CLP09119
Leadership in the Creative Industries
Interviews will be held to ensure students who have not taken the above modules are of the necessary standard.

This module is designed to support and prepare you for taking control of your own career as a performing artist, and to provide a semi-professional, public platform for launching that career. The module is designed to be student-led and staff-supported, and will be delivered in two sections, across the whole academic year. The work in this unit will reflect the culmination of learning both prior to and synchronous with the module. After preview showing (which you are assessed on) at the end of Trimester 2 you will potentially have a run of work in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (or another appropriate film festival) during Trimester 3.

In the first section of this module you will work in collaboration with other students to design a series of short performance projects – either stage or screen – to showcase the work of the entire cohort. The first section is designed for research and practical exploration and students are encouraged to employ skills in market analysis, financial analysis, business sustainability, financial plans and projections to experiment in designing a season of works for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. There will be no limit to the number of workshops that any one student can participate in, although mentors will limit participation in cases where students appear unreasonably stretched. It is anticipated that while students will lead exploration in terms of the actual projects undertaken, the projects themselves will be heavily mentored and in some cases directed, and that staff support for this module will be significant. Small, basic budgets will be allocated and then distributed to projects according to a funding formula. You can take part in this module as a performer, director, designer, musical director, company manager, business manager, or in any other role as agreed between yourself and course tutors. At determined points in this first section, projects will perform as short ‘backer’s workshops’ with low to no budget before a Festival Panel, composed of staff and external judges. You will be preparing a brief company business plan for the panel that includes an outline market analysis, company mission statement, rough financial cost model, and marketing plans. The workshops will be of a reasonable length to judge the viability of the project – at the very least 20 minutes of performance. The best of the ‘backers’ workshops’ will go forward for fully funded production in the second part of the module.

In this second section, productions selected on the basis of quality and overall equality of student participation will be given a public preview showing. Along with the preview showing, each project will be required to prepare an enhanced final version of the company business plan for the Festival Panel. This final company business plan will demonstrate a breadth of market analysis, careful and detailed financial projections, a full and final marketing plan that reflects the company mission statement and a future projection plan for sustaining the company for at least two years beyond the Fringe Festival. For stage projects, the module culminates in festival presentations during August. Screen projects will be supported to fruition for presentation at an appropriate film festival. Staff and students will work together to ensure that every student has both a performing role and significant responsibilities in this module.

1. Prepare and perform an industry-standard workshop event in front of a professional panel and a public audience.
2. Present your skills and experience in a form that will enable you to seek work in a competitive industry.
3. Take the initiative in leading or performing in creative projects, and demonstrate professional-standard collaborative skills.
4. Critically understand and utilise the skills needed to analyse market possibilities for a variety of different performance projects, and demonstrate the ability to apply financial and business acumen in setting up a small company and preparing business plans.
5. Critically apply your personal practice to finding significant opportunities for growth and advancement in professional circumstances.