It's Not Just About Festivals - Where else might your skills be useful?

It's Not Just About Festivals - Where else might your skills might be useful?

It might sometimes feel like a degree in Live Events, Visual Design and Stage Management is so specific that you only have a few options for a future career - with visions of the bright lights of festivals in your future. But in reality, there are many skills that come with this degree that can massively boost your employability in the long-term, for careers both within the live events sector and outside of it.

The combination of business and creative skills that come with a Live Events, Visual Design and Stage Management degree give you a unique toolset that allows you to think quickly on your feet when working on large, complex projects. Many different industries, like charities, marketing and entertainment all look for people who can manage their time well whilst still being able to problem-solve and be innovative professionals.

It may be hard sometimes to think about the different career paths that a degree in Live Events, Visual Design and Stage Management could take you down, but we have prepared a few examples of roles that might spark your imagination:

Event Manager

Whilst it may sound a lot like hosting the live events that you are likely very familiar with; the role of an event manager can span across many different industries. Whether you are hosting parties, exhibitions, seminars or conferences, the role of an event manager is one that will never be the same each month - working with different clients to fulfil their needs. If being given a budget and given a goal of organising large-scale events sounds like fun, event management is worth looking into.

Lighting Technician

Whether you find yourself on the set of a film, in a TV studio or behind the scenes of large-scale events, you’ll always be busy as a lighting technician. You’ll be responsible for rigging and managing the cables for the lighting, making sure that you have everything prepared for the show; you’ll take your cues from the stage manager (in theatre) or floor manager (in TV), changing the intensity and colour of the lights to fit the scene. If you’ve ever imagined being the one behind the spotlight, this could be the career path for you.

Production Designer

As a production designer you’ll be reading through scripts for TV, film or theatre productions and using your eye for design to establish a visual style for the production. You will often be a freelancer tasked with planning the best way to get the most out of your design budget and discussing your ideas with the director and producer. If you like the idea of sketching and planning the looks for productions, as well as attending rehearsals and offering your creative direction, then this could be an incredibly fulfilling career to aim for.

Camera Operator

With opportunities to work in both live events and television production, the role of the camera operator is one that involves a lot of creative thinking, planning and time management. Whether you are working in a large-scale team shooting a TV show or being the sole camera operator out in the wilderness, your understanding of composition will help you in finding solutions to creative and technical problems alike as you capture stunning visuals. If you have an eye for composition and a passion for cinematography, a role as a camera operator could be a very enjoyable career path.

There are plenty more roles out there that a Live Events, Visual Design and Stage Management student would be a perfect fit for - it just takes a little thinking outside the box to match the varied skillset with roles that require managing and understanding large-scale projects. The University of Bolton’s Live Events, Visual Design and Stage Management courses in Greater Manchester are a fantastic place to start if you want an incredible variety of potential career paths.