BA (Hons) Events, Festivals and Venue Management with Foundation Year

Why study this subject?

The UK events industry has developed and grown to become arguably the world leader, With more than 7’000 outdoor events being held each year, covering a diverse range of activities from Village Fetes, agricultural events, Major Festivals, charity events, arena and stadia concerts, Not to mention Venue based Gigs and Club nights.

“…the UK has established itself as a world leader, with many companies (now) exporting their expertise…” (Eventbrite)

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Why study at Buckinghamshire New University?

This course is delivered by established industry professionals with diverse backgrounds within the industry. Your teaching team compromise of an Award Winning Concert Promoter, a Mercury Music Prize Winner, Former Record Company Executives, Touring Musicians, Wedding Planners, Digital & Brand Partnership specialists.

As well as this you’ll benefit from visiting Industry Associate/ Guest Lectures and workshops, which introduce new and emerging industry issues across the sector, to the student body. All our music degrees at Buckinghamshire New University come with membership of UK Music’s Music Academic Partnership (MAP).

UK Music is the collective voice of the UK’s world-leading music industry. We represent all sectors of our industry – bringing them together to collaborate, campaign, and champion music. The members of UK Music are: AIM, BPI, FAC, The Ivors Academy, MMF, MPA, MPG, MU, PPL, PRS for Music. UK Music also has an informal association with LIVE (Live music Industry Venues & Entertainment).

MAP is a ground-breaking collaboration between educational institutions and UK Music, and is designed to maximise the relationship between the industry and educational institutions in order to inform the next generation of industry professionals.

Our course covers the fundamental principles of event management, setting you up perfectly to enter this industry. At the heart of our course you’ll find a combination of theory with practical work elements.

What facilities can I use?

Our library is packed with all the information you need for your assessments and there’s plenty of room to knuckle down for some quiet study.

Whilst studying with us you will also use our AppsAnywhere web service, which provides access to many of the software applications you use for learning and studying. AppsAnywhere can be used from your own device or from a University owned PC or laptop, from any location.

What will I study?

This course is offered as a four-year programme, including an initial Foundation Year. The Foundation Year will allow you to develop your academic study skills and build confidence in your abilities, identifying your own strengths and development needs for progression onto an undergraduate degree.

During your time at BNU you will establish a firm understanding of the music and live event business. You'll learn about the unique nature of working in music event management and look at a number of entrepreneurial approaches to the music business. You will also spend time exploring the social and cultural factors that affect the production and consumption of popular music.

Your programme is heavily focussed on employability, and will not only help support you to gain a broad understanding of how events are planned, marketed, developed and run, both in class and also whilst working on your own projects. But will also involve students staging their own events such as the now established Winterland and “Bucks Live Presents” projects, and will also assist in creating opportunities for working in the professional events environment, at various UK events and Festivals, to help underpin the Theory and build a student’s CV and skills base.

In previous years our students have enjoyed the opportunity to gain work experience and internships at, Download, Aylesbury Waterside Theatre, Reading Festival, Wembley Arena, Creamfields, Penn Festival, BBC Radio 1 Weekenders, British Summertime Hyde Park, Common, Students Union, Wireless, Various Motorsports events, , Steelyard, Mind, Body & Spirit, ILMC and A Greener Festivals Conference.

How will I be taught and assessed?

On this course you will be taught with a mixture of:

• Lectures
• Seminars
• Workshops
• Event planning tasks

Students are also assessed in a number of ways, such as but not limited to organising events, site planning, formal essays, presentations, group work and a dissertation in your final year.

Previous Work experience and Internships opportunities

In previous years we’ve been able to offer our students a range of different opportunities to work at a range of different Events, Festivals & Projects. Including, but not limited to:

• Reading Festival - Assistant Zone Managers
• Wireless Festival - H&S Inductions, Licensing Office
• Hyde Park British Summertime - H&S Inductions, Licensing Office
• Wembley Arena
• Creamfields - H&S Inductions, Licensing Office
• Download Festival - H&S Inductions, Licensing Office
• Aylesbury Waterside Theatre
• Mind Body & Spirit
• Common & Steelyard - H&S Inductions, Licensing Office
• Ginger Owl Productions - Various Roles and Opportunities across a wide range of events.
• BBC Radio 1 Weekender - H&S Inductions, Licensing Office & Production Office
• ILMC Conference - Assistants roles at the biggest Music Industry Conference in UK, with all major Artists Agents, Promoters, Artists Management companies, Venue and Arena Operators and Festival Organisers
• Plus many more

Placements Plus                                                      

BNU is a Placements Plus university. So, whatever degree you do, you can be sure there’ll be plenty of industry-relevant opportunities on offer, to help you get into your chosen field.

We’ll also prepare you for work beforehand, with special skills for work training, further boosting your CV, and building skills employers will value. In recognition of the value we place on these skills we have incorporated this experience into your study time.

Placements Plus is all about helping you get some valuable experience under your belt while you’re a student, to increase your choices later, and help you get the graduate-level job you want.