Module Outline

This year long module will introduce you to some of the key ideas, theoretical concepts, practices, creative approaches and a variety of historical and cultural contexts relevant to art, design and architecture. Lectures, seminars and workshops will assist you in developing develop your critical and reflective thinking and provide a grounding in academic and research skills.

The lectures are linked directly to the topics and concepts being explore in the studio sessions and are designed to enhance your studio work. You will be encouraged to research and expand your knowledge in relation to your specialist areas as you progress through this module.

There are two assignments and three assessment points, which build upon one another. There are two presentations (one group and one individual) and two essays.

We understand that students are often nervous or unconfident in their academic or writing skills but there is plenty of support available at the University and the module has been designed to scaffold you through the process.

Students who connect their contextual studies research to their studio practice enjoy looking at work that interests them in depth and are able to develop and push their own ideas further in the studio.

Staff delivering this module also teach in the studio and encourage this dialogic approach.