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Course information

Department

Institute for Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship
Theatre and Performance

Length

1 year full-time or 2 years part-time

Course overview

This programme develops the business and entrepreneurial skills and attributes you’ll need to commercialise on your creative and cultural practices and/or knowledge.

Why study MA Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship: Theatre and Performance pathway at Goldsmiths?

• You’ll build on a historical and theoretical understanding of cultural and creative industries to create your own creative initiatives, whether they’re research-based, policy-based, practice-based, or any combination of the three.

• You will have the opportunity to undertake a work placement in a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME), or research organisation in the cultural and creative industries. You may have the opportunity to augment your learning by taking classes in specific skill areas (such as marketing), as you are likely to be working in skill-specific departments of these organisations.

• The programme aims to integrate entrepreneurship within the development of creative practices. It takes a creative approach to the development of new businesses, and the infrastructure that supports them.

• You'll have a range of choices throughout the degree enabling you to design a pathway that is most relevant to your academic, business and career ambitions.

• You will have the opportunity to learn in partnership with a number of Goldsmiths departments, and with key individuals and organisations in the creative and cultural industries sector.

Contact the department

If you have specific questions about the degree, contact the Admissions Tutor.

What you'll study

The programme contains four taught modules and a further dissertation/portfolio component.

You'll have a range of choices throughout the degree enabling you to design a pathway that is most relevant to your academic, business and career ambitions.

All students take modules I and III, and you can choose between options offered in performing arts for modules II and IV.

Attendance is mandatory for all taught sections of the programme. To encourage collaborative learning we try to teach all students together wherever possible, irrespective of their particular pathway.

Module IV: Entrepreneurial Practices and Modes of Production

Either: Sector Overiew: Performing Arts and Audience Development and Fundraising 30 Credits

OR Work Placement

You will undertake a work placement within an SME, Producing or Research Organisation within the cultural and creative industries.

There will be initial taught/tutorial sessions on managing an internship and experiential learning and assessment would be by an analytical report on the ‘culture of management’ of the organisation.

In some pathways this will be augmented by classes in specific skill areas (such as marketing) as you are likely to be working in skill-specific departments of organisations.

Module V: Dissertation OR Project/Portfolio

The content and research imperatives of the dissertation/portfolio can be developed in tutorials with staff to address your individual needs. It could range from an entirely written document researching a particular area of the cultural and creative industries to a fully developed proposal for a new business.

Download the programme specification. If you would like an earlier version of the programme specification, please contact the Quality Office.

Please note that due to staff research commitments not all of these modules may be available every year.

Entry requirements

You should have (or expect to be awarded) an undergraduate degree of at least upper second class standard in a relevant/related subject.

Experience in drama, dance, performance and theatre studies, and/or performing arts management at undergraduate level is desirable; if you don't have this experience, you may need to demonstrate your potential ability in – and sensitivity to – these areas. We also welcome applications from practicing artists or those who have been involved in an area of production and wish to develop a performing arts company or business. 

You might also be considered for some programmes if you aren’t a graduate or your degree is in an unrelated field, but have relevant experience and can show that you have the ability to work at postgraduate level.

International qualifications

We accept a wide range of international qualifications. Find out more about the qualifications we accept from around the world.

If English isn’t your first language, you will need an IELTS score (or equivalent English language qualification) of 6.5 with a 6.5 in writing and no element lower than 6.0 to study this programme. If you need assistance with your English language, we offer a range of courses that can help prepare you for postgraduate-level study.

Fees, funding & scholarships

Annual tuition fees

These are the fees for students starting their programme in the 2020/21 academic year.

  • Home - full-time: £10450
  • Home - part-time: £5225
  • EU - full-time: £10450
  • EU - part-time: £5225
  • International - full-time: £19750

If your fees are not listed here, please check our postgraduate fees guidance or contact the Fees Office, who can also advise you about how to pay your fees.

It’s not currently possible for international students to study part-time if you require a Tier 4 student visa, however this is currently being reviewed and will be confirmed in the new year. Please read our visa guidance in the interim for more information. If you think you might be eligible to study part-time while being on another visa type, please contact our Admissions Team for more information.

If you are looking to pay your fees please see our guide to making a payment.

Additional costs

In addition to your tuition fees, you'll be responsible for any additional costs associated with your course, such as buying stationery and paying for photocopying. You can find out more about what you need to budget for on our study costs page.

There may also be specific additional costs associated with your programme. This can include things like paying for field trips or specialist materials for your assignments. Please check the programme specification for more information.

Funding opportunities

Find out more about postgraduate fees and explore funding opportunities. If you're applying for funding, you may be subject to an application deadline.

How to apply

Apply now

You apply directly to Goldsmiths using our online application system. 

Please submit the following with your application:

  • Details of your education history, including the dates of all exams/assessments
  • The email address of your referee who we can request a reference from, or alternatively an electronic copy of your academic reference
  • A personal statement – this can either be uploaded as a Word Document or PDF, or completed online (Please see our guidance on writing a postgraduate statement).
  • A one paragraph elevator pitch for an entrepreneurial business idea that you plan to develop through the course. This is not a Business Plan, but a brief paragraph that clearly and concisely expresses your core entrepreneurial idea.
  • If available, an electronic copy of your educational transcript (this is particularly important if you have studied outside of the UK, but isn’t mandatory)

You'll be able to save your progress at any point and return to your application by logging in using your username/email and password.

When to apply

We accept applications from 1 October to 30 June for students wanting to start the following September. When applying, please specify your preferred pathway (in this case, Theatre and Performance).

We encourage you to complete your application as early as possible, even if you haven't finished your current programme of study. It's very common to be offered a place that is conditional on you achieving a particular qualification. 

Late applications will only be considered if there are spaces available.

If you're applying for funding you may be subject to an application deadline.

Selection process

Admission to many programmes is by interview, unless you live outside the UK. Occasionally, we'll make candidates an offer of a place on the basis of their application and qualifications alone.

Find out more about applying.

Careers

Skills

You can expect to develop an independence and integrity in developing creative ideas. You will be able to apply entrepreneurial approaches to creative projects and demonstrate an understanding of different business models to establish a creative enterprise. You will also develop team-working and leadership skills, and effective business and communication skills.

Careers

The programme will enable those who have previously studied an area of creative study/practice, to start a career developing a business arising from an existing or new creative practice. This may relate directly to a 'product' or 'process' arising from you own practice or to a form of 'expertise', 'consultancy' or 'knowledge'. The programme will also equip those who wish to work within organisations that develop the infrastructure and environment for new creative businesses with the capacity to flourish in a variety of contexts.

Find out more about employability at Goldsmiths. 

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The MA Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship should be attractive if you either wish to develop a business arising from an existing creative practice or to understand how to create the infrastructure and environment for new creative businesses.

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