MPhil at the Institute for Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship

Wanting to pivot my career from fashion retail management to working in the events industry, I was certain Goldsmiths was a great place to start that journey. I was eager to join a university that held innovation at its heart, and I was looking for a course heavily centred around the arts and creative practice. I was not disappointed when I entered university life and found the environment at Goldsmiths to my liking.

I chose the Masters in Events and Experience Management within The Institute for Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship. It contained theoretical and practical elements, mostly taught in lectures and seminars, with additional class excursions. We had many guest lectures from people in different areas of the events industry. Speakers ranged from smaller enterprises such as Mimbre Acrobats and The Twin Peaks UK Festival to larger companies such as Time Out, London & Partners and Broadwick Live. Being exposed to many high-quality employers gave ample opportunity to network. Connecting with one of the guest speakers, I have continued to work with her on various projects since I have left university.

The assignments were a mix of essays and group work, reflecting the course’s content of theory and practice. The practical tasks designed, gave us a true-to-life experience, and mimicked the world of work as closely as possible. One example was when we presented our group work to the events team at The National Gallery, a beneficial and useful exercise.

This MA was life changing. It gave me the tools, confidence and support to leave a corporate career and co-found CYD Connects, a strategic brand communications consultancy delivering social impact for our purpose led economy. We challenge clients to reorient their brand and communications towards good, turning social responsibilty into profitable, sustainable, long term competitive advantage.

The cohort was diverse and as well as making new friends we continually learn from each other. The educators went above and beyond to share all I needed and as alumni they continue to point me in the right direction. I cannot recommend this programme enough!

Like many ICCE students, I joined the MA with a clear idea of what I wanted to achieve… and left it with a very different future to the one I had planned.

Instead of being a full-time film programmer (as planned), I now work at Goldsmiths as a lecturer and project manager. I teach on the university’s Synapse programme, which embeds enterprise thinking into courses across Goldsmiths. We invite students to consider their own role in shaping their future, and making a positive impact on the world. I also look after a range of support for student entrepreneurs, including one-to-one coaching and funding opportunities.

In the years since graduating, I’ve also set up and managed international summer schools, degree show exhibitions and event programmes, and supported ICCE as an academic tutor, lecturer and admissions tutor.

My creative work has morphed in two directions. On one hand, I’ve converted my experience as a film programmer into a 12-week course, and am working to develop skills and networks for film programmers in South Africa. And on the other, I’ve taken my love of events and audiences into a new direction, organising a Parade of Friendly Monsters.

Studying at Goldsmiths gave me space to experiment (and sometimes fail!), develop my ideas, encounter new possibilities for my work, and experience first-rate creative entrepreneurship training. Rather than squishing me into a ‘business studies’ mould, ICCE enabled me to open up and think entrepreneurially in every direction.

MA in Luxury Brand Management has contributed not only to the comprehensive acquisition of new knowledge but also became a breakthrough in my career. It is worth to note that the structure of the programme is very well organised, therefore the concept of luxury is viewed from different perspectives. In addition to the required modules, there was an impressive selection of optional modules where students can choose the most suitable for them. Moreover, the guest lectures, which were on an ongoing basis throughout the course, made it possible to meet interesting and influential representatives from the luxury industries of various sectors (fashion, events, jewellery, wine, tourism, etc.).

Although the master’s degree is viewed more as an independent study, I entirely received support from the teaching staff to proceed and maintain a high level of performance. Overall, there was a sense of community, where everyone knows each other’s personal qualities and encourages an individual approach. It is especially delighted that the Programme Director & Lecturer, Dr Kelly Meng Parnwell always responded to any emerging issues and successfully solved them while being enthusiastic and professional. I am very grateful that I made this decision and applied for the Luxury Brand Management course which has become a valuable asset into my life.