The growing Creative Industries sector needs innovative and diverse leaders. You will develop skills in project design and management, entrepreneurship and cultural policy, while considering how the creative and cultural sector can become more inclusive and sustainable. Prepare to join the next generation of creative leaders, while also developing artistic skills in one or more disciplines of your choice.
Why Lancaster?
- Be at the forefront of change and ready to make an impact in one of the fastest growing sectors in the UK
- Explore the big challenges facing creative and cultural industries today – from social, political and cultural issues to inclusion, sustainability and the barriers to success.
- Gain real-world experience of project management, creative problem solving and practical innovations.
- Learn how to unlock the creative potential offered by new trends in the sector, from generative AI technologies to multi-media collaborations.
- Build connections and boost your career through our network of community, national and international professionals and organisations.
- Forge your own creative identity and develop your practice in our excellent facilities.
- Base yourself in an area rich in arts and culture, with a strong heritage in the creative industries.
A dynamic industry
The Creative Industries sector is one the fastest growing in the UK. It is a diverse sector, encompassing multiple artistic and cultural spheres. Careers in this industry are rapidly evolving, creative and highly rewarding.
In this course you’ll learn the professional skills to be a highly competent leader in the Creative Industries. You’ll learn how to generate compelling ideas and to how to design, plan, manage and deliver a project. You’ll take part in real world projects with external partners and gain first-hand experience of the challenges arts organisations face. Teamwork and negotiation are essential professional skills, and you will learn how to be an effective communicator and problem solver.
You will gain foundational knowledge of the practical contexts that influence the creative professions across multiple disciplines and find out how the sector works and how organisations can thrive. Discover how government policy affects the creation and dissemination of creative practice and how businesses, arts organisations and artists can make meaningful connections, gain funding and pursue socially just futures within the sector.
First hand industry experience
As a student of Creative Industries at Lancaster you will be able to access real-world experience here on campus. We are closely partnered with Lancaster Arts, an Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation with an outstanding reputation for the creation, development and presentation of cutting-edge contemporary arts. Lancaster Arts are closely involved in the design and delivery of your course. You will have opportunities to learn directly from their staff working in professional venues that include the Peter Scott Gallery, Nuffield Theatre, and Lancaster University Great Hall. You will benefit from Lancaster Arts’ many years of experience in commissioning new work and developing new partnerships and initiatives at local, national and international levels.
Students will also have opportunities to engage in project-based learning with a variety of creative and cultural organisations across the Lancaster area. These opportunities are possible due to our close links with local and regional organisations, ranging from small grassroots community groups to large-scale Arts Council funded venues.
Sustainable. Diverse. Inclusive.
At Lancaster we have a keen focus on sustainability and inclusivity in the arts and during the course we’ll explore key questions. How can we reach diverse audiences? What makes art inclusive and why does this matter? How can we remove barriers for under-represented groups? How can we make our work climate-friendly? Our vision for the Creative Industries sector of the future is for a more inclusive, sustainable, and socially just cultural landscape.
In this wide-reaching course, topics may include:
- Project design and management
- Social, political and organisational contexts
- Funding regimes and financial approaches
- Creative entrepreneurship
- Digital skills
- Sustainability
- Accessibility and inclusivity
- Festivals and events
An expert team
Our staff at Lancaster are leaders of creative and cultural practice locally, nationally, and internationally. This course is informed by their professional artistic practices, industry experience, and academic research. Our team includes award-winning academics, published authors, professional theatre practitioners, global design experts and exhibiting artists and curators. They are enthusiastic, supportive and expert in their fields.
Your assessments are designed to reflect the diversity of the subject area and our future-oriented curriculum. In addition to traditional essays or presentations you will be asked to develop creative submissions such as a podcast, digital media presentation, manifesto, mock funding bid, or creative portfolio.
Develop your creative practice
Alongside your study of the Creative Industries, you will be able to develop your own creative practice. You can take advantage of our first-class creative spaces such as art studios and design workshops, our 24/7 Digital Editing suite, industry standard film and camera equipment, as well as installation, rehearsal and performance spaces.
As your knowledge of funding, project management and arts organisations grows, you will be well-placed to recognise opportunities to promote your own work and develop entrepreneurial skills.
A cultural hub
The City of Lancaster is a culturally rich region with a busy calendar of festivals and events, and many renowned arts organisations. There are many opportunities to immerse yourself in the creative arts. We have strong links with Lancaster Arts, the Storey Arts Institute, The Dukes Theatre, Lancaster LitFest, Light Up Lancaster, La1 Shorts Film Festival, the Bay International Film Festival, Lancaster International Film Festival and the Wordsworth Centre in Grasmere as well as many smaller community-based arts activities. These give opportunities for placements, volunteering, case studies and participation that will enhance your CV.
You will also be part of a strong creative community on campus with many with student-led activities. These include our own online film journal CUT/ TO, along with our cinema (Take 2 Cinema), TV station (LA1:TV), newspaper (Scan), Film Production Society, and the Lancaster Theatre Group Society. You can contribute to one of our literary journals (Cake, Lux, Flash, Errant), take part in our summer Shakespeare production at the medieval Lancaster Castle or get involved with Lancaster Words: a three-day festival that celebrates the written and spoken word.
