgraduate courses, and could provide the help you need to continue your studies. Find out more: http://www.napier.ac.uk/study-with-us/postgraduate/fees-and-funding/saas-funded-courses

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Designed by performance makers for performance makers, this innovative course will give you the opportunity to make new theatre, dance, digital and live performance work under the guidance of our team of research active, internationally-acclaimed staff who are committed to making performance matter.

Whether you are a recent theatre or performance graduate, a professional arts worker, an emerging artist, or are working in the education sector, your course will see you work with a diverse range of performance communities.

You will be immersed in an artist-centred learning environment and you will connect with other like-minded people interested in creating performance work. We will give you the skills to expand and reframe your current practices within a supportive community that values practice as research, while giving you the platform to perform your work at national and international festivals.

Take a look at Landing Party 2012 a festival of music, film and performance produced by students from our school.

- Research Excellence Framework 2014: our University demonstrated strength in five emerging areas of research which it entered into the assessment for the first time, including in music, drama, dance and performing arts.

Visit the website http://courses.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/performance_ma

Mature Applicants

Our University welcomes applications from mature applicants who demonstrate academic potential. We usually require some evidence of recent academic study, for example completion of an access course, however recent relevant work experience may also be considered. Please note that for some of our professional courses all applicants will need to meet the specified entry criteria and in these cases work experience cannot be considered in lieu.

If you wish to apply through this route you should refer to our University Recognition of Prior Learning policy that is available on our website (http://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/studenthub/recognition-of-prior-learning.htm).

Please note that all applicants to our University are required to meet our standard English language requirement of GCSE grade C or equivalent, variations to this will be listed on the individual course entry requirements.

Careers

Your course can be designed to suit your interests and specific needs. Bespoke learning contracts form an important cornerstone of the course, enabling you to develop as a fully rounded, multi-skilled, creative and reflective artist. Your course will enhance your ability to work successfully in a range of artistic and professional contexts and it will also prepare you for further study should you wish to pursue a career in academia.

- Stage Performer
- Screen Performer
- Stage Manager
- Drama Teacher

Careers advice: the dedicated Jobs and Careers team offers expert advice and a host of resources to help you choose and gain employment. Whether you're in your first or final year, you can speak to members of staff from our Careers Office who can offer you advice from writing a CV to searching for jobs.

Visit the careers site - https://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/employability/jobs-careers-support.htm

Course Benefits

The main benefit to studying this course is access to the expert teaching staff and their network of contacts which stretch beyond Europe.

In recent years our students have performed at festivals around the world - these include Sibiu International Theatre Festival (Romania), Dyonisus Theatre Festival (Croatia), Edinburgh Festival, Latitude Festival (Suffolk), Gift Festival (Gateshead) and also locally at Leeds Festival.

Our students have undertaken professional placements with among others: Guillermo Gomez Pena, Robert Pacitti, Red Ladder Theatre, Third Angel, Leeds and Latitude Music Festivals, Bilbao Bai Theatre School, Kate Craddock (Mouth to Mouth), and The Kantor Archive (Noel Witts).

Core Modules

Performance Matters 1
At a weekly evening seminar, address the issues of what we know, what we should know and how we can learn more about performance. You'll look at performance research, developing different writing registers, epistemic and expert practices, and consider what really matters in performance.

Performance Matters 2
Examine specific research areas proposed by yourself and your course mates,leading to the creation and presentation of a conference paper or presentation in a professional context.

Artist Project Major
Undertake a project in a specific area of performance, such as dance, theatre, live art, or stand up comedy. You will work under the supervision of one or more members of our performing arts staff who will arrange regular observation of your work throughout the rehearsal/making/conceptual process.

Artist Project Minor
Immerse yourself in a project which will result in the creation of one or a series of new performance works. You will have the option to work independently or collaboratively.

Option Modules

The Festival Project
Visit a national or international performance festival with and take the opportunity to collaborate in talk-back sessions with artists, directors, critics and academics. You will submit a written report on your experience.

Embodied Knowledges
We will lead you through a series of classes in voice and body-based training including Feldenkrais, Yoga, Tai Chi, Clean Language, Kalaripyatthu, Hart and Polyphonic singing.

The Artist Mentor
Develop your artistic practice under the mentorship and guidance of an established professional artist who operates in your area of interest. You will be encouraged to critically reflect on your work and identify areas where you can enhance your skills.

Choreographing in Wider Contexts
Explore contemporary global choreographic practices. We will provide you with the space to reconsider and develop your own making practices as a process of choreographing performance.

The Placement Project
Gain hands-on experience with a placement opportunity linked to your career aspirations. Placements might include working in administration in an arts organisation, engaging in undergraduate teaching or contributing to in-house artist projects, either in a supportive role or in a performance context.This is an opportunity to undertake an undergraduate teaching placement through shadowing and collaborating with staff; residencies with established artists and companies; event, project and festival management opportunities with university partners; international platform opportunities.

Facilities

- Library
Our libraries are two of the only university libraries in the UK open 24/7 every day of the year. However you like to study, the libraries have got you covered with group study, silent study, extensive e-learning resources and PC suites.

- Dance Studios
If live performance is your calling, our black box and dance studios are the perfect creative spaces.

Find out how to apply here - http://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/postgraduate/how-to-apply/

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Within a rapidly changing domestic and international environment, the work of arts and cultural managers is becoming more complex and significant. The creative industries are growing rapidly and patterns of cultural work are changing. Cultural organisations and festivals are in a period of fundamental, pervasive and long-term change; managers must deal with a host of dramatic, often contradictory demands and  challenges. This leads to a situation where there is a need for graduates with more holistic and integrated perspectives regarding the management of cultural organisations and the political, economic, social and environmental conditions in which they function.

This course has been developed in response to this need and is rooted in a belief that great leaders in the cultural sector will recognise the value of  management while acknowledging that approaches may need to be adapted to meet the particularities of cultural organisations and festivals. Through encouraging you to become critically reflective, the  course will develop your knowledge of the contemporary issues affecting the management of arts organisations and festivals while equipping you with the practical management skills that are essential for developing a career in the field.

Mindful of the need for students to develop vocational skills, a number of assignments are orientated towards developing the knowledge and skills required to become an effective practitioner in the field. In addition, students are required to arrange and undertake practical experience within cultural organisations to complement their studies.

This MA is designed as a conversion degree and we welcome applicants from non-business related subjects. It is suitable for both graduates who wish to add a vocational management emphasis to their first degree and those with equivalent professional qualifications or experience. It is likely to be of interest to those who studied the arts and humanities at undergraduate level or those with significant workplace experience who would like to gain a formal qualification in a flexible manner.

Teaching, learning and assessment

Teaching comprises a combination of lectures, seminars, tutorials, case studies, simulation exercises, field trips and projects. You will also be required to arrange a period of industry based learning. Your performance on the course will be assessed by essays, reports, exams, presentations and a dissertation or project (MA only). Normally, there are around 30 to 35 students enrolling on the course each year.

Teaching hours and attendance

Each module will require you to attend classes and carry out independent work. Most modules consist of two to three hours of class time each week of the semester. Where possible, all teaching takes place over two days per week. Your specific timetable will depend on whether you study full or part time. Flexible study options and a diverse curriculum mean that this course is suited to both those already working in the arts and those who are looking to start a career in the sector.

Links with industry/professional bodies

Part of our strength comes from our location; being based in Edinburgh means that the course has been developed over time in cooperation with key national cultural agencies and other bodies with a strategic interest in the development of arts organisations and festivals. Our location in the ‘festival city’ also allows for strong practical links between the course and the many arts, festival and cultural organisations based in and around Edinburgh, across Scotland and the UK.

Modules

15 credits: Critical Issues in Cultural Management and Policy/ Managing Cultural Projects and Festivals/ Marketing Cultural Organisations and Festivals/ Strategic Management and Finance/ Fundraising and Development in Cultural Organisations and Festivals/ People Management, Governance and Law/ Arts Management in Practice (subject to validation)/ Understanding Research/ Dissertation or project (60 credits) (MA only)

Careers

You will be qualified for a broad range of management positions within a wide spectrum of cultural organisations and festivals. Previous graduates have gone on to work in theatres, performing arts organisations, galleries, local government, and cultural agencies. In addition, many now work in festivals within the UK, Europe and internationally. Potential careers might include producing, fundraising, marketing, programming, or audience development, as well as many other roles across the cultural industries.

Quick Facts

• International cohort of students working closely and collaboratively with staff.
• Range of guest lecturers and field trips to key cultural organisations and festivals.
• The only postgraduate course of its kind in Scotland.

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Course Duration:

Full-time (Sept start): 12 months

Summary:

On this innovative course students will develop the professional skills necessary for a successful events and exhibition management career.

This course has been developed with The National Exhibition Centre (NEC), meaning students will learn straight from top industry professionals. This course has a real emphasis on gaining practical skills and utilising your creativity.

Graduates have gone on to work for the NEC group, established event production companies both in the UK and abroad, and some have gone on to establish their own event management companies.

Modules:

Core modules inlcude;
The Events and Exhibtions Industry
Entrepreneurial Marketing
Exhibition Production
Production Lab
MA by Practice

Assessments:

The modules are assessed through presentations, reports and practical event management experience.

Employment Opportunity

With the core knowledge of theoretical approaches to the events and exhibitions industry that this MA will give you, you will leave set up for a successful career in the industry. You will have an understanding of scholarly and professional techniques, as well as the current intellectual challenges you will face in a role in events and exhibition management.

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The Cultural Events Management MSc is tailored to meet the needs of the dynamic and expanding industry of cultural events and festivals. You will explore the connections between culture and business/ management, while applying theory, key skills and knowledge to practical experience in the industry. At the heart of the course 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.

You will have an excellent learning experience combined with intensive study and research options with key professionals in the field, such as the British Arts Festivals Association, Festival Republic, Glastonbudget, Spark Children's Art Festival and many more. You will also work with teaching staff at the cutting edge of research and new ideas in the field, as well as helping to organise and run our annual week-long festival, Cultural Exchanges.

You will receive one-to-one tutorial support, participate in lively workshops, seminars and lectures, and have the opportunity to research individual festivals and events. Contact time is nine hours per week. Assessment methods include essays, portfolios,
presentations, proposals, reports, and a dissertation. The course also provides encounters with a wide range of professionals in the events field through the various guest lectures and study workshops.

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 their own Cultural Exchanges festival and the team are involved in research on festivals from music festivals such as Latitude and Summer Sundae Weekender, 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 the field.

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.

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Our MA in International Film Business aims to train the next generation of innovative executives for the international film industry. We will teach you about film finance and sales, distribution and marketing, creative management and development, digital strategy and festival curation and programming.

You will learn about the impact technology is having on the industry and gain insider access to a range of events including the Berlin Film Festival and European Film Market.

The London Film School is a world leading postgraduate filmmaking school and you will have the opportunity to access their extensive expertise, attend master-classes and industry events organised by the school as well as the opportunity to benefit from working with an industry mentor as part of the dissertation.

As you might expect from a ground breaking programme of study, assessment will be more than just essays. Instead you will give presentations, pitch ideas, and take on negotiation exercises. During your first term at the University of Exeter you will design, promote, and deliver a pop-up cinema event in the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum.

If you’re serious about pursuing a career in the film business this MA will give you the chance to develop the key business skills and networks you will need, and benefit from mentoring by leading UK and European industry professionals.

Learning and teaching

As an MA International Film Business student you will have access to the world-renowned expertise of the London Film School and the academic excellence and research resources of the University of Exeter.

Your first term will be taught by leading film and business academics at Exeter where you will undertake a global survey of international film production, distribution and exhibition strategies and trends, and study business strategy, accounting and finance, intellectual property and entertainment economics. You will have the opportunity to examine innovative business models and the rapidly changing digital landscape of independent film.

At the London Film School you will take part in talks, master classes and question and answer sessions with film makers, as a graduate of the MA you will have access to the knowledge and contacts few programmes can offer their alumni. You’ll study the entertainment value chain through seminars delivered by London Film School staff and industry professionals, and a further series of intensive full-day seminars exploring film business innovation.

While there is no requirement to make a film as part of the MA, you can take the initiative in the second and third term to work independently, outside of the programme, with other LFS students who are studying on the MA screenwriting or filmmaking.

Field trip

In your second term you will take part in our field trip to the Berlin International Film Festival, including access to the European Film Market, which is a business to business event not open to the public.

The Berlinale takes place in February and is one of the world's oldest and most important international film festivals. About 400 films from all around the world are screened each year at the festival, most of which are international or European premieres.

As well as the excitement of premieres and the films in competition, the Berlinale is an important place for film industry executives to do business. The Berlinale hosts both the European Film Market and the International co-production market, where around 400 companies are represented. The festival also organises a variety of workshops, panel discussions and film programmes.

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This MA will develop your skills and creative vision in documentary production. It enhances your understanding of the historical context and contemporary modes of documentary production against a backdrop of the wider issues in media production- http://www.gold.ac.uk/pg/ma-filmmaking-screen-documentary/

This Masters, a pathway of the MA Filmmaking, will encourage your understanding of the politics, aesthetics and ethics of documentary production, and the nature and diversity of documentary practice in contemporary society.

What we offer

The programme is housed in a new purpose-built media facility equipped with state-of-the art teaching spaces including a range of digital cameras, Avid Media Composer, Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere Film Editing suites, Animation, Digital Special Effects, Pro Tools Audio Postproduction suites.

You will be able to make your own documentaries, learning and refining research, interviewing, self-shooting and editing techniques – but also have the unique opportunity to be part of a programme that includes specialised producers, cinematographers, editors, sound recordists and sound designers, so that you can develop the scope and range of your filmmaking by collaborating with them.

You work on at least two films during the year, culminating in a major production towards the end of the degree. In addition you can attend classes in related disciplines such as Cinematography and Editing and may collaborate with students across other specialisations on film projects. This framework is designed to provide you with a breadth of filmmaking knowledge combined with a high level of expertise in your chosen filmmaking discipline.

The MA encourages you to develop:

an awareness of documentary production techniques, ethics and aesthetics
specific filmmaking and production management skills
technical skills (including camera, lighting and sound editing)
an understanding of the workings of the media and their broad cultural and social impacts

Our former students have gone on to win awards including:

Best Documentary at the Exposures Film Festival
Postgraduate Factual Prize at the Royal Television Society Student Awards
Student Award at the One World Media Awards
They've also launched their own film festivals, worked on critically acclaimed films and documentaries, and have had their work screened at the London International Documentary Festival, National Geographic's All Roads Film Festival and Open City, the London Documentary Festival.

Our students say...

"From first-hand coaching from industry experts, access to the newest facilities and cameras, to fantastic mentoring – it was the perfect course to develop my skills and prepare me for a career in documentary filmmaking."
"The different theory courses provided both the history and ethics when filming documentary as well as providing artistic inspiration to approach reality in an innovative way."

Quality

The MA is one of only two MAs in the UK to receive the Creative Skillset tick. The tick is a kitemark of quality that identifies a course that will effectively prepare you for a career in the creative industries, and which benefits from strong links with industry.

Contact the department

If you have specific questions about the degree, contact Daisy Asquith.

Modules & Structure

How you will learn

You will be taught the skills to be able to self-shoot and edit, but will also have the chance to work with specialised camera-people, editors and producers. You complete several short films and exercises, then make your own 15-25 minute documentary, during which you will fully explore research methods, visual and thematic storytelling, experimental and multi-platform formats and much more.

For two terms you will spend a full day a week in specialised contact with your specific programme convenor, plus a further day in Screen Lab working with colleagues across the programme in a Talent Campus-style project-led learning structure with:

Masterclasses
Pitches
Role-plays
Exercises aimed at using your skills specialism in a variety of live shoot situations
You will also have a variety of research projects to undertake, as well as other module options.

Screen Lab

You will also advance your collaborative skills by working in teams with both fiction and documentary producers and cinematography, sound and edit students, on a variety of projects and at least three scheduled films across the year.

You will leave the programme with a diverse portfolio of work that may span a variety of formats – essay or diary film, web and multi-platform content, activist or campaign film, longer form feature-documentary

Screen School options

As well as your Screen Documentary specialism, you will undertake three short courses to enhance your other skills and critical approaches.

Skills & Careers

If you are passionate about fashioning an exciting career for yourself as a filmmaker in an environment that promotes innovative filmmaking, this course is for you.

Our alumni are active in the film, media and cultural industries around the world, working and winning awards as documentary producers and directors.

Other entry requirements

Please note that unless you are exempted (Please check your status with our Admissions Team: [email protected]) overseas students require an English language qualification of IELTS 7.0 in order to be considered for a place on the MA Filmmaking programme.

If you have not yet achieved IELTS 7.0, we advise you to sit your IELTS exam at the earliest opportunity and to submit your application immediately after receiving your result. The annual IELTS deadline for the programme is April 30th.

Because funding deadlines and requirements vary around the world, applications are considered on a rolling basis and places on the programme fill up across the recruitment cycle. For this reason, we strongly advise you to submit your completed application as early as you can.

Funding

Please visit http://www.gold.ac.uk/pg/fees-funding/ for details.

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Taught by committed and active filmmakers, you’ll learn to produce a portfolio of short non-fiction films in a creative and stimulating environment.

You have the opportunity to pursue your own interests through your film practice and engage in a range of approaches from story-telling to more experimental forms. You will learn:
-To communicate imaginatively through the moving image about the topics that interest you most
-How to research and write original non-fiction film
-How to develop visual storytelling
-How to shoot and edit
-How to project manage, schedule, budget, distribute and fundraise

Uniquely, you also have the opportunity to develop your abilities not only in single-screen video but in other digital media forms.

How will I study?
Each term you work on practical documentary projects alongside conceptual and theoretical study. In the summer term, you undertake either a documentary project or a dissertation.

There are frequent discussions of your work-in-progress. Regular master classes and screenings are presented by industry professionals and successful alumni from the course.

Assessment is by:
-Practical video/media work
-Essay or video essay and
-Production documentation and critique

The final assessment is a major documentary project plus report or a dissertation.

Facilities
You’ll have 24-hour access to the School of Media, Film and Music’s broadcast-standard equipment including HD cameras and a range of post-production facilities.

Scholarships
Our aim is to ensure that every student who wants to study with us is able to despite financial barriers, so that we continue to attract talented and unique individuals.

Chancellor's International Scholarship (2017)
-25 scholarships of a 50% tuition fee waiver
-Application deadline: 1 May 2017

HESPAL Scholarship (Higher Education Scholarships Scheme for the Palestinian Territories) (2017)
-Two full fee waivers in conjuction with maintenance support from the British Council
-Application deadline: 1 January 2017

USA Friends Scholarships (2017)
-A scholarship of an amount equivalent to $10,000 for nationals or residents of the USA on a one year taught Masters degree course.
-Application deadline: 3 April 2017

Faculty
Our researchers produce internationally recognised creative and critical practice through a range of media, including film, radio, photography and new and interactive forms.

Faculty projects have been broadcast on the BBC and Channel 4 and shown at many festivals, galleries and events including:
-Jeu de Paume (Paris)
-LLGFF London Southbank
-Brighton Festival
-Impressions Gallery
-Sydney Museum of Contemporary Art

They specialise within three interlocking themes:
-Cultural histories/cultural politics
-Resistant images
-Hybrid forms, media and genres

Careers
The MA prepares you for professional work in the media and related industries, as well as enabling you to make an informed contribution to non-fiction film.

The sessions by industry professionals and distinguished alumni including Gerry Rothwell, Kim Longinotto, Penny Woolcock, Peter Beard and Marc Isaacs allow you to make links with potential employers and give you insights and advice on working in the media professions.

The course also provides an in-depth study of contemporary documentary for those wishing to pursue a PhD in this area.

Our students have been successful in gaining highly competitive scholarships offered for doctoral study, both at Sussex and other UK universities.

Graduates have pursued careers in:
-Independent filmmaking
-Television production and research
-Marketing
-Communications
-Teaching and academic research

Employers include the BBC, ITN News, Al Jazeera, Century Films, Ricochet, Back2Back Productions, Brighton.tv, EDF Energy, BP, Vodafone and a variety of universities and research centres.

Students’ documentary work from the School has been shown at several film festivals including:
-London Short Film Festival
-Cinecity
-Sheffield International Documentary Festival
-East London Film Festival

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Why Surrey?

Our programme will build your confidence and technical ability in composing creative prose and/or poetry, while deepening your critical awareness of the cultural, literary and theoretical history of text production.

Teaching is research-led, so you benefit from the individual expertise and passion of a vibrant, multidisciplinary group of published authors and academics, including our Poet in Residence and Distinguished Writer in Residence.

Programme overview

The MA Creative Writing programme will hone your research and writing skills to produce critically informed prose or poetry, and creative criticism. We will help you to locate your work in its literary and cultural context, and you will have the chance to reflect on your creative process and the finished work.

You will have access to a yearly calendar of events hosted at the University created to broaden your thinking, and develop your writing skills such as the Morag Morris Poetry Lecture, the annual Surrey New Writers’ Festival and the Surrey Poetry Festival.

The MA in Creative Writing provides a strong foundation to embark upon a career in writing, communications, publishing, marketing, advertising, journalism or teaching, or to undertake a PhD.

Programme structure

This programme is studied full-time over one academic year and part-time over two academic years. It consists of eight taught modules and an extended portfolio.

Example module listing

The following modules are indicative, reflecting the information available at the time of publication. Please note that not all modules described are compulsory and may be subject to teaching availability and/or student demand.

• Research and Writing Skills
• Literary Scholarship and Creativity
• Creative Writing Workshop I
• Creative Writing Workshop II
• Creative Writing Portfolio
• Open Essay I
• Open Essay II
• Special Author I
• Special Author II
• Open Creative Piece I
• Open Creative Piece II
• Beat Writing
• Advanced Studies in 19th Century Literature
• Issues in Literary Translation
• Identity: Marketing and Communication in Practice
• Organisations and Written Communications
• Children’s Literature
• Screenwriting
• Writing Shamanism - Literature and Visual Media
• Magic, Mysticism, and Modernity
• Advanced Studies in Medieval Writing
• Narrative and the Body

Educational aims of the programme

The MA Programme in Creative Writing will prepare graduates to undertake a PhD programme in the relevant field.

It will also provide students with the transferable skills of creative writing, critical thinking, textual analysis and communication that are attractive to a wide range of employers, from the cultural industries to marketing and advertising to tourism and leisure to the civil service and public/private partnerships.

It is designed to build confidence and technical ability in a variety of modes of imaginative writing, and to provide students with a clear-eyed grounding in contemporary and historical contexts of text production and circulation, including practical advice on the workings of the publishing industry.

Devoted to assisting students to understand and meet the challenges of producing high quality creative writing in poetry and prose, the programme also provides advanced understanding of the contexts, theoretical paradigms, methodologies and modes of interpretation that are vital in a full understanding of literary production.

The main aims are to:

• Produce work that reflects a high level of technical ability and engages productively with its historical, cultural and literary contexts
• Acquire sound knowledge of the major principles of literary criticism
• Reflect on their own practice as literary critics and how this can help to improve their own creative practice

As a Master’s level programme, it also aims to instil in students the capacity for carrying out independent research.

Academics and events

As a student on this Masters, you will benefit from the expertise of a vibrant, multidisciplinary group of published academics and authors.

You will have access to a number of conferences, seminars and workshops hosted throughout the year. These events cover a range of topics to broaden your thinking in the fields of literature, language and linguistics, cultural studies and creative writing.

Writers to have recently visited the University of Surrey include:

Novelists

• Iain Sinclair
• Monica Ali
• Jaspreet Singh
• Nikita Lalwani

Poets

• J.H. Prynne
• Robert Fitterman
• Allen Fisher
• Gilbert Adair

Critics

• Rod Mengham
• Bernard O’Donoghue
• Barbara Hardy

Each year’s cultural activities begin with the Morag Morris Poetry Lecture on campus by a visiting speaker and feature readings by students at the Guildford School of Acting.

The annual Surrey New Writers’ Festival and Surrey Poetry Festival – both affiliated with the Creative Writing programmes at the University of Surrey – aim to engage with writing and creativity in dynamic ways, and involve readings, book signings, performances, panel discussions and more.

This graduate program is delivered by the University's Creative Writing team, all of whom are published authors and poets:

• Dr Paul Vlitos, Lecturer in Creative Writing
• Dr Holly Luhning, Lecturer in Creative Writing
• Dr Stephen Mooney, Lecturer in Creative Writing and former Poet in Residence
• Dr Angela Szczepaniak, Lecturer in Creative Writing

Global opportunities

We often give our students the opportunity to acquire international experience during their degrees by taking advantage of our exchange agreements with overseas universities.

In addition to the hugely enjoyable and satisfying experience, time spent abroad adds a distinctive element to your CV.

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During this full-time MA Cultural Management you'll work creatively in a department that offers one of London's richest portfolios of arts and humanities courses, appealing to a range of students who wish to develop their expertise in fields including visual and performing arts, advertising, architecture, crafts,design, fashion, film, publishing, TV and radio, and video games.

The course will develop your understanding of the practice and management of the creative and cultural industries, as well as the political, economic and cultural contexts in which these industries operate. You'll develop your skills and critical understanding of the cultural and creative media sector, and the management of cultural organisations in a wide variety of contexts including drama, creative writing, visual arts curation, festival and theatre management. You'll also have hands-on experience of producing or managing a project.

If you want to develop your career in arts, media and cultural organisations then this course is for you. In addition to being taught by a highly experienced and qualified team you will also benefit greatly from the internship element of the course. This mix of practical experience, combined with academic rigour will provide you with a set of applied and transferable skills - critical analysis, problem solving, and research techniques – as well as specific knowledge related to the International cultural and media sector.

Modules

Modules are assessed by essays, dissertation, exam, in-class presentations, blogs/workbooks and practical project work.

Semester 1:

Culture and identity in a globalised world
Creative industries: the cultural context
Practice as research and development: Project initiation
Creative industries placement

Semester 2:

Researching the media industries
Research paper
Practice as research and development: Project production

Timetable

Year 1 class contact time is typically 8 hours per week plus individual tutorial plus independent study.

Teaching and learning

The course offers one-to-one supervisions in three modules.There are regular additional support events, such as visits to galleries and performance viewings. The course now boasts a new shared production office, which allows to you to work on projects collaboratively in an environment similar to that which you could expect after graduation.

Placements

The course offers you the opportunity to take part in significant work experience placements in London, the UK or possibly abroad. Both the preparation for the placement, which we guide you through, and the placement itself are assessed modules as part of the course. Our positioning in Central London, and our developed industry links means that we are exceptionally placed for students taking part on the placements.

Working with an individual experienced mentor on a project is also an alternative to the traditional placement.

Past placements include: Royal National Theatre Archive, Golley Slater Marketing, Saatchi Gallery.

Facilities

Borough Road Gallery

The gallery is a home for visual art and a unique part of the University's heritage. Opened in 2012, the Borough Road Gallery contains valuable and significant works of Post War British Art in a public collection, produced by the celebrated artist and teacher David Bomberg (1890-1957).

Arts, music and cultural events in London

The University couldn't be better located being only a 10-15 minute walk from the Southbank Centre, National Theatre, BFI IMAX, Tate Modern, Royal Festival Hall, The Old Vic Theatre, The Young Vic and therefore the best of London's plays, performances, exhibitions and screenings.

Professional links

In the department we have had recent guest lecturers from the Association of British Orchestras, British Youth Opera, Donmar Warehouse , The Wireless Theatre Company and the National Maritime Museum. In addition many of our modules are taught by practicing professionals from the arts and media.

The Department is also host to the Heritage Lottery Funded, Borough Road Gallery. Students on this course will have the opportunity to take the internships in the gallery and work with the curator to deliver a programme of outreach and interpretation of the collection.

Other industry links include:

• Royal National Theatre
• Greenwich and Docklands Festival
• Tara Arts
• Rockethouse Documentaries
• Met Films
• BushTheatre

Employability

This course is ideal for students who are seeking to develop their career in the arts and creative and cultural industries. The placement module and the Practice as Research and Development module are designed to provide you with the opportunity to improve skills and your contacts.

In recent years students have secured placements at a number of nationally and internationally recognised organisations such as Glastonbury Festival, the O2 Arena, the National Theatre, Sadlers Wells and the Courtauld Institute. The department has links with a wide range of performing arts and contemporary media organisations in London, across the United Kingdom and throughout the world.

LSBU Employability Services

LSBU is committed to supporting you develop your employability and succeed in getting a job after you have graduated. Your qualification will certainly help, but in a competitive market you also need to work on your employability, and on your career search. Our Employability Service will support you in developing your skills, finding a job, interview techniques, work experience or an internship, and will help you assess what you need to do to get the job you want at the end of your course. LSBU offers a comprehensive Employability Service, with a range of initiatives to complement your studies, including:

• Direct engagement from employers who come in to interview and talk to students
• Job Shop and on-campus recruitment agencies to help your job search
• Mentoring and work shadowing schemes.

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Most drama writers move between media so that's what we do; join us to learn about writing for theatre, film and television.

Who is it for?

This programme is suitable for writers who want to develop their practice and complete a full length piece of work, or for experienced playwrights who wish to gain a familiarity with writing for the screen, or experienced screenwriters who wish to gain a grounding in theatre writing. It is also suitable for writers who while continuing with their own practice, will work in development roles in the film, TV, theatre and related industries such as literary agencies.

The programme has been designed, with input from a range of playwrights and screenwriters, to provide the optimum environment for students to complete a full length play or feature film script to a high standard.

Objectives

Creatively stimulating, challenging and above all practical, this innovative two-year programme provides a supportive and thought-provoking environment for playwrights and screenwriters to explore their ideas, develop their craft and finish a full-length work to a high standard.

You will develop as a writer and sharpen your understanding of what's working and what isn't. No single style or genre is prescribed; the ethos of the programme is excellence and diversity. You will get to understand writing choices in the work of leading playwrights and screenwriters. You will work with actors and directors from London's new writing theatres, and receive guest talks from agents, producers and artistic directors.

By the end of the course, you will have taken a full-length play, screenplay or television pilot through a number of drafts, working as professional writers do. This play or screenplay will be your calling card. You will receive a performed reading of an extract of your work and a professional script report.

Teaching and learning

This course is taught and run by professional working writers. Teaching is based around a mix of practical workshops, seminars and lectures. All this is supported by one-to-one tutorials and by independent study: notably reading and preparing presentations on set texts and performing set writing exercises. As the course progresses, the emphasis shifts to independent study and is supported by workshops and one-to-one tutorials.

You will be mentored by a professional working playwright or screenwriter for the whole of Year Two.

Central to this Creative Writing MA course is the requirement to finish a full-length play or screenplay. The course culminates in a showcase of your work to an audience of industry professionals and other interested parties.

The biggest names in the worlds of film, television and theatre visit the course and visiting lecturers include:
-Dr Terry Bailey (TV Writer, director and producer. He has worked internationally and with the BBC. His play, Grave Men, Near Death, was staged last year.)
-Penny Gold (writer, dramaturg, director and producer. She has worked in theatre, television, film and radio).
-Jim Hill (writer and director of popular television drama and is perhaps best known as the co-creator of the successful series Boon).
-David Lane (professional playwright and dramaturg, and has been a Literary Associate to established London and regional new writing companies such as Soho Theatre & Writers' Centre and Theatre and Beyond in Brighton).

Assessment includes participation in lectures, seminars and workshops; of work on presentations; set exercises and own script proposal.

Modules

You will take three modules (Writing Workshop, Dramatic Writing and Storytelling) and be taught for six hours a week*. There will be tutorials alongside this in all 3 terms. You will create a 10 minute film as well as a 10 minute play.

In the second year you choose to write either a full length play, or screenplay, or a pilot for an original television series (along with the series "bible" and synopses for several episodes). In addition to this you will participate in workshops.

Year 1
-Writing Workshop
-Dramatic Writing
-Storytelling

Year 2
-Own Play or Script
-The Production Business

Career prospects

Many of our graduates go on to have their work performed professionally and have won many awards and nominations. Some examples from 2016 include:
-Aisha Zia, who received a grant from Brookleaze and her play ‘Besieged’ is on at the Arcola Theatre.
-Dianna Hunt, Her play ‘One Woman's Slide: A Blues’ has been programmed in the Talawa Arts Festival.
-Cheryl White, whose films include Before Babel (2013) which won Best Short at the Kent and Rye Film Festival International film festival 2015; Winner of Best Film and Most Innovative Film at WOW Festival 2014.
-Louisa Hayford, who did a ten week paid internship at the Coronation Street story department as part of the ITV Coronation Street Original Voices scheme.

Some of our first year students have also had their work picked up professionally.

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Why you should choose this course:
-You're looking for a course offering an-depth study of cutting-edge compositional techniques, methodologies and associated aesthetics
-You want to learn in state-of-the-art facilities, including our £2.5 million electroacoustic studio complex
-You want to pursue a career as a composer working with technology and audio-media, or a PhD in electroacoustic composition

Course description

This course provides an in-depth knowledge of cutting-edge compositional techniques, methodologies and associated aesthetics in creative work that intersects with technology and other artistic or scientific forms. It serves as excellent preparation for a career as a composer working with technology and audio-media, and it provides all the training necessary for embarking on and envisioning novel strands for a PhD in electroacoustic composition, including those informed by other scientific and arts form.

All teaching, research and compositional work is carried out in the NOVARS Research Centre for Electroacoustic Composition, Performance and Sound Art with its state-of-the-art £2.5 million electroacoustic studios. Opportunities for the performance of new works are offered using the 55-loudspeaker sound diffusion system of MANTIS (Manchester Theatre in Sound) and through events such as the Locativeaudio Festival (locativeaudio.org) and Sines and Squares Festival for Analogue Electronics and Modular Synthesis (sines-squares.org). Acousmatic, mixed, live electronic and multimedia works are all possible, with composers able to incorporate the spatialisation of sound and interactive new game-audio media into the presentation of their work.

In addition to the final portfolio, all electroacoustic music and interactive media composition students take the compulsory course unit Composition Project and the further compulsory taught course unit, Fixed Media and Interactive Music . Optional course units normally include Aesthetics and Analysis of Organised Sound, Interactive Tools and Engines, Contemporary Music Studies, Advanced Orchestration, and Historical or Contemporary Performance. There are also choices outside the MusM Composition (subject to course director approval), such as Computer Vision, Mobile Systems, Mobile Communications, Ethno/Musicology in Action: Fieldwork and Ethnography , and Work Placement (Institute of Cultural Practices).

Aims

This programme aims to:
-Build on undergraduate studies, developing skills in electroacoustic composition to Master's level.
-Increase knowledge and a systematic understanding of electroacoustic music.
-Foster the particular creative talents of each individual student.
-Provide all the training necessary for embarking on a PhD in electroacoustic composition.
-Prepare students for a career as a composer and in the wider music industry where critical judgement and developed powers of communication are needed.

Special features

The NOVARS studio complex supports a broad range of activities in the fields of electroacoustic composition and new media. The studios incorporate the newest generation of Apple computers, Genelec, PMC and ATC monitoring (up to 37-channel studios) and state-of-the art licensed software (including Pro Tools HD, Max MSP, GRM Tools, Waves, Ircam's Audiosculpt and Reaper and, for Interactive Media work, Oculus Rift, Unreal Engine 4, Unity Pro and open-source Blender3D). Location and performance work is also supported by a new 64-channel diffusion system.

Postgraduate students at the NOVARS Research Centre play an active role in the planning, organisation and execution of performance events such as the Sines & Squares Festival and MANTIS Festival (over 20 editions since 2004), and projects such as LocativeAudio and our regular Matinée presentations. Relevant training, including rigging and de-rigging the MANTIS system, health and safety, sound diffusion workshops, organisation of Calls for Works when needed, etc., is an important part of the course.

Career opportunities

Graduates of this programme have pursued successful careers in musical and non-musical fields. Some continue to further study via a PhD before securing an academic position. Some go on to teach in schools or further education, both in the UK and overseas. Other areas of work for which advanced compositional training has been directly relevant include recording studios, entrepreneurships, the creative industries, music publishing, music journalism and performance. Careers outside of music have included computer programming, theatre, accountancy, law, social work and human resources.

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IN BRIEF:

• Study cutting-edge production techniques using the latest technologies at MediaCityUK
• Learn from lecturers with extensive, first-hand experience of the media industry
• Gain first had experience of the broadcast industry through live-industry briefs and media projects
• Based at MediaCityUK
• International students can apply

COURSE SUMMARY

On this course, you will learn how to research and produce original television documentaries.

During your time with us, you will receive expert instruction and guidance on the concepts, techniques and processes key to the documentary form. And you will produce your own documentaries, collaborating with your fellow students in production teams.

With opportunities to engage closely with industry, the course develops the skills and techniques required to work in the media, while encouraging independent creative content production.

TEACHING

The teaching of this course is comprised of seminars, workshops in storytelling and production practice, study of broadcast and editorial guidelines, independent research, collaborative project work and film screenings.

The aim is to support your learning with an effective blend of theory and creative practice, and to encourage ownership of your learning through self-directed projects.

ASSESSMENT

Methods of assessment depend on the module and elective pathway you are taking. They include:

• Creative projects portfolios and productions
• Live briefs
• Critical reflections
• Presentations
• Essay

Each module has its own assessment package and this is structured appropriately to reflect the module content. Practical-based modules are assessed by project and a reflective critical evaluation.

CAREER PROSPECTS

In previous years, a large number of graduates from this course have moved into broadcasting jobs as camera operators, editors, sound assistants, researchers and assistant producers. Former students are currently employed at the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and independent companies across the UK.

LINKS WITH INDUSTRY

To develop your skills and employability, there are opportunities on our Media Production courses to work on live briefs and gain valuable work experience. Previous students have worked with:

• CBBC
• Framestore
• BBC Writersroom
• BBC Natural History Unit
• Nine Lives Media production company
• Sumners Post Production Facility House
• BBC Fast Train, BBC Academy, BBC Red Nose Day and BBC Turn Up the Talent
• Sheffield Documentary Festival, Salford Media Festival, One World Media Festival

The following prominent speakers have delivered guest lectures:

• Sir David Attenborough
• Joe Godwin (Director of BBC Childrens)
• Steve Hewlett (Media commentator / Guardian Columnist)
• Tony Palmer (Documentary filmmaker)
• Jackie Priddle (Aardman Animation Producer)
• BBC Stepping Out and Audience Research Team

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IN BRIEF:

• Learn cutting-edge production techniques using the latest technologies on our MediaCityUK campus
• Combine elective modules to suit your specialism
• Collaborate with the broadcast industry through live-industry briefs and media projects
• Based at MediaCityUK
• International students can apply

COURSE SUMMARY

This course will equip you with innovative creative skills in the exciting field of TV Drama Production.

During your time with us, you will learn specialist production crafts and gain a detailed knowledge of the fiction form.

You will receive informed, professional guidance throughout the course. To unlock your full creative potential, you will also collaborate with other students on production projects and team-up to form production teams.

TEACHING

The teaching of this course is comprised of seminars, workshops in storytelling and production practice, study of broadcast and editorial guidelines, independent research, collaborative project work and film screenings.

The aim is to support your learning with an effective blend of theory and creative practice, and to encourage ownership of your learning through self-directed projects.

ASSESSMENT

Methods of assessment depend on the module and elective pathway you are taking. They include:

• Creative projects portfolios and productions
• Live briefs
• Critical reflections
• Presentations
• Essay

Each module has its own assessment package and this is structured appropriately to reflect the module content. Practical-based modules are assessed by project and a reflective critical evaluation.

CAREER PROSPECTS

Past students have gone on to senior producing and commissioning jobs within television, while others now work as researchers, directors, producers, camera operators, editors and sound designers. The course has strong links with leading media organisations, including ITV, Channel 4, the BBC and the independent production sector.

LINKS WITH INDUSTRY

To develop your skills and employability, there are opportunities on our Media Production courses to work on live briefs and gain valuable work experience. Previous students have worked with:

• CBBC
• Framestore
• BBC Writersroom
• BBC Natural History Unit
• Nine Lives Media production company
• Sumners Post Production Facility House
• BBC Fast Train, BBC Academy, BBC Red Nose Day and BBC Turn Up the Talent
• Sheffield Documentary Festival, Salford Media Festival, One World Media Festival

The following prominent speakers have delivered guest lectures:

• Sir David Attenborough
• Joe Godwin (Director of BBC Childrens)
• Steve Hewlett (Media commentator / Guardian Columnist)
• Tony Palmer (Documentary filmmaker)
• Jackie Priddle (Aardman Animation Producer)
• BBC Stepping Out and Audience Research Team

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