MA Cities, Culture and Creativity

Program Overview

LJMU's MA in Cities, Culture and Creativity provides a comprehensive understanding of urban development and cultural distinctiveness. Exploring urban theories, cultural policy, and grassroots culture, this course equips students with research and critical engagement skills. Graduates pursue careers in the cultural, heritage, and creative industries, as well as in academia and research.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

LJMU's MA in Cities, Culture and Creativity provides a broad intellectual and academic understanding of urban development and cultural distinctiveness.

Objectives:

• Gain understanding of key urban theories, trends, policies and dynamics
• Examine how cultural policy fits with broader strategies for re-imagining and regenerating cities
• Examine grassroots culture, social infrastructure and community development through captivating case studies and field visits
• Explore concepts such as city marketing, place identity, place brand and branding
• Develop your research design, project management and qualitative research skills
• Critically engage with the theories, principals, debates and policies that underpin the study of cities, cultures and creativity
• Dive right into contemporary UK and international cities from an exciting socio-economic, cultural, theoretical and practical perspective with this cross-disciplinary masters.

Assessment:

You will be assessed via: presentations, essays, a practical portfolio, research-based exercises, critical reviews, research plans, student defined assessments and the dissertation.

• The course will be delivered via a mixture of lectures, seminars, workshops and field visits.
Internships and placement opportunities will also be available across a range of cultural and creative industries in Liverpool.
• You will hear from a range of high profile speakers, not only from LJMU's vibrant academic community, but also from elsewhere in the commercial, cultural and policymaking sectors.
These regular guest speakers will elaborate on many of the programme’s key themes.

Careers:

Career opportunities for graduates include positions in: culture, heritage and creative industries within urban environments, museums, community and voluntary sectors, cultural centres, city councils, festival organisation, charities, regeneration projects, marketing and communications, public relations, arts and cultural bodies, administration, management, funding management and monitoring, teaching, research and academia.

Other:

• The programme has institutional ties with FACT, the Philharmonic, Liverpool Biennial, the Everyman Theatre and Tate Liverpool and these relationships offer insights into contemporary practice as well as work-related learning opportunities.
Such hands-on experience is vital for your future professional success. On graduation you will understand the development of urban environments and will be able to interpret place-making for a wide variety of purposes.
• For those who prefer a holistic approach to understanding cities - including social, economic, cultural and local historians, geographers, art historians, planning specialists, media practitioners, film-makers and journalists - this programme will inform your practice and deepen the range of your output.
• Liverpool's cultural programme is world renowned and the potential to keep telling our story in new ways is a driver both for local engagement and tourism.
To do this we need new ideas, fresh thinking and great imagination. Claire McColgan MBE, Director of Culture, Liverpool City Council
• "Since starting the course, I have learnt in depth about cultural policy and its place in urban development, and the importance of grassroots community projects in invigorating and democratising the arts sector, as well as training in research methods.
"Laura Parsons, Development Officer at Tate Liverpool