Program Overview

MA Contemporary Curating

The MA Contemporary Curating programme explores the notion of curatorial practice in contemporary culture by addressing a number of inter-related fields of creative practice and theoretical approaches and situating them in a historical and critical context. The course explores different kinds of curatorial issues in addressing exhibition-forms and exhibition-making processes and how we conceive of spaces of production and curating as subjects with our integrated research and practice-led approach.

Course Overview

The shifting relationship between artist-institution-curator-critic/writer forms a central element to the course with a special focus on the meaning of "the culture of curating," in which our perception of creativity has been transformed by curating and the discourses surrounding it. The course also explores the potential of seeing curating as something that can be applied to various forms of knowledge: publications, symposia, events, and interventions.

Course Structure

The MA Contemporary Curating is made up of five units totalling 180 credits. The course is available to study full-time over one year, or part-time over two years.

Core Modules

• Major Project: In this module, you will pursue artistic and theoretical research questions through the generation of a significant new public-facing piece of performance practice, either individually or collaboratively.
• Practice 1: Curating Spaces: The focus of the module is on the framework of curatorial practice through the diverse spaces in which work is exhibited.
• Practice 2: Curatorial Process: The module considers the nature of the ‘curatorial’ in terms of the processes associated with a contemporary exhibition programme, as well as related activities.
• Professional Practices: This module extends your understanding of the professional context of Contemporary Curating, contemporary Fine Art, and Painting practices.

Option Modules

• Art and Design: Culture and Context (30 credits): This module offers the focused opportunity for you to extend and enhance your practice by working in the wider art and design research community.
• Contemporary Magazine Publishing: This module will examine contemporary magazine publishing as a creative process, from idea to distribution.
• Literature in Translation: This module will examine the creative, ethical, and business aspects of publishing literature in translation.
• Writing, Illustrating and Publishing Children's Books: You will work collaboratively in small teams to develop an idea for a new children’s book and produce a number of publishing materials to form a small portfolio of work.

Study and Assessment

• Study: Full-time: 35% lectures, seminars or similar; 0% placement; 65% independent study. Part-time: 35% lectures, seminars or similar; 0% placement; 65% independent study.
• Assessment: Full-time and Part-time: 100% coursework; 0% practical; 0% examination.

Entry Requirements

You will normally have an undergraduate UK honours degree, or international equivalent or equivalent UK qualification from an arts or humanities background in a subject that includes some coverage of art history, fine art, or cultural studies at honours degree standard.

Fees and Funding

• UK and Channel Island students: Full-time fee £12,000 per year. Part-time fee £2000 per 30 credits.
• EU and non-EU international students: Full-time fee £22,000 per year. Part-time fee £3667 per 30 credits.

Careers Support and Prospects

The programme would be of interest to those planning to pursue a career in the museum and gallery sector, as well as those interested in related cultural work, such as arts administration, publishing, and events organisation. The programme also provides a suitable grounding for further study at doctorate level.

Additional Information

• Specialist costs: Optional estimate: £1,000. Students follow an individualised programme of study in relation to their practice interests. Costs of materials will vary depending on the development of personal practices and the materials necessary to realise ideas.
• Placement costs: Optional estimate: £100. There are no placements associated with the programme. The responsibility for finding the work placement is with the student; we cannot guarantee the work placement, just the opportunity to undertake it.
• Professional costs: There are no additional professional membership fees required for this qualification.
• Other costs: Optional estimate: £100. Books and digitised readings are available from the library. However, there will be some costs associated with materials (core and optional) relating to the practice of curating and the staging exhibitions.