This postgraduate course is a truly exceptional offer for emerging creative innovators and entrepreneurs within live events and related industries. Alongside the business acumen, strategic leadership, and management skills gained through this qualification, students also have the unique opportunity to grow and launch their own live events business as their major project. 

Course details

  • Qualification Master of Arts
  • Duration 1 year - full time, 2 years - part time
  • Location Production Park, Wakefield, WF9 3NR
  • Validated by University of Bolton
  • Tuition fees Full time - £9,250, Part time - £4,625 p/year
  • Entry Requirements 2:2 Honours degree or above in a relevant subject and/or appropriate relevant work experience.
  • Start date September 2022

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Course Overview

This innovative course recruits from a broad demographic. It is suitable for those starting in the live event industry and an excellent progression route for undergraduate students interested in the business elements of live events. It is also aimed at those already in business, acting as a superb platform for launching a new live events product, service, or enterprise.  

A large proportion of live events specialists work as freelancers and sole traders, yet the global pandemic had a devastating impact on many creative businesses. This programme enables independent artists and practitioners to grow vital business practices and build resilience to withstand challenging periods. 

The course covers key elements of new business creation and the creative and practical processes required for business set-up. You will analyse the live events and creative industries and their complex and interrelated business and market ecology to identify innovation and entrepreneurial activity opportunities. 

Throughout the degree, you will work towards generating a proposal and a plan for a new business opportunity supported by key theoretical underpinnings in idea generation, market research, and business modelling. This includes functional areas of business management such as finance, marketing, product lifecycles, risk management, project management, accounting and finance, copyright, R&D and innovation. 

Students have the unrivalled position of learning in the heart of the live events industry on Production Park. Surrounded by global brands keen to nurture innovation, you will study entrepreneurship in a working live events context. On campus, you will gain a portfolio of industry contacts as you undertake research and product development in the context of live events. 

All the modules are industry-focused, with opportunities for students to engage in placement activity with XPLOR - the world’s first research and innovation centre dedicated to entertainment technology and production. Breaking new ground, the unique £7m+ facility enhances the thriving live-events ecosystem on campus. 

Throughout this course, you can utilise the array of in-house talent on other postgraduate courses to help boost your business proposition; past student enterprises are already thriving on site and growing as successful businesses in their own right. 

This course is offered either full time over 1 year or part-time over 2 years. Our approach to blended learning supports working professionals to engage flexibly with studies.

Backstage Academy provides students with a supportive and inclusive environment where students are challenged through praxis – applying critical thinking to practical, hands-on experimentation and reflection. Teaching uses blended learning, combining practical work with online and face-to-face lectures, seminars, tutorials, discussions, guest speakers, and masterclasses. You will benefit from collaborating with peers on shared modules and projects. 

Students are encouraged to use their continuing professional practice as part of their research process and build on our close relationships with the live events industry. Developing plans for new creative projects is coupled with a higher level of academic study and learning. Our expert staff have extensive academic credentials and industry experience that supports your learning journey. 

This course is ideal if you... 

  • need a career change and want to transition into a management or business leadership role. 
  • are about to graduate from an undergraduate course in a related area. 
  • are an industry professional looking to upskill, retrain, or develop your business acumen. 
  • are excited about the challenge of innovating and building your own business in the diverse and dynamic live events and creative industries. 
  • want to develop your own product/service and launch to the live events marketplace. 
  • are looking to validate experience with an advanced recognised qualification. 

The programme aims to...

  • give graduates and professionals in related industries critical insight into principles and practices underpinning innovation and entrepreneurship in live events/creative industries.  
  • provide rigorous opportunities for advanced study, research, and embedded practice led by field specialists, allowing you to explore your own entrepreneurial practice.  
  • develop advanced critical and intellectual thinking and complex problem-solving skills necessary for success in live events enterprises.  
  • cultivate your projects and research in collaboration with students from other postgraduate courses, culminating in your final negotiated research project. 
  • strengthen your transferable skills and offer specialist professional and personal preparation for competitive live events and creative industries. 
  • develop focussed skills in negotiation, decision-making, self-management, and managing others.    

Key features 

  • Production Park is a hotbed of entrepreneurship where pioneering businesses are formed. 
  • Students can engage with cutting edge developments at Backstage Academy’s new £8m+ Research and Innovation Centre, XPLOR, and the Centre for Virtual Production. 
  • Backstage Academy’s extensive live event industry networks and contacts help students deepen their skills, experience, and creative practice. 
  • The course offers access to unique commercial opportunities through Backstage Academy’s connection with Production Park and the impressive array of businesses on campus. 
  • Expert staff use their extensive industry experience to teach up-to-date live event practices. 
  • We offer the freedom to explore live projects independently or collaborate with peers from other postgraduate courses, encouraging creative innovation and experimentation. 

Why Backstage Academy?

  • Employability is central to everything – hands-on experience is embedded in all our courses. 
  • Our postgraduate programmes are designed for, and by, the creative industries. 
  • We supply sought-after practitioners to one of the largest and most exciting global industries. 
  • There are phenomenal career opportunities, progression routes, and roles in diverse sectors. 
  • We celebrate the exploration of research, innovation, and invention through creative collaboration. 
  • Courses are designed for you to drive your own learning and explore your own specialisms. 
  • Facilities at Backstage Academy are exceptional and demonstrate a multi-million-pound investment. 
  • The campus is situated at Production Park, known as Europe’s leading live-industry destination.  
  • The site is home to over 20 internationally renowned live events and creative businesses.
  • Past students have experienced global work opportunities at diverse international live events. 
  • Our extensive international partnerships tap into the latest technology, funding, and practices. 
  • Staff are experienced industry professionals with extensive practical and academic knowledge. 
  • We offer tailored mentoring and individual support owing to favourable staff:student ratios. 
  • Teaching and research take place in a welcoming and inclusive learning environment. 
  • The student experience we deliver is award-winning (Educate North Awards, 2020). 
  • Our campus is extremely accessible via road and motorway, rail, and international flight routes. 

Course content

  • Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Enterprise - 30 Credits

    This module aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the key elements of new business creation and engage you in the creative and practical process of business set-up within the live events and creative industries. 


    You will analyse the live events industry and its complex and interrelated business and market ecology in order to identify opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurial activity. 


    You will work towards generating a proposal and a plan for a new business opportunity supported by key theoretical underpinnings in idea generation, market research, and business modelling as well as the key functional areas of business management including finance, marketing and risk management.

  • Finance and Sustainability for the Live Events Enterprise - 30 Credits

    This module aims to provide the necessary knowledge and skills to enable you to understand the nature and characteristics of financial planning in the context of live events entrepreneurship and creating and growing a sustainable enterprise. 


    The first part explores the necessary planning and monitoring of financial resources to set up and ensure viability of the enterprise. The objective is to develop your confidence in talking to accounting professionals, bankers or funders about financial data and preparing financial information for a new live events enterprise. 


    The second part looks to the future and growth and sustainability of the enterprise. Whilst long term financial viability is a consideration, this is scrutinised in the broader context of growing the business responsibly in terms of the economic, social, and environmental impacts.

  • Legal Context for Live Events - 30 Credits

    This module aims to provide a context for you to locate the processes of innovation and entrepreneurship within a legal and regulatory framework applicable to the live events and creative industries. 


    You will explore specific areas of legislation relevant to entrepreneurship and recognise the relevance of law in a commercial context, illustrating the need for compliance and understanding of contractual obligations in order to safeguard individual and businesses interests. 


    Throughout the period of study, you will be set a number of specific case study/scenario tasks related to the module content that will test your understanding and application of the legal and regulatory frameworks relevant to innovation and entrepreneurship in the live events and creative industries. These will build a comprehensive portfolio that you will submit as a single piece of work at the end of the module.

  • Working in the Creative Industries: Managing Yourself and Others - 30 Credits

    As you advance through your career you will find yourself collaborating with others, both formally and informally. Whether managing project teams or building business relations as innovators and entrepreneurs, you may have to make decisions about a range of people-orientated issues. 


    To manage successfully in this, or any other environment means understanding yourself, learning or developing the interpersonal skills to interact with others and understanding the processes involved in establishing and growing successful working “professional relationships.” 


    This module will introduce you to the processes involved in learning and personal development and enhance your critical understanding of the skills you have, and the ones you need in order to pursue a postgraduate level career. In it, you will examine the importance and major areas of interpersonal skills from perception and communications and team work to resolving conflict and motivating both yourself and others, and how the impression you create can contribute to a successful career. 


    You will complete a series of tasks which will enable you to explore your own responses to the themes discussed and as part of your ongoing (lifelong) learning you will examine the importance of personal development and career planning.

  • Major Project - 60 Credits

    This module aims to provide a framework for you to undertake a negotiated programme of personal study and research leading to a substantial output. 


    This could take a number of different formats including but not limited to: 

    - A large-scale collaborative technical or creative project
    - An event
    - A traditional written academic paper
    - A new business start-up
    - A product launch.


    It is expected that most of the work is independently undertaken with the support of a supervising tutor; however, in line with industry practice collaborative projects may be negotiated with the module leader. 


    Whatever format is chosen you will need to demonstrate/evidence your accumulated knowledge, skills and understanding acquired throughout the entirety of your study on your course, and that you meet the course learning outcomes. Throughout the module you will expected to demonstrate progressively increasing levels of independence and autonomy. The module is delivered across the whole year and is in three stages: 


    Stage 1: Preparation.
    This stage will explore and evaluate a range of approaches and research skills and methodologies appropriate to a variety of final outputs. During this stage you will formulate and define your research question(s), consider ethical issues relating to that research and define the format for your submission. 


    Stage 2: Development.
    During this stage, you will consolidate your ideas and depending on your agreed format undertake field (primary) research and/or research and development. This may also include work-based learning or placement activity that informs your study. 


    Stage 3 Output.
    In this stage you will finalise and work toward the presentation of your project and submission of your work. It is important you understand this realisation is an integral part of the research journey, which is consolidated through your critical reflection on any conclusions Where appropriate you may also have the opportunity to present your final output to industry professionals in order to showcase your work and boost employment prospects and industry networking opportunities.

Entry Requirements

You should have at least a lower second class (2.2) honours degree (or equivalent) in any subject or five years’ relevant work experience.

If you hold an undergraduate degree in a relevant subject, you may provide a transcript or other documentation that details your prior study. Alternatively, you may be able to demonstrate your professional experience via a portfolio of attested work. Please contact the programme leader to discuss your options.

If you wish to gain admission on the basis of five years’ relevant work experience, you’ll be required to attend an online or face-to-face interview and present evidence in the form of a portfolio of work and examples that demonstrate your suitability and aptitude for the course. The evidence should be presented in electronic format and attested by an independent person. The independent person could be a current or former lecturer or an employer who has a more senior role than yourself. The University is looking for candidates who can demonstrate a clear style and commitment to their professional practice and who will benefit from experiencing this area of study.

We'll consider applications where appropriate work experience can be demonstrated in lieu of, or in addition to, the published academic qualifications in line with the University’s Recognition of Prior Experiential Learning (RPEL) procedures.

If English isn’t your first language, you’ll also need IELTS 6.0 with no less than 5.5 in any band (or equivalent).

Please note: it is our practice to interview all applicants. 

Assessment

Assessment tasks are linked to the learning outcomes of each module and are completed before the end of the module. Module assessments typically involve written coursework, project work, oral assessments and portfolios.

Our team of academic and professional staff will use a variety of teaching and learning strategies to help you gain and develop appropriate concepts, knowledge and skills. You can expect practice-based enquiry, self-directed study, lectures, seminars, tutorials, presentations and work-based learning.

It’s important to realise that the time spent with a tutor during formally scheduled activities is only a small part of the learning time identified for a module. You’ll also be expected to spend a significant amount of time in guided independent study, such as general background reading, preparing for seminar activities and working on assignments. We are committed to supporting you throughout your learning journey. Over time, our guidance will purposefully become less structured and prescriptive. This will encourage you to develop confidence and independence in your studies and take responsibility for managing your own learning time as you increase in autonomy.

The assessment strategy for the programme is designed to help you achieve the overall aims of the curriculum, as well as the learning outcomes for individual modules. As well as assessing your achievement, it helps to organise and develop your learning. Assessment feedback can help you develop your skills and an understanding of your strengths and weaknesses.

The types of assessment you’ll be required to complete fall into two general categories: formative and summative. Formative assessments help in learning and developing knowledge and skills. Summative assessments, on which grades are allocated, reflect the quality of the learning that has been achieved. Formative assessment will take place via tutorial discussion, group workshops including peer and tutor review, and guidance on work in progress. Formative feedback will be provided face-to-face via discussion, online or in written form. Summative assessments consist of both practical and applied theoretical work. These will include a range of assessments including practical projects, written work, presentations and portfolios.

Employability

Graduates will gain a competitive edge as entrepreneurs in the dynamic and developing Live Events and Creative industries. This is a career-focused postgraduate degree that will support you to develop advanced knowledge and skills. The skills training is combined with project-oriented creative education and will enable you to adapt and develop your practice throughout your future career. 

We’ll guide you to make clear plans as to how you will use your expertise to progress your career or business during the course. As a graduate of this degree, you will be well prepared to seek employment, promotion, or become self-employed using the professional skills you’ve developed as part of the course. This qualification also forms the basis for doctoral studies if you wish to pursue a career in academia or research and development.  

The course will equip you with an understanding of leadership, change management, business, innovation, and management principles. You will also gain a range of transferable, interpersonal, technical, and non-technical skills allowing you to capitalise on diverse career opportunities across industries.  

Equipment / software

Students at Backstage Academy benefit from having access to a wide range of specialist equipment, software and technology in line with the latest industry developments - much of which is made possible through our partnerships with some of the industry’s best entertainment technology manufacturers and distributors. 

Depending on your programme of study, this may include:

Sound equipment such as:

  • Desks from Allen & Heath, Avid, Midas and Soundcraft
  • Sound Systems from D&B and KV2 Audio
  • Microphones from Audix, Sennheiser and Shure.

Lighting equipment such as:

  • Wide range of lighting fixtures including Art2000s, Powercubes, moving lights, Source 4s and blinders from Avolites, Chauvet, Chroma-Q, Clay Paky and Prolight
  • Lighting control from Avolites, ChamSys, GrandMA and Hog
  • TitanNet processors from Avolites.

Video equipment such as:

  • Media servers from Avolites, Disguise, Green Hippo and Isadora
  • LED video wall from ROE Visual and Prolights
  • Laser projectors from Epson and Panasonic
  • Video switcher and cameras from Blackmagic Design
  • Networking from Luminex.

Communications equipment from Riedel. 

Software such as: Avolites Ai & Titan, Blacktrax, Disguise, Green Hippo Zookeeper, Isadora, Notch, SketchUp, Smode, Vectorworks, WYSIWYG, Adobe Creative Cloud package and Microsoft Windows 365 suite. 

Rigging equipment such as:

  • Truss from Prolyte and Sixty82
  • Motors from CM Lodestar
  • Load cells from Broadweigh.

Mature / International students

Backstage Academy welcomes students of all ages to study on our degree programmes. 

Unfortunately, we cannot accept international students onto our undergraduate or postgraduate programmes at this time. 

How do i apply?

Applications for our MA in Innovation & Entrepreneurship for Live Events are made directly to Backstage Academy. 

Please click on the link below to start your application. 

FEES AND FUNDING

To find out more about fees and funding, please visit our Student Finance page.

Make an Enquiry

Please complete our enquiry form via the link below and one of our postgraduate team will be in touch.

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