Cultural Production

To apply for the accredited single module option, apply in the usual way, selecting the ‘Module One’ option during the application process.

Principles of Cultural Production (30 credits) 

This module provides a critical introduction to the history, theory and practice of producing cultural events. It takes a blended approach that traces the origins and foundational aspects of events, incorporating fields such as sociology, critical theory and art history to explore how we think about, experience and potentially gain from any given cultural experience. From here we fuse this theoretical understanding with an appraisal of the current contemporary landscape of the arts sector in the UK. To do this we draw on a range exemplary and innovative recent case studies and investigate key components that are setting the policy and funding agenda, such as the Arts Council’s 10-year strategy, and major societal factors that are impacting arts managers right now, from pandemics to the cost-living-crisis, from inclusivity to international relations. With the insights gained, students will then begin to devise their own cultural event/project proposal with particular consideration for the community(ies) they wish to engage and ultimately serve. 

The Producer’s Tool Kit (30 credits) 

Through this module students will develop an industry-standard tool kit of cultural production skills. It is common in the arts sector for staff to focus on one area of practice, programming or curation for example, but here, using Dartington Trust’s own departmental structure as a base, students will explore all areas from contracting artists and working with agents, digital marketing and audience development, fundraising, right through to the nuts and bolts of sourcing instruments or props, personnel, tech set ups, stage management and venue health and safety, and evaluation best-practices. The idea is to help students develop a practical overview of what it takes to run a successful event, programme or exhibition. The module will also help students identify where their current strengths lie and, using a personal development plan, understand how their knowledge and skills could be enhanced if they wish to move into a leadership role in the arts. 

Space, Curation, Programming (30 credits)  

With the toolkit embedded into their practice, students will use the next module to gain a broader view of how cultural venues and longer-term projects can survive in the shifting cultural context. Through a range of intensive assignments, you’ll research potential forms of collaboration, working cross-artform and across cultures to develop interdisciplinary practices that can increase public engagement, while also contributing to the resilience of your project by opening up new audiences and potential funding streams. The focus will be on working at a fast pace, devising multiple potential project ideas which will be reviewed by peers and lecturers on the basis of their viability and resonance with the current cultural landscape. Students will come away with an ability to quickly produce full professional plans to deliver events in different circumstances, as well as the insight to be able to foresee potential challenges and pitfalls to their own ideas with enough time to apply mitigating measures. Students will also learn how to assess the environmental impact of their projects – and to bake in from the outset processes for achieving low-carbon / carbon-neutral / carbon negative (aka regenerative) aims, and for factoring in biodiversity losses and gains too. 

Research and Development (30 credits) 

This module gives students the opportunity to reflect on their learning so far and to really consolidate the practical experience they have gained in reference to the more theoretical and research-based thinking about cultural production explored at the start of the course. Students will be working towards a 1,500-word critical account of the project development process, from planning right through to evaluation. In preparation for this, students are offered space to implement live assignments, collaborative partnership projects with external organisations, or more focussed inquiry into a specific area of interest, with support and guidance from faculty and relevant professional staff at Dartington. The module also helps students to further refine their personal development plan, setting goals and starting to prepare project proposals for their Major Project/Dissertation. 

Major Project/Dissertation (60 credits) 

This module invites students to devise their own personal project in order to demonstrate their practical, creative, theoretical and reflective understanding of arts management. It is students’ opportunity to explore the potential of their new skills and experience with increased complexity, using the resources on the Dartington estate (or another venue of your choice) as a canvass on which to trial new ideas in a supportive and structured environment, without the risks of putting on an event independently. The outcome is an assessed cultural production presented in the public domain as part of the year-round events programme at Dartington (or elsewhere). If a student’s practice is more research-based it is also possible to submit a 15,000-word dissertation, or a 50/50 combination of the two. 

MFA Professional Project (60 credits) 

This module is self-initiated from the outset and prioritises individual research, conducted under supervision with identified tutors and other mentors and external advisors considered essential to the study. MFA students learn from and contribute to the delivery of the module through their interaction with peers, tutors and the wider arts and cultural community. Emphasis is placed upon independence, originality, initiative and enterprise. Teaching and learning will be complimented by the wide range of visiting lecturers (e.g. artists, curators, ecologists, choreographers, directors, philosophers, performers composers, critics, producers, etc), providing the opportunity to discuss work with renowned experts. Students will develop individual opportunities with national and/or international venues, opportunities, agencies, etc., which may also result in working independently or at distance. Culmination of the module is the production of a substantial and resolved creative outcome that will be exhibited/performed/published and assessed in an appropriate public arena.