Program Overview
The Creative Industries BA (Hons) at the University of Sussex combines practical skills and critical thinking to prepare students for careers in the arts, festivals, and publishing sectors. In collaboration with Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival, the program explores the impact of technology and pressing issues facing the creative industry. Students benefit from industry connections, field trips, and a final project that showcases their creative ingenuity.
Program Outline
Degree Overview:
The Creative Industries BA (Hons) is a three-year full-time program offered by the University of Sussex. It is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the creative industries, including performing arts, music, film, festivals, and publishing. The program aims to equip students with the practical skills and creative ingenuity to realize ambitious projects with significant cultural impact. The program is developed and delivered in partnership with Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival, England's largest arts festival. This collaboration ensures that the BA pairs practical experience with critical and imaginative thinking about pressing issues shaping the creative sector today, such as:
- How culture works
- How it is funded
- How the creative industries can respond to the climate crisis
- The impact of new technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) on cultural production
Outline:
Year 1:
- Autumn Teaching:
- Creative Practice: Ideas and Exploration
- Culture in Context: Introducing the Creative Industries
- Digital Technology, Media and Society
- Spring Teaching:
- Communication Design
- Making in the Creative and Cultural Industries
- Researching, Creating and Communicating in the Humanities 1
Year 2:
- Autumn Teaching:
- Interactive Design
- Project Management in the Creative and Cultural Industries
- Spring Teaching:
- Professional Experience in the Creative and Cultural Industries
- Electives: Students can choose from a range of options, including AI, Culture and Society, Contemporary Literature and Culture, Digital Culture and Algorithmic Society, Pop Life: After Modern Art, Practice, Sustainability and Music Cultures, and Screenwriting.
Year 3:
- Autumn Teaching:
- Creative Industries: Real-Time Production
- Spring Teaching:
- Creative Industries: Final Project
- Electives: Students can choose from a range of options, including Art and Politics in Britain 2008-Today, Histories of Women in Music, Race and Ethnicity in Popular Cinema, Social Media and Critical Practice, Writing Race, Gender and the Social, Art and Place: Sites, Spaces and Identities, Hollywood Industry and Imaginary, Media, Publics and Protest, Public Relations, and Queer Fictions.
Assessment:
Assessment methods vary depending on the module but typically include:
- Practical Assessments: Portfolios, public resources, small-group presentations, individual final projects, and reflective learning journals.
- Written Assessments: Essays, research papers, and reports.
Teaching:
Teaching methods include:
- Lectures: 18% of teaching time
- Seminars: 17% of teaching time
- Workshops: 65% of teaching time
- Masterclasses:
- Tutorials:
- On-site Placements: The program is taught by a team of experienced academics and industry professionals, including:
- Dr Danny Bright, Senior Lecturer in Music and Music Technology
- Prof Benedict Burbridge, Professor of Visual Culture
- Dr Marina Dekavalla, Senior Lecturer in Media and Communication
- Dr Emile Devereaux, Senior Lecturer in Digital Media
- Dr Ryann Donnelly, Lecturer in Art History
- Dr Beatrice Fazi, Reader in Digital Humanities
- Dr Mimi Haddon, Senior Lecturer in Music
- Dr Lisa Peck, Senior Lecturer in Theatre and Performance Practice
- Prof Dolores Tierney, Professor of Film
Careers:
The Creative Industries BA (Hons) prepares graduates for a range of careers in the creative and cultural industries, including:
- Festival and event production
- Artist, maker, thinker, and creator across the creative and cultural industries
- Digital design
- Visual art
- Creative writing Graduates will have knowledge and experience of all aspects of creative production, from finding funding and budgeting to supporting artists, working with audiences, and event curation. They will be well-prepared to either combine these different aspects or specialize in a particular area.
Other:
- The program is based in Brighton, a vibrant and creative city with easy access to London.
- Students have opportunities for field trips to arts organizations and career inspiration.
- The program offers optional study abroad and placement opportunities.
Note:
The program is scheduled to start in September 2025.
