Arts Management is a complex and exciting discipline. Once mastered, it provides you with skills that can be applied to many areas of the arts and reach audiences in evermore innovative ways. Explore strategic, collaborative, and pioneering approaches with this challenging MA, which will equip you with the contemporary knowledge, research skills and business acumen you need to succeed worldwide.
At Middlesex, we recognise that there are a wide range of career paths and further study options for those with an interest in Arts Management. That's why we developed our course to be flexible and interdisciplinary, with options to tailor your MA to suit your individual interests and needs, whether that's arts marketing, events, communications, entrepreneurship or further study beyond this programme.
You’ll be taught by leading practitioners and academics from our Business School and Media and Performing Arts departments, with opportunities to collaborate with students across a range of disciplines and tasks. Through a combination of theoretical and practical learning you'll develop a critical understanding of arts management in practice and the impact of research on audiences and industries worldwide
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MA Arts Management covers key subjects related to the management and structure of the arts and cultural industries, with a particular focus on the relationships between creativity and management.
There are three compulsory modules on this course and a range of additional module options covering more specialist areas of Arts Management. To complete your MA you will take a 60 credit Independent Project module, with guidance from a supervisor you will produce a research or practical project of considerable depth and complexity.
This module aims to introduce the internal and external environments for arts management practice, including shifting global trends and the arts ecosystem. You will study organisational structures and cultures and how this impacts up arts management. This module is taught in Terms 1 and 2
This module deals with the changing ways arts organisations raise income to support activity, and it covers commercial, public and philanthropic income and how to communicate and build relationships with these different funders, investors and customers. This module is taught in Terms 1 and 2.
This is a double module that allows high level enquiry into your chosen area of arts management practice through traditional academic research or practice-based enquiry. This might include a practical project or placement inside an arts organisation. This module is introduced from Term 1 and formally taught in Term 3 for full-time students (Term 6 for part-time), with a deadline in early October of your final year of study.
This module is designed to introduce the practice and theory of arts event management to those with no prior experience. This module is taught experientially and will involve running two or more live events during the year through team work, and therefore may be most suitable for full-time students.
Further information to follow.
This module is studied jointly with interactive design students and examines the nature of work in the creative industries and how to work as a freelancer. It involves developing a business plan for one of the assessments. It is taught intensively in Term 2.
Further information to follow.
This module is concerned with both entrepreneurship and the creative economy. You will think critically about the challenges and opportunities facing new ventures in the sector, both in terms of specific business models and the broader socio-economic context.
See the course specification for more information about typical course content outside of the coronavirus outbreak:
Optional modules are usually available at levels 5 and 6, although optional modules are not offered on every course. Where optional modules are available, you will be asked to make your choice during the previous academic year. If we have insufficient numbers of students interested in an optional module, or there are staffing changes which affect the teaching, it may not be offered. If an optional module will not run, we will advise you after the module selection period when numbers are confirmed, or at the earliest time that the programme team make the decision not to run the module, and help you choose an alternative module.
We are regularly reviewing and updating our programmes to ensure you have the best learning experience. We are taking what we have learnt during the pandemic and enhancing our teaching methods with new and innovative ways of learning.
We aim to model a wide range of teaching strategies and approaches on the course which you can adapt to your own setting.
As a student on our MA Arts Management you’ll be learning with our expert and diverse team through a blend of industry masterclasses and tutorials as well as the following methods:
Interactive seminars and problem-based learning are at the heart of the approach on this MA. You will take an active learning approach in class, discussing your reading and project work with your fellow students and tutors, analysing case studies and applying theoretical approaches to real world problems
Specialist staff will work with you to develop your independent practice and vocational skills.
This essential skill for succeeding in a highly networked industry is embedded in most of the modules on the MA. Teams work with arts sector clients and contacts to develop professional projects, and build your professional network from the moment your begin your MA study
You will be taught by practitioners, academics, and industry professionals from a range of creative industries and departments across the University. With a growing reputation for world-leading research in media, the arts, business, law and performance, you’ll benefit from our teaching staff’s influence in the industry, with regular guest-lectures from high-profile creative business leaders and access to the very latest theories and debates on professional practices in Arts Management.
There are no exams on the MA Arts Management. Instead assessment prepares you for work in the cultural industries, including developing research skills, report writing, delivering presentations, working in teams and completing practical projects. The Independent Project module can be completed through dissertation or through a combination of written and practical work, for example an internship or completion of a practical industry project.
We are regularly reviewing and updating our programmes to ensure you have the best learning experience. We are taking what we have learnt during the pandemic and enhancing our teaching methods with new and innovative ways of learning.
We are currently reviewing our approach to teaching and learning for 2023 entry and beyond. We've learned a lot about how to give you a quality education - we aim to combine the best of our pre-pandemic teaching and learning with access to online learning and digital resources which put you more in charge of when and how you study. We will keep you updated on this throughout the application process.
Your timetable will be built around on campus sessions using our professional facilities, with online sessions for some activities where we know being virtual will add value. We’ll use technology to enhance all of your learning and give you access to online resources to use in your own time.
The table below gives you an idea of what learning looks like across a typical week. Some weeks are different due to how we schedule classes and arrange on campus sessions.
This information is likely to change slightly for 2023 entry as our plans evolve. You'll receive full information on your teaching before you start your course.
Learning structure: typical hourly breakdown in 2021/22 | |||
1. | Live learning | Contact time per week, per level: | 6 hours |
2. | Self-paced learning time | Average hours per week, per level: | None |
3. | On demand resources | Average hours per week, per level: | 4 hours |
This information is likely to change slightly for 2023 entry as our plans evolve. You'll receive full information on your teaching before you start your course.
Definitions of terms
Support
You have a strong support network available to you to make sure you develop all the necessary academic skills you need to do well on your course.
Our support services will be delivered online and on campus and you have access to a range of different resources so you can get the help you need, whether you’re studying at home or have the opportunity to come to campus.
You have access to one to one and group sessions for personal learning and academic support from our library and IT teams, and our network of learning experts. Our teams will also be here to offer financial advice, and personal wellbeing, mental health and disability support.
Our graduates are highly attractive to employers across the entire spectrum of arts and creative industries worldwide. Our graduates go onto work in such fields as management, marketing, outreach, production and fundraising. Last year our graduates took up roles running theatre outreach, doing interactive marketing and planning creative projects.
Work placements are proven to increase your success in the job market, as well as being a fantastic experience. Work placements can be built into your Independent Project Module Last year our students were offered work placements at the Courtauld Gallery, London Chamber Music Society and Brick Lane Gallery providing them with first-hand experience whilst being supported by one of our dedicated Placement Officers throughout the process.
Dr Beaven joined Middlesex University Music Department in 2014, bringing more than two decades of experience in the creative industries. Previously, she was a senior lecturer in Arts Management at the Arts University Bournemouth, teaching on the MA in Cultural Management at the University of Winchester and was a researcher in the Cultural Management Applied Research Group at the University of Greenwich. Her arts management experience ranges across a variety of art forms and both larger organisations such as the music venue Blackheath Halls and over many years as a freelancer working on events and projects with the Museum of London, Barbican, Common Ground and BBC Radio 4. Drawing on her research focus of work in the music business, Dr Beaven's PhD was a longitudinal study of musician start-ups. She also has an interest in the effects of technology on the industry and is carrying out a Research Council-funded case study of a Kickstarter-supported album recording and release.
Jo Daykin is an Events and Entertainment Producer and Manager. She began her professional life as a primary school teacher and advisor before becoming a teacher educator.
She moved to the BBC as an Education Officer then became a Producer/Director in Radio and TV, being known in particular for her specialism in radio for young people. She moved into BBC Live Events working around the country on many exciting broadcast events.
Since leaving the BBC Jo has produced or managed many shows, in venues like the Royal Albert Hall, on open air stages in iconic London spaces, and even football fan parks in Ghana and Nigeria. She occasionally works editorially on short films and also produces in the world of corporate events at international conferences.
Louise is an experienced Youth Arts and Cultural Education Programme Producer, and regular visiting lecturer on the MA Arts Management.
She has developed, delivered and managed a variety of creative learning and participatory arts projects for various theatres, music venues, heritage sites and museums across the country. Louise’s professional experience includes working the Roundhouse in Camden, The Point Eastleigh, and Hampshire Museums Trust. She is currently the Programmer for Learning and Engagement at Richmond Arts Service and Orleans House Gallery. Louise is particularly passionate about creating accessible creative and cultural opportunities for everyone.
Dr Fribbins is a composer whose music is performed, broadcast and recorded internationally. He studied with the German composer Hans Werner Henze and at the Royal Academy London, Royal Holloway and Nottingham universities. He has produced more than thirty concert works for a range of ensembles and orchestras, much of it widely performed and recorded, and principally published by Music Haven. He also directs a weekly series of concerts at Kings Place, London.
We’ll carefully manage any future changes to courses, or the support and other services available to you, if these are necessary because of things like changes to government health and safety advice, or any changes to the law.
Any decisions will be taken in line with both external advice and the University’s Regulations which include information on this.
Our priority will always be to maintain academic standards and quality so that your learning outcomes are not affected by any adjustments that we may have to make.
At all times we’ll aim to keep you well informed of how we may need to respond to changing circumstances, and about support that we’ll provide to you.
Start: September 2023
Duration: 1 year full-time, 2 years part-time
Code: PGN2P4
