Arts and Festivals Management

Arts and Festivals Management is the longest-running degree course of its kind in the UK and boasts enviable industry links.

Whilst deepening your understanding of academic debates, our course will equip you with the practical tools and skills needed to become a leader in key areas of the cultural arena, including theatres, music venues, galleries, museums and festivals. 

You will develop a range of interdisciplinary skills such as teamwork, marketing and management theory, fundraising, business planning, licensing, health and safety, programming and cultural policy.

In your final year, you will have the opportunity either to produce a large-scale arts event of your choice or be part of the team producing, programming and running the high-profile annual Cultural eXchanges Festival. Previous events have featured inspiring guests such as Benjamin Zephaniah, Grayson Perry and Meera Syal.

We will teach you to become an adept problem solver, with the ability to provide dynamic solutions within this continually changing and diversifying sector. You can choose to specialise in digital arts management and get practical experience of online event delivery, tackling the real-life challenges of engaging audiences in increasingly new and innovative ways.

• Arts and Festivals Management at DMU is ranked number one in the UK in the 'Hospitality, event management and tourism' subject area (Guardian University Guide, 2023).
• You will study a range of topics, including running and promoting a venue, cultural leadership, arts and communities, engaging audiences and digital arts management.
• 100% of students were satisfied overall with the course (National Student Survey, 2022).
• Links with the Leicester Comedy Festival have provided students with the opportunity to organise and run a venue, manage the acts and promote events. The festival founder is DMU alumnus Geoff Rowe.
• The city of Leicester has thriving creative industries and a vibrant cultural scene, providing opportunities to gain professional experience. Students have worked with the Tour de Moon festival, Phoenix Cinema and Arts Centre, Curve theatre, Serendipity and Soft Touch Arts.
• Benefit from top-quality teaching by industry experts, thanks to excellent links with leading organisations such as Universal Music and London's Southbank Centre.
• Gain real-life experience through a placement module with a professional organisation. Students have previously worked with the Joseph Papp Public Theatre in New York, Universal Music, HQ Recording, Ministry of Sound and Glastonbury Festival.
• Our graduates are highly practical individuals who are equipped with business planning, engagement and delivery skills, which are hugely attractive in the arts sector. Graduates hold key positions across a wide range of industries and roles, including The Barbican, Ballet Rambert, Wembley Arena and the BBC. 
• Benefit from Education 2030, where a simplified 'block learning' timetable means you will study one subject at a time and have more time to engage with your learning, receive faster feedback and enjoy a better study-life balance.

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• A Levels - 104 to 136 UCAS points from minimum 2 A Levels (may require certain subject grades)
• IB – 24 to 32 points (may require subject grades at HL)
• 55% in accepted UK based foundation programme with no module below 50%
• Standard XII - Pass Standard XII with a minimum average of 65% from the best 4 subjects excluding Hindi
• American High School Diploma with a minimum GPA of 3.0, plus
• ACT composite score of 23 or above or SAT1 (Post 2016) Minimum of 550 (R+W) plus 550 (Maths) = 1100/1600, plus
• Advanced Placement, 2 subjects from group A with grade 3 or above or SAT2 - 2 subject tests with a minimum score of 500 in each =1000

Entry to year 2 or 3 may be possible. You will need to supply detailed information including courses taken, grades achieved, syllabus and a grading guide.

If you are unable to enter an undergraduate course directly, you may wish to study an International Incorporate Bachelor's Degree or the International First Year which is offered at Leicester International Pathway College, located on the DMU campus.

Step one: download and complete our international application form

Step two: prepare the following documents:

• A copy of your qualifications
• A copy of your English language certificate
• A personal statement of at least 500 words explaining why you want to study your chosen course at DMU and any additional information that will support your application
• A copy of your passport
• One reference for undergraduate study, or two references for postgraduate study
• Some of our creative courses may ask for a portfolio - see our portfolio advice

Step three: return your application and documents to the Admissions Office at [email protected]*

Applications for undergraduate courses can also be made via the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) using the UCAS Institution Code: DEM/D26.