Course overview

This course covers the core skills required to manage arts and cultural organisations in the 21st century. It will enable you to gain a broad understanding of the institutions and major players that influence the cultural, political, social and economic environment in which arts and cultural organisations operate. It will also provide you with a toolkit of key business skills, including marketing, business planning, finance, IT and fundraising. The work experience element of this course will enable you to apply your business skills in a practical context.

Additional course information

Through completion of the Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma and Masters awards you will:

• develop a deep knowledge and understanding of arts management within a wider organisational and contextual framework
• explore current issues and thinking along with techniques applicable for research in the area of arts management
• develop both theoretical and applied perspectives on arts management and be able to apply those perspectives to the organisations in which you (aspire to) work
• develop a range of wider intellectual and transferable skills, consistent with creative thought and independent learning
• build upon previous knowledge and skills gained through academic study or through experience in the cultural and creative industry fields.

Assessment

Most modules are assessed by assignment, but there may also be group and individual presentations and project work. If you work in an arts organisation, or have secured a placement, you will be encouraged to illustrate your assignments with reference to the real situations, problems and issues facing your employers or host organisation.

Our learning approach is to develop your knowledge through in-depth, theoretical and practical work in lectures and seminars, in order to enable you to adapt broad theoretical models into your professional life.

Learning is carried out through a wide variety of modes, there are two cohorts annually attending in either full-time or part-time mode (part-time students are largely practising arts managers), through studying a range of specifically tailored modules. There are opportunities for full-time and part-time students to work together, thereby developing and exchanging knowledge and practice. This is supplemented by the wide variety of visiting speakers from the profession who act as lecturers on this course.

Teaching will include a wide range of approaches such as lectures, seminar and case study work. Special emphasis on 30 credit modules will include team teaching and the setting of work-based tasks at a strategic level.

Assessment methods will have a strong practical and professional orientation and include assignments, oral individual and group presentations, research proposals and work-based learning projects.

Work placements

This course has strong links with a wide range of arts organisations in fields across the performing and visual arts, providing both visiting speakers and offering placements to students on a regular basis. You will have the opportunity to transfer the skills and knowledge gained through your academic study by undertaking a 30-day work placement with a cultural organisation. This provides valuable experience and enables understanding of arts-based environments first hand, developing competence in dealing with issues and challenges presented. The Masters stage of this course can be undertaken by conducting a work-based learning project (based on the placement experience) and a research dissertation, or by one research-based dissertation only.

Facilities

Our striking, award-winning business school in Chelmsford, as well as our brand new building in Cambridge, offer the most advanced state-of-the-art learning environments.

Professional recognition

We are a member of the influential European Network of Cultural Administration Training Centres (ENCATC), which positions the Arts Management Programme in an international context.

Staff Expertise

Professor Henry Lydiate
Henry Lydiate has thirty years experience of international business consultancy work in the creative arts and cultural industries. He is also a Consultant Tutor for the MA Art Business course at Sotheby's Institute of Art - London, and Visiting Professor at the University of the Arts London. His specialist research and teaching areas include: international legal frameworks for art business; international art contracts; international auction practices; commercial and non-commercial museum and gallery management; and international intellectual property rights and their management. Henry does this work around the edges of his practice as an art business consultant, through The Henry Lydiate Partnership, whose clients include emerging and established artists, artists' estates, collectors, art market professionals, commercial and non-commercial galleries and museums, and auction houses. Henry writes a regular column published in Art Monthly, is a non-executive Director of the Design and Artists Copyright Society and Acme Artists Studio and Housing Association, Chairman of Ixia, the public art think-tank, and an Editorial Board member of the Creative Industries Journal.

Chris Grady
Chris Grady is Course Leader for the MA Arts Management programme and a freelance arts management, marketing and international project manager. He works on International licensing with Stage Entertainment globally, provides Industry Liaison services for Mountview Academy of Theatre, and is an Expert Associate with Wonderbird EU the Amsterdam/London based fundraising and marketing consultancy. Based in Suffolk and London his practice offers Open Space Technology conference facilitation, development surgeries for emerging creative practitioners, and strategic reporting for international producers. He was previously Head of International Licensing for Cameron Mackintosh, ran Buxton Opera House in Derbyshire, general managed the Pleasance Theatres in London and Edinburgh, project managed the building of the Theatre by the Lake in Keswick and was early in his career head of marketing for Edinburgh International Festival and Plymouth Theatre Royal. His specialist area of work for over 30 years has been the repositioning of Musical Theatre in the UK as an artform worthy of development, creating the first international Festival of Musicals in 1992, running the annual Vivian Ellis Prize for new writing, and serving on the judging panel of the National Alliance of Musical Theatre New York annual showcase of new work, creating and leading courses in Korea, Holland and the UK. He founded the Musical Theatre Network (previously MTM:UK) and established the first Musical Theatre Awards at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe whilst also creating a dedicated set of venues for a curated programme of new work at George Square, Edinburgh. He was a founding advisor/Board Member for Youth Music Theatre UK, Perfect Pitch and MTM:UK all now National Portfolio Organisations funded by the Arts Council. He has been a regular guest lecturer offering marketing, fundraising, project management, and personal/corporate development programmes. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and currently on the Board of Metta Theatre and an advisor to Stagecripts Ltd. He is currently preparing an outline plan for a major global new writing commissioning project seeking to match writers in every one of the 197 recognised countries in the world, leading to a culminating event in 2020 and a legacy educational programme for future generations.

Visiting practitioners
The course is delivered around lectures, seminars and workshops which are focused on real industry practice and include the creation and response to creative briefs from cultural organisations. It also draws on a bank of visiting practitioners from the sector to illustrate this and provides opportunities for practical work, including research projects and placements. The course benefits from regular visiting practitioners from across the cultural sector. Previous speakers have included Baker Richards Consultancy and Roger Tomlinson, Arts Council England, Artichoke, Sainsbury Centre Norwich, Fitzwilliam Museum, Kettle's Yard, ENO and Cambridge Arts Theatre.

Associated careers

This course provides access to arts management careers within the arts and cultural industries, in fields such as arts development, audience development and marketing, education, and venue and project management.

Entry Requirements:

A 2:2 honours degree. It is preferred that the first degree is in humanities and the applicant will have relevant experience in an arts environment either in a voluntary or professional capacity but all applications will be considered.