MA Socially Engaged Arts Practice

INTRODUCTION

Socially Engaged Arts Practice focuses on building relationships between artists, members of communities and organisations by working alongside those communities in ways that inform the artist’s practice. Through such practice, communities and individuals can be supported to articulate their own concerns and priorities.

Whilst on this course, you work with a community in a specific area or identify a community of users from public places such as schools, hospitals, museums/galleries or sites of commercial interest to collaborate with.

This course embraces a range and diversity of practices and aims to:

• Provide the skills needed to professionalise careers through embedded creative placements and live projects with industry and community organisations.
• Develop creative, critical, analytical and intellectual competencies appropriate to master's level degree study, which is informed by current industry practice.
• Develop advanced understanding of research methods in the context of contemporary art and design practice and to understand how the boundaries of knowledge are advanced through research.
• Enhance your knowledge and understanding of professional, contextual and collaborative frameworks appropriate to your experiences and objectives by establishing intellectual debate to enable the articulation and dissemination of their propositions.
• Assist students at an advanced level in developing, extending and applying complex strategies and process based activities within collaborative, community based, and informal educational contexts, enabling detailed discourse and the creation of a contextual framework from which to practice.

ASSESSMENT

Assessment methods used on the course include:

• Practical projects (60%)
• Reflective writing and essays (30%)
• Group presentations/exhibitions (10%)

CAREER LINKS

We have links with some of the key cultural organisations within the north-west. These include the Center for Chinese Contemporary Art, Hotbed Press, Islington Mill, Castlefield Gallery, International 3, Salford Museum and Art Gallery, Artworks, Mark Devereux Projects, Textbook Studios, Dr Me, Magma Books and HOME. Talks are also in process with community organisations in Salford and the north-west, including Pendleton Together and The Children's Society and The Seashell Trust, which will provide opportunities for students to work with and respond to local communities and initiatives.