Courses / Module

The objectives of this module are: - to equip students with the tools, skills and insights to develop an imaginative, realist and informed career plan for themselves; - to acquaint students with the very broad range of possibilities in maximising the impact (business, personal or social) of their talents and skills; - to connect students with people and institutions in the cultural and creative sector through invited speakers and site visits.Lectures will be delivered by the principal lecturer and by guest lecturers and will include visit(s) to cultural institutions. Lecture topics include: - Challenging the traditional mindset. The changing nature of career choices for professionals within the music industry. The skills and attitudes that are critical for success. The necessity for an entrepreneurial mindset. - Critical interactional skills in business (team working, negotiation, conflict management, etc.) - The artist as a business. Understanding royalties, performing rights and copyright. Managing finances/simple accounts. - Creativity and entrepreneurship. Types and models of creativity. The entrepreneurial mindset. Scanning for opportunities. Leveraging resources. Creating networks. - The artist as value creator. Understanding different business models. Identifying the components of a compelling value proposition. Developing your own value proposition. - Marketing and social media. Defining your market and finding your audience/customer base (targeting and segmentation). Publicity and merchandising. - The artist as manager. Organising and managing an event. Business management of live performances. Who is this for? Students will explore innovative ways of harnessing their musical creativity and interests to enterprising activity. The focus will be on developing the mindset/skills to identify and take advantage of opportunities to create and develop their own new business, to engage in social enterprise and to lead new initiatives for existing organisations. The module is ideal for: - composers, musicians, performers, music technologists, artistic managers, producers who wish to treat their musical ventures in a professional business manner; - students who are willing to engage fully in experiential learning.