Our MSc in Creative Technologies for Live Events aims to equip students with the technical, academic and professional skills necessary to be creative innovators and technologists within live events and the wider creative industries. 

Course details

  • Qualification Master of Science
  • Duration 1 year full time
  • Location Production Park
  • Validated by University of Bolton
  • Tuition fees £9,250
  • Entry Requirements 2:1 Honours degree or above in a relevant subject and/or appropriate relevant work experience.
  • Start date October 2021

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Course Overview

The MSc Creative Technologies programme will be delivered using a blended learning approach, combining face-to-face sessions with online and practical work as appropriate. Face to face delivery will take place at Backstage Academy on Production Park.

The programme seeks to provide students with a challenging, supportive and inclusive environment where students learn through Praxis; combining critical thinking, practical experimentation and reflection. Depending on their eventual career direction, students are encouraged to develop their own area of expertise and can opt to explore a range of technological practices or focus on a particular area of specialism (e.g. lighting, sound, video, interactive & immersive systems or system programming & control).

A range of learning and teaching methods will be employed, including (face-to-face or online) lectures, seminars, tutorials, discussion groups, guest speakers and master classes. A significant amount of personal study time is expected to be undertaken by the student comprising, for example, background reading, online activities, assessment work and preparation for sessions.

The course includes three subject specialist modules and two modules that you will share with students on other Postgraduate courses. During the course, 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; engaging in live projects and developing plans for new creative projects coupled with a higher level of academic study and learning.

This course is ideal for you if...

  • You are excited about the challenge of solving technical problems on large scale events and experimenting with new technologies.
  • You’re about to graduate from a BA/BSc course in a related area and wish to increase your employability and gain a competitive edge with an advanced qualification in your area of specialism. 
  • You want to expand your knowledge and experience into live event spectacles such as arena and stadium shows. 
  • You want to diversify from related fields such as engineering, software development or computer science. 
  • You want to develop your own product/service and launch to the live events marketplace.
  • You want to change career direction to develop and establish yourself as a creative technologist. 
  • You have worked in the industry and are now looking to validate your experience with an advanced recognised qualification.

The programme aims to:

  • Provide graduates and those with professional experience of working in the Live Events or related industries the opportunity to develop their knowledge, understanding and critical insight into the principles and practices underpinning innovation and entrepreneurship within the live events and creative industries 
  • Provide rigorous opportunities for advanced study, research and embedded practice led by specialists in the field that are focused to enable you to build, enhance and take ownership over your own entrepreneurial practice 
  • Develop advance critical and intellectual thinking and complex problem-solving skills necessary for building success in live events enterprises 
  • Develop your own projects and projects in collaboration with students from our other postgraduate courses, culminating in your final negotiated Masters’ research project 
  • Develop focussed, transferable skills in negotiation, decision making, self-management and the management of others. 
  • Offer specialist professional and personal preparation for entry into the competitive world of the live events industries.

Key features

  • Provides the opportunity to study via blended delivery methods to support working professionals engage flexibly with their studies.
  • Provides the opportunity to develop and deepen your skills, experience and knowledge of creative practice within a specialised institution situated within a global overview through The University of Bolton and Backstage Academy’s networks and links to the contemporary Live Events Industries.
  • Gives access to the unique commercial opportunities offered through Backstage Academy’s connection with Production Park and the range of Live Events Businesses situated on the campus.
  • Provides opportunities to learn from qualified and professionally experienced staff and Live Events professionals/practices.
  • Provides opportunities to initiate live projects independently or in collaboration with students from other postgraduate courses.
  • Provides opportunities to engage with research and developments at Backstage Academy’s new Research and Innovation centre, XPLOR.

Course content

  • Digital Cultures

    This module aims to provide an introduction to key critical and cultural ideas and theories, alongside developing your research practice. Throughout the module you will consider how the opportunities, possibilities and challenges that technologies present both restrict and facilitate live event design. 


    You will explore specific areas of professional practice relevant your negotiated area of specialism in order to identify key principles, practices and emerging trends that affect and influence creative technology development and innovations and the creative industries. 


    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 creative technologies 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.

  • Creative Technologies Practice 1: Research and Development

    This module aims to provide the necessary knowledge and skills to enable you to use advanced methods of conceptualising and developing technological solutions to creative challenges. The first part provides an introduction to research & development principles, processes and workflows. 


    The objective is to plan and develop a framework from which you can examine the efficiency and effectiveness of your chosen technologies in responding to a given brief. The second part considers the impact of a range of different scenarios & related fields on the framework, and how the culture of the sector informs this process. 


    Finally, students consider the potential of emerging technologies and examines how they might inform and influence live event practice. The module summative assessments then provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate their learning through a realised project to a given brief.

  • Creative Technologies Practice 2: Realisation & Production

    This module will extend the learning of Creative Technologies Practice 1: Research and Development through to the realisation and production of complex technologies for live events. 


    You will develop further critical and practice-based work in their chosen specialism, whilst collaborating with other practitioners and managing the requirements of clients and/or stakeholders. 


    Advanced skills workshops, masterclasses and lectures will strengthen your core skills and allow you to experiment with further emerging tools, techniques, technologies and platforms as appropriate to your discipline.

  • Working in the Creative Industries: Managing Yourself and Others

    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

    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).

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 Creative Technologists in the dynamic and developing Live Events and Creative Industries.

The programme will equip you with a range of transferable interpersonal and technical skills allowing you to capitalise on career opportunities that exist in a huge range of sectors – from Live Music and Theatre to E-sports and Corporate Events, amongst many others. 

It with also equip you with the necessary skills to progress to further postgraduate and doctoral study.

This is a career-focused postgraduate degree that will support you to develop advanced knowledge and skills. The skills training is combined with the project-oriented creative education and will enable you to adapt and develop your practice throughout your future career.

During the course, we’ll also guide you to make clear plans as to how you will use your expertise to progress your career. As a graduate of this MSc, you'll be well prepared to seek employment or 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.

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 MSc in Creative Technologies for Live Events are made through our validating partner, the University of Bolton. 

Course Code: 1232-DBS

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

Email us to make an enquiry for October 2021 or January 2022 start.

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