MUS8027 - Live Music Events

• Offered for Year: 2025/26

• Module Leader(s): Dr Jane Nolan

• Owning School: The School of Arts and Cultures
• Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus

• Capacity limit: 100 student places

Semesters

Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.

Aims

Live Music Events introduces students to the work involved in creating and presenting live music events.

Students gain knowledge and skills in life music event organisation, including marketing and promotion, income generation and funding, organisational considerations and project planning and management. Through this work they gain a critical awareness of industry structures and a variety of perspectives of the ways of working in the ecosystems of music and the broader creative community. They learn to clearly communicate with audiences and stakeholders through a range of appropriate channels and formats.

In short, the module aims to support professional development and advance insights into the music industries.

Outline Of Syllabus

Students will take part in practical workshops, engage with key literature, research, case studies, theory and concepts through lecture materials and workshops. The syllabus may include:

• The significance of live music events to the broader music and Creative Industries ecosystem.
• Learning from case studies drawn from industry practitioners and ICMuS staff experience in curating,
  organising, presenting and performing at live music events and festivals
• the Creative Industries ecosystem and working practices in live music events; freelancing, collaborative project based working
• Project managing events; from concept to production and delivery
• The significance of networks and networking
• Perspectives of performers and behind-the-scenes professionals
• The role of branding, marketing and PR; identity; engaging audiences; marketing planning
• Creating sustainable events; income generation from audiences; working with funders and partners
• Risk Assessment, Health and Safety and technical considerations

Teaching Methods

Teaching Activities

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

The teaching methods work cohesively to build knowledge and competencies in relation to live music events and working in music and the broader creative sector, supporting the development of skills in critical analysis, research, and the articulation and application of key concepts and ideas. (K2, K3: S1, S3).

Students are introduced to a range of key contextual knowledge and literature, research, theory, concepts and frameworks through a series of lectures. Discussion of key knowledge and skills, including methodologies for managing projects and developing events will be a key component of lectures, which also offer critical analysis of contextual factors which affect live music events and working methods in the sector. The lecture series is complemented by workshops which support the development of students' practical skills and enable practical work to be carried out working in small groups, learning from experienced music professionals and performers, and from current researchers in the field, and from engaging with case studies and activities such as idea generation, market research and the application of practical frameworks to the development of event proposals (K1, K2, K3, K4; S1, S3).

Between the lectures and workshops students undertake directed research and reading, which will deepen their contextual understanding of live music event organisation, including the consideration of key issues and emerging challenges and opportunities. After the introductory lectures and initial period of learning activity, students will begin to work towards their own event proposal, in negotiation with the module leader. This will also foster independent learning and application of the knowledge and skills being introduced and discussed, supported by drop-in sessions, tutorials and through discussion and activities during the lectures and workshops.

Student-led group activity and skills practice will support and consolidate learning by allowing students to articulate and critically examine ideas, learning and progress with their event concepts and portfolio creation.

Guided independent study enables students to research, analyse, interpret and reflect on their individual and collective experience in critical engagement with the literature they will study throughout the module, and relate these concepts and ideas to practical examples and their own event proposal (K1, K2, K3, K4; S1, S2, S3).

Assessment Methods

The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners

Other Assessments:

Assessment Rationale and Relationship

The formative assessment encourages students to critically engage with the module content and ideas and generate an outline event proposal which will form the basis for their portfolio. It is a 5-minute presentation on the student’s chosen concept and outline ideas, for feedback from the module leader. The shorter oral form aims to support students from a range of intercultural backgrounds to build their confidence in articulating and contextualising their ideas and exploring opportunities and challenges critically. Feed forward through workshops, tutorials and drop ins support students as they prepare for their final summative assessment.

Summative Assessment: Portfolio (100%)
This requires development and critical analysis of a chosen event concept and design proposal and the application of the project management framework introduced during the module which would be required to deliver it, from identifying the target audience to financial viability and budget, marketing and communications, logistics and production plans; the application of communication skills, using appropriate formats, eg press release and press kit, promotional and marketing content, marketing plan. This will also include reflection on the ecology of the Creative Industries and the implications of this learning and these experiences for their future careers.

The task specific assessment criteria are as follows:

• A practical knowledge of live music event organisation and presentation, and the issues involved, showing an analytically informed understanding drawing on appropriate secondary and primary resources (K1, K2, S1, S2, S3);
• A critically informed understanding of the Creative Industries ecosystem, the collaborative networks and range ofexpertise involved in organising and staging live music events (K1; K3);
• A critical awareness of the challenges and opportunities of live music event management in the contemporary context (K2; K4);
• Effective communication both orally and in a variety of written formats (S2).

Timetable

• Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/