This multi-disciplinary Master’s degree offers a fantastic opportunity to cultivate your own creativity while you learn about broad aspects of live event design. You will be introduced to fundamental principles and gain critical insight into the practices underpinning design, artistry, and innovation within live events and creative industries.

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 - £11000, Part time - £5500 p/year
  • Entry Requirements 2:2 Honours degree or above in a relevant subject and/or appropriate relevant work experience.
  • Start date September 2024

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Course Overview

This holistic course gives a complete overview of event design and processes - from site plans, drawings, and visualisation to how designs are communicated. The programme does not limit the learning experience to one field, but rather allows students to focus on what is most interesting to them while keeping within the context of live event design.   

The MA Live Event Design course equips candidates with the skills, knowledge, and experience to make a start in a career as a designer in the live event industry. Students also develop technical skills which are applied to the requirements of live events today. These proficiencies cover sets, lighting, sound, visuals, projections, and image content and manipulation. 

This is a great progression route from a related undergraduate programme, but also acts as an effective conversion course into live events for students looking to transfer into this field for the first time. It is ideal for designers, creatives, and technical operators in a variety of fields and sectors.  Depending on eventual career direction, students may opt to explore a range of design areas or focus on a particular area of specialism (e.g., lighting, sound, set/stage or video content design). 

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.

The Academy of Live Technology 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.  

Students have the unrivalled position of learning in the heart of the live events industry on Production Park. Surrounded by global brands and using advanced facilities and equipment, you will study Live Event Design in a working live events context. You will find first-hand how live events can be enhanced and developed through physical experimentation.

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. 

A significant amount of personal study time is expected to be undertaken by students 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. You will benefit from collaborating with peers on these shared modules and projects.  

This course is ideal if you... 

  • are about to graduate from a BA/BSc course in a related area. 
  • are excited about the challenge of creating inventive and imaginative designs for contemporary live events.  
  • wish to increase your employability with an advanced qualification in your area of specialism.  
  • are an industry professional looking to validate experience with an advanced qualification. 
  • want to change career direction from related fields such as theatre or architecture to establish yourself as a designer.  

The programme aims to...

  • give graduates, and professionals in related industries, critical insight into principles and practices underpinning design, creativity, and innovation 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 creative practice.  
  • develop advance critical and intellectual thinking and complex problem-solving skills necessary for building and delivering successful live events projects.  
  • cultivate your projects and research in collaboration with students from other postgraduate courses, culminating in your final negotiated research project. 
  • strengthen your transferable skills in negotiation, decision making, and management.  
  • offer specialist preparation for entering competitive live events and creative industries.

Key features: 

  • Students can engage with cutting edge developments at the Academy of Live Technology’s new £7m+ Research and Innovation Centre, XPLOR, and the Centre for Virtual Production. 
  • The Academy of Live Technology boasts the first XR studio in Yorkshire and arguably one of the best-equipped spaces of its kind in the North of England. 
  • The Academy of Live Technology’s extensive live event industry networks and contacts help students deepen their skills, experience, and event design knowledge. 
  • The course offers access to unique commercial opportunities through the Academy of Live Technology’s connection with Production Park and the impressive array of businesses on campus. 
  • The programme uses live briefs and working scenarios as part of your research and studies. 
  • Experienced 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 the Academy of Live Technology?

  • 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 the Academy of Live Technology 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

  • Theory & Context of Design for Live Events - 30 Credits

    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 presented both restrict and facilitate live event design. 


    You will explore specific areas of professional practice relevant to your negotiated area of specialism in order to identify the key principles, practices and existing/emerging points of reference that influence design practice, trends and conventions across 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 of design principles 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.

  • Live Event Design Practice 1: Concept Design, Development & Production - 30 Credits

    This module aims to provide the necessary knowledge and skills to enable you to use advanced methods of conceptualising, experimenting and developing design solutions to creative challenges. This module will provide the opportunity to build a body of practical work at an advanced level in response to a given brief. 


    You will develop new professional skills through practical experimentation and the critical examination of your own work and that of your peers. Regular sharing of your work and creative process will enable you to develop a framework from which you can critically evaluate and reflect upon your conceptual and creative process. 


    Finally, you will have the opportunity to present your design proposal in a pitch to your peers, staff and industry Professionals.

  • Live Event Design Practice 2: Realisation, Production & Delivery - 30 Credits

    This module will extend the learning of Live Event Design Practice 1: Concept Design, Development & Presentation through to the realisation, production & delivery of a live event project. 


    Students 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 further emerging tools, techniques, technologies and conventions as appropriate to your discipline. 


    Finally you will be able to choose to undertake a group project or a professional/industry placement as part of your summative assessment.

  • 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 - Year 2 - 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 6.5 with no less than 6.0 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 designers 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 during the course. As a graduate of this MA, 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 a range of transferable, interpersonal, technical, and non-technical skills allowing you to capitalise on diverse career opportunities that exist. Graduates may enter technical production, event management, tech operations, or design for performance (such as theatre, dance, opera), concerts, exhibitions, corporate events, production, sound and lighting design, interior design, or even video systems. 

Equipment / software

Students at the Academy of Live Technology 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

The Academy of Live Technology 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 Live Event Design are made directly to the Academy of Live Technology. 

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.

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

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