Michael Williams

Michael joined the School of Sport and Service Management in March 2008 as a member of the events management team. Michael studied event management at Leeds Beckett University and worked in the arts and cultural events sector for over 10 years. He completed his PhD in music events as contemporary spectacle at the University of Brighton in June 2017.

He teaches across the undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in event management at the University’s Eastbourne campus and at Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences, one of the School’s partner institutions.

Prior to joining the University of Brighton Michael was responsible for managing the festival programme at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. He has also previously worked as Events Manager for the Harrogate International Festival and the Wiltshire Festival.

My research interests lie in the emerging area of the social sciences and critical study of events. My research is stimulated by a desire to understand how we make meaning from, engage in, negotiate and (co)create event experiences. I am particularly interested in music events, the spectacle, fan communities and identity and politics. I am also interested in the use of digital technologies in the production and consumption of events.

I am a passionate and enthusiastic scholar, educator and festival and event goer. I draw on my experiences of working in, attending and investigating events in order to engage my students through practice and research informed teaching. I try to encourage and develop employable, critical thinkers and practitioners through helping students to nurture their own passion, enthusiasm, knowledge and experiences in events.

I endeavour to deliver teaching that is relevant and stimulating, by examining theoretical and practical as well as local and global perspectives. Currently, I teach a range of modules at undergraduate and postgraduate level including: The Event Industry, Event Experience Design, Event Design and Management and Theorising the International Event Industry modules.