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Leading in the Creative & Cultural Industries - TFT00071M

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  • Department: Theatre, Film, Television and Interactive Media
  • Credit value: 20 credits
  • Credit level: M
  • Academic year of delivery: 2022-23

Module summary

This module will develop your knowledge and understanding of leadership, project and organisational management in the creative and cultural industries at a strategic level, within the wider context of sector innovation and change. You will explore and critically engage with strategic leadership, leadership and management approaches, strategic project management and innovation and entrepreneurship. Project work and problem-based learning will allow you to apply leadership and collaborative skills to real-world contexts within creative and cultural organisations, in working with creative and business teams and individuals.

This highly practical module will give you a comprehensive understanding of the key business models and industrial contexts which surround the production of creative content for the arts and cultural industries including: film, TV, theatre, music, the visual arts and digital/interactive media. It will focus on how projects raise money - commercial and public - and how they make money, or deliver on their investment. It will consider how creative and cultural industries develop and deliver projects to audiences, such as through streaming and online distribution, alongside more established practices. You will evaluate the distinctive features of the creative and cultural sector, such as the emphasis on individual talent and collective creativity, which drives innovative outputs and events within film, TV, theatre, music, the visual arts and and digital/interactive media.

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Autumn Term 2022-23

Module aims

This module aims to:

  1. Develop and provide opportunities for the application of detailed knowledge and understanding of leadership, management and project management for the creative and cultural industries at a strategic level within the context of sector change and innovation;

  2. Build leadership skills in strategic planning, evaluating and critically analysing strategies for their strengths and weaknesses;

  3. Enhance understanding of complex business workflows in creative and cultural contexts, applying understanding of leadership and collaborative approaches, decision-making and problem-solving skills;

  4. Develop breadth of knowledge and understanding of the core business models that drive the financing and production of the creative and cultural industries, applied to a range of different business contexts, such as film, TV, theatre, music, the visual arts and digital interactive media;

  5. Extend understanding of the relationship between audiences/markets and business strategies;

  6. Develop critical engagement with the particular characteristics of strategic leadership and management in the creative and cultural industries.

Module learning outcomes

Learning outcomes :

At the end of this module you will be able to:

  1. Apply a detailed knowledge and understanding of strategic leadership, leadership and management approaches, and strategic project management to a range of creative and cultural business contexts, within the context of sector change and innovation

  2. Create and evaluate business strategies for the creative and cultural industries, identifying strengths and weaknesses and demonstrating a nuanced understanding of the impact of context.

  3. Apply leadership approaches, in engaging with decision-making and problem-solving in relation to business workflows taking creative projects from conception to production and beyond.

  4. Apply an advanced understanding of the core business models that drive the financing and production of the creative and cultural industries to a range of different business contexts, such as film, TV, theatre, music, the visual arts and digital interactive media.

  5. Critically explore the relationship between audiences and markets and business strategies.

  6. Distinguish and critically analyse the particular characteristics of strategic leadership and management in the creative and cultural industries.

Indicative assessment

Task % of module mark
Essay/coursework 70
Oral presentation/seminar/exam 30

Special assessment rules

None

Indicative reassessment

Task % of module mark
Essay/coursework 70
Oral presentation/seminar/exam 30

Module feedback

Students will receive feedback within four weeks as per university guidelines. Verbal feedback on the first summative will be available before term's end to feed into the second summative.

Additional assessment information : Formative work is embedded into weekly exercises in the seminar structure.

Indicative reading

David Hesmondhalgh, The Cultural Industries (London: Sage, 2013)

Karen L Mallia, Leadership in the Creative Industries (Oxford: Wiley Blackwell, 2019)

Bonita Kolb, Entrepreneurship for the Creative and Cultural Industries(London: Routledge 2015

Luciana Lazzaretti and Marilena Vecco, Creative Industries and Entrepreneurship (London: Edward Elgar, 2018)

Patrick Lencioni, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, (San Francisco; Jossey Bass, 2002)

Sawyer, Group Genius: The Creative Power of Collaboration (London: Basic Books, 2008)

David Stephenson, Managing Organisational Success in the Arts (London: Routledge, 2018)

Michael D. Smith and Rahul Telang, Streaming, Sharing Stealing: Big Data and the Future of Entertainment (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2016)



The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University constantly explores ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary. In some instances it may be appropriate for the University to notify and consult with affected students about module changes in accordance with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.