Curating the Contemporary (MA)

Overview

This is a professional course, devised and taught with our partner, the internationally renowned Whitechapel Gallery. Through direct involvement in the life cycle of the gallery, students will acquire the key skills and knowledge of curatorial practice as well as an informed understanding of the contemporary visual arts. Students will also gain a broad range of transferable skills in communication, management, research and analysis.

The MA Curating the Contemporary partnership and programme is unique among courses of its type. It provides theory into practice experiential learning of a kind and quality that will be invaluable to students seeking future employment in the industry.

Sir John Cass Faculty of Art, Media and Design

www.londonmet.ac.uk/jcamd/

Applying and entry

PLEASE NOTE There is no official closing date for this course, but you are advised to apply as early as possible as we will only consider your application if there are places available on the course.

Tel: 020 7133 4202
Email: admissions@londonmet.ac.uk

Candidates will typically hold a relevant upper second-class Honours degree in a cognate discipline. Professional Qualifications from accredited Museums and Public Galleries may also be considered.

Course contents

Course structure

The course is designed to facilitate an integration of academic elements and work done through on-site curatorial practice. The course comprises lectures, seminars and tutorials at the University with appropriate training, mentoring and professional development at Whitechapel Gallery.

Core modules include:
Year 1:

• History of Art and Critical Theory
• Workplace Observation Module: Whitechapel Gallery
• Critical Writing: Idioms and Audience

Year 2:

• Research Methods and Project
• Curatorial Practice and Mentoring
• Professional Practice: Whitechapel Gallery

Read more about the modules

Assessment

Assessment shall be by a combination of essays, project work, archival investigation and will include a major research project. It will also be based on evaluation of students' individual contributions in the 'live' curatorial environment.

Careers

Career opportunities

Successful completion of this course offers significantly improved career opportunities in the arts sector including roles in exhibition curating, collections management, gallery education, fundraising, gallery management and administration, press and publicity, publishing, journalism, art criticism and as arts entrepreneurs in the creative economy.

Collaborative and international links

Whitechapel Gallery is one of the most prestigious public galleries in Britain and collaborates with an extensive network of national and international partners. The Government Art Collection holds more than 13,500 works of art ranging from the 16th century to the present day, is shown in over 480 locations and promotes British art, history and visual culture in the UK and around the world. As well as these relationships, the Cass has strong collaborative links with galleries, organisations and partner institutions all over the world.