Overview

The creative industry in the UK is currently worth over £126 billion, providing over 2.4 million jobs in 2022.* The creative industries can also positively impact wellbeing and help to shape contemporary society and culture in an increasingly global way. The creative arts are embedded in modern culture and society. The module will explore contemporary aspects of the creative arts from the collaborative perspectives of music, drama, film, media and journalism. The module will be delivered by staff with specialisms across the arts, blending practice and theoretical approaches. You will learn how to engage critically with primary and secondary sources to understand and navigate current debates and issues in the arts. The module will actively explore the various intersections and interconnections between music drama, film, media and journalism looking at both ‘popular’ and ‘elite’ culture, and its (re)creation.

Indicative topics include: - employability in the creative arts industries - power of culture / culture of power - cultural economics - creative arts and mass communication - technological and cultural convergence - streaming and the arts - arts, health and wellbeing - creative technologies - policy and practice - social/anti-social media - creative practices and power structures - AI and the arts

• https://lordslibrary.parliament.uk/contribution-of-the-arts-to-society-and-the-economy/#:~:text=The%20government%20estimates%20that%20creative,2.4%20million%20people%20in%202022.

Assessment Strategy

Excellent (A- to A*) Submitted work is of an outstanding quality and excellent in one or more of the following ways: - Has originality of exposition with the student’s own thinking being readily apparent. - Provides clear evidence of extensive and relevant independent study, demonstrating comprehensive knowledge of the subject. - Arguments are laid down with clarity and provide the reader with successive stages of consideration to reach conclusions. - Demonstrates detailed understanding of the issues at play, including through developing new links between topics and/or new approaches to a problem. - Excellent presentation with clear communication with few, if any, stylistic errors.

Very Good (B- to B+) Submitted work is competent throughout and distinguished by superior style, approach and choice of supporting materials. It demonstrates: - Very good structure and logically developed arguments. - Evidence of research, including by drawing on material that has been sourced and assessed as a result of independent study (beyond the required readings). - Assertions are backed by evidence and sound reasoning. - Some limited original interpretation. - Well-known links between topics are described and/or problems are addressed through well-established methods/approaches. - Good presentation with clear communication, mostly free of stylistic errors.

Good (C- to C+) Submitted work is competent throughout and occasionally distinguished by superior style, approach and choice of supporting materials. It demonstrates: - Understands main debates/topics but has limited original analysis, with only major links between topics described. - Answers question but may have some irrelevant material or weakness in structure. - At least in parts draws on material that has been sourced and assessed as a result of independent study (beyond the required reading). - Assertions are largely backed by evidence and reasoning, although may have some factual errors. - Some weakness in presentation and style.

Threshold (D- to D+) Submitted work is adequate and shows an acceptable level of competence as follows: - Knowledge of key topics/ideas only but with weaknesses. - Answer is poorly focused on question with some irrelevant material and/or poor structure and/or only a few ideas/arguments are presented but with weaknesses and/or lack of clarity. - Limited or no original interpretation, with only major links between topics described. - Many weaknesses in presentation and style. - Assertions are made without clear supporting evidence or reasoning. - Has structure but is lacking in clarity and therefore relies on the reader to make links and assumptions. - Draws on a relatively narrow range of material and/or limited evidence of background study.

Learning Outcomes

• Apply a range of critical approaches to knowledge of the creative arts industry.

• Communicate ideas effectively according to the medium and context.

• Demonstrate the ability to research topics related to the creative arts.

• Explore how the creative arts industry influences and is influenced by society and culture.