Or … Explore what makes festivals so popular and discover the skills to create exciting, original and successful events…
Course Overview
This course is ideal for anyone with some practical experience in the festivals, entertainment or music industries wanting to enhance their prospects of professional advancement into a more strategic role, and for those working in other sectors of the creative industries seeking to work in partnership with festivals. From understanding the modern festival consumer, to ticketing and festival design, branding strategies and sustainable production, you will find insight into current festival management practice and engage with debates on the future growth of this dynamic sector.
Whether you dream of starting your own festival or want to update your skills and expertise in a specific area of festivals work, this course offers a chance to engage with current research and hear from professionals working across the festivals management spectrum from established cultural festivals to boutique music events, new community festivals and multi-platform media events.
Festivals leadership
Identifying the complexities of the festivals industry....knowing where, how and when to secure funding....working with stakeholders.....growing festivals strategically....
Programming and marketing
Understanding your market....audience development and meeting consumer needs....ticketing....the art of good festival programming....booking and scheduling....using social media effectively....
Production and design
Realising your vision through creative event design....sustainable festival production....site management and logistics....
Key Content
Learning will be centred on the latest developments in festivals management and will draw on students’ own experiences in the working environment as well as the course tutor’s own research. Content will be influenced by the participants and will be negotiated during the course delivery. Generic themes will include:
- Identifying the festivals industry and considering the extent to which factors such as genre, sector, scale, location, ownership, and management structures affect working practices
- The impact of technology on particular aspects of festivals work, notably ticketing and marketing
- Programming and booking artists
- How to adopt a green approach to festival management and production
The course will also involve case study sessions with a range of professionals working in the festivals industry. Further information on participants will be available on the course website in due course.
When, Where and How Much?
This six-week course will commence on 28th-29th April and will take place at the University of Gloucestershire. This will be followed by six weeks of supported online study and a final half day assessment/presentation seminar. The cost of this course will be £800.
Course Delivery
During the course, you will explore a specific area of interest with a range of like-minded media professionals and input from academics and guest lecturers. After your workshop you will have the opportunity to further develop your knowledge with six weeks of supported online study during which you will take part in a variety of online exercises, forums and projects which will be collated for assessment in the online environment. You will have the option of undertaking an academic assignment and on its successful completion will gain 20 Masters level credits. If you go on to participate in and pass more of our courses you can accrue credit towards a PG Cert (3 courses), a PG Dip (6 courses) and a Masters (dissertation).
Entry Requirements
This course is open to professionals with an undergraduate degree and the required work experience in a relevant industry (normally a minimum of two years); and to non-graduates with significant and relevant work experience who can demonstrate an ability to both complete and benefit from the course. There are no additional entry requirements for this course.
How to Apply?
Please apply using the Skillset Application form and return it to skillsetcourses@glos.ac.uk
This course is part of the Build Your Own MA portfolio of Professional Media Short Courses being delivered by participating Skillset Media Academies across England. All of these short courses offer postgraduate credits towards an award and can be taken individually or in combination with other courses across the network to achieve a recognised qualification, a Postgraduate Certificate, Diploma or MA in Professional Media Practice. Visit http://www.skillset.org/build/ to browse all available courses and find out more.