MA Live Event Design
Cultivate your creativity whilst gaining a comprehensive understanding of live event design principles.
This multi-disciplinary MA in Live Event Design offers a unique opportunity to explore fundamental practices in design, artistry, technology and innovation, equipping you with the skills to succeed in the dynamic live events and creative industries.
Why choose
this course?
This course is ideal for graduates or professionals from various creative fields looking to enter the live events and entertainment industry. Whether you're an aspiring scenographer, lighting designer, or immersive experience creator, it provides the knowledge and skills needed to shape your career.
Develop technical and practical skills from stage design, lighting, sound, visuals, projection mapping and content creation to site plans, technical drawings and visualisation. You’ll gain a complete overview of event design and processes.
Immersed in an ecosystem where some of the world’s greatest productions are made and staged, you’ll gain hands-on experience on real-world projects and have access to work opportunities and cutting-edge facilities, unlike any other campus. Experiencing event design at the heart of where it happens.
The programme does not limit the learning experience to one field but rather allows you to focus on your area of interest. We’ll equip you with the skills, knowledge and – importantly – the network to start your career as a designer in your own right. Wherever that may take you.
Course content
How learning is assessed on MA Live Event Design
We provide students with a supportive and inclusive environment where students are challenged through praxis – applying critical thinking to practical, hands-on experimentation and reflection. Teaching uses blended learning, combining practical work with online and face-to-face lectures, seminars, tutorials, discussions, guest speakers, and masterclasses. Module assessments typically involve written coursework, project work, oral assessments, presentations and portfolios.
A significant amount of personal study time is expected to be undertaken by students, comprising, for example, background reading, online activities, assessment work and preparation for sessions.
Students are encouraged to use their continuing professional practice as part of their research process and build on our close relationships with the industry. Developing plans for new creative projects is coupled with a higher level of academic study and learning. Our approach to blended learning supports working professionals to engage flexibly with studies.
Term dates
Please see our 2025/26 academic year term dates for this postgraduate course.
Interested in MA Live Event Design?
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Career Opportunities
Studying MA Live Event Design can lead you to career roles such as:
- Creative Director
- Technical Producer
- Art Director
- Immersive Experience Designer
- Event Manager
- Production Designer
- Exhibition Designer
- Event Business Owner
Course outcomes
Graduates will gain a competitive edge as designers in the dynamic and developing live events and creative industries. This career-focused postgraduate degree will help you develop advanced knowledge and skills. The skills training is combined with project-oriented creative education and will enable you to adapt and develop your practice throughout your future career.
We’ll guide you in making clear plans as to how you will use your expertise to progress your career during the course. As a graduate of this MA, you will be well prepared to seek employment, promotion, or become self-employed using the professional skills you’ve developed as part of the course. This qualification also forms the basis for doctoral studies if you wish to pursue a career in academia or research and development.
The course will equip you with a range of transferable, interpersonal, technical, and non-technical skills, allowing you to capitalise on diverse career opportunities that exist. Graduates may enter technical production, event management, tech operations, or design for performance (such as theatre, dance, opera), concerts, exhibitions, corporate events, production, sound and lighting design, interior design, or even video systems.
The course tutors were the reason I had the confidence to push myself further into the technical realms. Now, I design posters, and draw stage plots and technical specs – it’s a million miles from where I was. And that’s all because of the encouragement of the tutors.
Meet Jayne - How my postgraduate set me up for industry success
Jayne Parry, an ALT postgraduate, reflects on her transformative journey through the ALT program.
Facilities
Our Production Park campus offers a range of learning spaces, including pre-visualisation studios, computer labs, classrooms, lecture theatres, and breakout spaces, giving you dedicated space to learn the theory before bringing it to life with hands-on, practical experience in our industry-standard dedicated teaching studios.
Immersive gig experience
Immersive gig experience
Creating lighting and visuals for a band.
Creating lighting and visuals for a band.
Lighting desk
Lighting desk
Esports event
Esports event
Students working on festival project
Students working on festival project
Immersive gig experience
Immersive gig experience
Creating lighting and visuals for a band.
Creating lighting and visuals for a band.
Lighting desk
Lighting desk
Esports event
Esports event
Students working on festival project
Students working on festival project
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