BA (Hons) Arts Management

What you'll study Overview You’ll learn fundamental arts management skills but you’ll also choose from a wide variety of option modules covering both theory and practice from departments including Music , Politics , and Theatre and Performance. In core modules you’ll cover key cultural policy concepts such as: funding systems. audience development. cultural diplomacy. cultural tourism. copyright. urban planning. regeneration. A substantial part of the programme is taught in partnership with international, regional and London-based cultural organisations, so you’ll gain direct experience of professional practice. You could also benefit from a work placement in, for example, an audience development, fundraising or event management context. With the wide range of skills you’ll develop, you’ll graduate understanding not only the practice within your chosen field, but also how it relates to the theory you’ve learned. So your career decisions – whether as manager or entrepreneur – will be properly informed. You can also tailor the degree to your unique interests. Year 1 (credit level 4) You study the following modules: Year 1 modules Module title Credits. Arts in London Arts in London 15 credits This module aims to provide a solid grounding in the variety of ways that arts and culture are distributed, especially those forms that arts managers are likely to encounter in their careers. Using London as an example city, the module covers organisations of different sizes (small, medium, large), status (commercial, state-funded, charities, social enterprises, volunteer-led and network) and access orientation (multi-disciplinary, sector-specific, specialist, with a focus on organisations that consider accessibility issues). Each of these forms poses a different set of challenges to the arts manager. The module combines academic materials and classroom-based learning with site visits to arts organisations that operate in a wide variety of ways. 15 credits. Introduction to Arts and Cultural Theory Introduction to Arts and Cultural Theory 15 credits 15 credits. Fundraising in the Arts Fundraising in the Arts 15 credits Money is a key ingredient in the production of the arts. Performances, exhibitions, and festivals need a financial base, as does the making of objects or audio/audio-visual recordings. Art produced or exhibited in or by formal organisations, as individual events, or by individual artists all require funds (or in-kind equivalent). A key skill set of an arts manager, therefore, is seeking and ensuring funding. In a competitive environment, these skills involve significant creativity and ingenuity. Funding the arts falls into two main categories, earned income (from ticket sales/admissions or subsidiary activities) and fundraising. The module covers principles of earned income, such as fixed, variable and sunk costs, and pricing, and then turns to fundraising, covering grants, sponsorship and philanthropy, as well as donor development and a brief consideration of major gifts. The module considers approaches to government agencies, corporations, and individuals as well as digital approaches including crowd-funding. The module also considers the costs of fundraising. The module is assessed by a practical. 15 credits. Visual Culture Visual Culture 15 credits The aim of this module is to introduce an understanding of visual culture and demonstrate the importance of visual culture in today’s society. Visual culture includes such visual forms as painting, sculpture, photography, television, cinema, cartoons and manga, virtual reality and games, illustration and the internet. These forms have been studied using various approaches: hermeneutic, formal, Marxist, feminist, semiotic, psychoanalytic and anthropological amongst others. Settings, bodies and the built environment can also be studied with visual techniques. The module requires you to analyse visual images from contemporary and historical periods, and to apply a variety of visual techniques and methods in order to strengthen your understanding of theoretical and methodological approaches to a topic, in this case visual culture, and to develop a richer appreciation of visual cultures and visual materials. Indicative content includes: Visual culture defined. Representation. Visual Methods (for Images). Material Culture. Lived Visual Culture (Built Environment). Living Visual Culture (Bodies). 15 credits. You will also have the oppurtunity to take optional modules to the value of 30 credits. Year 2 (credit level 5) You study the following modules: Year 2 modules Module title Credits. The Audience in Theory and Practice The Audience in Theory and Practice 30 credits This module focuses on audiences as a crucial focus of arts managers. The module offers a practical focus, with a theoretical introduction to the study of audiences. Topics include imagining audiences, marketing, branding and public relations, audience development, audience engagement and outreach, visitor behaviour, and evaluation research, including interviews, focus groups and understanding quantitative data. The module starts with an introduction to understandings of audiences and introduces methodologies used to understand art audiences. This section of the module is assessed by a short essay. The module moves on to explore different techniques and tools in audience development, and applies these to case studies. Students will work in groups to understand a problem-based case study and will need to make a presentation to pitch their solution. The module then covers more strategies for developing and understanding audiences, and students will work individually on a project on the topics covered. 30 credits. Contemporary Arts and Cultural Theory Contemporary Arts and Cultural Theory 15 credits 15 credits. Managing Arts Organisations and Cultural Businesses Managing Arts Organisations and Cultural Businesses 15 credits 15 credits. Professional Practice in Arts Organisations and Cultural Businesses Professional Practice in Arts Organisations and Cultural Businesses 15 credits Drawing on materials presented in Event Management (Level 4) and Managing Arts Organisations and Cultural Businesses (Autumn term of Level 5), this module presents opportunities for students to apply knowledge in professional settings. Students will work in groups on a series of short-term projects that engage skills developed so far in the classroom setting. The module also provides a groundwork for the professional practice project at final year. The specific projects will vary across the portfolio of projects available. The module consists of five lectures in the spring term and supervised projects that will run in spring and summer terms, with group tutorials. Assessment is based on successful completion of a portfolio of professional practice, a short report on each and an extended essay comparing the institutional arrangements and success, or otherwise, of the projects. 15 credits. Cultural Policy in the Arts Cultural Policy in the Arts 15 credits This module covers key issues in ‘cultural policy’ as applied to the arts, including debates over the meaning of ‘culture’, the differences between individual nations’ understanding of the term, and key contemporary debates around notions of cultural value. It contains a comparative component, examining approaches to cultural policy in the UK, USA and Europe, providing different models of cultural policy. The module will equip you with knowledge of the key debates taking place in the field of cultural policy studies, and the contexts in which cultural policy-making takes place. You will also have an understanding of the economic, social and political theories necessary to study cultural industries, especially the supported arts sector. The module has three main aims: To introduce you to the main debates in the field of cultural policy studies and related disciplines. To help you understand how cultural policy is similar and different around the world, including comparisons between UK, USA and EU approaches. To encourage critical reflection on, and independent thought about the topics covered in the module. 15 credits. You also study optional modules to the value of 30 credits. Year 3 (credit level 6) You complete a dissertation and study the compulsory module Professional Practice Project. You also choose optional modules to the value of 30 credits. Teaching style This programme is taught through scheduled learning - a mixture of lectures, seminars and workshops. You’ll also be expected to undertake a significant amount of independent study. This includes carrying out required and additional reading, preparing topics for discussion, and producing essays or project work. The following information gives an indication of the typical proportions of learning and teaching for each year of this programme*: Year 1 - 14% scheduled learning, 86% independent learning. Year 2 - 13% scheduled learning, 87% independent learning. Year 3 - 8% scheduled learning, 80% independent learning, 12% placement. How you’ll be assessed You’ll be assessed by a variety of methods, depending on your module choices. These include coursework, examinations, group work and projects. The following information gives an indication of how you can typically expect to be assessed on each year of this programme*: Year 1 - 72% coursework, 25% written exam, 3% written. Year 2 - 95% coursework, 5% practical. Year 3 - 100% coursework. *Please note that these are averages are based on enrolments for 2016/17. Each student’s time in teaching, learning and assessment activities will differ based on individual module choices. Credits and levels of learning An undergraduate honours degree is made up of 360 credits – 120 at Level 4, 120 at Level 5 and 120 at Level 6. If you are a full-time student, you will usually take Level 4 modules in the first year, Level 5 in the second, and Level 6 modules in your final year. A standard module is worth 30 credits. Some programmes also contain 15-credit half modules or can be made up of higher-value parts, such as a dissertation or a Major Project. Download the programme specification , for the 2018-19 intake. If you would like an earlier version of the programme specification, please contact the Quality Office. Please note that due to staff research commitments not all of these modules may be available every year.