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Overview
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Engage with community screenings and events at The Dukes Cinema
Cinema and Theatre shape our emotions, our societies, and our futures. Study Film and Theatre at Lancaster to gain interdisciplinary insights and evolve your own artistic voice.
You will bridge practice and theory, developing an original narrative through film and theatre projects. From its cityscape and theatre venues to rural backdrops and its coastal charm – Lancaster’s surroundings provide the ideal setting.
Whether you want to focus on performing, production, cinema history, film theory, scenography, directing or playwriting, join us to shape the film and theatre industry of the future. You'll graduate with a combination of intellectual and practical skills indispensable for critical and creative pursuits.
Why study Film and Theatre at Lancaster?
Deepen your knowledge of global film history through our exciting course while also gaining practical film-making experience
Benefit from 24/7 access to our editing suites and specialist equipment, including cinema-ready digital cameras and workshop spaces
Gain inspiration from our team of distinguished academics, passionate filmmakers and experienced industry professionals
Benefit from a forward-thinking curriculum that is firmly based on the skills and knowledge that will be needed in the theatre industry in years to come
Tailor your studies by specialising in your chosen area of theatre such as acting, scenography, scriptwriting, directing or applied and community performance
Choose a course that expertly combines practical skills with contextual knowledge, giving you a strong understanding of 21st century theatre and how it can impact society
What can I expect from studying Film at Lancaster University?
Dive into the fascinating world of film, studying cinema and its history from international perspectives. You will gain an in-depth understanding of the development of cinema, from Victorian novelty films to the thriving global industries of the 21st century As well as deepening your knowledge of international film history, you will develop skills of close film analysis, examining how formal elements work in concert to produce meanings and generate effects.
You will also build your practical skills in cinematography, editing and sound, and explore film-making styles such as narrative, documentary and experimental. Together with global film practices, storytelling and scriptwriting, and gender and politics in film, you will be introduced to a wide range of themes that could influence the work you produce during your degree and your future career. One past student tackled the superhero genre through a powerful microfilm, while another produced an award-winning film exploring the fear women have of walking home alone at night.
You will have access to top-of-the-line production equipment including cinema-ready digital cameras with prime lenses, DSLR cameras, versatile set lighting, grip equipment and full access to Adobe Creative Cloud in our acoustic editing suites. Our specialist facilities ensure you can put your ideas into practice, with support when needed from our friendly technicians.
What will I study in Theatre?
Focussing on the emerging trends and innovations of 21st-century theatre and performance, we will teach you the building blocks of performance making, whilst supporting your ability to develop highly creative, challenging and impactful work.
You will engage in collaborative group performances throughout the course, allowing you to specialise in what you enjoy the most.
You will collaborate with others to create original performance projects spanning multiple genres, from experimental intermedial theatre to naturalism and applied theatre. You will frequently work in professional theatre venues, including the Nuffield Theatre on the University campus.
You might choose to focus on acting, playwriting, scenography or directing. You may see yourself behind the scenes, managing productions from start to finish or creating sound, video and lighting concepts.
What opportunities are there outside the course?
Studying at Lancaster offers a lively, creative community that extends from our campus to the city’s Castle Quarter and beyond. You will have opportunities to attend workshops with industry experts and can engage in community-based film and theatre productions as well as local film festivals. You might also choose to participate in our student-run cinema Take2, where you can show your films, or LA1TV - our own TV studio. You could join the LU Theatre Group and take part in several student-run performances each year.
You will be taught by professional theatre practitioners and top academics, benefitting from their links to leading creative and cultural organisations, such as Arts Council national portfolio organisation, Lancaster Arts, and The Dukes Theatre with their Creative Communities programme. We also have strong industry connections with The British Film Institute, The Bay International Film Festival, LA1 Shorts Festival and Lancaster International Film Festival.
Cutting-edge production facilities, a strong theoretical grounding, and a global perspective on film. Hear what Film Studies at Lancaster University could offer to you.
Students at work
You’ll be developing your practical skills in our film production modules by experimenting with narrative films or documentaries. We provide top-of-the-line production equipment so you can create your own original content.
Practical experience
You will have the opportunity to produce short films in all three years of your study.
Interesting surroundings
Make use of Lancaster’s stunning surroundings for the perfect film setting – cityscape, rural backdrop or coastal charm.
Film production
Gain practical film-making skills and an understanding of film production.
Production equipment
We provide top-of-the-line production equipment so you can create your own original content. Enjoy 24/7 access to our editing suites and specialist equipment, including cinema-ready digital cameras.
Showcase your films
Every year our final year students showcase their films in a major degree show exhibition, that is open to the public.
Your Placement Year
Sometimes known as a year in industry, your placement year will take place between your second and final year of study and this will extend your degree to four years.
Placements and Internships
Hear from students and employers on how Lancaster University could support you to gain real-world experience and bolster your CV with a placement or internship as part of your degree.
A placement year is an excellent way to...
try out a role that you may be interested in as a career path
start to build your professional network (some placement students are offered permanent roles to return to after they graduate)
develop skills, knowledge and experience to put you ahead of the field when you graduate
You'll spend your third year...
in a graduate-level position, where you’ll work for between nine and twelve months in the type of role that you might be considering for after you graduate. A very wide range of companies and organisations offer placements across all sectors.
As a full-time employee, you’ll have a job description with specific responsibilities and opportunities to access training and development, the same as other employees.
Our Careers and Placements Team...
will help you to search and compete for a suitable placement with expert advice and resources, such as creating an effective CV, and tips for applications and interviews.
You will still be a Lancaster University student during your placement and we’ll keep in touch to check how you are getting on.
The university will...
use all reasonable effort to support you to find a suitable placement for your studies. While a placement role may not be available in a field or organisation that is directly related to your academic studies or career aspirations, all offer valuable experience of working at a graduate level and gaining a range of professional skills.
If you are unsuccessful in securing a suitable placement for your third year, you will be able to transfer to the equivalent non-placement degree scheme and continue with your studies at Lancaster, finishing your degree after your third year.
Careers
What are the career opportunities with a degree in Film and Theatre?
Developing your professional skills is at the core of this course. You will build a portfolio of transferable skills that will serve you in a variety of career pursuits. You’ll develop critical analysis, research, presentation, writing and creative skills, as well as hands-on experience with film-making equipment, editing software, and project management — valuable assets across a wide range of career paths.
You could go on to pursue a career in the following roles:
Film and Media Producer
Film journalist
Marketing Executive
Broadcast and Print Journalist
Film Programmer or Curator
Script Supervisor
Content Producer (TV, Film, Video or Social Media)
Director
Technician
Writers
Performer
Scenographer
Journalist
Publisher
A significant number of our Theatre graduates go on to set up their own theatre companies or small businesses.
What careers and employability support does Lancaster offer?
Our degrees open up an extremely wide array of career pathways in businesses and organisations, large and small, in the UK and overseas.
We run a paid internship scheme specifically for our arts, humanities and social sciences students, supported by a specialist Employability Team. The team offer individual consultations and tailored application guidance, as well as careers events, development opportunities, and resources.
Whether you have a clear idea of your potential career path or need some help considering the options, our friendly team is on hand.
Lancaster is unique in that every student is eligible to participate in The Lancaster Award which recognises activities such as work experience, community engagement or volunteering and social development. A valuable addition to your CV!
Find out more about Lancaster’s careers events, extensive resources and personal support for Careers and Employability.
Entry requirements
These are the typical grades that you will need to study this course. This section will tell you whether you need qualifications in specific subjects, what our English language requirements are, and if there are any extra requirements such as attending an interview or submitting a portfolio.
Qualifications and typical requirements accordion
ABB. Film, Media or one other humanities subject would be considered desirable but not essential. Theatre, Drama, Dance or Performing Arts are considered desirable subjects, but we would also welcome an application from you if you can demonstrate experience and interest in practical theatre in your application.
30 Level 3 credits at Distinction plus 15 Level 3 credits at Merit. Film, Media or one other humanities subject would be considered desirable but not essential. Theatre, Drama, Dance or Performing Arts are considered desirable subjects, but we would also welcome an application from you if you can demonstrate experience and interest in practical theatre in your application.
We accept the Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales in place of one A level, or equivalent qualification, as long as any subject requirements are met.
DDM, ideally in Performing Arts, but we would also welcome an application from you if you can demonstrate experience and interest in practical theatre in your application.
A level at grade B plus BTEC(s) at DD, or A levels at grade BB plus BTEC at D. Film, Media or one other humanities subject would be considered desirable but not essential. Theatre, Drama, Dance or Performing Arts are considered desirable subjects, but we would also welcome an application from you if you can demonstrate experience and interest in practical theatre in your application.
32 points overall with 16 points from the best 3 HL subjects. Theatre, Drama or Performance are considered desirable subjects, but we would also welcome an application from you if you can demonstrate experience and interest in practical theatre in your application.
We are happy to admit applicants on the basis of five Highers, but where we require a specific subject at A level, we will typically require an Advanced Higher in that subject. If you do not meet the grade requirement through Highers alone, we will consider a combination of Highers and Advanced Highers in separate subjects. Please contact the Admissions team for more information.
Distinction overall. We would also expect you to be able to demonstrate experience and interest in practical theatre in your application.
Help from our Admissions team
If you are thinking of applying to Lancaster and you would like to ask us a question, complete our enquiry form and one of the team will get back to you.
Delivered in partnership with INTO Lancaster University, our one-year tailored foundation pathways are designed to improve your subject knowledge and English language skills to the level required by a range of Lancaster University degrees. Visit the INTO Lancaster University website for more details and a list of eligible degrees you can progress onto.
Contextual admissions
Contextual admissions could help you gain a place at university if you have faced additional challenges during your education which might have impacted your results. Visit our contextual admissions page to find out about how this works and whether you could be eligible.
Course structure
We continually review and enhance our curriculum to ensure we are delivering the best possible learning experience, and to make sure that the subject knowledge and transferable skills you develop will prepare you for your future. The University will make every reasonable effort to offer programmes and modules as advertised. In some cases, changes may be necessary and may result in new modules or some modules and combinations being unavailable, for example as a result of student feedback, timetabling, Professional Statutory and Regulatory Bodies' (PSRB) requirements, staff changes and new research. Not all optional modules are available every year.
This module introduces key approaches to film theory, analysis and history while integrating practical filmmaking experience. You will examine cinematography, editing, sound and performance through close analysis of case study films from Hollywood and global traditions. As the module progresses, you will explore major developments in global film history, considering cinema’s role in shaping cultural and political contexts.
Alongside theoretical study, you will take part in practical workshops covering camera operation, sound recording and post-production techniques. These sessions will equip you with the skills needed to collaborate on a group filmmaking project, where you will create a short film that reimagines a scene from a film screened on the module. This practical work will reinforce your understanding of film form and storytelling techniques.
By the end of the module, you will have a strong foundation in film theory, history and practice, preparing you for further academic exploration.
Explore the foundations of theatre and build on your skills as we support your journey to becoming a professional theatre practitioner.
Through practical workshops and a sequence of small group projects, you will have the opportunity to explore multiple professional roles such as actor, director, scenographer, playwright or dramaturg. The skills you gain through these roles will be used in the development of short, original, student-led productions that follow models of practice established by influential 21st century theatre makers including:
Intermedial theatres
Post-dramatic theatre
Applied theatre
Environmental performance
Your knowledge of significant and emerging practices will be fostered through weekly readings, viewings, lectures and workshops, helping you develop the essential skills needed to support you in your theatre career.
Optional
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Explore how the creative industries can benefit everyone, as we train you to become a skilled professional in developing inclusive and accessible events.
Building your skills in a range of techniques, this module will help to ensure that all forms of creative practice are open for everyone to enjoy, regardless of abilities or backgrounds. You will learn the necessary skills to create welcoming and adaptable event spaces, understand sensory enhancement techniques such as subtitling, closed captioning and audio description and engage with challenging questions about equity and representation within the creative sectors.
Through practical workshops, lectures and seminar discussions, you will examine innovative examples from multiple disciplines to better understand the creative possibilities that accessible practice generates.
Britain is one of the most successful and influential film industries in world cinema. In this module you will explore the key films, filmmakers and traditions that have shaped British cinema over the past century. Through a study of major genres, styles, filmmakers and themes, you will consider how British cinema has evolved and reflect on historical cinema-going habits.
Alongside this historical overview, you will engage with critical debates. You’ll examine the relationship between national identity and cinema, the role of realism and recurring preoccupations with emotional repression, race, gender and social class. You will also explore how British cinema captures and shapes ideas of ‘’Britishness’’.
Each week, screenings of case-study films by influential British directors will be paired with key readings, providing a foundation for discussion. By the end of the module, you will have developed a critical understanding of British cinema’s distinctive characteristics and its role within film history and culture.
Building on Raw Materials of Performance, this module introduces influential theoretical perspectives that will help you to create impactful theatre productions.
You will take ‘theory’ out of the realm of the written word and move it into the context of our own everyday lives. Through a series of practical workshops, you will engage in dynamic activities that illustrate the ideas of prominent social, cultural and political theorists. You will explore theoretical concepts relating to the politics of representation, cultural traditions and norms, and the social construction of spaces, places and identities.
We will encourage you to practically engage with these theories through in-class creative activities, allowing you to experience how you can make concrete use of theory in your own creative practice, whilst understanding and intervening in the world around us.
Every piece of performance, big or small, uses the same foundational ‘raw materials’. Explore these and more as you develop your critical, aesthetic and theatrical vocabulary by examining the formal building blocks of performance, such as the body, space, time, text and media.
Through a combination of practical workshops and seminars, you will learn how these building blocks are used to construct a variety of performance forms including:
Traditional stage plays
Live art
Performance art
Physical theatre
Site-specific or immersive theatre
By analysing specific examples of these performance forms, your studies in this module will complement the projects undertaken in Making Theatre I, helping you progress in your learning.
Develop your critical reading skills, become a more reflective writer and work on being an effective communicator. We'll journey through genres (such as fantasy, tragedy and life writing), explore the social, cultural, aesthetic, political and economic importance of each one, and discuss the possibilities offered by different approaches.
The focus here is on reflective work, while you will produce more creative work in your other modules. You will build your confidence and critical vocabulary, as you experiment with a range of genres, forms and methodologies.
What does it mean to study media today? In this module, you’ll be introduced to major debates, theories and thinkers in studying media and culture.
You will encounter a diverse range of material from different media, including: television, film, news, advertisements, social media, video games and more.
You will explore the intersections between our cultural environment and our identities, aspirations, beliefs and value systems, to develop essential skills in critical thinking and analysis.
Look beyond the boundaries of traditional courses in English Literature and explore a wide and exciting range of literatures in English and translation from antiquity to the present day. Discover texts that have influenced the development of literary English, from the Bible and classical figures such as Ovid and Homer, through Medieval and Early Modern authors such as Dante and Rabelais to contemporary world authors in translation such as Kafka and Rushdie.
Core
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Join us as you explore the stylistic, industrial and cultural diversities of global cinema, through the close study of films from different historical and regional contexts. Whilst developing your analytical skills you will examine variations in cinematic style, aesthetics and production modes and consider how films reflect and shape social, political and industrial landscapes.
Through lectures, screenings, readings and discussions, you will explore major cinematic movements and traditions such as:
Silent cinema
Classical Hollywood
Global Neorealism
Middle Eastern and European New Waves
Contemporary independent filmmaking
You will also engage with key debates on:
Film authorship
Digital technologies
Genre evolution
Film circulation
Emerging identities in cinema
By analysing case studies from mainstream and avant-garde traditions across different regions, you will gain a broader understanding of the theoretical and cross-cultural connections that shape world cinema. By the end of the module, you will have developed critical perspectives on the continuities, ruptures, and debates in film history.
Advance your performance-making skills in this year-long module. Through project-based explorations of how theatre can inspire audiences and the wider society, you will learn to think beyond the stage.
To begin this module, you will undertake skills-based workshops on aspects of socially engaged theatre making, resulting in a group practical ‘pitch’ for a proposed performance project. As you progress, you will be allocated to a project group based on shared interests, working together to engage with specific demographic groups in the local area and produce a piece of theatre that showcases the viewpoints of an under-represented community.
Collaborating to devise an original performance in a style and genre of your choosing, you could create a staged theatre production or an alternative form of performance such as site-specific theatre, audio performance or an applied theatre workshop.
Optional
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What we call ‘American Literature’ and how we define America and ‘the American experience’ depends on who is writing and to whom. In this module you will encounter many different voices, many conflicting and contrasting views, a diversity of complex experience and a great range of writing in form and style.
You will explore such questions as: What role do different literary forms play in narrating the self? How does American writing seek to establish a new way of looking at the world? And how and why does literature help shape forms of protest and new critiques of modernity?
Explore the development of film genres in Classic Hollywood, examining how the studio system shaped genre conventions, storytelling techniques, and audience expectations. You will analyse key genres, such as Silent Cinema, Musicals, and Melodrama, considering their evolution, industrial contexts, and cultural significance.
Through screenings and critical readings, you will assess how genre films establish recurring themes, visual styles and modes of performance. The module also explores how factors such as technological advancements, audience demand and the rise of the star system influenced genre filmmaking.
By the end of the module, you will have developed a strong understanding of genre as both a creative and commercial force in Hollywood cinema, as well as essential analytical skills for further study in film history, theory, and contemporary genre cinema.
Explore literary criticism as it is now and what it may yet become. You will have the opportunity to consider a whole range of major theoretical and philosophical concepts, such as:
The body
Race
Gender
Violence
Ecology
God
Time
Death
War
Self
The animal
You will study a range of fascinating modern thinkers, ranging from Marx, Freud and Nietzsche, through to more recent figures such as Simone Weil, Walter Benjamin, Jacques Derrida, Judith Butler, Fred Moten, Cornel West and Sara Ahmed.
Move beyond introductory concepts to explore film theory in depth, examining how films construct meaning through form, representation, and audience engagement.
You will critically assess cinema’s relationship with artistic expression and spectatorship, engaging with complex debates that have shaped film scholarship since the medium’s inception. Focusing on advanced theoretical analysis, this module equips you with the conceptual knowledge and critical vocabulary to interpret films using semiotic, psychoanalytic, formalist, philosophical and cognitivist approaches.
You will explore key concepts such as cinematic modernism, subjectivity in film perception and cinema’s evolving relationship with philosophy. The module fosters independent critical engagement with the works of influential theorists, deepening your understanding of theoretical frameworks.
By applying these perspectives to a range of case studies, you will refine your ability to conduct detailed textual analysis. By the end of the module, you will have developed sophisticated theoretical and analytical skills essential for higher-level film study.
Join us as we explore how cinema constructs, reinforces and challenges ideas of gender, race and ideology through global examples. You will engage with key theoretical frameworks, including feminist and queer film phenomenology, psychoanalysis, Marxism and postcolonial theory, to critically examine how films reflect and shape social and political structures.
Through screenings and readings, you will analyse the work of women filmmakers, Third Cinema movements and representations of race and identity across different cultural and historical contexts. The module considers how film style, narrative and spectatorship contribute to ideological meaning, encouraging you to question dominant perspectives in mainstream and independent cinema.
By the end of the module, you will have developed critical tools to analyse cinema through multiple theoretical lenses, deepening your understanding of film as a site of ideological negotiation. This module provides essential skills for further study in film theory, global cinema and cultural analysis.
Explore postcolonial literature across a wide historical span. Your study will move from the explosion of new national literatures in the era of decolonisation through to contemporary writing that interrogates the legacies of racism and imperialism in our globalised world.
You’ll read exciting major writers who defined the emergence of African, South Asian and Caribbean literature in English in the middle of the twentieth century. You’ll also encounter today’s new voices, grappling with the afterlives of empire.
Cutting through all our thinking will be the question of how literature serves, in Ngugi wa Thiongo’s phrase, as a means of 'decolonising the mind'.
This dynamic module blends theory and practice to immerse you in the craft of screenwriting. Through lectures and hands-on workshops, you will develop essential skills in narrative structure, character development and dialogue, while working towards a 15–20-page screenplay.
You will engage with the entire screenwriting process—from initial concept to final draft—receiving feedback through writing groups, table reads and peer critiques. The module emphasises both creativity and industry awareness, introducing you to funding opportunities, pitching techniques and the screenwriter’s role in film production. Alongside practical writing, you will refine your critical analysis skills by evaluating professional screenplays and developing confidence in presenting your work.
By the end of the module, you will have produced a professional-quality screenplay and gained a comprehensive storytelling toolkit, preparing you for careers in screenwriting, filmmaking and broader media industries.
In this module, you will collaboratively develop, produce, and complete a short dramatic film while engaging with sustainable industry-standard production practices. The emphasis is on technical competence, creative problem-solving, and reflective collaboration.
At the start of the module, you'll form your own production groups and assign yourself one of the key creative roles within the team—Director, Producer, Cinematographer, Art Director, Sound Recordist/Designer, or Editor. Where needed, roles may be shared or doubled up to ensure all production responsibilities are met.
The module is supported by advanced technical workshops in camera, lighting, grip, sound, editing, and post-production workflows, preparing you to meet contemporary professional standards while reflecting on sustainability and resource-conscious filmmaking.
Take the opportunity to explore a specific area of theatre practice from both practical and theoretical perspectives as you dive into this exciting module.
In part 2 of this module, you will select one of two specialist topics to study. Topics will vary each year; however, these might be:
Text-based acting
Playwriting
Applied theatre
Underrepresented theatre histories
Political theatre
Beginning with a series of practical workshops and the development of small group performance projects, you will go on to share your practical work with other groups and critically reflect on your projects in theoretically informed lectures and seminar discussions.
By the end of this module (part 1 and part 2) you will have studied two specialist topics across the year.
Core
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This module will allow you to spend the year working in a graduate-level placement role in the industry or sector that interests you most. Throughout the year, you will build an awareness of what is required in the professional workplace whilst developing a range of transferable skills.
During the module you will reflect on and critically analyse: your own career readiness, the ongoing development of your self-awareness in terms of skills and professional knowledge, and your understanding of current workplace practices and professional etiquette.
Our Careers and Placements Team will support you during your placement with online contact and learning resources.
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This is the culmination of your studies, combining everything you have learnt to undertake an in-depth, self-directed research project on the topic of your choice. You will propose an area of investigation, and an appropriate supervisor will be assigned to provide guidance, helping you refine your research focus and methodology.
Supporting independent research, creative exploration, and critical engagement with film and media practices, this module gives you the freedom to explore your personal interests. You may choose to complete one of the following:
A traditional written dissertation
An individual practice-based project such as a short film, screenplay, or other media work accompanied by a written critical piece
A small group practical project in which you will collaboratively produce a short film with individual critical reflections
By the end of the module, you will have produced a substantial piece of work demonstrating advanced conceptual engagement, independent thinking and project management, preparing you for further study or a career in research, filmmaking or the media industry.
Develop a fully realised theatrical production in a style and genre of your choice, as your reach the pinnacle of your practical theatre making studies.
Guided by staff with professional theatre-making skills, your work will be supported by advanced skills-based workshops in the areas of theatre you choose to pursue (e.g., acting, directing, scenography, etc). Through engaging in exploratory studio-based work, you will collaborate in groups to develop a coherent and theatrically compelling production concept, with a staff mentor who will provide feedback and guidance on a weekly basis.
Supported by professional technicians and staff, you will undertake independent project development and rehearsal sessions in our dedicated studio spaces, as you produce a show to be performed as part of the end-of-year degree festival.
Optional
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How has the experience of being part of a media audience transformed in recent years? How do we make sense of being a fan nowadays? In what ways do fan culture and audience community manifest social transformations on both local and global scales? This module aims to provide you with a critical understanding of fandom and audiences in a global and transnational context. The module will focus on issues such as participation, pleasure, performance, and power by investigating fan culture and audience communities of a wide range of transmedia texts in a global perspective. You are encouraged to analyse the multi-layered dynamics between individual fan, fan community, audience participation, media texts, and industries through interdisciplinary lenses, for example, feminist studies, queer studies, and postcolonial studies.
This advanced, practice-based module provides an industry-informed approach to documentary filmmaking.
Working in small groups, you will research, develop and produce a short documentary, choosing either to pursue an independent concept or respond to a stakeholder brief. The module supports a broad range of documentary genres and styles, encouraging experimentation with form while maintaining professional standards.
Through workshops and practical training, you will refine your skills in cinematography, sound recording and editing, while gaining awareness of ethical considerations, industry expectations, funding opportunities and distribution strategies across traditional and digital platforms.
Collaboration is central to this module, requiring you to navigate real-world production challenges, from research and planning to post-production. By the end of the module, you will have created a completed short documentary and developed the technical, conceptual and professional skills essential for careers in documentary filmmaking and beyond.
This hands-on module uses engaging workshops to explore Experimental Cinema and discover how it challenges mainstream narratives and disrupts traditional modes of spectatorship.
Through a combination of critical discussions on selected films and hands-on creative experimentation, this module challenges you to rethink film form beyond conventional storytelling while encouraging you to bring your visions to life through practice.
You will study key movements and approaches, starting from the historical avant-gardes – the influence of artistic movements like Dada, Surrealism and Structuralism- to contemporary artists’ moving image.
By the end of the module, you will have developed a critical and practical understanding of experimental cinema, gaining experience in challenging the boundaries of film aesthetics and spectatorship. Emphasising creative risk-taking and critical inquiry, this module encourages an expanded approach to filmmaking that transcends conventional modes of production and exhibition.
In this practical module you will conceptualise, design, and prototype innovative festival experiences that respond to emerging cultural, societal, technological, and environmental trends. Working in a team, you will develop festival concepts that explore innovations in audience engagement, sustainability, accessibility and digital innovation. In collaboration, you will undertake phases of concept development that may include:
Researching and ideating a future-facing festival concept
Design and branding
Creation of visual identities and marketing materials
Audience development strategies
Understanding market audiences through use of data
Technological integration
Experimenting with innovative digital technologies
Interactive installations
Sustainability and accessibility
Developing sustainable festive models with a focus on inclusivity
You will produce a festival proposal that will be pitched to industry professionals, who will provide feedback. The final project will be presented at the School of Arts Festival/Degree show, and your work will also make a contribution to the design and delivery of the event.
Discover cinema as a dynamic socio-cultural institution, exploring how films are circulated, exhibited and received. You will analyse the role of mediators such as programmers, distributors and critics, as well as the spaces where films are consumed and preserved, including cinemas, festivals, archives and digital platforms.
Focusing on both historical and contemporary perspectives, the module considers how film cultures evolve within local and global contexts. Examples may include:
The introduction of movie theatres in colonial settings
The rise of multiplexes
The role of film festivals in shaping regional industries
You will also explore how exhibition and distribution shape audience engagement and film heritage.
By the end of the module, you will have developed advanced research, analytical and communication skills, enabling you to engage critically with film institutions and cultural industries. This will prepare you for further academic study or careers in film curation, distribution and exhibition.
This module examines the evolving structures, practices, and challenges of film industries across different historical and global contexts. You will explore key industrial processes such as censorship, marketing, promotion and sustainability, while also engaging with major film movements that have shaped contemporary cinema.
Through case studies, you will analyse how national and transnational film industries adapt to technological, economic and political shifts. Topics may include digital cinema, green production initiatives and the role of institutions such as the BFI in shaping industry standards. The module also explores movements like Hong Kong and New Wave cinemas, assessing their impact on filmmaking practices and global circulation.
By the end of the module, you will have developed a critical understanding of the forces shaping film industries, equipping you with analytical skills applicable to film production, distribution and policy. This module provides a strong foundation for further study in film culture and industry practices.
Examining the evolution of film genres in a global context, this module focuses on the ways contemporary filmmakers innovate within established and classic genre traditions. You will analyse key genres (which may include Science Fiction, Horror and Comic Book films), considering their artistic, industrial and technological developments across different cinematic traditions.
Through case studies, you will explore how genre conventions adapt to national and transnational influences, addressing topics such as digital effects and world-building, genre hybridity and the role of franchises in global media. The module also considers how streaming platforms, audience reception and fan cultures shape contemporary genre filmmaking.
By the end of the module, you will have gained an advanced understanding of modern genre as a dynamic cinematic form. You will be equipped with critical and analytical skills essential for further research or careers in film criticism, curation and media industries.
Fees and funding
Our annual tuition fee is set for a 12-month session, starting at the beginning of each academic year.
It is likely that you will want to have appropriate clothing for practical classes and, depending on the scale of what you wish to do, there may be costs associated with your performances, such as costumes and props. We may be able to reimburse you for some or all of these expenses. It is also likely that you will want see theatre productions as part of your course both locally and sometimes further afield, and it is usually possible for you to get discounted tickets for these events.
There may be extra costs related to your course for items such as books, stationery, printing, photocopying, binding and general subsistence on trips and visits. Following graduation, you may need to pay a subscription to a professional body for some chosen careers.
Specific additional costs for studying at Lancaster are listed below.
College fees
Lancaster is proud to be one of only a handful of UK universities to have a collegiate system. Every student belongs to a college, and all students pay a small college membership fee which supports the running of college events and activities. Students on some distance-learning courses are not liable to pay a college fee.
For students starting in 2026, the one-time fee for undergraduates and postgraduate research students is £40. For postgraduate taught students, the one-time fee is £15.
Computer equipment and internet access
To support your studies, you will also require access to a computer, along with reliable internet access. You will be able to access a range of software and services from a Windows, Mac, Chromebook or Linux device. For certain degree programmes, you may need a specific device, or we may provide you with a laptop and appropriate software - details of which will be available on relevant programme pages. A dedicated IT support helpdesk is available in the event of any problems.
The University provides limited financial support to assist students who do not have the required IT equipment or broadband support in place.
Study abroad courses
In addition to travel and accommodation costs, while you are studying abroad, you will need to have a passport and, depending on the country, there may be other costs such as travel documents (e.g. visa or work permit) and any tests and vaccines that are required at the time of travel. Some countries may require proof of funds.
Placement and industry year courses
In addition to possible commuting costs during your placement, you may need to buy clothing that is suitable for your workplace and you may have accommodation costs. Depending on the employer and your job, you may have other costs such as copies of personal documents required by your employer for example.
The fee that you pay will depend on whether you are considered to be a home or international student. Read more about how we assign your fee status.
Home fees are subject to annual review, and are liable to rise each year in line with UK government policy. International fees (including EU) are reviewed annually and are not fixed for the duration of your studies. Read more about fees in subsequent years.
We will charge tuition fees to Home undergraduate students on full-year study abroad/work placements in line with the maximum amounts permitted by the Department for Education. The current maximum levels are:
Students studying abroad for a year: 15% of the standard tuition fee
Students taking a work placement for a year: 20% of the standard tuition fee
International students on full-year study abroad/work placements will also be charged in line with the maximum amounts permitted by the Department for Education. The current maximum levels are:
Students studying abroad for a year: 15% of the standard international tuition fee during the Study Abroad year
Students taking a work placement for a year: 20% of the standard international tuition fee during the Placement year
Please note that the maximum levels chargeable in future years may be subject to changes in Government policy.
Scholarships and bursaries
You will be automatically considered for our main scholarships and bursaries when you apply, so there's nothing extra that you need to do.
You may be eligible for the following funding opportunities, depending on your fee status:
Unfortunately no scholarships and bursaries match your selection, but there are more listed on scholarships and bursaries page.
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We also have other, more specialised scholarships and bursaries - such as those for students from specific countries.
The information on this site relates primarily to the stated entry year and every effort has been taken to ensure the information is correct at the time of publication.
The University will use all reasonable effort to deliver the courses as described, but the University reserves the right to make changes to advertised courses. In exceptional circumstances that are beyond the University’s reasonable control (Force Majeure Events), we may need to amend the programmes and provision advertised. In this event, the University will take reasonable steps to minimise the disruption to your studies. If a course is withdrawn or if there are any fundamental changes to your course, we will give you reasonable notice and you will be entitled to request that you are considered for an alternative course or withdraw your application. You are advised to revisit our website for up-to-date course information before you submit your application.
More information on limits to the University’s liability can be found in our legal information.
Our Students’ Charter
We believe in the importance of a strong and productive partnership between our students and staff. In order to ensure your time at Lancaster is a positive experience we have worked with the Students’ Union to articulate this relationship and the standards to which the University and its students aspire. Find out more about our Charter and student policies.
Open days and campus tours
Visit campus and put yourself in the picture at an open day or campus tour.
Take five minutes and we'll show you what our Top 10 UK university has to offer, from beautiful green campus to colleges, teaching and sports facilities.
Most first-year undergraduate students choose to live on campus, where you’ll find award-winning accommodation to suit different preferences and budgets.
Our historic city is student-friendly and home to a diverse and welcoming community. Beyond the city you'll find a stunning coastline and the world-famous English Lake District.
