Arts Management

Outdoor event in Cardiff

Masters Programme in Arts Management

We have designed our Masters programme in Arts Management to provide you with a comprehensive grounding in the broad range of skills necessary for the effective management of arts organisations. Our team of experienced arts practitioners delivers the training, with guest lecturers from a number of high profile arts organisations throughout the UK.

The autumn of 2010 will see the opening of our £22.5 million development, transforming the College into a leading performing arts venue. The venue will attract artists from around the globe and will provide arts management students with the opportunity to be involved in the extensive range of events at the National Conservatoire of Wales.

The Masters programme is in two parts. Part I is a taught course and Part II is a dissertation. If you successfully complete Part I, you will be awarded a Postgraduate Diploma in Arts Management and you will be eligible to apply for admission to Part II, which leads to a Masters Degree.

Part One: Postgraduate Diploma Arts Management

One Year, Full Time or Two Years, Part Time

In a series of seminars, you will explore the wide political and economic context in which arts organisations operate, focussing particularly on those in receipt of public funding. You will examine the function of the arts and cultural activity in society, looking at cultural policy and state patronage of the arts since 1945.

You will develop essential administrative and financial skills through classes covering topics such as artistic policy, board management, sources of funding and sponsorship, project budgeting, cash-flow analysis, basic book-keeping, marketing and public liability.

Further classes in employment law, contract law, intellectual copyright, health and safety and risk assessment will help you develop an understanding of the processes involved in planning for arts venues, outdoor events and tours.

Education and community work is an important part of the work of most arts organisations and you will learn about the education system and the National Curriculum in England and Wales as well as best practice policies relating to working with people with disabilities. You will also gain an understanding of important issues relating to cultural diversity.

In addition to the specific skills relating to arts management, you will receive training in a range of transferable skills such as interview techniques, public speaking, effective negotiation, time management, desktop publishing, web design and other IT tools.

Over the duration of the course, you will be required to submit a number of written assignments for assessment including business plans, proposals and funding applications.

If you are studying on the full-time pathway, you will undertake a four-to-six week work placement in May/June. We have well-established relationships with a number of arts organisations which can offer a variety of opportunities.

With the opening of the new performance facilities there will be a number of opportunities for you to undertake your work placement within College managing an array of public events.

If you have already established a career and wish to develop this by studying for a postgraduate qualification, you can attend classes one day per week for two years. You will be assessed on the basis of your current work, rather than a work placement.

Part Two: MA Arts Management

Part II begins with a series of lectures and seminars which will introduce research methodologies and paradigms. You will work independently on a dissertation of 15,000-20,000 words, based on an area of your own professional practice. You will be supported during your dissertation with a number of supervision tutorials.